Wearing dignity on the sleeves

Students say that they have come to terms with the prescribed dress code in their respective colleges

With many colleges re-opening next month, students tell Metrolife that they are mentally prepared and have, to some extent, made peace with the prescribed dress code. Many in fact have actually worked their wardrobe around it.

But students need not fret as many colleges in the City insist that they don’t put pressure on their students with very strict rules but demand only decency in the campus. Christ University, known for its strict dress code, has eased it especially for those studying in the degree courses. They have made it clear in their college website itself that boys are expected to be in full trousers and clean shirts. Low-waist pants with several large pockets are not allowed. And girls are expected to dress decently and must avoid wearing tight, transparent, sleeveless or revealing clothes.

St Joseph’s College and Jain University are following suit. “There is no particular dress code but students are expected to come in a dignified manner. Kurtas, jeans and T-shirts are allowed on campus as long as they are decent,” says Jyothi, from Jain University. Students too feel that a dress code for colleges is not necessary.

“After coming to college, students are mature enough to understand what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to dressing. Only when there is a restriction will one feel like breaking it and going against the rule. In our college, it is an understood thing and everybody keeps it simple and casual,” says Pallavi, a student from Seshadripuram College. Agrees Manisha, a student from St Joseph’s College of Arts and Science.
“Generally it’s the girls who have more restrictions than the boys. It’s not like people will wear a spaghetti top and walk around in college if there is no dress code. And the fact that our college trusts us and gives us the freedom to wear what we want shows that they are not biased on the basis of gender,” she adds.

A big reason for many of the colleges to relax their rules is because of the foreign students who are taking admission in their institutions. “It’s not fair on the foreign students when we insist on only kurtas. So apart from wearing uniform twice a week, we allow our students to come in any formal attire but they must avoid sleeveless and tight-fitting clothes,” says Suja Bennet, a mathematics teacher in CMR Institute of Management Studies.

But the case is not the same in all the colleges. In many institutions, the Pre-University sections are a little more strict than the degree sections. Christ Junior College has changed its dress code for girls from this year . “We have insisted that the girls wear loose-fitting kurtas with salwar bottoms and dupattas are a must. Leggings, tights, knit-wear kurtas and any other fitted attire will not be entertained from this year on. And the boys have to wear formal shirts and pants,” says P M Verghese, a lecturer in Christ Junior College. Sukanya, a student from Jyoti Nivas College, says that policing is far more strict in the PU section than the degree sections. “I feel it’s because when we come to degree course, we know how to dress appropriately,” she adds.

And the colleges take the rules very seriously. If caught violating the norm, the students are either asked to change and come back or their ID cards are confiscated. “It’s not a new code — we’ve had it for a long time: Short tops, low-waist jeans or trousers, sleeveless kurtas and T-shirts are not allowed. If students are found dressed inappropriately, they will be given a warning or their ID cards will be taken away and they will be sent back home to change. Even the watchman has the authority to send the girls back,” says Padma, from the Student Welfare Office of Mount Carmel College.