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Finlayson wearing the dress that set off the firestorm. Photo courtesy Kristy Kimball.
When 16-year-old Gabi Finlayson went to Paris with her mother and brother in December, she only bought one thing: a light pink dress with lace overlay that fell just below the knee. She planned to wear it to an upcoming high school dance. “I loved it,” she tells Yahoo Parenting. “It reminded me of Audrey Hepburn. It seemed like a classic dress I could wear forever.”
I think it is an absolutely beautiful, modest, classic dress! I'm not sure why school officials thought it violated the dress code, as the shoulders appear to be at least the required 2 inches.
However, I disagree with this line from the article:
“Any conversation about dressing modestly or inappropriately is inherently sexist. No one has that conversation with boys,” Kimball says."
I suspect that if a boy showed up with a shirt unbuttoned to his navel, or was wearing skin-tight "legging" things like girls are now commonly wearing) that showed a bit too much of his, ahem, manhood, then someone would indeed be having that conversation with him. Boys don't always dress stylishly or gentlemanly (suit & tie), but they rarely dress downright immodestly.
I think it is an absolutely beautiful, modest, classic dress! I'm not sure why school officials thought it violated the dress code, as the shoulders appear to be at least the required 2 inches.
However, I disagree with this line from the article:
“Any conversation about dressing modestly or inappropriately is inherently sexist. No one has that conversation with boys,” Kimball says."
I suspect that if a boy showed up with a shirt unbuttoned to his navel, or was wearing skin-tight "legging" things like girls are now commonly wearing) that showed a bit too much of his, ahem, manhood, then someone would indeed be having that conversation with him. Boys don't always dress stylishly or gentlemanly (suit & tie), but they rarely dress downright immodestly.
Boys at our school are just as immodest as the girls. I'm constantly having to tell them to cover up their underwear so I can't see their manhood. They want to wear muscle shirts as soon as we have our first 70 degree day, which was today. The girls are worse, though, because they are blatantly sexual about their wardrobe choices. They wear the spandex leggings, but without the tunics that I thought were appropriate for them. There is also the constant battle against cleavage and midriffs. I had an issue with a young lady today who was wearing an off-the-shoulder top that also bared her midriff. She is not in my class, so I don't know her name, but I did inform the principal. He did nothing.
I don't want to see any cleavage--top for girls and bottom for both boys and girls. Unfortunately, I see too much of both. Be glad if you are in a school that enforces the dress code. The students can't focus on their lessons when they are wondering if they are going to get a glimpse of a girl's belly button ring or what the boy's package looks like. And it's not just the boys who look. I've seen how the girls flirt with the security guards and custodians. Administrators have told me that they are uncomfortable calling a girl on her dress because they don't want to seem like they are looking that closely. If they would just do their job, it would never be an issue.
The picture doesn't show it well, it looks as if the lace is see through so you may be able to see her cleavage. That said, it's a beautiful dress which she should be able to wear. What an awful experience for her.
This is pretty and modest, but I'm not surprised. I live in North Carolina, am 26 years old and would not have been allowed to wear that when I was in high school. Our shoulders had to be covered, so I would have had to put a shawl or something over it. The intent of the rule is because some sleeveless dresses show your breasts when you lift/move your arms. This is especially true for younger girls who aren't fully developed but who are wearing dresses from the women's section. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I am saying that this isn't anything new or anything restricted to Utah. It may not have been her particular dress, but they may have already had issues at the same event with girls with similar yet ill-fitting dresses, etc. and could not exclude one girl.
Not sure why the dress is a problem. Over some exposed shoulders? Big whoop. It's not like that's what her male classmates think about during "alone time".
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