By SETH GIFFORD BLAYLOCK
seth@du2.byu.edu
BYU dress and grooming standards do not change easily, but can change with time and society.
In the beginning, the university had no written honor code. A written code did not exist for 75 years. But high standards were introduced by men like Karl G. Maeser and followed by students. In 1950, BYU adopted a formal and written code for students to follow.
Dress and grooming standards were conservative -- no pants for women, and dresses were to be of modest length. Men were not allowed to wear shorts or even jeans. Ties, however, were optional.
During the 1960s, fashion changed, but the dress code was still strict.
In 1967, BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson declared the popular 'mini-skirt' in violation of the dress and grooming standards.
'Students are to shun any semblance of beatnik or hippie types,' Wilkinson said.
The BYU administration continued to resist counterculture trends. It wasn't until the 1970s when the ban on pants for women was broken. In 1971, BYU President Dallin H. Oaks introduced a change.
According to 'Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years,' the code 'was relaxed until girls in modest slacks or pantsuits were accepted.' Jeans were not included.
The current BYU dress and grooming standards stem from the early 1990s.
In the 1980s, women wore shorts, but men could not. Socks were a requirement on campus. Wearing shoes without socks was a violation of the Honor Code.
According to Rush Sumpter, coordinator of training for Student Auxiliary Services, in 1990 a committee proposed changes in the standards, which were approved by President Rex Lee. The recommendation was sent to the Board of Trustees. Some changes were approved by the Board, a group of LDS Church leaders including the First Presidency.
Sumpter attributes the changes in the dress code over the years to a changing standard in today's world.
'When there is a change, it's because there has been a change in society.' Sumpter said.
Sumpter said the leaders of the LDS Church see BYU as a beacon for the nation, and the dress and grooming standards are a sign of this.
'It does matter what we wear. People judge us according to our dress ... The issue is as much cleanliness and appropriateness as well as modesty,' Sumpter said.
No one is sure how or if the standards will change in the future. Jeannie Papic, coordinator for the Student Honor Association, said any change in the dress and grooming standards must be approved by the BYU President and the BYU Board of Trustees.