Discussion Starters
Dress Codes
“Dress how you
want to be
addressed.”
—Author unknown
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions
1. What are some different types of dress codes?
2. What happens when people don’t
follow dress codes at work or
school?
3. Do you prefer to dress formally or
informally at social events, work, and
school?
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Match up as many meanings and words as you can before you read.
You can check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page 2.
1. appropriate a) to dress informally
2. attire b) to make sure the rules are followed
3. dress down c) to cause a person to feel bad or self-conscious
4. cut and dry d) clothing
5. business e) not realistic or useful
6. casual
f) informal attire that looks neat and tidy for work
7. embarrass
g) right or proper for a situation
8. enforce
h) unfair or unequal due to race, gender, economic status, etc.
9. impractical
i) causing people to lose focus
distracting
j) clear, obvious
10. discriminatory
1
Dress Codes
Discussion Starters
Reading
DRESS CODES
The right to bare arms and legs
1. Just like clothes and bodies, dress codes
4. Dress code debates often heat up in the
come in many shapes and forms. Dress
summer months when students and
codes are
employees naturally want to stay cool and
guidelines for employees, students, or
comfortable. How can schools enforce dress
attendees about what is considered
codes when they don’t have air conditioning?
appropriate or acceptable attire.
Why can’t men wear shorts if it’s acceptable
2. Dress codes can be helpful when planning an for women? Is it impractical
outfit for a social event. Attendees know to to ask women to cover their shoulders or
dress up in formal gowns and tuxedos for a arms? How long must dresses, skirts, or
black tie* event. shorts be to be considered “appropriate”?
If a wedding invitation says beach casual, 5. Some teachers and administrators say that
guests know to dress down in khaki shorts or dress codes are essential in schools, because
sundresses. girls often wear clothes that are too
3. Other dress codes aren’t as cut and dry. One distracting. In contrast, many students and
of the most common dress codes in the parents complain that school dress codes
Western world is business casual. At some embarrass girls and make them feel
workplaces, business casual means it’s okay to uncomfortable about their bodies. Some
wear dark jeans with a collared shirt or blouse. argue that requiring special clothing at school
At others, it means it’s fine to go without a tie is also economically and culturally
or jacket. Addressing dress code issues in a discriminatory.
business environment Is it a teacher’s role to act as the fashion police?
isn’t easy. Is it worth embarrassing or
losing an employee over what they choose
to wear?
Comprehension *Note:
BLACK TIE
Discuss these questions in pairs, and write the answers in your notebook.
For a “black tie” event, a
man wears a black
1. What is the article mainly about? tuxedo
with a black tie and a
2. What types of clothing are mentioned in this reading? woman wears a long
evening gown.
3. What does the article say about black tie events?
WHITE TIE
4. Why does the article mention the beach?
A “white tie” event is even
5. Why do dress code debates often heat up in the summertime? more formal. A man wears a
white shirt, a white vest,
6. What types of discrimination are mentioned? and
a white bow tie with his
tuxedo. A woman wears
evening gloves and
sometimes a scarf with
