More than just rules about fitting pants and navy polos, Loyola’s dress code is supposed to mean something; it represents a commitment to the values of Jesuit education—at least, that’s how it should be.
At Loyola, where students come from more than 190 zip codes and various backgrounds, a unifying dress code ensures that no one is judged by style. The dress code removes visible markers of privilege and fosters a culture of equality.
However, recent enforcement of the dress code has not worked, either having been overlooked or not being cared about by the students in spite of the punitive actions taken. “Essentials” sweatshirts, UGGs and other dress code violations have become common, reintroducing the inequalities the code should eliminate.
These seemingly minor violations undermine the code’s purpose: to create an environment free from consumer culture pressures. Clothing has long been a marker of class distinction, and in a school with students from economically diverse backgrounds, unchecked displays of wealth turn our campus into yet another battleground for social stratification. Some believe that breaking the dress code allows for students to be liberated from the strictness of the code and increases individuality.
Dean Heath Utley explained that upholding clear standards benefits students beyond appearance: “Loyola has historically tried to find a balance between having a standard and providing some measure of flexibility so that there’s some ability for expression. Whenever there are standards established for young people, there are universal increases in social outcomes. Lowering standards only diminishes that.”
Maintaining a dress standard is not about restricting students, but fostering positive outcomes. Without clear expectations for students to meet, the benefits of discipline and equality erode. Adrian Macias ‘26 said, “I think the dress code enforces a healthy amount of uniformity that crosses wealth or cultural gaps and teaches us to be presentable as men. It keeps the advantages of looking clean while not linking it to status.”
An enforced dress code isn’t about suppressing individuality but about ensuring that every student can walk throughout campus free from the pressures of current consumer culture. Without it, Loyola risks becoming something it was never meant to be and risks losing the values of equality, discipline and unity that form the foundation of its community.
