While we empathize with the situation you describe, it is really not our place as an individual caller/wife team to decide what's best for your club. Our personal opinion is that if you are losing dancers, the club needs to address the problem and try to resolve it to the majority's satisfaction. We would venture to say that no dress code is mandatory in terms of global or international standards. Dress codes are imposed by individual clubs, associations, and individual dance events (like conventions/festivals) where the organizers or leaders deem it "necessary". If the requirement begins to erode our already shaky foundation of dancers, it is our opinion that the "necessity" should be revisited.