Student dress codes in Toronto are about to change drastically for the first time in nearly a decade

Students will soon have a lot more options when it comes to their school wardrobe, as the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has adopted a much more relaxed student dress code.

Starting in September 2019, students will be able to wear items like hats, hoods, crop-tops, and spaghetti straps in the classroom—which is a far cry from what you might remember being able to wear.

According to the TDSB, the new Student Dress Policy was adopted on May 22, which applies to all schools across the board.

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Under the new policy, students will be able to wear wardrobe choices that show shoulders, midriffs, necklines, cleavage, legs, thighs, and hips—a move that the TDSB believes will establish “fair and equitable standards and practices for student dress across the board.”

According to the board, the new policy draws on with principles of “equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, non-discrimination, equitable, and inclusive education.”

It’s the first time the policy has been revised in nearly a decade, according to the TDSB’s website.

“Historically, school dress codes have been written and enforced in ways that disproportionately and negatively impact: female-identified students, racialized students, gender diverse, transgender and non-binary students, students with disabilities, socioeconomically marginalized students and Indigenous, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students,” reads the policy.

Through “focused, explicit, persistent, and determined action,” the TDSB says it can challenge and overcome this history.