Dress Coded

Dress Coded (2020) is a middle-grade novel by Carrie Firestone. It follows Molly Frost, an eighth-grade student who starts a podcast to protest the dress code at her middle school, after numerous girls get unfairly “dress coded,” the novel’s term for getting a dress code violation. The novel explores The Power of Peaceful Protest, The Transition From Childhood to Adolescence, and Female Friendships and Solidarity in the Face of Discrimination.

Carrie Firestone is a teacher and writer based in Connecticut (“Bio,” Carrie Firestone). The critically acclaimed Dress Coded is her first middle grade novel, and was named the Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year and a Junior Library Guild Selection, among other accolades (“Dress Coded,” Carrie Firestone).

This guide is based on the Kindle Edition published by the Penguin Young Readers Group.

Content Warning: Dress Coded mentions a school shooting and depicts sexism, racism, ableism, body shaming, and addiction.

Plot Summary

Dress Coded opens with Molly Frost, an eighth grader, starting a podcast to discuss a recent incident where a classmate, Olivia, was “dress coded” at their school. The principal, Dr.