Dress Code

Rising temperatures have given rise to a debate about the dress code at the Pitman Middle School. About 15 parents who attended a board of education meeting Tuesday night complained that their daughters and sons had been sent to the principal's office the previous week for wearing inappropriate clothing. School Superintendent William B. Horton said 12 students were sent to the office on May 7, when temperatures soared near 90, for wearing jams - a type of short pants - and other clothing that their teachers considered inappropriate for school.

If you're a student in the West Chester Area School District and you're partial to sporting pajamas at school, you may soon be out of luck. An updated dress and grooming policy is in the works, and may be passed by the West Chester School Board by the end of January. Pajama-loving kids of West Chester, board member Joe Green feels your pain, but he's definitely in the minority. Green was outvoted, 8-1, by his fellow board members when they approved the first reading of the updated code at a meeting Dec. 18. The updated dress code outlaws tank tops, pajamas, shorts or pants with writing in inappropriate places, and inappropriately tight clothing of any kind.

I'VE BEEN a faithful reader of Jenice Armstrong's column since returning to the area after retiring last year. I enjoy the way she puts issues out in such a professional manner. I'm writing about her Sept. 26 column on the "b-word. " My comment isn't about that, but writer Jake Johnson's comment on big women wearing tight jeans. I worked in an office with men and women, white and black. The men were always commenting on the big-butt women wearing pants suits or just pants so that it brought out their biggest feature.

High school students in Haddon Heights have persuaded the school board to vote for a new dress code that is stricter - that's right, stricter - than the old code. A committee of students has rewritten the old code, outlawing several items of apparel not previously on the forbidden list. Among the newly banned items are shirts of the "Spuds MacKenzie, Party Animal" beer-advertisement variety. Also banned are shirts and sweaters that expose shoulders and underarms. The students added a new requirement that skirt hemlines be at least two inches below a girl's fingertips.

When the end of the world comes, would you really want to be in a sleazy Russian nightclub? That's one of the essential questions pondered in The Darkest Hour, in which aliens invade the planet, and a small group of attractive young people fight to survive and make their way elsewhere. As the film opens, two American Web entrepreneurs (Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella) are heading to Moscow looking for financing for their location-based social-media service. After they are double-crossed by a would-be business partner (Joel Kinnaman)

At Burlington County Institute of Technology, the district's new dress code is keyed to the school colors of the two campuses. At the Westampton campus, students may wear shirts of blue, white and gray, while at the Medford campus, the colors may be red, white and blue. In addition, students at both campuses may choose from skirts, slacks or Bermuda shorts in khaki or blue. Boys may select collared shirts in long or short sleeves while girls may choose either collared shirts or Henley tops.

The Burlington Township Board of Education gave preliminary approval last night to a dress code that would prohibit students in grades five through 12 from wearing shorts to classes, except when given permission by the school superintendent. The policy states that during "infrequent cases of extremely hot or humid weather, the superintendent or his designee shall advise the middle and high school principals that shorts of reasonable length and fit will be permitted on the following school day. " Board President Patricia Wexler said the dress code was a compromise from an original proposal that would have prohibited students at all grade levels from wearing shorts at any time.

The Maple Shade school board last night approved a more stringent dress code for high school students that bans revealing, torn or tight-fitting clothing and, if strictly interpreted, hats. Under the policy, any student violating the dress code will be sent home to change, and repeat offenders may be suspended. Superintendent John Sherry said he thought the dress code had needed "some clarification" after he noticed several students last year wearing "shirts too tight and shorts too short.

Leave the $100-plus Northlake Gore-tex hiking boots at home. And the $500 quilted down Bear coat. And maybe even the Tommy Hilfiger shirt and pants. That gear may keep you out of school next year if the district adopts a mandatory dress code that prohibits students from wearing expensive designer clothes and jewelry. The school board was urged yesterday to do just that by a dress-code committee made up of administrators, parent leaders and union heads. Each school currently has its own voluntary dress code.

The Monroe Township Board of Education last night empowered the school superintendent to revise the school dress code on a day-to-day basis after 75 students complained that a 10-year-old policy prohibiting them from wearing shorts to school was "outdated and impractical. " But Superintendent Benjamin Timberman said any changes would be limited to "exceptionally hot" school days. The students, mostly juniors and seniors from Williamstown High School, told the board that temperatures in their school, which has no air conditioning, rose to 90 degrees this week.

