Dress Code

We recently visited Chloe's new high school that she will be attending this fall and found out a curious bit of information: this year they will be enforcing a dress code. 



It goes a little something like this:

Pants
>Students may wear jeans or khakis of any color.
>No holes or frayed holes.
>No sweatpants or pajama bottoms.
>Pants must be worn at waist. Belts are recommended. No sagging!
>Leggings or tights are ONLY allowed if the outfit would be in accordance with the dress code without the leggings.
>No gym or basketball shorts may be worn unless they have the school's logo on them. hey must also be worn at the waist.
>All shorts and skirts must be KNEE-length.


Shirts
>MUST have a collar--shirt can be any color.
>Must have short or long sleeves.
>All shirts must be buttoned so that cleavage is not showing
>Any sweatshirts, sweaters or vests worn MUST have a collared shirt underneath.
>Hoodies may be worn as long as they are official school hoodies, meaning they have preprinted insignia on the hoodie. All school athletic hoodies meet dress code. If a collared shirt is not worn underneath, the hoodie must be kept on all day. The hood must remain completely pulled away from the neck and head at all times during the day while in the building.


Dresses
>Must be appropriate length--KNEE length.
>Dresses must have a collar.


Shoes
>Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Laces on shoes or sneakers must be tied.
>No house shoes are permitted.


Hats
>No hats may be visible in the building. Ever. 


School spirit wear may be worn. School hats may not be visible in the building.


>All clothing must be appropriately sized. Tight fitting. baggy or sagging shirts are not allowed. 
>T-shirts with or without sleeves may be worn as undergarments. They may not display any writing, pictures, or images.
>Outerwear such as raincoat and cold-weather jackets may not be worn in the school.
>Torn clothing or see-through clothing is prohibited.
>Spiked accessories, oversized jewelry or belt buckles and inappropriate head coverings such as bandanas or do-rags cannot be worn or seen at school.

Sound like the school dress code from hell? Yeah, we thought so, too. Definitely categorized as a FASHION EMERGENCY. So while Chloe whined and complained about all of her cute clothes going to waste, my little mind was churning away...plotting all the devious ways to tackle this seemingly hopeless situation.

Let's start with Gossip Girl. While I've never been a follower of the show, I've caught enough glimpses of their outfit arrangements to know that whoever puts this wonderful walking art together is a genius. I realize that not everything pictured above meets the dress code, but it does spark ideas: white blouses, ties and bows (in an array of colors), blazers, sweater-vests, and headbands. THAT all meets the dress code. GG is great inspiration to find what looks GOOD with collars...

Ideas: belts with knee-length skirts, blouse shirts with cute bell-shaped short sleeves, necklaces with collar shirts...

Another fantabulous place to look for fashion inspiration is models. Take Agyness Deyn, who has an incredible sense of style. We are DEFINITELY going to have to find a pair of suspenders to go with Chloe's many collared shirts.

Ok, I'm going to reveal one of my obsessions: Pretty Little Liars. Dress gotta have a collar? Improvise! Put a cute collared shirt UNDER your dress like Alison DeLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) did. 

Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario) is the perfect PLL character to model dress-code style after. Idea: throw a cute cardigan over your collar shirt! I'd recommend one that contrasts your collared shirt (think: a pop of color!). Throw in a cute braid like Spencer for a look that's totally you-nique! 

Spencer is at it again! This time, pairing flannel with a jean-jacket for a look that has that understated-cool vibe. You could also swap the jean-jacket for a blazer. Just make sure it matches!

Mary-Kate Olsen is the queen of rockin' the long skirts. And here, she proves that you can pair one with a collared top.

Folks, I'm here to inform you that the maxi-skirt is back. To stray away from a look that's too matronly, make sure the skirt is fitted at the waist. Pair it with a cool 'do, necklace, bright lip color, or a big ol' bow!

I'll admit it: length can seem a little scary at first. But these four ladies show that just because it's long don't mean you don't got it going on! The accessories are a great touch. Belts, necklaces, purses, earrings, and sunglasses can really amp-up your lengthy look.

Next, let us take a cue from Mad Men. While I do not watch this show, I've read enough in magazine to recognize that they have a 50s-ish style going on. Here's some proof that long dresses can be cute. 

January Jones' (right) ensemble would definitely meet the dress code standards. 

Another cute idea: pair a blazer with a hoodie (which in Chloe's case, must be a school hoodie). It's laid-back cool. 

So, as we master Chloe's nightmare, we will be sure to post dress-code-worthy looks for all you poor souls out there who must comply with a similar fate. Even though I don't have to deal with the DC, I know I'll be stealing some of Chloe's closet pieces! 

And maybe our inspiration inspired you a little (:

xo,

T