Dress Codes

[hobbsyoyo]

I read a thread on Reddit where a guy running for city council in the UK for the green party went to a debate in normal clothes. The title included the joke, 'guess which person on the panel is me?'. Some of the top comments were along the lines of, 'The guy who doesn't dress appropriately and lost the election'.

Well that got me thinking. How important is formal dress in your life? What role do you think it plays in society? Do you think it has any utility anymore? You can elaborate on any other dress codes or social standards related to what people wear that you wish.

I guess my basic stance is that formal dress annoys me and I hope the social norms built up around them go away. I only wear them when it's expected and I find that the expectation itself is hollow - I don't think they really signal anything about a person other than their willingness and ability to follow the norms. I guess that's worth something in and of itself.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

This thread remembers me that i need to buy new clothes. The tracksuit i have been using for the last twenty years is beginning to desintegrate.

 

[Arwon]

I can't go to watch my footy team the Sydney Swans play unless I'm wearing a collared shirt, which is kinda weird really.

At work I get away with polo shirts rather than business shirts or suits, mostly because I'm in an internal-facing, data and statistics focused role.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I wore this to a meeting with government contractors the other day:

Spoiler :

I'm really glad my company doesn't have a dress code. It's not important enough for me to turn down jobs but it is a consideration. Overall I think dress codes are more lax in southern California than the Midwest and I've been lucky that my last two jobs basically had no dress code.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I can't go to watch my footy team the Sydney Swans play unless I'm wearing a collared shirt, which is kinda weird really.

At work I get away with polo shirts rather than business shirts or suits, mostly because I'm in an internal-facing, data and statistics focused role.

Why do you have to wear a collared shirt to a game?

Do the rest of the people in your office have to wear suits?

 

[Lillefix]

I work for an engineering firm. I sometimes meet customers but I've always worn normal clothes.

I don't even own a suit. For a wedding I'd were a shirt, nice jacket and black trousers. I'm allergic to ties.

 

[Arwon]

Why do you have to wear a collared shirt to a game?

Do the rest of the people in your office have to wear suits?

As a Swans member (season ticket holder but in my specific case I don't have a specific reserved seat), I sit in the Sydney Cricket Ground members area, and there's a dress code for the three grandstands that form that area. It's legacy posh cricket culture, not a general footy thing.

There's not really a "have to" as far as dressing at work. It's a government agency. Like most workplaces one just reads the social cues.

 

[Cheetah]

I'm apparently somewhat weird, in that I like wearing suits!

Unfortunately, that's a bit too much in most office jobs in Norway. A few years ago I finally started wearing a blazer, shirts and dark pants (dropped the denim) to work, so it can kinda feel and look a bit like a suit, minus the tie.

I still wear t-shirts for when I'm exercising, or it's really hot and I'm wearing shorts, or I'm just relaxing at home. But if I'm out and about, I like to dress up.

I generally feel comfortable wearing formal clothes, and I've gotten a lot of compliments for how I look as I've started to dress better, especially from women. I recommend it.

 

[Cutlass]

A lot of clothing choice is more about social convention than anything else. And as such, leans conservative.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I work in a governmental office and can dress whatever i want with some limits. For instance a guy used to come wearing sandals until the boss (an old *@#_&/ who always wears suit plus tie btw) told him something about it. I usually wear jeans, t-shirts and sneakers.

 

[Birdjaguar]

It's mostly a generational thing. The world is dressing more and more casual and fancy dress is becoming more and more "ceremonial" in both business and among the rich. My step dad (born 1917) wore a jacket and tie most days until he was 95; then he dropped the tie and went business casual until he died at 100.

My preference is long sleeve shirts with collars, jeans and slip on shoes. Jackets, ties, and slacks require something special.

 

[Ajidica]

I have to get me that shirt.

 

[sophie]

I think it's definitely a geographic thing. People don't care for the most part in California. A button-down shirt or polo and some nice-looking jeans/tan pants will get you through most social settings in California unless you're running in some super classy circles. I come out to Chicago and people are wearing dress shirts, jackets/blazers, slacks, and leather shoes to literally everything. It's the same when I visit my sister out in Boston.

