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VPA has a primary objective of developing a "community of learners," dedicated to the highest standards of academics and deportment. As such, a distinctive uniform is a unifying factor within our school community. It is also a visible signature of our school to the larger community, and an indicator of our unity and of our pride of purpose. This is one of the most important functions of a uniform: it identifies its wearer as part of a distinctive group with a distinctive purpose. It is a reminder to its wearer of that purpose and of one’s responsibility to that group.
The uniform is the basis of a dress code with a "professional," business-like standard. Our students should dress their best, look their best, and do their best. All clothing must be clean, neat, reasonably pressed, and in properly fitting condition. If a child is deemed to be wearing inappropriate attire, the parent will be notified and a change of clothing may be required for attendance that day. If in doubt about the appropriateness of an article of clothing, check with the school office before purchasing. Good judgment exercised at home will be a learning activity for the child that will help to avoid embarrassment or wasted time at school. Decisions about the appropriateness of apparel may be referred to the Headmaster, whose judgment will be final. The Headmaster may make specific exceptions to the dress code, as demanded by particular religious customs; parents should address specific concerns to the Dean of Students and/or the Dean of Girls before the second week of school.
If a student insists on rebelling by trying to beat the dress code, it will quickly become obvious to the faculty and Headmaster. Our desire is not to squash students' individuality, but to secure their commitment to a community of learners whose purpose, while at school, is not faddish coolness, or outlandishness, but scholarship and character development. We ask not only for the student's commitment to this concept, but for the parent's as well. The uniform and dress code of VPA support and reinforce our academic goals. The uniform assists us in staying focused on the true individuality offered by healthy dialogue and the development of the life of the mind for each student.
Other than the dress code requirements for school, there are special requirements for periodic, special events throughout the year, such as the “semi-formal” dress code for concert participation and the all-school awards ceremony. Please see page 47 of the Handbook for an exact definition of how the Academy defines “semi-formal” attire.
Dennis Uniforms sets the standard for the kind of pants, shorts, and shirts that are required, but such clothing may be purchased elsewhere. However, both the uniform skirts and sweaters must be purchased at Dennis Uniforms.
Students must stay in uniform whenever they are on campus (including the parking lot) during a school day. This means arriving on campus fully in uniform and leaving campus fully in uniform (correct shoes, shirts tucked in, etc.). Students may only change out of uniform after school with teacher/coach permission to participate in an approved curricular or extracurricular activity that requires an immediate change in dress.
Men’s Pants: Khaki or dress slacks that reach to the shoe but are not dragging on the ground. (No blue jeans or dungarees. No patch pockets, extra zippers, or extra seams.) No oversized, super-baggy pants will be permitted. Slacks should be worn at the waist (and no boxers or undergarments may be visible – including at sports practices and games). The slacks should have belt loops and a solid, dark belt should be used.
Men’s Shorts: During hot weather months (August to Fall Break and Spring Break to May) khaki walking shorts, with a belt, may be worn. Shorts should go to just above the knee but not below, and should not be excessively tight or loose-fitting. Shorts should be worn at the waist (and no boxers or undergarments may be visible – including at sports practices and games)
Men’s Shirts: For all boys, solid white or navy blue, collared, knit polo shirts (two or three-button, with or without a breast pocket--no logos of any kind, except the VPA logo). All boys may also wear a white, oxford button-down dress shirts, short or long sleeved. The oxford dress shirt must be fully buttoned, such that only the uppermost button remains undone. Shirts must always be tucked in, and shirttails must be long enough to stay tucked in. Male athletes may wear a white dress shirt and tie on their game days.
Men’s Footwear: Dark, solid-colored, low-heeled, low-soled dress shoes or loafers with dark laces and solid-colored (dark or tan) socks. No high-top shoes, boots, sandals, athletic shoes, or skateboard shoes. Athletic shoes are will be permitted only during official school athletic activities. White socks may only be worn with shorts. Socks must be free of logos or decorations. Socks must be visible above the entire shoe.
Men’s Hair: Hair should be neatly trimmed and combed; no gel-mussed or long spiked hair-styles. Hair must be well off the top of the shirt collar, and it may not cover the ears. In a normal sitting position, hair should not overlap the shirt collar. Hair should not be so long as to hang far below the eyes if combed forward nor long enough to bring into a ponytail. Crew cuts are permitted, but the head must not appear shaved, nor scalp be visible. No mohawks, rat's tails or braids. No hairnets or bandanas. No dyed or bleached hair. No shaved heads. Sideburns may not descend below the earlobe. No facial hair: students must be clean-shaven.
