The End Dress Codes Collective is looking for stories about dress code discipline in the Toronto District School Board. Can you add to our archive of anecdotes? Get in touch for more information about how we would use your story — anonymous contributions are welcome, and we won’t post your story to the site if you don’t want us to.

Clayton

I came to understand that there was an overwhelming distaste for the code and how it was enforced. I wanted so badly to speak on the matter, I just needed a platform to do so…

Dani

[A]mongst my friends I was the only one that got dress coded. That was a source of insecurity. By the end of high school we’re all becoming ourselves, and I’m the only one constantly being criticized. It kind of made me feel like I grew into the wrong self…

Katelyn

I felt like I was being targeted because of the kind of body I have — fat, curvy, hypersexualized, etc. I felt like if my breasts weren’t the size they were it wouldn’t be an issue…

Luna

At that point it almost seemed degrading. It was causing unnecessary fear and anxiety. Why be so angry and condescending towards me over a tank top? My parents at least had a reason to be this way when I would forget to wash the dishes…

Mahfam

I felt like a total badass, because it was kind of like a scene out of a movie. We knew exactly what we wanted to leave that room hearing, and we made it pretty clear that we weren’t leaving without hearing it. That we were forces to be reckoned with, people worth taking seriously. I felt pretty invincible, to be honest.

Mr. Wright

That kid already has a very tough time. Why did it need to be made worse? It’s like the rule is valued over individuals, over acknowledging that students have stuff going on, and this thing that’s unnecessary is making their life worse…

Yasir

I thought to myself, “Okay so girls are clearly being targeted here.” I started to hear more and more dress coding stories and realized that, as a cisgender male, I literally never had to worry about the code, whereas girls were being called out over and over again, for the smallest, randomest infractions…