The decline of male dress codes: what do you miss?
While most people dress more casual these days, we've noticed that men in particular are letting themselves go. Yes, we hate the whole women wearing sweatpants in public movement, but guys are putting in little effort even when going out at night! While ladies still care a great deal about dressing up, putting on makeup, and looking pretty, guys will often accompany their gals wearing t-shirts, jeans and sneakers to really nice restaurants. What gives?!
The Wall Street Journal has noticed this trend too, and found that New York's famous 21 Club has even done away with it's mandatory necktie rule. While a jacket is still required for dining (they have a closet full of loaners on hand), the 21 club noticed a visible upswing in business since changing their dress code, and 20% of guys now show up to eat tie-less. The celeb-frequented Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel also used to have a strict dress code. The manager told the WSJ their only policy now is "no tank-tops after 10 p.m." We guess "Jersey Shore" star Pauly D. isn't allowed in. "A few years ago, we had a 'no-baseball-caps' policy after 7 p.m.," the manager told the WSJ, "but after Steven Spielberg was turned away for wearing one, we dropped the policy, like, the next day." Offices are loosening up their dress codes too. It began with Casual Friday, but now the whole work week ensembles are pretty laid back.
In our every day lives, we see women putting on heels and nice dresses for an evening out, but men can get away with a t-shirt and jeans. Or perhaps a button-down shirt at best. While we don't think ties are necessary to look well put together, we feel something has changed in the aesthetic of the grown male. Girls from a young age are taught to care about their appearance and as they grow older often tend to look polished both in the office and on free time. But for men, when the work week ends, the shirt and tie come off, not to be seen till Monday morning. Maybe we've been watching too much "Mad Men," but we feel a well dressed dude is a hotter dude!
We've had many discussions about the worst guy fashion trends, but now we're wondering what the standard should be and what do we miss. We'd love to see our guys put on a nice, well-pressed shirt and tie more often, and maybe give those dirty sneakers a rest. What about you?
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