Men’s Jewelry: No nose-rings, earrings, or other body-piercing jewelry will be permitted for boys. No wrist bracelets, anklets, or necklaces are permitted. A total of one watch and one ring are permissible. Both must be tasteful. Jewelry should not be distracting or dangerous. Students may wear items of genuine devotional or religious significance such as a necklace with a pendant, but such items must be worn inside the shirt and should not be visible.
Men’s Headwear: Hats and sunglasses will not be permitted indoors and must be stored in student lockers during the school day.
Men’s Jackets: The VPA-logo sweatshirts marketed by the Parent Organization may be worn in classrooms. They must be clean and free of tears, and during the school day, the hood must be down. A polo shirt or dress shirt must be worn under the sweatshirt and must be tucked in, and a belt must still be worn. Violation of either of the above rules will result in a permanent revocation of the student’s permission to wear the sweatshirt for that year. Likewise, any student who uses the pockets of the sweatshirt to conceal items forbidden by school policy will not be permitted to wear the sweatshirt into classes for the remainder of the school year.
Jackets, sweaters, and non-VPA sweatshirts may be worn to school for warmth but must be free of logos and advertisements. However, these garments may not be worn into or brought into the classrooms; they must be stored in lockers during and between classes, other than during the lunch period. A solid navy blue sweater may be worn in the classroom and must be purchased from Dennis Uniform for the sake of consistency. VPA-issued athletic letter jackets or sweaters may also be worn in the classroom.
No oversized or super-baggy clothing will be permitted. This includes sweatshirts. If a student owns a conspicuously oversized VPA sweatshirt, they may not wear it into the classroom.
No tattoos, temporary or permanent. This prohibition includes pen and ink drawings on the skin.
Women’s Skirt: a plaid Veritas uniform skirt, available at Dennis Uniform in two styles. The skirt hem may be no higher than just above the knee, both in front and in back. Skirt hem should be within two inches of the ground when properly adjusted at the waist and kneeling on a level surface, and may be longer if desired. Skirts must be worn at the waist.
Women’s Shorts: During hot-weather months (August to Fall Break and Spring Break to May), navy blue walking shorts may be worn. Shorts should go to just above the knee, but not below, and should not be tight-fitting. A dark belt must be worn with shorts that have belt loops. Shorts must be worn at the waist.
Women’s Slacks: During cold-weather months (Fall Break to Spring Break), Dennis Uniform navy blue slacks, with a belt, may be worn. Slacks should reach to the shoe but not drag on the ground. No oversized, super-baggy pants will be permitted, nor should they be excessively tight. Slacks should be worn at the waist. The slacks should have belt loops and a solid, dark belt should be used.
Women’s Shirts: Solid white or navy knit, collared, polo shirt (two- or three-button, with or without a breast pocket--no logos of any kind, except the VPA logo) or a white oxford button-down dress shirt, short or long sleeved. The oxford dress shirt must be fully buttoned, such that only the uppermost button remains undone. Shirts must always be tucked in so that the waistband of the skirt, pants, or shorts is visible, and shirttails must be long enough to stay tucked in. Students may not deliberately blouse out or give a partially “untucked” look to their shirts.
Women’s Footwear: Low-heeled (1.5” – 2”), low-soled or flat, dark, solid-colored leather loafers or dress shoes. No open-toed or open-heeled shoes or sandals. Sneakers, tennis or jogging shoes will be permitted only during official school athletic activities. Girls should wear solid color black, blue, or white nylons, tights, or socks. Ankle socks may be worn, but they must be visible above the entire shoe. Socks must be free of decorations and logos. No ankle bracelets allowed.>
Women’s Jewelry: Girls may wear one pair of short earrings only on the ear lobes. “Short” means that the earrings should not hang more than ½ inch below the ear lobe. Large hoops or other dangling or distracting earrings are not permitted. Loops are not to be larger than the size of a nickel. No body-piercing jewelry except traditionally-located earrings will be permitted. One simple ring on each hand is permitted. One wrist bracelet, one watch, and one small necklace are permissible. Only simple, fine-gauged, 16 to 20 inch, silver or gold chain necklaces (with or without a pendant) are permitted. No chokers, no beaded necklaces (colored or otherwise), no leather necklaces, no shells, no large or elaborate chain-link, and no large or elaborate pendants (larger than an inch in length, width or diameter) may be worn.
