MALAYSIA - STELLA Lee* (not her real name) is all dolled up for class again. She sports a black tank top that shows off her silver-coloured bra straps, a mid-thigh-length denim skirt and a pair of three-inch black pumps that completes her look.

Although she is not wearing an ultra-mini skirt, fellow students would still get an eyeful of her thighs - or more - should she bend over.

But the Psychology student does not think that her attire is "skimpy".

"I would call this a casual look, just like what most young people would wear these days. Besides, my parents never said that I couldn't wear this to university," says Stella, who studies at a private institution in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The 21-year-old admits to enjoying the attention she gets from her peers.

"I like to stand out in a crowd. I look good in these clothes and it boosts my confidence," she adds.

Unlike Stella, Siti Nurhuda Ahmad Nasser prefers to wear the baju kurung and covered shoes to university every day because the long sleeves and ankle-length skirt of that attire keep her warm in class.

It's not practical to wear skimpy clothes to class because the air-conditioning is too strong.

"For me, it's not practical to wear skimpy clothes and sandals to class because the air-conditioning is too strong," says the student of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Gombak.

Moreover, Siti Nurhuda believes she should show some respect for others on campus.

"If you follow the dress code, it shows that you are mature and you understand the importance of obeying the rules," Siti Nurhuda says.

"And who says the baju kurung is not attractive? There is a wide variety of fabrics, designs and accessories to choose from and look fashionable," she says.

Practical preparations

Universities and colleges are a microcosm that reflects the multiculturalism of our society. As such, some believe that it is only right for an institution to impose a dress code on campus as a form of respect for others. However, some students view a dress code as unnecessary and restrictive.

Apart from the common argument of formality and decency, most institutions have drawn up a student dress code for various other reasons. One of them concerns the need to to train students for professional practice.

Taylor's University College provost Lim Tou Boon believes that an educational institution is not only there to provide quality education. It is also responsible for guiding students on how to dress in an appropriate manner that reflects their choice of profession.

As Lim sees it, each profession has its own definition of professional dressing. As such, he feels it is important that graduates take that into account and understand the environment that they are going to operate in, both locally and internationally.

"We cannot assume that our students will pick up these things naturally because what is deemed as common sense to someone may not be so to another," Lim says.

"Students want to get a qualification that will take them forward in their pursuit of a career where they'll have to engage with the community as well as their profession. In that context, we have to guide them on the rules of engagement.

"The hotel industry has its own set of rules; so does the legal profession and the scientific community. If we were to go to a hotel and its manager comes out dressed in a round-necked T-shirt and jeans, I think we would be a little apprehensive about the level of professionalism of that particular hotel."

The dress code for students at Taylor's in Selangor states that shorts, singlets, spaghetti- strap tops, off-shoulder outfits and tubes are not allowed. As for footwear, slippers and flip-flops are not allowed, for safety reasons.

"For our science students, preparation for professional practice means adhering to a dress code which protects not just themselves but also their peers.

"Flip-flops, for instance, are inappropriate, especially in a laboratory, because you could either trip over them, or some chemicals could spill from a test tube and burn your toes," Lim adds.

A student who is caught violating the dress code will be issued a letter of advice. If he does it again, he may be refused admittance to campus.

Likewise, at Sunway University College in Selangor, "students are required to dress neatly and decently at all times. Shorts, sandals and slippers are prohibited within the campus, except in the hostel and for physical games."

During every orientation, new students are advised to dress appropriately on campus, to show mutual respect for one another, says student services department director Lee Siok Ping.

"I don't believe that we are too strict on this matter. We treat students like adults. What we have is more of a guideline, a prudent way of giving some form of guidance. Our responsibility is to communicate our expectations to the students," she adds.

Lee points out that most adolescents and young adults want to appear attractive to the opposite sex.

"In short, they want attention. So we tell them that there are occasions for them to dress up, for example, the annual dinner," she says.

Those who want to organise a "dress-up day" on a given theme are allowed to do so, because promoting creativity is part of the process of character building.

