Are dress codes outdated?

Personally hate suits, though still some events/situations where they are the only appropriate dress really. Though occasionally I'll wear a suit jacket with smart jeans.

I went on a course for work recently and the forms for it said there was a strict/enforced dress code... there was like 2 of us who bothered to go by the dress code - one person even turned up in a tracksuit, nothing was done/said about it - no one seemed to actually care. While the dress code was a bit over the top still a situation I'd say smart casual would be appropriate.
 
tyke_ said:
I wore blue jeans to a funeral earlier this year. I stuck out tbh but not everyone was wearing black.
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Went to a funeral awhile back where the deceased's sons all turned up in blue jeans and smartish lounge jackets, much to the consternation of some of the older folk. I'm pretty sure the deceased would have turned up to his own funeral in similar attire though.
 
I guess you'd have to ask whether you'd feel comfortable with a lawyer turning up in ripped shorts, flip flops, and a moth eaten t-shirt to represent you at court....

Unfortunately society has been wired to accept smart as professional and experienced.
 
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Going to a wedding soon, only got a Blazer, smart jeans and can only wear trainer type shoes due to a foot injury.

Asked the bride and groom if this is ok and they are fine about it, as long as i attend.
 
Pawnless Endgame said:
Surely those amongst us who currently work and is going into work base still have to wear office clothes or a uniform? I work in a hospital's admin building and it's still smart shoes, trousers, shirt and a tie.

I get you guys though if it's regarding clubbing. Early 2000s was still office wear for the blokes (minus the tie) but early 2020s/now and anything goes really and I've been to 5 clubs this year so far. The only 'rule' I've seen in one of the clubs was no tops with football teams on them.
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I'd say things are also role dependent. In engineering it's very much casual/scruffs - I even see guys wearing 20 year old T-shirts that are falling to bits. Bump into someone working sales and they're normally trousers and a shirt - even if they don't have a client visiting.

stuman said:
The dress code for York Races recently was interesting -

Men - suit, shirt, tie

Women - no dress code.

I even got stopped by a steward as I had my jacket over my shoulder whilst I attached my pass…
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I think that's because women can be trusted to dress appropriately :cry: haven't seen a woman turn up to the races in full tracksuit.

shifty_uk said:
The rest of the company doesn’t bother but it makes a difference, particularly in the eyes of clients. Presentation is very important to me, especially these days when no one else bothers.
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I would argue the quality of the product you're trying to sell is of much more importance than how well dressed the staff are.
 
When I'm working I like to wear an ironed shirt and trousers, I'm not a fan of going to work in casual clothes it just doesn't feel right. It also helps me draw boundaries between work and home and avoids one spilling into the other.
 
When I worked in an office - Mon - Thursday smart casual. Basically no jeans, hoodies, trackies, brightly coloured trainers.

Fridays and weekends- dress down. But no items of clothing with offensive content, crop tops, sleeveless tops.

shorts in the summer, on the knee or longer, no sports teams shirts - though allowed to wear things like polo shirts with a small club emblem or hoodie. Nothing that the players wear to play in or train in. Shoes had to have enclosed toes. No ripped demin.

There were a few tops I wore which could be worn on both smart casual and dress down days.
 
I have turned down wedding invites as I don’t own any smart wedding clothes. As for shoes - can’t get pretty shoes that 1. Fit me and 2. Are comfy. Plus able to walk in them.

Hate wearing smart clothes.

Just lie to them that the weekend is fully booked to get time off.
 
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It’s funny we were talking about exactly the same thing yesterday. I think a lot of it is the yoof as well. Singers like Billie Eilish and the return (or over egging) the 90s baggy fashion is back. We were in the pub and saw three young girls come in (arguably underage, I think they snuck in to use the loo but it was Sat night) and they were all wearing baggy clothes, hoodies and some even pool sliders. Classy stuff. The amount of guys walking around in tracks bottoms and pool sliders too. It’s like the fashion is “I don’t care”.
 
One I've noted a lot recently is an increase in people wearing black mesh running shoes (plain) with a full suit - I suspect a good bit of that is people with back issues taking advantage of the general decline in attitudes towards dress codes, etc.
 
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Semple said:
I would argue the quality of the product you're trying to sell is of much more importance than how well dressed the staff are.
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Its about the quality of the staff, the product is a separate category.

If you cannot put effort into dressing properly for the situation, then you will not be bothered to do many more things down the line.
 
I'm sat at work in shorts and a band tee.

I don't mind the odd dress-up smart occasion, but for it's novelty. Couldn't imagine wearing a suit everyday, screw that.
 
Unless you need to look official, I don't see the point in a dress code. Strict dress codes feel old fashioned now. I think it's more of a power trip for the people in charge than anything TBH.

People turning up in a suit in most modern offices just look like they are on the way to court these days.
 
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shifty_uk said:
No one bothers anymore which is quite sad imo, especially when you see junior members of staff walking around the office in tracksuit bottoms.

Even if the rest of the company doesn’t(including the ceo), as a senior director, i make sure I have on at least a crisp white shirt(sometimes paired with a 3/4 zip jumper or sports jacket) and some chinos on the days I'm in the office. I’ll often dress it down with white trainers, though. The rest of the company doesn’t bother but it makes a difference, particularly in the eyes of clients. Presentation is very important to me, especially these days when no one else bothers.

Sadly tailoring is now associated with car sales, a day at the races or a day in court but I have a couple of well altered suits that get brought out for events that I enjoy wearing.
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I think its great. Im totally against wearing clothes to fit in with some old standard.

Especially suits for work. That means you have to have multiple as they are being worn so much. I'm only keeping 2 suits one bright and one dark for happy/sad special occasions.

Suits in summer are horrendous.
 
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Back in the day men usually wore suits all the time and this was still evident in the older men when I was younger. Now the new crop of old men don't wear suits anymore and are wearing casual dress.
 
tyke_ said:
I wore blue jeans to a funeral earlier this year
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Oof - that’s a line for me!

I like dress codes - there’s no way you could wear anything other than a suit where I work. For a long time if you didn’t wear a tie you would get sent home…although that relaxed around the time of Covid.

If it’s somewhere special, like a nice place to eat or an evening out, then dress codes are important in my opinion and set a tone. Otherwise you end up with people wearing baseball caps at dinner. Not cool.

There’s a time and a place, I wouldn’t think of wearing anything other than a suit to a funeral, wedding (unless asked not to) or interview. But then I am a bit more old fashioned in that respect.

Day to day I dress like a bum - when I was younger I would only ever wear shirts.
 
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