Is the world under dressed or am I just an old fart?

[legion]

The only people that I regularly see wear suits are people that have low-paying/high-stress jobs and/or are 100% on commission. Used car salesmen wear suits. New car salesmen wear dealership polo shirts. Door-to-door salesmen. Bottom line, they are trying to sell me that something that I don't want.

I work in IT. We have a culture that basically says the more slovenly you dress, it must be because you have the skills to get away with it. I wear polo shirts and jeans with tennis shoes most days.

Executives also wear suits. I don't see them often. Politicians often wear suits. They are often trying to sell me something that I don't want.

[Gogar]

David I offer at that the world IS under dressed AND you are an old fart.

[ckelly78z]

Just about as dressed up that I will ever get is a pair of khaki dockers with a button down shirt, or a nice polo. I never wear dress shoes, mostly boat shoes, or slip ons. I am a firm believer of function over form, and being on my farm, most of you in the concrete jungle would soon come to that same realization.

I have no aspirations of being a public figure, or on TV, so this works for me. My work attire in my prototype lab is Wrangler jeans, with steel toed shoes, a company t-shirt, and a sweatshirt.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by mrbeverlyhills

Thing that gets me is air travel. I go to London regularly and the outfits some folks come up with make you laugh out loud; heading to London in February and I routinely see shorts, flip flops, baseball hat, tats and a muscle T shirt. Have fun waiting for a bus, wanker.

Haha, my airline attire is jeans, flip flops, t-shirt, and depending on weather a light jacket. The flip flops didn't serve me well on a winter business trip to Omaha. I didn't realize the rental car counter was reached from a outside walk around the parking garage. It was ~ 10F with snow and wind...my toes were crying.

I work in IT and the only time I don't wear jeans is when I am presenting to large audience. Then it's slacks, shoes, and belt and button down shirt.

[Rick Lee]

I was in Mexico City in May for a few days and was very struck by how many of the people were dressed to the nines. Very impressed.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by legion

I work in IT. We have a culture that basically says the more slovenly you dress, it must be because you have the skills to get away with it. I wear polo shirts and jeans with tennis shoes most days.

This. I've done job interviews in shorts and a T-shirt - and landed the job. I interviewed for my current position in cargo pants (yes, the ones with the pockets) and a polo shirt with the logos of the company I was working for at the time, and Chucks.

[jcommin]

I was raised to where a jacket and tie going to church, funerals, funeral visitations, weddings, christenings, etc. The dress has really dumbed down.

I started the work force in 1973 and wore a shirt and tie every day. I'm in polo type shirts and casual Friday can be almost any day. Things change.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by David

I keep seeing politicians, TV hosts, news show guests, etc in a jacket with no tie and I'm thinking really? How hard is it to put a tie on and look much more presentable?

Or men in nice restaurants in T-shirts?

And don't get me started on Bill Belichick!

Is it just me?

You still watch pro football?

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by legion

The only people that I regularly see wear suits are people that have low-paying/high-stress jobs and/or are 100% on commission. Used car salesmen wear suits. New car salesmen wear dealership polo shirts. Door-to-door salesmen. Bottom line, they are trying to sell me that something that I don't want.

I work in IT. We have a culture that basically says the more slovenly you dress, it must be because you have the skills to get away with it. I wear polo shirts and jeans with tennis shoes most days.

Executives also wear suits. I don't see them often. Politicians often wear suits. They are often trying to sell me something that I don't want.

When I was head of IT for a software company I wore shorts, polo and tennis shoes in the office or at the customer site. It was SoCal and it was always warm.

Nowdays it is dress slacks and shoes with a polo. Coat now and then as well, but I actually like the coat.

[onewhippedpuppy]

My previous gig through 2017 was mostly sales and business development in aerospace, which is in itself a stodgy industry that is incredibly slow to change. I often met with VP or C level execs at the various companies that I was visiting. I cannot recall meeting with any that were in full suit and tie. I also had to frequently present up to the CEO level of my Fortune 500 parent company, I would have been laughed out of the room had I worn a tie. My typical dress was tailored dress pants and sport coat, quality long sleeved collared dress shirt, quality shoes.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Zeke

That's too bad as one of the reasons I go to a nice restaurant is to leave the Taco Bell crowd at the door.

Really? I go to nice restaurants to enjoy good food and the company I'm with, in an elegant or festive environment. I'm sorry to hear you go to nice restaurants as a way of elevating yourself above the working classes.

Thankfully, I'm retired at 57 and can eat at any restaurant I want, as often as required, and I have ZERO need to impress anybody with fashion. It's a good place to be.

I saw Michael Eisner at Nobu in Malibu a few years ago. He's worth $1.1BB (Former CEO of Disney). He was wearing cheap flip flops with torn jeans and a worn out Rolling Stones concert tee shirt. That's when you know you've made it and no longer need to impress anybody.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I haven't made it, but still don't care about impressing anybody! If I can't wear shorts or jeans to dinner I'm not going. The only exception is for business.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

No kidding. I am immediately suspicious when someone comes to the office wearing a tie.

last guy showed up in my office with a tie asked me why no one seems to wear them in our area (resort town with rural surroundings). he was trying to recruit high net worth investment clients and as such visiting local CPA offices and the like.

I told him because we don't have to! told him I get clients based on referrals from other happy clients.

our economic engine is chickens, tourism and small businesses that support them. As such we are results oriented and have no need to signify to some middle management hot air balloon that we belong to the club because we wear a suit and tie. we simply do our jobs.

on a personal note in my 45 years of walking this planet I've seen a negative correlation between desirable traits (intelligence, kindness, honesty) and hours spent wearing a suit & tie. it seems when someone approaches me in a suit and tie they are betting on my paying more attention to their dress than their product.

[Tobra]

Yes, the world is underdressed. In other news, you are also an old fart.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I haven't made it, but still don't care about impressing anybody! If I can't wear shorts or jeans to dinner I'm not going. The only exception is for business.

Right on right on!

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by Zeke

That's too bad as one of the reasons I go to a nice restaurant is to leave the Taco Bell crowd at the door.

wow.

some of the most pleasant moments I've experienced in my life were sharing a beer and cigarette on the dirty stoop behind a restaurant I worked at with people who routinely visited taco bell. perhaps it was the honest conversation that I enjoyed the most. something very much missing from the 5 star restaurant crowd.

[Craig T]

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Zeke

That's too bad as one of the reasons I go to a nice restaurant is to leave the Taco Bell crowd at the door.

Originally Posted by berettafan

wow.

some of the most pleasant moments I've experienced in my life were sharing a beer and cigarette on the dirty stoop behind a restaurant I worked at with people who routinely visited taco bell. perhaps it was the honest conversation that I enjoyed the most. something very much missing from the 5 star restaurant crowd.

I know, right.

Unfortunately, many of the patrons at very high-end trendy restaurants are there for pretentious reasons.

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by tcar

Sweet! Funny...

LOLz! Posting from a phone never works well for me! Yes, that would be suit!!!!

[stomachmonkey]

Tie, hell, I don't even wear underwear anymore.