Am I The Only One Who Misses Dressing Up On A Regular Basis? (cut, color)
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When I started working it was expected that I dress up for work. Every white collar worker did and the rule was to always dress for the position you desire, not the position you currently held.
We'd dress up for dinner dates and wouldn't be caught dead wearing a sundress and flip flops to a formal evening wedding or bridal shower.
It seems that things began to change in the 1990's and have gone down hill ever since (IMO). My first career was in fashion buying and we all looked like we walked off of the pages of Vogue or Elle Magazine. Even the sales associates dressed up. Now I work as a consultant to various industries (e.g. finanical, IT, non-profits, etc.) and I am floored to see female VPs wearing stretch pants, flip flops and casual t-shirts to work. Male VPs who wear sneakers and jeans on a regular basis. The only way you might get tipped off these days to their position is if they are wearing a very expensive watch.
Dating meant you dressed for the function - a nice dress (female)/dress slacks and sports coat (male) for dinner dates. You wore jeans for sports activities and movies. Same if you went to a wedding and if it was a formal evening wedding, women wore cocktail dresses and men wore suits.
For me, the pendulum has swung too far to the casual side. Is it just me or am I the only one who misses dressing up on a regular basis.
I graduated high school in 1987. I tried to run counter to what the current fashion trends were among my classmates. One school year I gave my mom a thrill and asked to do this year's shopping at JC Penny's. I picked out slacks, khakis, shirts, and matching belts. I had compliments from the girls and some asking me how do I color coordinate so well? Told her I put the outfits together on the same hanger. I do still have a few pairs of khakis and slacks but rarely wear them. I work rotating shifts at a hospital boiler room. Work 2 seven day straight shifts with 2 days off followed by a 6 day straight shift followed by 4 days off then repeat rotation. Most times I'm wearing my work clothes unless it's a rare day off.
When I started working it was expected that I dress up for work. Every white collar worker did and the rule was to always dress for the position you desire, not the position you currently held.
We'd dress up for dinner dates and wouldn't be caught dead wearing a sundress and flip flops to a formal evening wedding or bridal shower.
It seems that things began to change in the 1990's and have gone down hill ever since (IMO). My first career was in fashion buying and we all looked like we walked off of the pages of Vogue or Elle Magazine. Even the sales associates dressed up. Now I work as a consultant to various industries (e.g. finanical, IT, non-profits, etc.) and I am floored to see female VPs wearing stretch pants, flip flops and casual t-shirts to work. Male VPs who wear sneakers and jeans on a regular basis. The only way you might get tipped off these days to their position is if they are wearing a very expensive watch.
Dating meant you dressed for the function - a nice dress (female)/dress slacks and sports coat (male) for dinner dates. You wore jeans for sports activities and movies. Same if you went to a wedding and if it was a formal evening wedding, women wore cocktail dresses and men wore suits.
For me, the pendulum has swung too far to the casual side. Is it just me or am I the only one who misses dressing up on a regular basis.
I wouldn't say I miss dressing up but I wish people would dress more appropriately, or at least formally, for dinner at nice restaurants. I don't like paying $60 a head right off the bat and seeing my fellow diners wearing tube tops and flip flops.
Generally, I agree. I have more experience as a student than in an office so what bothers me most is this trend for students to dress in workout gear for class. I swear, every girl on my campus owned the same pair of nike shorts in varying colors and they all paired it with oversized t-shirts and either uggs or flip flops. And it wasn't as though they were heading to the gym after class, as they all sported perfectly coiffed hair and a face of makeup.
It wouldn't have bothered me quite so much if they didn't ALL wear the exact same wardrobe. They always claimed that they don't care how they look, they just want to be comfortable, when it was clearly an attempt to blend in with everyone else. Pathetic.
Generally, I agree. I have more experience as a student than in an office so what bothers me most is this trend for students to dress in workout gear for class. I swear, every girl on my campus owned the same pair of nike shorts in varying colors and they all paired it with oversized t-shirts and either uggs or flip flops. And it wasn't as though they were heading to the gym after class, as they all sported perfectly coiffed hair and a face of makeup.