 

[cardgame]

If everything goes according to plan, I'll never wear a suit or tie in my adult life. I have strong feelings about such dress codes.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

If everything goes according to plan, I'll never wear a suit or tie in my adult life. I have strong feelings about such dress codes.

So you don't plan to attend any weddings, funerals, awards ceremonies, or banquets?


I never minded long dresses for SF/F costumes or SCA, but contemporary dresses were either for weddings, funerals, or a few other ceremonial/dressy events, and they were expected for certain occasions at school, such as pictures and the Christmas concert (I once got scolded for not wearing a dress for my Grade 1 Christmas concert, but I figured that since I was playing part of the brick house in our Three Little Pigs musical and would spend most of the time kneeling on a dusty stage, I'd just as soon wear pants). Nowadays I dress for my own comfort, and if anyone else doesn't like it, they have my permission not to look.

 

[Harv]

How important is formal dress in your life? What role do you think it plays in society? Do you think it has any utility anymore? You can elaborate on any other dress codes or social standards related to what people wear that you wish.

Where I work, the policy is every day is Casual Friday, but we do not want our customers finding out or the might not take us that seriously and we will lose business to competitors, or something like that. Some people are more sticklers to old rules than others. I started dressing casual every day about twelve years ago.

The person who has been put in charge of my department is trying to push towards Corporate Casual, whatever that means nowadays. I have had two incidents over the past six months. One time, he told me not to be wearing a hoodie when there are customers. I responded by pulling up my hood, which really made him mad. So he went to my office to tell me how embarrassing it was and I responded with some kind of don't care response.

(EDIT: I call that day HoodieGate.)

The other incident was on Good Friday where I took my sweater off and he passed me by and told me that under no circumstances was it acceptable for me to be wearing a T-Shirt, except on a weekend. I responded with, "Am I worried?" That made him really mad. He said I should be, so again he followed me to my office to talk to me about it and I said, "Look. My sweater is right there and I took it off because it was hot. What do you want me to do, go shirtless?"

Now that I know this guy is triggered by dress code violations, I am thinking about upping the ante in the summer time by wearing a muscle shirt.

So yes, I think it is petty, on both sides. I'm developing a "They can fire me" attitude about it.

When I think about it more, it is really past time for me to move on.

I'm really glad my company doesn't have a dress code. It's not important enough for me to turn down jobs but it is a consideration. Overall I think dress codes are more lax in southern California than the Midwest and I've been lucky that my last two jobs basically had no dress code.

You are probably correct. California is more progressive than the Midwest - and sure enough, I'm currently located in the Upper Midwest, and the person I am talking about is from the Midwest.

It's mostly a generational thing.

Agreed.

The field I work in is dominated by old men.

I think it's definitely a geographic thing.

I agree with this, too.

 

[cardgame]

Unless the awards ceremony is the freaking Grammy's I can't imagine one filled with suits. Same for banquets. Not attending the first two would be nice, but I realize it's not an option for my family at the least. I haven't thought about it a lot, but there has to be an alternative.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I was invited to a mess dinner once. I was told I'd have to wear a dress, so I raided my grandmother's closet and found something that fit and wasn't too old-fashioned.

Apparently it was good enough that I didn't detect any disapproval. I never went to another one, though, since I got tired of people saying they approved of my going for my B.Ed., but wouldn't I just consider joining the reserves?

Nope.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Sigh. For me it's business casual. The hospital does have a dress code, after all. At the very least, I have to wear a dressy blouse and slacks or skirt. No denim or t-shirts for moi, unless I'm at home or on weekends.

At least I don't have to wear a white coat on rounds anymore though that will probably change again soon. Those things are hot and uncomfortable, and they make patients nervous.

 

[Synobun]

I don't like dress codes imposed on me.

That said, when I still could work a 9-5, I wore a dress shirt and khakis every day. Helped separate my day mentally.