One of the longest running traditions at Deerfield Academy is the dress code. Fall and spring terms all Deerfield students are required to wear academic dress: a blazer, button down shirts, dress pants, ties for boys, and dresses for girls. However dress culture at Deerfield goes a lot deeper than what is written in the handbook. Some have remarked that it lies in class, wealth, and gender identity, leaving unspoken divides among students at DA.
Greta Steever ’24 explained, “We have the dress code that is in the rule book and have a dress code of what you’re ‘supposed to wear.’ As a sophomore I did not know that there was this secret dress code.” Steever claims that this dress code mostly applies to girls. One of her classmates explained to her how girls borrow dresses, and Steever said, “supposedly, you’re not supposed to wear the same dress more than a month apart.” Many of the dresses that these girls wear are worth hundreds of dollars, coming from luxury and designer brands.
Steever was shocked at the amount of waste produced by Deerfield students alone. She said, “Even wealthy people buy fast fashion, and so, they are using their money inappropriately to support businesses that feed into climate change.” Even if they are buying from brands who claim to make clothes with higher quality materials, they are still feeding into overconsumption by buying more clothes than they need.
Chrissy James ’24 opposes Deerfield’s official policy of class dress, claiming that it also perpetuates elitism. “It’s exercising conformity in a way, when you are all supposed to dress the same,” she said. “I just don’t think that it’s right for me to buy clothes to look a certain version of ‘smart’ when it’s not really me. It’s their version of what I should be, even though it is expensive and sometimes uncomfortable and really restrictive.”
James rejects the expectation that students look the part of the ‘model Deerfield student.’ “I feel like I am able to show my intelligence more when I feel comfortable in my own skin,” she said.
James does the best she can to circumvent the dress code, choosing to wear what makes her feel comfortable, confident, and intelligent in the classroom. “I wear flowy clothes and masculine clothes and all these sharp edges and silhouettes that I try to portray in my clothes,” she said.
Steever, James, and Tutu, each have their own style that makes them stand out at Deerfield. Steever is inspired by vintage fashion and finds many of her clothes from thrift stores. James likes to express herself through her hair, and many of her outfits have punk fashion influences. Tutu said he dresses like the “typical Chicago young man.” He also has an extensive ring collection which he said serves as “a conversation piece” when he meets new people.
This year, Steever is participating in the #NoNewClothesChallenge by re/make, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting the climate crisis in the fashion industry. The purpose of the challenge is to reflect on the pieces of clothing you already own as well as to reduce your own impact on overconsumption and climate change. She encourages everyone to try this challenge, whether for a month or for the whole year, reminding students to “keep in mind what we are purchasing and saying with our money,” she said.
Deviating from the traditional Deerfield style, these students choose to wear what makes them feel good.