They said/We said: Of all the Lady Gaga-esque things to be banned from an elementary school they went for the hair bow

Marcella Marino is one little monster who was not feeling the love after being sent home from school for wearing a Gaga-esque hair bow.

As anyone who’s been through elementary school knows, class photos are a big deal. So when Marcella’s school picture day was on the horizon, she told her hairstylist dad, Marcello Marino, that she wanted to “look like a princess” for the big day.

“I came up with a simple but elegant style, using her hair to make a bow,” Marcello said. “I thought it looked wonderful and Marcella loved it.”

But Ramsgate Holy Trinity Primary School evidently disagreed. They sent Marcella home in tears, saying that the four-year-old’s hairstyle was not in compliance with the school’s policy against braids and that “bows” could only be maroon, navy or black. (Which begs the question: if Marcella’s hair was any of these three colours instead of blonde, would she have been in the clear?)

“It isn’t a hair braid, it is quite simply a knot in the shape of a bow, and I should know because I’m a hairdresser,” Marcello insisted.

The school ended up cancelling the group photo because of an unrelated mix-up with the photographer, but the damage had already been done: on his end, Marcello had already taken to his Twitter account to post pictures of his daughter’s ‘do and soon enough, the story had been picked up by the media, even sparking a discussion on MSNBC Today.

So what do you think: is the school simply sticking to its dress code or did it unnecessarily quash the joys of whacky styling for this little girl?

THEY SAID…

Julie Gerstein: “It’s not like she chose to follow some of Gaga’s other fashion trends, like say, her meat dress, or radical platform heels, after all. It’s a hair bow, people.” [The Frisky]

MTV Style: “How could someone kick this sweet little girl out of a photo just for her @LadyGaga hair bow?? :'(“ [Twitter]

WE SAID…

Jacquelyn Francis, executive editor: “Goodness, that little girl looks fantastic. Feel free to yawn now, but the school has a uniform policy, right? Why have a policy if you don’t enforce it? And why be a rebel if you don’t break something? I wore a uniform for five years of high school. Wore too short a kilt, or shorts when shorts weren’t supposed to be worn. Do I think the school is a little OTT given how adorable the girl looks? Yes. But as the resident mom, and office mom to boot, rules be rules. A character-building experience for father and child. As if Gaga wasn’t censured in her time.”

The post They said/We said: Of all the Lady Gaga-esque things to be banned from an elementary school they went for the hair bow appeared first on FASHION Magazine.