Recently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Senate’s Sergeant at Arms to stop the implementation of the chambers’ informal dress code. This change only applies to senators; staff will still be required to follow the code. The Senate’s informal dress code, which refers to business attire, has been an unwritten tradition. Senators who opt out of business attire, like Senator John Fetterman, have found loopholes in the dress code by “voting from the edge of the Senate floor, with one foot still in the cloakroom” and indicating their positions with either a thumbs up or down. The discharge of the informal dress code would allow senators who are not adorned in business attire to remain in the chambers for a longer period of time.
The informal dress code isn’t something that has remained constant over the years and has been relaxed many times before. Up to the 1990s, there was an “unwritten rule” that “dictated that women could not wear pants on the Senate floor” — something which was challenged and reformed in the 1990s. About five years ago, women in the Senate were allowed to wear clothing without sleeves. While challenges to unwritten rules about attire in the Senate haven’t been new, the rule change has divided many in the Senate and outside of it. Many who oppose the change in the informal dress code state that this is a sign of “civilization in serious decline.”
I believe the Senate should keep its informal dress code but that there should be more laxity and changes based on comfort and both physical and mental health. For example, if a senator feels as if their health suffers from the discomfort of wearing dress shoes all day and they feel as if sneakers would be more beneficial, then they should be allowed to wear sneakers. I also believe that women should have the choice of wearing business attire, which they feel is more comforting to them.
The business attire presented in the informal dress code allows senators to be seen with a more professional and unified image, something the government should reflect. Many supporters for the elimination of the dress code claim that wearing clothing outside of business attire will allow senators to show their individuality and help constituents feel closer to their elected officials. Yet individuality can also be shown to some extent with business attire. The divide in the dress code discharges questions about whether individualization should come at the cost of limited unity in clothing.
Clothing is an important part of forming an impression, and disjointed attire without a common theme presents a more disorganized appearance of the Senate. Tradition and change also play an important role in the dress code discharge. By eliminating the informal dress code and introducing change, younger constituents can feel more connected with the Senate. But this change doesn’t apply to a wide enough level to sustain this connection. The informal dress code discharge only applies to senators and not their staff members. Senators tend to be much older than their younger staff, and this change being permitted only for older senators further amplifies the image of a gerontocracy. If senators are allowed to dress more casually, should the same changes not be applied to staff members?
Overall, the business attire directed in the informal dress code is important in allowing the Senate to show itself in a more powerful and unified image. Business attire presents a different impression than more casual clothing, and discharging the dress code will take away from the professional and serious impression of the Senate. While removing the dress code can help connect to younger constituents, this connection is superficial in the sense that this change is only allowed for senators, which gives an unconscious impression of privilege. Change is inevitable, and while I am not saying that the informal dress code shouldn’t change, I do believe that taking it down is too hasty of a change without examining the implications of how the Senate will appear, who this change targets and who it benefits. Changes in the informal dress code should be made to promote equity in consideration of physical and mental health.
Saisha Islam, FCRH ’25, is a biology major from New York, N.Y.
