Skin tight clothing is quickly dominating the fashion sense of women around the world. Girls of all ages are wearing yoga pants, leggings, and other skin tight clothing meant for exercise as everyday clothing. Is this fad here to stay? More importantly, how is it affecting our youth? Some schools have taken a direct approach - any girls wearing skin tight clothing are considered in violation of the dress code. Citing it as a distraction to boys, this rule makes wearing skin tight clothing a punishable offense. This has sparked a huge amount of controversy. Should girls be allowed to wear curve-hugging clothing? Or should pubescent boys learn to control themselves?
Boys will be boys
Proponents to the new dress code rule understand that from around the ages of 11 to 14, boys will be thinking about, looking at, and fantasizing about women. It is natural. Puberty is not negotiable and everyone will have to eventually embrace it. With this in mind, it is no surprise that being surrounded by women in spandex-tight pants could be distracting to young boys. Opponents to the idea of barring the wearing of skin tight clothes suggest that these pubescent boys should simply learn to better control themselves. This group thinks that rules restricting clothing options promotes rape culture by objectifying women. People that follow this line of thinking believe that the end result is a dystopian world where women are required to wear a hijab.
Save it for the gym
Yoga pants are meant to be worn when doing yoga. Most students are not going to be doing yoga during class, especially in middle school. There is a way to make both sides of this issue happy. Gym clothes are not appropriate for school, just like jeans and flipflops are not appropriate workout attire. At the heart of the matter is the children. If something is distracting students and hampering the learning process, it is worthwhile to consider the situation. Both sides of this issue just want what is best for their children. Any method to reduce distractions and increase learning is worth considering, including banning yoga pants.