By Angeline Neo

During my uni days, I took a music module as one of my electives. And there were many interesting characters in class - from an Erykah Badu lookalike to a gentle giant, and then these two blokes who never failed to get my attention.

One was Mr Pink, a sylph-like character who clearly loved baby pink a lot.

He not only wore clothes of that shade, he even dyed his hair pink.

Then there was Goth Guy. With his jet-black, long hair, pale skin and heavily kohled eyes, he looked like he had walked off the pages of an Anne Rice vampire chronicle.

One day Goth Guy came to class wearing his signature leather jacket, but with a Scottish kilt instead of his leather trousers.

Mr Pink tried to be a smartypants and asked: 'Is that a skirt you're wearing?'

To which Goth Guy coolly replied: 'You should talk. You're the fairy with pink hair.'

Not being one to back down, Mr Pink retorted saucily, before stomping off, that there was more on his body that was pink, than just his hair.

Now, at no point in the semester did the lecturer say anything about what these students were wearing.

It never interfered with our lessons, and if anything, made classes all the more interesting and not a drag to go to.

Too rigid?

So, I don't quite understand the recent fuss that one private tertiary institution is kicking up over stricter dress codes in school.

Students spotted in shorts, singlets, mini-skirts or flip-flops, and with dyed hair, visible tattoos or facial piercings run the risk of suspension or expulsion.

Interestingly it's not the only tertiary institution that has a dress code.

Others, including our two national universities, have similar don't lists, and frown on clothes with vulgar words or pictures.

One institution even bars spaghetti strap outfits and even sports attire.

The private institution argued that a stricter dress code serves to remind students that the purpose of attending school 'is to study, not to display distasteful dressing'.

It is also necessary, because the undesirables may affect the 'students who are here genuinely to study'.

It presupposes that students who choose to express certain dress styles aren't serious about education. And that's a slippery path to take, whether you're in flip-flops or in proper shoes.

Part of the learning process is about finding your identity, and how you dress expresses that.

You can always tell who the jocks are, the drama queens and the alternatives from how they're dressed. That's a lesson in social communication in itself, so why limit that?

The only dress code that you should abide by is really not to be a blah dresser, in other words, there should be no room for mediocrity.

High street treasure

This would be my short and simple checklist:

For the fashion conscious: Think Olsen twins and the cast of Gossip Girls. You may not have their Fifth Avenue budgets, but you can appropriate the sartorial styles and find picks from high street labels, like Club Monaco, Topshop, Zara or even at budget havens like Far East Level One or Bugis Junction.

What's good: Boyfriend cardigans thrown over a tank top and fitted jeans, and worn with wedges or ballet flats; dresses because they're always feminine and stylish, and pretty enough for a study date after; city shorts and skirts that end mid-thigh at its shortest.

Anything shorter that shows off camel-toe or your panties, please toss out. You're not in stripper school.

Coloured hair: I once dyed my hair to make it look like a sable coat, so I'm all for it.

But if you're going bottled blonde, make sure your dark roots don't show. It's tacky, and few really can pull it off.

I also have low tolerance for ashy tones - you have a whole lifetime to go gray, no need to start young. The bottom line: You can dye it any colour, as long as it doesn't make you look ill or a monkey's cousin. And don't process it till it's so damaged and straw-like, that your hair could start a bonfire.

Footwear: Unless you're in lifeguard school, flip-flops tend not to do well in the city. This is not about curbing your expression, but really about being well-shod.

Do yourself a favour, ballet flats are pretty, comfy and still allow you to dash for the bus. Other pretty fits: Pumps, wedges and even colourful wellingtons on rainy days.

This article was first published by The New Paper on Nov 9, 2008.