As Deerfield Day approaches and the rivalry between Choate and Deerfield reaches its annual high spot, students of each school begin to sharpen their own identities by distancing themselves from the other. This often involves seeking different ways look at students of the other school as “unlike us,” a divisive mentality which in part explains the jeering and intimidation heard from both schools on the sidelines at Deerfield Day sports competitions.
In their attempts to build their own school up and put the other down, students often look beyond the academics, campus, and atmosphere of their rival, and turn to more shallow characteristics, such as clothing choices. Though fashion could be considered just one surface-level aspect of who a student is, for some, it represents much more than just a component of physical presentation.
Deerfield requires students to adhere to an “Academic Dress” similar to Choate’s “Special Academic Dress” in all academic buildings and in the dining hall during the school day. For boys or gender-nonconforming students, this means tucked-in button down shirts, sport coats, and visible ties. For girls or gender-nonconforming students, this means bottoms or a dress of appropriate length, defined as four to six inches above the kneecap, and a non-athletic sweater, sport coat, or jacket. On special days, Deerfield students are allowed to let loose with “Casual Dress.” However, Deerfield’s “Casual Dress” still prohibits “sweatpants, leggings, yoga pants, running shorts, printed t-shirts, halter tops, crop tops, sports jerseys and other forms of athletic apparel.” Deerfield’s list of prohibited clothing on “Casual Dress” days include several staples of Choate students’ wardrobes, namely denim, sweatpants, leggings, hooded sweatshirts, and athletic gear.
Choate, on the other hand, has (since 2016) an amorphous dress code consisting of few defined rules and many general statements such as, “Students are to dress in a way that respects the atmosphere of learning” and “Clothing should promote a positive, focused learning environment.” This provides plenty of leeway for students to dress casually, and while many still dress more formally, many a student takes advantage of the freedom. Every day, some Choate students don sweatpants, sweatshirts, leggings, athletic gear, and even pajamas to class.
The stark contrast between the two dress codes, and therefore the two styles, inevitably results in stereotypes in which the students of one school compartmentalize the other. Deerfield students have been known to call Choate students “poor” or “illiterate,” while Choate students call Deerfield students “spoiled” and “elitist.”
Grace Stapelberg ’20 called attention to the irony of these stereotypes because of the many similarities between the two schools. “I think Choate students talk a lot about how Deerfield kids are spoiled and all about ‘Daddy’s money’ and all of that, and that’s why they dress preppy, because they’re just spoiled brats. But most of us here are also spoiled brats, and many of us are also here from ‘Daddy’s money’ — we just wear more sweatpants. I think we’re just playing into the stereotype.”
Many Choate students take pride in the freedom of expression they have through their dress. Student Body President Itai Mupanduki ’19 said, “I would say the style at Choate is much more free. It seems as though here people have more room to experiment with what they wear and dress in what they feel is most comfortable.”
Mupanduki feels that Choate students’ style reflects positively on the School. “I would say the dress style at Choate is reflective of the open mindedness that is prevalent throughout our campus,” he said.
Stapelberg pointed out that students tend to have incomplete pictures of both the clothing styles and overall experiences of the other school. “The stereotype is that Deerfield is a lot more preppy and Choate’s a lot more casual, but I don’t go to Deerfield so I don’t really know how true that is,” she said.
Going into Deerfield Day, Choate students might aim to maintain their healthy school spirit while also examining the reasoning behind their words and actions. And, in doing so, perhaps we’d all move beyond divisive stereotypes.
