MYNORTHWEST NEWS

13-year-old battles school dress code on behalf of leggings

Apr 3, 2014, 7:30 AM | Updated: 8:53 am

Leggings, even if they are considered thick active pants are not allowed at Sophie Hasty's Chicago middle school. (AP Photo/File)

(AP Photo/File)

Leggings and yoga pants have made quite a few headlines for a simple piece of clothing.

Most notably, active-wear brand Lulu Lemon’s co-founder Chip Wilson turned a few heads when he body shamed his core customers, blaming them for a problem with his yoga pants. “Women will wear a seat belt that doesn’t work a purse that doesn’t work and quite frankly, some women’s bodies just don’t work for it.”

He didn’t stop there.

“It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there,” he said.

Chip Wilson said his company’s yoga pants were too sheer and revealing because women’s thighs rub together, causing a breakdown of the fabric.

Well, yoga pants and leggings are back in the headlines but this time, a 13-year-old finds herself in the middle of a battle with her school for her right to wear leggings.

Sophie Hasty of Haven Middle School in Chicago says teachers are on a veritable witch hunt for girls wearing leggings.

“I understand that they’re kind of more sheer than they should be or more tight than they should be. But a lot of the types of leggings that we’re wearing are actually the active type of yoga pants or leggings, which aren’t as revealing as other ones,” explains Hasty.

But she says the reasoning for banning leggings at her school is what’s offensive.

“The first of what I heard is that it’s too distracting for boys,” Hasty says. “But then they kept changing it around to other things, like we need to look ‘appropriate for school.’ But I don’t understand how leggings are inappropriate.”

Hasty says it’s kind of like saying that the girls are responsible and should be punished for the things the thoughts and actions of the boys in school.

“It kind of goes to the rape culture of everything. You can’t tell us we can’t wear them because of guys and that it’s our fault that guys are going to look at us like that. Just like, if a girl (…) getting raped, and the person that’s doing it is telling her that’s her fault because it happened,” she says. “I’m not saying it’s as drastic as that, but that’s what I’ve seen and I kind of agreed with it. They’re blaming us. But it’s not our fault.”

So she fought the policy, but the school is hesitant to change its stance on leggings.

When Sophie and her girlfriends held a leggings protest – by all wearing leggings at school one day – the district decided to discuss the matter at a school board meeting.

“One teacher said it can look like they’re painted on,” Hasty says. “And yeah, I understood that. But not for all types of leggings.”

In the end the school bent, just a little, and allowed yoga pants (seen as the lesser of the two offending pants) but leggings are still banned unless girls wear a t-shirt long enough to cover up.

Sophie still plans to fight the ruling but says this has brought all of the teen girls at her school closer: like a feminist fairytale.

“That definitely made us relate to each other more and get closer to each other, even without knowing each other, and maybe not even knowing each others’ names. It definitely brought us together more.”

MyNorthwest News

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

3 hours ago

Kia Boys...

Kate Stone, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

‘Kia Boys’ allegedly execute a crime spree in south King County

Renton police chased down a 14-and 16-year-old but are still looking for two other teen suspects in what they said was a "crime spree" in south King County.

4 hours ago

Spanaway woman shot dead...

Kate Stone

Search for shooter continues after woman shot dead while driving in Spanaway

A 47-year-old woman was shot dead in Spanaway, causing her to hit another driver head-on early Wednesday morning.

5 hours ago

nintendo redmond...

Frank Sumrall

Nintendo to lay off 86 Redmond employees this spring

Nintendo of America is laying off 86 contract workers in Redmond, beginning May 25, due to company reorganization.

6 hours ago

Everett boy missing...

Sam Campbell

4-year-old Everett boy missing, police worried he’s in danger

Police and Search and Rescue crews are looking for a missing four-year-old boy they suspect could be in danger.

7 hours ago

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize jumps again after $1.1B Mega Millions win

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $935 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.

17 hours ago

13-year-old battles school dress code on behalf of leggings