Short Skirts Are Out! After decades of skimpy skirts and sleeveless tops on game days, some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class. In Lake County, Florida, cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo. Principals at two of Lake's eight high schools - Leesburg and Lake Minneola - are not allowing the outfits in school at all. Michelle Thomas, a cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn't wear her outfit to school on game days. "It shows that we're a team just like all the other sports," she said. But the school administrators did not agree. "During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student," said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code. Bare midriffs are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts. Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven't become more revealing over the last 10 years. She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick. "Cheerleading is athletic," Noone said. "There's a lot of jumping, so you won't want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a tie touch." Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they'll follow the rules. Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress codes, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity. "I understanding, because they are kind of short," said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader, about her miniskirt. "It would have been really, really cool to wear them to school." According to the new dress codes for cheerleaders in some American schools,   _  .
bare midriffs are banned cheerleading miniskirts are banned cheerleader uniforms have switched from skirts to trousers cheerleaders have to make their uniforms less revealing