Dress codes have a way of tightening stifling freedom, which has lead to many a rebellion.
In a bold move against an overly formal dining hall policy, these college students opted to dress to impress—or rather, to undress to express their distaste in the new rule.
You’ll want to read on for this one.
Jacket & Tie Required
My dad went to WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) in the mid ’60s, back when it was still all men.
One day, a policy was put in place that was the talk of the campus.
His dining hall was in his dorm, and apparently one year an ambitious new administrator got the bright idea that the place needed more class, and proposed a Jacket-and-Tie-Required dress code policy for dinner in the dining hall.
The students were incensed, and the comment period was filled with universal objections and complaints, but the policy was imposed nonetheless.
The students put their heads together to figure out how to fight back.
The students were outraged, and fierce debates raged about how they were going to fight back against this bureaucratic overreach.
Boycotts? Sit-ins? What if everyone refuses to follow the dress code? They can’t just refuse to serve the whole student body!
Discussion flowed deep into the night.
Finally, they settle on an idea that was sure to make a bold statement.
So, the first meal of the new policy arrives, and the dining hall staff (mostly women) opens up for dinner service. And, their eyes nearly pop out of their heads.
Waiting politely in line, the entire student body have come downstairs, and as required, they are all wearing jackets and ties… and nothing else.
Their plan worked like a charm.
Suffice it to say, the policy was quickly reversed, and no one has ever tried to impose a similar dress code on WPI students since.
Stuffy, formal attire clearly doesn’t gel with these college students.
What did Reddit think?
Many a good man have fallen victim to a formal dress code.
These students really went all out in their malicious compliance.
Seems the cafeteria workers had quite a shock when they arrived.
These bold students made sure the dining hall remained a place for casual camaraderie and not formal attire.
When it comes to college dress codes, less is more.
If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.