Lots of vacation trips, on-site gyms, personal trainers, and paintball excursions are among the many benefits that companies offer. Some throw out the dress code. We asked about special perks and incentives that employers are providing. These are partial responses: Shire P.L.C. Benefits include a free on-site gym, bi-weekly deliveries of locally- and sustainably-grown produce through the Farm-to-Shire program, two on-site cafeterias, on-site conference center and catering, dry-cleaning pickup and delivery, and priority parking for eco-friendly vehicles.

When the end of the world comes, would you really want to be in a sleazy Russian nightclub? That's one of the essential questions pondered in The Darkest Hour, in which aliens invade the planet, and a small group of attractive young people fight to survive and make their way elsewhere. As the film opens, two American Web entrepreneurs (Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella) are heading to Moscow looking for financing for their location-based social-media service. After they are double-crossed by a would-be business partner (Joel Kinnaman)

NEW YORK - One more thing to add to the to-do list for your holiday party: Find an outfit that creates a celebratory mood; is welcoming and warm (but not hot); can hide a little sauce splatter; and has pockets to stash remotes, phones, and for the ladies, lip gloss. It's the delicate balance of being chic and comfortable. "I can't imagine any more pressure when you're putting on a party - when you are so focused on wine and food - and you have to look beautiful as well," says Simon Kneen, creative director of Banana Republic.

A decision earlier this month by Major League Baseball to impose a dress code on reporters who cover the sport provoked a number of reactions. Moral outrage : How dare they create "dress guidelines" that obviously target mostly the women who work the boys' world of clubhouses? (Tank tops, sheer shirts, and skirts/shorts of a certain length are now banned.) Passionate approval : It's about time someone sent a message to the harlots who show up in anything but Mom Jeans or blocky, boy-like polo shirts while mingling with mustard-splotched baseball fans and chaw-spewing athletes in jockstraps.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - With a military honor guard carrying her casket, Betty Ford returned Thursday to the church where she and her husband were married more than 60 years ago, a wedding that launched the unassuming Michigan couple on an unexpected path to the White House. The former first lady's children were joined for the final memorial service by prominent political figures and hundreds of mourners from Ford's hometown of Grand Rapids. The crowd outside Grace Episcopal Church stood in silence as nine pallbearers took her casket inside while softly counting out military cadence.

It's an uncomfortable summertime moment for many small-business owners: A female staffer shows up for work in the shortest of shorts. Or a male staffer arrives wearing a tank top. And they work in full view of customers or clients. Violations of the dress code aren't confined to the summer months. But they tend to be more frequent than in colder months, when everyone covers up. Employers who do not like a lot of skin showing need to be crystal clear about a dress code. Chances are, most staffers do have a sense of how to dress for work.

FIFA, SOCCER'S world governing body, would like to take some time out from all of its alleged backdoor dealings and scandals to make the following decree: Islamic headscarves are a violation of the outfit's dress code and are now banned from all competitions. However, the kicker here is not FIFA's decision, but its timing. Just prior to kickoff in a women's Olympic qualifier between Iran and Jordan last Friday, officials decided that the Iranian players' little white headscarves were illegal and disqualified the team.

TOKYO - The Japanese government wants the country's suit-loving salarymen to be bold this summer. Ditch the stuffy jacket and tie. And for the good of a country facing a power crunch, go light and casual. Japan's "Super Cool Biz" campaign kicked off Wednesday with a government-sponsored fashion show featuring outfits appropriate for the office yet cool enough to endure the sweltering heat. This summer may be especially brutal. The loss of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled by the March 11 tsunami, means electricity could be in short supply around the nation's capital, Tokyo, during especially hot days.

"The dress code is always red. " That's the tagline that runs at the end of one Phillies commercial. It's a good spot - has an everyone's-in-it-together vibe without too much saccharine, hand-holding schmaltz - even if it isn't exactly accurate. The dress code isn't always red. Sometimes it's maroon or gray or off-white. Sometimes, on the good days when nostalgia sweeps the organization along in a wistful wave, it's even powder blue. By the end of the season, the Phils will have worn six different uniforms - seven if you count the all-red batting practice tops.

In 2010, a month before he took to the basketball court for the first time in a New York Knicks uniform, Amar'e Stoudemire took to the red carpet at Lincoln Center in head-to-toe Tom Ford. In 2009, when NBA No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin was chosen by the Clippers, he was wearing a custom suit, a purple necktie, and an eye-catching pocket square from L.A. tailor Waraire Boswell. And sometime during this year's playoffs, there's a decent chance the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade will be photographed sporting a diamond lapel pin from Jason of Beverly Hills.