Across Loyola, there is a clear consensus. The dress code is there, but it is not often followed. Walk into Malloy Commons, and you will see a hundred different instances of dress code violations, from T-shirts to sweatpants. You will see something else too, though. Most teachers, at this point in the year, do not care.
At the beginning of the year, there was stricter enforcement of the dress code, with teachers checking dress code at the start of classes, and kids constantly receiving JUG for violating it. As the year has progressed, though, that enforcement has gone down the drain. Students regularly wear clothes that fall outside the prescribed limits and face little pushback from teachers.
Mateo Rojas ‘27 agreed with that sentiment. “I think many students violate the dress code, which is easy to do because teachers typically don’t enforce it,” he added.
Conversely, teachers still consider the dress code an important part of the Loyola environment. They view it as a way of upholding the culture and keeping the classrooms a productive learning space. “The rules should be followed. As a school, we instituted the dress code to maintain a sense of discipline and structure, and I think students should follow those guidelines,” shared Chris Howard, photography teacher.
Other students hold that as long as people do not push the boundaries too far, they are not hurting anybody by simply wearing a T-shirt. People do not often blatantly violate the dress code or wear offensive clothing that is damaging to the school environment.
Kian Wong ‘27 feels like minor infractions allow students to be comfortable, which makes the learning environment less stressful. “I feel like dress code infractions are not that serious as long as students don’t wear offensive things—which they usually don’t—and as long as their clothing is semiprofessional and comfortable,” Wong concluded.
Furthermore, the lack of dress code enforcement has been a welcome adjustment for students impacted by the fires. A large contingency of students lost entire wardrobes in the fires, making it difficult to find suitable clothing that is dress code appropriate. Leniency has been important for them to carry on with their studies, without consistently worrying about how they can still fit in the dress code while adjusting to new realities.
While many students have faced little pushback in terms of what they are required to wear, teachers still hold the idea that dress codes are important ways to maintain the Loyola culture and respect.