Campus Clothing: Decoding the Dress Code

Campus Clothing: Decoding the Dress Code

Dress codes can be fun when you are invited to a party or an event with a unique theme. The same goes for celebrating special occasions on campuses like welcoming freshers or giving farewells.

But what happens when such dress codes are mandatory, especially for young adults fresh out of schools? It’s a bother to spend your precious college years wearing the same uniform, grumble many of them.

Dress codes were implemented for intermediate and degree students in government institutions across Odisha in 2005. It was made mandatory for girls to wear salwar-kameez with dupatta while the boys had to come attired in formal shirts and trousers with a belt. Since then, +2 and +3 students have been displaying myriad colours of ‘uniforms’ on their campuses.

In 2015, Rama Devi Women’s University, the first women’s university in eastern India, went a step further by introducing a dress code for post-graduate students as well. In a recent development, the state government has also decided to introduce a Sambalpuri dress code for college students to promote handlooms and bring some benefits to weavers in western Odisha.The move on dress codes has evoked mixed response from students. Some felt that it was suitable as many students in government colleges come from economically-challenged families. Others, however, argued that imposing uniforms on UG students was unnecessary considering that they were adults and capable of taking their own decisions, at least, as per the law.

“The decision was imposed after much debate among students and professors as well as the authorities. While a few of us felt that the idea was a bit absurd for +3 students, the majority were in favour of dress codes. They argued that it would compel students, particularly girls, to follow some decency,” said Annapurna Samantray, a retired professor. “While introducing dress codes for +2 students made sense, those for +3 and PG students is more of moral policing,” she added.

One might argue that the mindset of an average Bhubaneswarite or Cuttackiya over a decade ago was not as evolved as it is today. Nevertheless, the attitude shift would take a long time to come to the fore.

Attapriya Jena, a psychology research scholar, recalled how professors were judgmental about western attires on campuses, in particular jeans and shirts. “We had a harrowing time with the kind of moral policing our teachers subjected to us then. Anything that we did was automatically associated with the attires we wore. I would not name anyone, but the most respected names in the academia are guilty of misogyny. Not to mention, many of them were women!”

No wonder, most of these academicians felt that the introduction of dress codes brought in the “necessary restriction” on students who were “going loose in the absence of morality.” Soon after government colleges made dress codes mandatory, private institutions followed suit. However, many of them kept it limited to first year students only.

Shirmi Chatterjee, the chief counsellor and coordinator at a private residential college, averred: “Students from other states resist wearing uniforms anyway. Since most of our students are on-campus boarders, we have to ensure that the colours and fabrics are easily available. However, we cannot extend it to more than a year as campus placements pose a problem. In addition, students are in a rebellious and experimental phase during college. Anything can trigger an outrage among them.”

The students, meanwhile, have grown accustomed to the dress codes since there is no hope for any change. They, however, resented the fact that formal attires are clumsy and required one to give them extra attention. Also, many female students alleged that they faced eve teasing.

“People can recognise the institution by the dress code. They make catcalls at us by the name of our college,” said a student refusing to divulge her name. “Since, I have to go for IAS coaching from college itself, I am attired in my uniform. But most people conclude that any girl wearing a college uniform outside the campus is bunking classes. But they do not think the same about male students because they are scared of retaliation or physical assault. Female students are soft targets,” she rued, adding that teachers too passed judgemental comments if they worse something different.

On the other hand, the authorities refuted such allegations. Pratithi Das, one of the core members of the committee that zeroed in on the dress colour, claimed: “PG students are the mature ones. Their curriculum demands them to conduct lots of research and their classes too are of longer durations. But that is not the case with UG students. They are teenagers and need to mature.”Das added that the intention was not to restrict what the girls wore as long as they subscribed to the decorum of an educational institute. “Moreover, it is not true that the female students are knowingly discriminated against. I have reacted in the same way when male students come to college attired inappropriately like vests or boxers. Regarding a few teachers who dislike western attires, well, that is their opinion and students need not take it seriously,” she said. “The presence of a dress code leaves students with more time to focus on other important things.”

Akash Basumallick, an MBA student of Utkal University, echoed: “We have a dress code which involves blazers and tie for men and sari for women, apart from the salwar-kameez they had in the first year. We have appeared for campus placements, seminars and conferences in our dress code. Moreover, that does take away the burden of buying new formal attires and working on your entire look. I feel you can make any look work if you know how to,” he argued.

Well, to each his own. But one thing is for certain: These dress codes or uniforms, whatever one may call them, are here to stay, especially with such codes existing in other states like Rajasthan as well. Hence, college students in Odisha have no other recourse, but to make do with them.