For the first time, all New York City public school students will have to abide by a universal school dress code.

The New York City Council approved legislation Thursday that requires public school dress codes to comply with Title IV, the federal civil rights law that bars discrimination based on gender.

According to Councilmember Althea Stevens, who sponsored the legislation, the goal of the new dress code policy is to eliminate what she called “sexist and hetero-normative dress codes,” as well as “standards that target girls and students of color.”

The legislation also states that school must take into account the “diverse cultures, gender expression and body diversity” of students, Stevens said. Dress codes must be gender-neutral, the bill states.

“This isn’t new. When I was in high school, I remember passing back on the dress code and it was restricting young women more than any one else, and there are so many cultures we need to embrace them in an education system,” said Stevens.

Before Thursday’s vote, dress codes were left up to individual schools in the city. The Department of Education will work with the City Council to craft new guidelines for the students’ dress code.