It wouldn't have bothered me quite so much if they didn't ALL wear the exact same wardrobe. They always claimed that they don't care how they look, they just want to be comfortable, when it was clearly an attempt to blend in with everyone else. Pathetic.
There's nothing wrong with wearing a sundress to a bridal shower unless it's a formal bridal shower.
I totally agree. In high school I dressed up. I went through a tomboy phase through part of college and then went for the track pants. But, to be honest, I was pretty much a girly girl from age 4 on so I guess I needed a break from the dresses.
By my junior and senior years of college I went back to the dresses, skirts and boot cut pants (hey it was the 90s).
Once I got to the workforce, I was totally confused. Things were business casual. But I just don't really get business casual. I felt over dressed. And under dressed. I worked at a company where the CEO wore t-shirts, keen sandals and khakis every day. I went back to dressing up, because it was more fun, but I was always way over dressed at that place.
Now it is even worse! I work from home, and head out to business meetings sometimes. Half of the time, the clients are in jeans! My boss even rolls in jeans half of the time. Distressed jeans! And casual shoes! AAAAHHHHH!!! He is the VP.
I never really need to wear suits. But I tend to stick with nicer dresses, pencil skirts + blouse + cardigan. I mostly wear dresses on the weekend. Or a nice top, jeans and a cardigan.
I miss the good old days when I wasn't the only one dressed up.
I love to "dress up" on a regular basis. To be honest, I simply cannot understand why other people don't do it more regularly too. I like to take pride in my appearance and I always try to look my best. I think that doing so shows that you have some respect not only for yourself, but also for the other people around you as well. And, whether we like it or not, first impressions do count and a lot of first impressions that are made by people are determined by how you look. I mean, let's be honest, who makes the better first impression, the guy who looks sloppy and unkempt in old, stained sweats, or the guy who is smartly dressed all around? Of course, I'm definitely not saying that appearance is the only factor in determining what type of a person you may be (obviously, there are many more important factors than that), but I think that it still plays a part nonetheless. The only thing that sometimes annoys me as a straight 20 year old guy is that sometimes certain people interpret the way I tend to dress as me being arrogant and rich or gay. But, hey, my girlfriend loves it so I don't really care. No matter which way you spin it, haters gonna hate lol !
I love to "dress up" on a regular basis. To be honest, I simply cannot understand why other people don't do it more regularly too. I like to take pride in my appearance and I always try to look my best. I think that doing so shows that you have some respect not only for yourself, but also for the other people around you as well. And, whether we like it or not, first impressions do count and a lot of first impressions that are made by people are determined by how you look. I mean, let's be honest, who makes the better first impression, the guy who looks sloppy and unkempt in old, stained sweats, or the guy who is smartly dressed all around? Of course, I'm definitely not saying that appearance is the only factor in determining what type of a person you may be (obviously, there are many more important factors than that), but I think that it still plays a part nonetheless. The only thing that sometimes annoys me as a straight 20 year old guy is that sometimes certain people interpret the way I tend to dress as me being arrogant and rich or gay. But, hey, my girlfriend loves it so I don't really care. No matter which way you spin it, haters gonna hate lol !
That's how I feel too. I was always told by my Irish grandmother "never go to bed in rags" - meaning even when no one can see you that you should be properly dressed.
I still dress the way I was taught which means most people think I am overdressed. And many think I must be a rich snob which is the farthest thing from the truth.
Hopefully your generation will catch the dress up bug and turn the tide against this way too casual dressing, CityLover9.
I guess I go from one extreme to the other. I've worked in an office environment before and HATED business casual, but loved casual Fridays While I won't wear sweat pants or dirty clothing (or ugg boots for that matter) out in public, I'm usually in jeans, flip flops and a fitted tshirt, no logos, no makeup, hair up in a ponytail. Maybe it's a California thing, but nearly everyone wears flip flops or goes barefoot nearly year round.
On the other hand, I LOVE vintage-ish dresses and when I go out it's something like this:
with my hair very done up and a full face of makeup. So, just because I don't dress up every day doesn't mean I sit around in jeans all the time
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