Women’s Makeup: Makeup is permitted and should be applied tastefully and in moderation. Heavily lined eyes or gaudy lipstick, glittered or white-powdered faces will not be permitted. Fingernails should not be excessively long or painted garishly. Fingernails may only be painted in shades of red or pink and colors matching one’s skin tone. Tasteful French manicures are acceptable. No shades of blue, green, yellow, purple or black are permissible, nor are glittered, speckled, or patterned nail polish.
Women’s Hair: Should be neatly combed or styled. No shaved heads. Neat bows, barrettes, headbands, and "scrunchies" are permissible. Hair should not be arranged or colored so as to draw undue attention to the student. Hair must be natural looking and conservative in its color (no bleaching or unnatural streaking/highlighting, no deep/bright reds or oranges, no artificial jet-black coloring, and no unnatural colors). Any artificial changes in hair color during the school year are unacceptable.
Women’s Headwear: Hats, bandanas, and sunglasses will not be permitted indoors and must be stored in student lockers.
Women’s Jackets: The VPA-logo sweatshirts marketed by the Parent Organization may be worn in classrooms. They must be clean and free of tears, and during the school day, the hood must be down. A polo shirt or dress shirt must be worn under the sweatshirt and must be tucked in, and a belt must still be worn (where applicable). Violation of either of the above rules will result in a permanent revocation of the student’s permission to wear the sweatshirt for that year. Likewise, any student who uses the pockets of the sweatshirt to conceal items forbidden by school policy will not be permitted to wear the sweatshirt into classes for the remainder of the school year.
Jackets, sweaters, and non-VPA sweatshirts may be worn to school for warmth but must be free of logos and advertisements. These garments may not be worn into or brought into the classrooms; they must be stored in lockers during and between classes, other than during the lunch period. A solid navy blue sweater may be worn in the classroom and must be purchased from Dennis Uniform for the sake of consistency. VPA-issued athletic letter jackets or sweaters may also be worn in the classroom.
No oversized or super-baggy clothing will be permitted. This includes sweatshirts. If a student owns a conspicuously oversized VPA sweatshirt, they may not wear it into the classroom.
No tattoos, temporary or permanent. This prohibition includes pen and ink drawings on the skin.
Just as Veritas provides guidelines for dress code in the classroom, it is important to project the image of professionalism in our athletic attire as well.
All shirts worn for athletic practices and field day should be modest, loose fitting, in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc), should be worn either tucked in or well over the waist of the pants/shorts if not tucked in. No midriffs may be shown. T-shirts are preferred—not tank tops, camisoles, or sports bras may be worn as outergarments. Sleeveless shirts may be worn if modest.
Pants/shorts should be modest, in good repair (no holes, torn sleeves, etc.) Pants should be worn at the waist and should be no shorter than mid-thigh, and no-longer than just below the knee. No short-shorts or long baggy shorts may be worn. No boxers or undergarments may be visible.
Attire should be free of logos and messages, with the following exceptions: sports team logos (e.g., Diamondbacks, Notre Dame), and apparel brand names (e.g., Adidas, Abercrombie) are acceptable, provided they do not make inappropriate allusions. (as do some skateboarding/snowboarding brands). These guidelines also apply to sweatshirts and jackets that students may wear. Footwear should be athletic in nature: no sandals, open-toed, or platform shoes. Hats and sunscreen may be appropriate, if the students will be in the sun. Hat styles should follow the same guidelines as above.
There are specific, semi-formal dress requirements for special events, including periodic fine arts concerts and the end-of-year ceremonies (such as commencement and graduation).
Concert dress is, for boys and girls, white and black. Boys wear white collared dress shirts with black slacks and black dress shoes. Girls wear a white blouse with a black skirt or black dress slacks and black dress shoes (open-toed shoes and reasonable heels are permitted.
The semi-formal dress code for young men is: dress slacks (no jeans or patched pocket pants), a collared dress shirt, dark socks, dress shoes (no sneakers or sandals). For commencement, graduating 8th graders must wear a tie. No dyed hair or hats. Hair should be trimmed appropriately.
The semi-formal dress code for young women is as follows: modest-length skirts or dresses (no shorter than the uniform skirt), or appropriately fitting dress slacks; bare midriffs are not acceptable. Modestly-cut sleeveless tops/dresses are allowed; ladies may not wear strapless, spaghetti-strap, or tank tops. Girls should wear dress shoes. No flip-flops. No dyed hair.
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