"For example, when the pre-university students wanted to raise awareness on the environment, they wore their green T-shirts. Students have had "beach wear day", when they wore Hawaiian shirts to campus, and "hat day". This helps create a vibrant study environment," Lee adds.

The challenges

Now, the burning question: Aren't tertiary students old enough to decide what is deemed appropriate, or otherwise, for class?"

"University students have reached the age when they can decide for themselves when it comes to clothes. However, their attire should be based on a guideline that is easy to understand," says Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia deputy vice-chancellor (students and alumni affairs) Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Wahid Samsudin, in an email interview.

"It is not a big issue if students do not agree with the dress code."

Hamidon stresses that IIUM is "only asking that you cover up to a moderate level".

UKM students are encouraged to dress appropriately, according to the event they're at, and where and when it's held, Dr Mohd Wahid adds.

A student affairs manager of a private college in Petaling Jaya, who prefers not to be named, believes that having a dress code on campus has nothing to do with the maturity of the students.

"I believe many organisations have certain dress codes for different purposes - to uphold the image of the company or its culture, or the level of professionalism the company wants to project to its customers or the public.

"And that does not mean the CEO or the employees are not old enough to decide what they can wear or cannot to work," she says.

Cooperation from both staff and students is essential for successful enforcement of a dress code on campus. However, that may be hard to achieve.

An officer from the same college laments that some students do not take the dress code seriously. Her college has one, but enforcement is lacking.

"We have a dress code, but no one really follows it. The students come dressed like they're going clubbing. Some new students have approached us, saying they were shocked to see the type of outfits that some of the older students wear to class," she says.

The college is concerned about students' reactions to "plunging tops and ultra-mini skirts that leave little to the imagination". On the other hand, enforcing a dress code might elicit negative responses from their "fee-paying customers".

Lim concurs, but adds that the challenge is to engage the students and make them understand the reasons for having such rules and regulations.

"We have young people today who have been brought up to ask why. If a rule doesn't make sense, they won't buy it."

Lee says she does not reprimand her students if any of them turn up for class dressed inappropriately. Instead, she prefers the "soft approach".

"We counsel and advise them. When you deal with young people, you have to do it right - like have a discussion - in order to make them understand," she says.

While IIUM deputy rector (student and alumni affairs) Hamidon Abd Hamid agrees that tertiary students should be treated like adults so that there is no dichotomy between the university and "the outside world", there should be some form of regulation when it comes to dressing, he says. At IIUM, jeans, slippers and round-necked T-shirts are not allowed in class simply because it is a place for study, as well as where students learn discipline.

Hamidon, however, stresses that the university is ?only asking for what Islam wants you to cover at a moderate level.

"The students are mature enough, but there must also be some level of control. The dress code shouldn't be so rigid, like in a military college. But it also shouldn't be too lax, to the extent that people think they are going bowling or to a disco.

"You can be as creative as you want with the colour or style of your tudung. In fact, some of our students have become models for Islamic fashion," he says.

Non-Muslim female students are required to wear a head cover, for instance, a scarf, shawl or bandanna, in keeping with their being in an Islamic university.

People will talk

So, what if there isn't a dress code on campus? Does that mean students can go wild and turn up in a skimpy bikini?

"I think students already have "personal checks" in their heads in terms of what is acceptable and what's not," says Raffles Design Institute advertising and promotions manager David Yee.

In other words, this is where self-monitoring comes in. Hence, Yee feels there isn't really a need for the institution to impose a dress code for students. On their part, his students do not abuse their freedom.

"As a design college, students should be allowed to experiment with their creativity and individuality and be able to express them freely. But I have not really seen any student who has worn anything that I deem inappropriate or offensive. The teaching staff, however, are required to dress appropriately to project a professional image," Yee says.

Living in Malaysia, he adds, most people do not want to come across as being too different or trying to break the moral codes of the society.

"We don't want to be too sexy because people will talk about you," he says.

This article was first published in The Star on July 27, 2008.