dress code

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., walks on Capitol Hill on Thursday. He says he will continue to wear a suit on the Senate floor in compliance with the newly codified dress code.

Politics & Government

Suit yourselves: The Senate formalizes a dress code just days after ditching it

12:45pm September 28, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Backlash ensued after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to relax its informal dress code last week. On Wednesday, lawmakers voted unanimously to codify business casual on the Senate floor.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., arrives at the Russell Senate Office Building last Wednesday. The Senate's unwritten dress code will no longer be enforced as of this week.

The Senate's dress code just got more relaxed. Some insist on staying buttoned-up

12:20pm September 21, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's decision not to enforce an unofficial dress code has elicited strong reactions and dominated talk on Capitol Hill, even as a potential government shutdown looms.

Queue Listen Now

The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., pictured in Sept. 2022. The Republican-controlled House began its new session by strengthening its dress code for women.

The Missouri House tightens its dress code for women, to the dismay of Democrats

1:53pm January 13, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

As lawmakers met to debate House rules, one proposed requiring women to wear jackets. They ultimately passed a modified amendment (permitting cardigans), but not without vocal pushback from Democrats.

Some local governments and school districts in Texas are defying the governor's ban on mask mandates.

A Texas School Made Masks Part Of Its Dress Code To Get Around Gov. Abbott's Ban

3:05pm August 18, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Gov. Greg Abbott — who announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated — has been fighting with local governments over masks for months.

Ever Lopez, 18, wore the Mexican flag over his graduation robe at his high school graduation ceremony. The school withheld his diploma, claiming he violated the dress code.

A Student Punished For Wearing A Mexican Flag At Graduation Finally Gets His Diploma

11:21am June 08, 2021

by Paul Garber

Ever Lopez' act became a flashpoint in the city of Asheboro, fueling threats and social media attacks. Lopez said he wore the flag out of pride for his Mexican roots.

An unidentified young man wears his hair in dreadlocks in this file photo. A Texas school district won't change its policy on long hair — effectively continuing a de facto ban on dreadlocks, attorneys for suspended students told NPR.

Texas School Board Keeps Grooming Code That Led To Suspension Of Black Students

4:21am July 22, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The Barbers Hill Independent School District forbids male students from wearing their hair long. Two Black students were suspended when they refused to cut their dreadlocks.

When Black Hair Violates The Dress Code

6:05pm July 17, 2017

by Kayla Lattimore

For wearing their hair in braids, two teenagers were threatened with suspension at their charter school. Similar incidents show that strict dress codes can punish students for their racial identity.

The United Airlines terminal is viewed at Newark Liberty Airport on July 8, 2015 in Newark, N.J. The airline was criticized on Sunday for enforcing its buddy pass dress code, barring from the plane two girls in their early teens who were wearing leggings.

National

Outrage, Explanations After United Bans Girls From Flight For Wearing Leggings

12:01pm March 27, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

A woman live-tweeted in disbelief on Sunday as two young girls were turned away for wearing leggings. Why? United, like many airlines, has an enforced dress code for people flying on "buddy passes."

Woohoo! Get wild, all ye Starbucks employees. Now crew necks are acceptable work wear!

Starbucks' New Dress Code: Purple Hair And Fedoras OK, But Hoodies Forbidden

5:54pm July 26, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

Yes, the green aprons remain, but you may begin noticing more personal flair underneath. Instead of black and white garments, baristas are now free to embrace "drabby chic."