25 May 2016

Petition against ball dress guidelines

6:27 pm on 25 May 2016

An Auckland girls college has sparked controversy over its guidelines for what its students can wear at their school ball.

Students at St Dominic's College say they were told in an assembly that their ball dresses must not show any cleavage, the back of the dress cannot go below the armpit and any split cannot go past the knee.

The school's principal Carol Coddington said the girls must be "appropriately dressed for the occasion", but the message has been changed from what was originally said.

ball dresses

ball dresses Photo: pixabay

A petition has been launched against the restrictions, and so far has almost 6000 signatures.

The catholic college is a Year 7-13 girls' school situated in West Auckland.

Ms Coddington said the guidelines were straight forward.

"We did say that their dresses needed to be appropriate, we did say that you should not be able to see up it, down it or through it."

Ms Coddington said any girls who were worried about whether their dress was appropriate or not should talk to school management.

"All we're asking them to do is to consider what they are wearing and to be appropriately dressed and to be proud of who they are."

None of the girls who had so far presented to management had been told they couldn't wear their chosen dress, Ms Coddington said.

But one student, who didn't want to be named, said several of her friends had been told they couldn't wear the dresses they had already selected.

She said the rules about cleavage, back and split length were made clear at a school meeting.

"We were specifically told the rules as they sound.

"We were also specifically told that if we turned up unacceptable, we would be turned away."

Ms Coddington said the guidelines were not new and the college had always had an appropriate dress code in place at formals.

"In fact we've become a little bit more liberal, I suppose, in that previously they were only allowed to wear long evening dresses now they're allowed to wear cocktail dresses, they can wear evening pants and so we have made a change."

Ms Coddington said she did not think anybody would need to be turned away on the night.

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