Our school doesn't target goths, but they don't look too kindly on them.
We get one day a year where we wear our own clothes, and the amount of abuse I got from students and teachers alike was embarassing.
However, we wear school uniforms the rest of the year. Here are some of the school rules referring to appearance:
Uniform
An important aspect of education is learning to present oneself properly. While pupils are here their appearance and behaviour reflect directly on the College.
* The school blazer should be worn while travelling to and from school and when representing the school.
(It's uncomfortably stuffy in the summer to wear school uniform, especially the blazer.)
* Non-uniform items will be confiscated and held by the Head of Year.
(which they never give back.) Non-uniform clothing should not be brought to school.
(In regards to this, I put an anti-abortion badge that my mother gave me on my jumper, as well as a merit badge. They were confiscated. My friend wore a necklace her grandmother gave her on her first holy communion, and this too was confiscated. It's pretty unreasonable, especially if they're special and necessary to the student involved).
Dress & Grooming
Personal appearance and safety are central to the College's regulations on dress and grooming.
* Pupils should maintain a good standard of dress and grooming.
* Girls may wear a single pair of ear studs or sleepers. No other jewellery is permitted. Skirts should be knee length.
* All shoes must have flat heels with no coloured trim.
(My mother spent a fortune on good leather shoes for me in my second year so that they would last for more than one year. They told me to take them back because the 'heel was too big.' That was a lot of money wasted, and there are girls prancing around with much bigger heels than I had.)
* Make-up and nail lacquer should not be worn.
(My friend wore a deep purple nail varnish on one of the last days of school. In a form interview, the head of year told her to take it off and added that she should 'Stop trying to be individual!')
* Boys are expected to be clean-shaven and have short hair acceptably styled.
It should not touch the collar. (So basically girls can have hair down to their asses, but boys can't. When it starts to get a little long, it has to be shaved.)
* Girls should have hair acceptably styled, avoiding fashions.
* Dyeing of hair is not allowed.
(I understand that hair shouldn't be dyed bright pink or neon shades, but we're not even allowed to dye it a shade lighter or darker than normal, even if it's a natural colour.)
Lastly, no makeup whatsoever is allowed. The teachers take turns to hand out wipes to 'take that lousy muck off your face!'
I understand that the rules are there because we're representing the school, but some of them are a little far-fetched. Everyone looks the same.
This became a little off-topic, but the school targets individuality, and looks down upon goths when they spot them on the only day of the year where the pupils wear their own clothes. In a form class discussion, random words were called out, and we had to write down the first thing we associate with them (it was to combat stereotypes). 'Goth' was called out and everyone in the class wrote down 'black.' I wrote down 'Rozz Williams' (hehe) and then we were asked whether the response we picked was positive, negative, or neutral. Naturally, everyone thought 'negative' while I was the only one who picked 'positive.' So my teacher asked 'What did you write down?' and I told her my answer, explaining who Rozz was. She then told the class how she never bought her children black clothes, because they're too dark and gloomy, and smirked at me for my 'weird answer'. There was then a discussion about Marilyn Manson. Trying to stop stereotypes indeed!
...and now I'm done.
