When it comes to the graduation ceremony at Bolles, there are many traditional aspects that have been part of Bolles for many years. One such aspect is the dress code. It is strict, both for the girls and the boys, and many Bolles students object to both the exact requirements of the dress code and its seemingly outdated specifications, especially in regards to the width requirement for the girls’ dress straps.

Bolles’ graduation dress code eliminates the cap and gown, opting instead to have students adhere to a formal dress code: white pants and blue blazers for the boys and white dresses for the girls. With Florida’s May weather taken into account, this dress code does allow students to be a little more comfortable for the duration of the almost two hour ceremony. It also creates an elegant, formal look for the graduating class, which definitely impresses visitors.

However, because white is definitely a summer color, it may be difficult for girls to find dresses that fit the guidelines. Most dresses produced for wear during the summer months are strapless, spaghetti strapped, or sleeved, and two of those options are apparently unacceptable.

The dress code for graduation states that if the dress “does not have sleeves,[it] must have shoulder straps that are at least ¾ of an inch wide (it may not be strapless or have a halter top).”

For reference, ¾ of in inch is approximately the same width as the handle of a hairbrush. As dress straps go, this falls within a strange realm of width where it can be hard to find anything.

While this measurement is definitely less strict than the everyday dress code for girls at Bolles, it brings up a question that is often asked regarding public school dress codes: specifically, “what makes a strap too narrow?” and “what is it about the female shoulder that is so very inappropriate?”

The second question may be best left for another time, but the first requires some attention. Would it really be that problematic to reduce the width to, say, ½” (approximately the width of a flat shoelace, such as on a Converse sneaker)? That’s only one-quarter of an inch thinner, and would likely make it far easier for girls to find dresses within the dress code. Furthermore, a little more shoulder would not subtract from the polished look of the seniors on Graduation Day.

This brings us back to the idea of tradition, which is very important at Bolles. The graduation dress code is made based on two different traditions: the military school in the boys’ dress and the Bartram school for the girls. Obviously, the merging of these two schools is what created Bolles as we know it today, and it is important to pay homage to our past.

However, it is possible to modernize traditions without completely dismantling them. It seems like updating this one would make the dress code easier on the girls without actually changing the tradition too much, at least if the strap width is narrowed just a bit. Actually changing the code to allow for strapless dresses may still be asking too much.

While the graduation traditions at Bolles may seem outdated, they actually combine to create a stunning display and a memorable moment for the seniors on their Graduation, and it is important to continue with that goal while honoring the school’s past. However, is it too much to ask to make the dress code just a little less strict?