A girl strolls through the breezeway in fashionably-torn jeans, her loose navy-blue top slipping off of her left shoulder to reveal the strap of her black bra. The bracelet her boyfriend gave her as a souvenir from Weed, CA, clinks on her wrist. Is she breaking any rules?

While many students adhere to it without thinking of it, and many do not know of its existence, the Dress Code maintains its presence on page 17 of the Piedmont High School Student & Parent Handbook.

Though the Dress Code states that “students are expected to be appropriately dressed at all times” and gives them seven guidelines as to what this means, in evaluating their outfits every morning before school, students are on their own.

Principal Brent Daniels said that when a student’s judgment lapses, faculty must step in to preserve the learning environment.

“In most cases, students kind of know that their outfit may have been pushing the edge,” Daniels said. “It’s up to us to say, ‘Well yeah, it is.’”

Teachers are to go beyond citing the Dress Code and speak to students when they see an outfit they deem inappropriate. Daniels said that the administration wants a staff member of the same sex as the student in question to have a conversation with the student to probe his or her understanding of the Dress Code.

“This is more about bringing about understanding than bringing about a penalty,” Daniels said. “The emphasis is really to have a respectful conversation with the student so there is actual dialogue, not just a one-way conversation. The real goal is to try and maintain a healthy learning environment.”

Science teacher John Savage said that he does not think this method is effective since there is no concrete definition of how inappropriate a student’s clothes have to be in order to justify a teacher talking to the student.

“If it makes me feel uncomfortable, it makes it difficult for me to talk to the person about it,” Savage said. “I need something objective that I can say as opposed to, ‘That makes me feel uncomfortable,’ because everyone has different standards.”

Savage said that by the standards he was raised on, people need to cover up more. On the other hand, sophomore Mia Kate Hood said that she has never seen anyone wear an outfit to school that has made her feel uncomfortable.

“I didn’t think we even had [a dress code at the high school],” Hood said. “I really like it though because it allows students to express themselves.”

Junior Arielle Albert said that although she does not know what the Dress Code is, she has never gotten into trouble with it, and therefore has no problem with it.

“I think in the beginning of the year every student should get a handout with the Dress Code,” Albert said. “If someone breaks it, the principal or one of the vice principals can say something to that student privately because they are the people in charge of running the school. But it would be a little weird if teachers started talking to students, unless [the students] were coming in half-naked.”

Daniels said that the faculty makes a point to never embarrass students about their clothes because it is a learning experience.

“[The Dress Code] is about preparing students for the next step – for the job market, for college,” Daniels said. “School is not a beach party. You dress differently for different occasions.”

Daniels said that the Dress Code has some limitations in relation to what is in fashion, for sometimes the two do not coincide.

“It may be very convenient to just buy into what you are being sold, regardless of school policy,” Daniels said. “It may take an adult to say that it is distracting.”