School Uniform

A school dress code provides a standard for students that fosters an environment conducive to learning and respectful behavior. The dress code at Bishop O’Connell High School encourages neatness and good order among the students, measures self-discipline and instills school and personal pride.

In this light, students must comply with the dress code from the time the first bell rings until the end of the school day. The dress code is to be observed on field trips unless otherwise announced by the administration. Any questions regarding the dress code should be addressed to the Office of Student Life.

Official School Uniform Provider

FlynnO’Hara is the only uniform company authorized to sell our school uniform. Uniforms purchased from any other vendor are unacceptable. Exceptions are noted with an asterisk below. The FlynnO’Hara website is www.flynnohara.com.

The Bishop O’Connell school code is VA-252.

FlynnO’Hara Uniforms, Inc.
Fair City Mall
9650-20 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22031
Phone: 800-441-4122

Fall/Spring Uniform

The Fall/Spring uniform is mandatory for all students from the first day of school until Nov. 30, and again from Apr. 8 until the end of the school year.

	Boys	Girls
Pants	Uniform gray pants.*	Uniform gray pants (optional).*
Kilt	N/A	Uniform gray plaid kilt.*
Shirt	Uniform polo with Bishop O’Connell logo, neatly tucked in.* Grades 9-11 wear navy polo. Grade 12 wears white polo.	Uniform polo with Bishop O’Connell logo. * Grades 9-11 wear navy polo. Grade 12 wears white polo.
Socks or Tights	Plain black, navy or neutral tone solid color dress sock.	Uniform white crew socks or navy/gray knee socks with O’Connell logo.* As an alternative, navy or black opaque tights may be worn (without socks).
Belt	Solid black or brown.	Solid black or brown (with pants only).
Shoes	Solid brown or black, leather topped dress shoe. Students are also allowed to wear solid white or black athletic shoes/sneakers.	Solid brown or black, leather dress shoe. Students are also allowed to wear solid white or black athletic shoes/sneakers.
Pullover (optional)	Uniform navy quarter-zip pullover sweater or sweatshirt** Seniors may wear their class sweatshirt.	Uniform navy quarter-zip pullover sweater or sweatshirt** Seniors may wear their class sweatshirt.

*Must be purchased at FlynnO'Hara only.
**Is only available for purchase at the school store.

Winter Uniform

The following uniform is mandatory for all students from Dec. 1 until Easter Break.

	Boys	Girls
Pants	Uniform gray pants.*	Uniform gray pants (optional).*
Kilt	N/A	Uniform gray plaid kilt.*
Shirt	Solid white or light blue short or long sleeved oxford shirt. Must be tucked in.	Solid white or light blue short or long sleeved oxford shirt. Must be tucked in.
Necktie	Grades 9-11 wear school tie (blue-striped).* Grade 12 wear their choice of ties.	N/A
Vest	Uniform navy sweater vest with O'Connell logo. *	Uniform navy sweater vest with O'Connell logo. *
Socks	Plain black, navy or neutral tone solid color dress sock.	Uniform white crew socks or navy/gray knee socks with O’Connell logo.* As an alternative, navy or black opaque tights may be worn (without socks).
Belt	Solid black or brown.	Solid black or brown.
Shoes	Solid brown or black, leather topped dress shoe. Students are also allowed to wear solid white or black athletic shoes/sneakers.	Solid brown or black, leather topped dress shoe. Students are also allowed to wear solid white or black athletic shoes/sneakers.
Pullover (optional)	Uniform navy quarter-zip pullover sweater or sweatshirt** Seniors may wear their class sweatshirt.	Uniform navy quarter-zip pullover sweater or sweatshirt** Seniors may wear their class sweatshirt.

*Must be purchased at FlynnO'Hara only.
**Is only available for purchase at the school store.

Uniform Standards

Students and parents are encouraged to take pride in the school uniform, ensuring that all uniform pieces fit properly and are kept clean, neat and in good repair. Uniform pieces should be ordered for proper fit. All uniform items must be worn in the manner they were designed to be worn.

Torn, tattered, oversized/undersized or modified items of the school uniform are not acceptable. Students with missing or non-compliant uniform pieces will be given a detention and have 24 hours to remedy the deficiencies. Students with three (3) uniform detentions will be sent home with an unexcused absence.

For dress code specifics, please select from the tabs below:

Pants and Belts

Kilts

Kilts are designed for the hem to rest at the top of the knee.
Kilts must bear the O’Connell logo one inch above the hem.
Kilts must fit properly (worn at the waist, not rolled).
Kilts must not be modified (e.g. “rolled” or hemmed) in any way.
Administration reserves the right to require girls who persistently violate standard on Kilt length to purchase and wear the uniform pant.

Shirts

Sweater Vests and Pullovers

A navy sweater vest with O’Connell logo is worn over the oxford for the winter uniform.

The navy quarter-zip pullover sweater or sweatshirt with O’Connell logo, only available in the School Store, may be worn in lieu of the sweater vest.
Seniors may wear their class pullover.
Non-uniform sweatshirts, jackets, pullovers, must be in lockers or backpacks during the day. Non-uniform items worn during the school day will be confiscated.

