Was talking this subject the other night with a group of dining mavens: is going out for dinner still a special occasion for you? Do you mind getting dressed up a bit more?
There seems to be so little formality today, like its just another night…
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I do not like getting dressed up as a general rule, regardless of occasion.
I always run warm so putting on a tie and/or jacket, unless it is freezing out, is so uncomfortable and really spoils the occasion for me.
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I don’t mind getting dressed up if we’re going to a white tablecloth place. But that’s maybe 5% of my dinners out.
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I am in a suit and tie 75% of my life so it means absolutely nothing to me to get dressed up since I’m dressed up most of the time anyway. I’m the guy in the suit having lunch at Mc Donalds. (not really I don’t ever go to Mc Donald’s but you get the idea)
(side note, I do not own a pair of jeans in my wardrobe)
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It’s been many, many years since we dined at a restaurant that required us to be dressed up.
That is kind of a sad commentary on our choices…
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IME, for most occasions, women dress up more than men do, even given the increasingly-casualized customs regarding American clothing. I’m from the era when one dressed up for airplane trips. If I were a restaurateur, I’d be disheartened that my staff and I put a lot of effort into offering a gracious and enjoyable experience to customers who come dressed to clean out the garage. For any level of dining above fast casual, I think jeans, tees, and/or sneakers are unsuitable.
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Love this!
It depends a lot on the restaurant- generally i think one should out some effort into looking presentable regardless.
For dinner at mid-tier and up level places (ie not the pizza shop on the corner) i think it’s a sign of respect to both the people you are dining with as well as to the restaurant and their hard working staff.
I realize-and have seen-that the line of what is presentable has been pushed pretty far, but i won’t participate.
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Agree 100% . Sometimes I look around a restaurant and think, “Come on people, there are reasons take out exists!”
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Years ago there were restaurants that required a jacket and tie to sit in the dining room, at least a jacket anyway. They would even have some in stock in the coat room if you showed up underdressed. And they often did not fit very well. These days you pretty much can come as you are. Dress codes have been relaxed.
Personally, I do not mind dressing up a bit more for a special occasion…and yes, I still consider certain dining out experiences to be a special occasion.
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Any excuse to look like a 50’s movie star is good with me.
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This topic has come up before (probably on Chowhound at some point) and I always wonder if changes in perspective on this have a strong age correlation or if there are other strong mitigating factors - or maybe not. But I’m always curious.
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I think it definitely has an age correlation. Regionality too— people in the Bay Area tend to dress down compared to the East Coast, or even LA. The only time I dress up is when a place is really expensive, but that probably has more to do with it being a special occasion.
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I don’t mind, but as a woman I think we have far more comfortable options for “dress-up” than men do. I can wear a slouchy dress with great jewelry and look very chic while feeling as though I’m wearing sweats. If I had to wear a suit and tie to be dressed up, I’d probably hate it!
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I agree somewhat but men have other options than a t-shirt and jeans before a suit and tie.
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Yes I believe it has 100% to do with age. Honestly look at pictures of a baseball or football game from the 50’s, my parents generation. 75% of the men are in suit jackets hats and ties in the stadium!
Then the 60’s came and the hippies and free love and pot smoking and the whole world went down the tubes! Dam hippies!! (joke-but in my eyes the 60’s did usher in the dressing down phase)
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I don’t like when I see people, and it’s especially men, who come into a white tablecloth restaurant wearing jeans or shorts. I find it disrespectful.
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For many eating out is a relaxing leisure experience these days, as opposed to the past you tended to only eat out on special occasions.
So people tend to dress accordingly. If you dress up to go to work you probably dress down for your leisure activities as you want to relax.
When I worked in an office and wore a suit to work I loved going out on shorts and t-shirts. I have just built my own house and now “dress up” to go out as it’s nice to put on decent clothes rather than work boots and paint spattered clothes.
Changing from my “work clothes” makes me feel like I am going out to have fun…even though it’s now dressing up rather than down.
And I wonder if this holds true across the world with blue collar workers dressing up to eat out and white collar workers dressing down…both escaping the strictures of this uniforms.
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I do get that. I’m not one to get dressed up much anymore. Dressing up is my good black jeans. But I pick my restaurants accordingly. I would not hit a high end or more “fancy” restaurant in very casual clothes. I have to say, most places I know that may once have been are no longer “jacket required,” I’m sure due to the way people prefer to eat out now.
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I agree with the idea of dressing for dinner is most likely age related. We eat dinner out 2-3 nights a week and so dining out is not remotely close to being a special occasion. It’s just dinner. Been taking the kids since before they could walk too. So why would we get dressed up?
I’m really curious as to why some view dressing casually as being disrespectful to the restaurant and the staff. I would think the staff would be pretty happy to see customers show up, enjoy a lovely dinner, tip well without much thought to how they were dressed. Looking back on my school days when I waited on tables I can’t say at this point I recall anything about how people dressed. About how some people treated me and tipped I remember quite well.
But that’s not to say I mind getting dressed up for dinner when its an “occasion.” I even own my own tux and wear it a few times.
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