The new dress code forbids ‘black tops with black bottoms.’
Ah, the 90s – a time when goth culture reigned supreme, and movies like The Crow and The Craft made the all-black wardrobe a defining trait of the young and rebellious. Remember those goth kids? They hung out in the park, looked intimidating to the untrained eye, but were usually just nice kids with a penchant for black lipstick and deep existential musings.
Fast forward to today, and it seems the ‘goth’ stigma hasn’t vanished into the annals of history. An El Paso school has taken a decidedly retro approach by banning students from wearing head-to-toe black clothing. Why, you ask? Apparently, the monochrome look is now ‘associated with depression and mental health issues,’ so Charles Middle School has decreed an end to this fashion statement.
Charles Middle School principal Nick DeSantis decided it was time to take action in the 2024-25 school year. He penned a letter explaining the new uniform policy, which KFOX14 eagerly reported.
‘We are … eliminating a look that has taken over on campus with students wearing black tops with black bottoms, which has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn,’ the letter proclaimed in all its tone-deaf glory.
Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, further clarified to CBSTexas, ‘They can wear black shorts to go to PE. And they can wear it on free dress day, but they just cannot wear it from top to bottom.’
Even De La Rosa couldn’t wholly support the rule, admitting it’s no real solution to the mental health struggles plaguing today’s youth. ‘The colors are not so much for, to prevent or stop mental health issues,’ she confessed. ‘You can have the most colorful dress on and still be suffering through depression.’
Here’s a newsflash that’s older than your grandma’s record player: Depression doesn’t care about the color of your clothes. Ever tried fighting a bout of depression with a wardrobe full of florals? Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work.
The El Paso Independent School District claims the dress code change is all about ‘enhancing students’ well-being and sense of pride.’ Because, obviously, forcing kids to quit wearing black is the magic elixir to their mental health issues. Never mind therapy or addressing root causes — let’s just change their wardrobe and call it a day!
This policy, allegedly ratified by the Campus Improvement Team (a coalition of parents, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders), is meant to foster a ‘positive self-image’ among students. Someone forgot to tell Posh Spice that all-black equals zero self-esteem.
Sarah Venegas, El Paso Independent School District Executive Principal, emphasized that ‘students’ safety is our number one priority,’ justifying their Sherlock-Holmes-level deduction that black clothes compromise student safety. Oh, and they’ve also removed black pants from the allowed clothing roster. Khakis or blue jeans, here we come!
If uniformity is the goal, why not just mandate uniforms for the entire student body? It’s not like tailored policies ever backfire, right? Do they seriously believe that a kid’s mental state is tied to their wardrobe color palette? Are kids’ self-esteem and school pride really tanked by black denim?
If, assuming for a wild millisecond, black clothes signaled depression, making them don bright yellow or pink isn’t going to adjust their neurochemistry. This reeks of band-aid solutions slapped on severed limbs. Our schools should be addressing mental health head-on, not participating in sartorial witch hunts.
The backlash was swift and justified. After the uproar, the school district clarified that these policy changes were mere ‘recommendations,’ hastily communicated as final decisions. The poorly dressed verbal faux pas now allows for some black clothing on specific ‘free dress’ days.
‘The campus prematurely communicated the dress code change as a final decision rather than a recommendation. We regret the miscommunication, particularly the intent behind the changes,’ read the district’s backpedalling statement.
So, moral of the story? Maybe our focus shouldn’t be on clothing colors but on fostering genuine emotional support for students. Let’s aim for real solutions to mental health issues instead of limiting fashion choices. Black clothes or not, kids deserve substantial support – and that’s Karen’s considered, darkly humored opinion to leave you pondering.