Shoes

Students may wear:

A brown or black Sperry Top Sider leather boat shoe or similar style, with matching solid-colored laces. Any more formal shoe is acceptable provided it has a closed heel, closed toe, low top below ankle and is a solid brown or black, leather topped dress shoe.
An athletic shoe/sneaker that is either all white or all black, including the sole, the logo and the heel. Laces must match the color of the shoes, and high top sneakers are not permitted.

The following are examples of shoes that are not permitted: high/platform, clogs, flip-flops, slides, moccasins, slippers, lug- or thick-soled, white-walled, boots (cowboy, hiking, work), etc. No Uggs or Crocs.

If you have any questions on whether a shoe is allowed please send an email with (picture if possible) to studentlife@bishopoconnell.org.

Socks and Tights

Boys must wear plain black, navy or neutral tone dress socks.
Girls must wear uniform socks bearing the O’Connell logo or, in lieu of socks, navy or black tights may be worn.
Tights must be opaque, cover the toes and have no tears/rips, patterns or designs of any kind or color. Tights are to be worn without added socks.
Sweat pants, thermals, leggings, etc., may not be worn under kilts.

Neckties (Winter only)

Varsity Letter Jackets

Order Varsity Letter Jackets here.
All other pieces of the uniform must be worn with the Varsity Letter Jacket, including the sweater vest or pullover sweater.

Eligibility - Bishop O’Connell has a program to recognize students for their contributions to the school and to encourage school spirit by allowing students to wear a school Varsity Letter Jacket. The jacket is earned through participation in athletics or other extra-curricular activity at Bishop O’Connell. Students who have earned a varsity letter for their participation in a sport are eligible for a Varsity Letter Jacket. Students in Band, Chorus, Honor Society, It’s Academic, SCA, Yearbook, Visor, Drama, etc., are also eligible for a Varsity Letter Jacket and should consult their moderator to confirm eligibility

Team/Club/Ensemble Apparel & Spirit Wear

Students may not substitute team, club and ensemble apparel for the required uniform, except on authorized “dress-out” days.
Unless authorized by Administration, O’Connell “spirit wear” may not be substituted for the required uniform.
Teams, clubs, ensembles may lose this privilege if non-uniform apparel is worn on unapproved days.
See Dress Holidays below for guidelines on “dress out” days.

Grooming

	Boys	Girls
Hair	Must be clean, neatly trimmed, and styled in a natural color. Hair should not extend below the top of the collar nor cover the ears or extend below the eyebrows. Hairstyles judged eccentric by the Administration are forbidden.	Must be clean and neatly styled in a natural color. Vibrant reds, purples, etc. do not meet the definition of "natural." Hairstyles judged eccentric by the administration are forbidden.
Facial Hair	Clean-shaven; no mustaches, goatees or beards. Sideburns should not extend below mid-ear. Students with facial hair are sent to the Student Life Office to shave before returning to class.
Cosmetics	No cosmetics.	Girls may wear cosmetics which are lightly applied and in good taste.
Tattoos	Tattoos are not permitted and therefore must be covered.	Tattoos are not permitted and therefore must be covered.

Accessories

	Boys	Girls
Jewelry	A watch, a ring and a chain are permitted. Chains must extend in enough length that it will be worn under the uniform shirt. No piercings. Plastic holders or covering piercings with bandages are not permitted.	Must be conservative and tasteful. Nose rings, eyebrow rings, lip rings, tongue rings or any accessories for body piercings may not be displayed in school. Plastic holders or covering piercings with bandages are not permitted.
Wearable Technology	No headphones or earbuds in the halls or class.	No headphones or earbuds in the halls or class.
Headgear	Caps, bandanas and headbands may not be worn in the school building.	Caps, bandanas and headbands may not be worn in the school building.
Sunglasses	May not be worn inside the school building.	May not be worn inside the school building.
Other	Long chains attached to belts or wallets are not permitted.	Long chains attached to belts or wallets are not permitted.

Dress Holidays

The school administration approves dress holidays for special events and programs (e.g. Superdance, fundraisers, Spirit Week, etc.). Dress holidays call for proper attire where good taste should be the arbiter of dress. Immodest clothing of any type is not permitted. When dress holidays are granted, the following standards should be observed:

Pants and Shorts

Shirts and Tops

Skirts and Dresses

Shoes

Sweaters, Sweatshirts and Jackets

Compliance and Enforcement

Members of the administration, faculty and staff will refer students who are out of uniform to the Office of Student Life with a Dress Code Detention. Students will be required to purchase the missing parts of the uniform or remedy the infraction. Failure to comply could result in the student being sent home by the Director of Student Life and not re-admitted until they are properly dressed. If this occurs, each day missed will count as an unexcused absence.

Any student who has a medical issue that prevents them from wearing the appropriate uniform or otherwise following the dress code must make a written request for exemption to the Director of Student Life. This request must be signed by a parent and be accompanied by appropriate documentation from a medical professional as requested by the Director of Student Life. Requests related to chronic conditions must be renewed at the beginning of each school year.

The Administration is ultimately responsible for the environment of the school; therefore, parents and students must understand that the Administration reserves the right to make judgments about inappropriate dress in order to maintain this environment.

Final decisions regarding the school dress code rest with the Principal/Administration.

Fall/Spring Uniform

Fall/Spring Uniform

Winter Uniform

Students may wear this uniform sweater or the navy blue uniform quarter-zip sweatshirt year-round as part of the uniform.

Contact Student Life

studentlife@bishopoconnell.org
703-237-1409