Indian College Bans Ripped Jeans, Says It ‘Mocks The Poor’

A college in India has issued a circular banning its students from wearing ripped jeans on campus.

St Xavier’s College issued the circular publicly earlier this week, and several students who were found wearing ripped jeans were stopped outside the college gate by security.

Highlight Story

Student forums were abuzz with debates on the newly-introduced dress code.

Many students from the college, as well as those from neighbouring colleges, called it a ‘draconian law’ and shared similar experiences of dress codes at their own institutes.

The college — run by an order of Catholic priests —already has a strict dress code, including a ban on sleeveless blouses and shirts, shorts and short skirts.

However, the management of the institute said adding ripped jeans to the list of banned apparel was necessary.

The jeans are ripped all over. It is embarrassing to see children on campus in such tattered clothes. We have just put up the dress code on our circular board. Not a single student has objected to it,” said Agnelo Menezes, principal of the institute.

Menezes added that a dress code has been part of the institute’s rules and regulations since its inception.

In the name of fashion, students are mocking the clothes that the poor are forced to wear. As a Jesuit institution, we cannot allow it,” he added.