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Dress Code

Posted by The silliest Goose on 9/4/2024, 3:54 pm

Hello my people!
Does your band program have restrictions on hair, facial hair, tattoos, piercings etc. that are different/more strict than your school's?
I am of the mindset that most of those regulations, provided that things don't negatively affect the uniform or cause a safety hazard of some kind, are somewhat arbitrary and do not affect student success as much as people used to believe.
Do you have rules about no facial hair, no long hair on guys, no unnatural hair colors or anything else along those lines?
Genuinely curious, as I am planning on changing some parts of our requirements that I believe are a bit outdated - please tell me if you have those regulations in place.

Thanks!

Re: Dress Code

Posted by Old Guy on 9/20/2024, 8:09 am, in reply to "Dress Code"

That’s been a hill I don’t want to die on. I have no face jewelry or hair hanging out of the hat for both sexes and no bracelets. Anything that will distract and take away from the unity of the drill formations.

Re: Dress Code

Posted by BorderBD on 9/5/2024, 8:30 am, in reply to "Dress Code"

While in "informal" uniform (band polo and slacks), anyone with medium-long hair must pull it back away from the face.
In formal uniform all hair must fit inside the shako. Exception being Front Ensemble and Tubas, who do not wear shakos. They must pull hair away from the face in a neat and orderly fashion.

School dress code prohibits facial piercings (most kids have a clear plastic one they switch to for school) and only girls may wear earrings and only on the ear lobes (the kids cover them with Bandaids). The only request the band has is that girls not wear dangling earrings (as to not get caught in the shako when taking it off).

Re: Dress Code

Posted by What I Do on 9/5/2024, 7:43 am, in reply to "Dress Code"

Other than expecting that the uniform be worn in a certain way, school dress code is band dress code.

Easiest way to do things...avoids conflicts.

Re: Dress Code

Posted by Suggestion on 9/5/2024, 7:25 am, in reply to "Dress Code"

Please review federal court decisions regarding this. Many of those restrictions are in fact illegal. Barbers Hill ISD is embroiled in a multi-year lawsuit from a kid because he has dreadlocks and the principal/superintendent refuses to let him attend class until he gets a haircut - in spite of many cases even up to the supreme court level allowing boys to have longer hair - and a Texas state law passed a few years back allowing ethnic or traditional hairstyles.

If your dress code says "Facial piercings are not recommended due to potential of damage to face/instrument" that's one thing, but outright bans may not be enforceable if your parents want to get litigious.

Re: Dress Code

Posted by Lt. Kije on 9/4/2024, 11:26 pm, in reply to "Dress Code"

Despite the pushback, I find the requirement of facial hair for all members to be a defining quality of our ensemble. We issue beards (not unlike plumes) on performance day for those deemed to be deficient.

Re: Dress Code

Posted by well on 9/5/2024, 8:22 am, in reply to "Re: Dress Code"

Okay, but is there a summer facial hair and a contest facial hair?

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