This mall is the latest place to institute a dress code for teens

Dress codes are understandable in theory, but in execution they often end up doing more harm than good. Residents of Conyers, Georgia are worried about just that, as their local mall, Conyers Crossroads, has instituted both a curfew and a dress code in an effort to stave off a whole host of issues that they attribute to local teens patrons.

Confused? You’re not alone. Capt. Jackie Dunn explains that they’ve “had graffiti issues, [they] have [had] teens be perpetrators and victims of robberies.” The mall attributes this to the hordes of unsupervised teens milling about the property.

For these reasons, a curfew makes sense. All teens must be accompanied by an adult if they wish to stay at the mall past 7PM. But why the added dress code? The new rule, which prohibits wearing your pants below your waist or hoodies inside stores, seems oddly specific.

“It could lend itself to racial profiling,” said Attorney Mawuli Davis told CBS46 in Atlanta. “I think it’s going to be a collision course.”

Employees, however, are welcoming these new rules with open arms, since they believe the large number of unsupervised teens is costing them business. Property manager, Carlos Gonzalez, is optimistic, saying, “It is important for our shoppers and store employees alike to have a pleasant experience while on property.”

Only time will tell if the policy solves the mall’s problems or creates a whole host of new ones, but we all share the common goal of just wanting to shop and eat a pretzel in peace. We just might have to dress a little nicer to do it.

(Image via Shutterstock.)