Depends on the country and whether plaintiff, defendant, or potential juror.
Posted on 03/28/2026 6:42:05 AM PDT by DoodleBob
Several years ago, I joined some friends on a trip to Mackinac Island, a place famous for its Victorian culture and ban on automobiles.
After bicycling around the island, we decided to splurge and have tea at The Grand Hotel, which is as polished as its name sounds. Before trooping in for tea, however, we stopped in a nearby restroom to exchange our sports clothes for something a little classier, for the hotel requires its patrons to dress up before entering its domain. Such a change was a bit of a bother, but in the long run, it made me value my experience far more. Because my outward appearance was more polished, my inward self could relax and savor both the food and my surroundings.
The good ol’ Grand Hotel isn’t alone in its dress standards anymore. Ruth’s Chris Steak House recently announced a new dress code for its patrons, posting the following on its website:
BUSINESS CASUAL – PROPER ATTIRE REQUIRED PLEASE.
Kindly remove all hats when entering the restaurant. Guests wearing ball caps are asked to dine in the bar/lounge.
The following attire is not permitted in our dining rooms:
Gym wear, pool attire, tank tops, clothing with offensive graphics or language, revealing clothing or exposed undergarments.
The famous steakhouse was mocked for these (rather minimal) standards by fellow restaurant chain Chili’s, which claimed that you only have to be dressed in order to enter their restaurant.
It’s an admittedly touché response … but does it really win Chili’s any points in the long run? Put differently, if money were no object, would we rather go to the trouble of dressing up to sit and enjoy the upscale Ruth’s Chris than go to Chili’s just so we can bum around in our shorts and t-shirts? Most would choose the former without question.
Some might consider this snobbery. The dress controversy between Chili’s and Ruth’s Chris, however, is really a microcosm of the larger culture war which has raged over of how we present ourselves to the world for years.
The viewpoint of Chili’s is the one toward which our society has been slouching for many years. “Come as you are,” they say, “we won’t judge!” Thus, what once was considered acceptable dinner attire – a nice dress for women and a sport coat for men – gradually morphed into jeans and a blouse, then booty shorts, crop tops, or sweatshirts and pajama pants.
Americans cling to such clothes, loving the comfort that they bring above all else. Yet at the same time, we also complain about how difficult it is to get ahead in the world and how hard it is to get others to respect us. What if the two are related? Might we see more success in our relationships, jobs, and other aspects of life if we didn’t cling so obstinately to the Chili’s dress code of “anything goes”?
Famed Hollywood costumer Edith Head would have said yes. In her book, “How to Dress for Success,” Head wrote, “No matter in which direction your strivings for success are pointed, what you wear and how you look can make the difference between moving steadily toward your goal or just rocking back and forth in the same spot.” In other words, if you want monotony and stagnation, keep choosing those casual, comfortable clothes when you go shopping, dine at restaurants, attend church, or even go to the office.
But those who want to move forward in life should consider a different tactic. Although it sounds a bit crass, Head encourages us to think of ourselves “as a product” that needs selling. And in order to sell that product, one must seriously consider how to improve it.
“The difference between ‘packaging’ you and a static product like a can of beans is considerable,” Head goes on to explain. “The beans are going only one place. You are going many places, and the way you look in each special situation, at different times of the day and on varied locations calls for a variety of looks, a number of moods and a diversified wardrobe.”
If we can control nothing else, we can always decide how we dress, Head says. “When you know what you want out of life—the areas of success you desire—then it is easy to dress ‘in character’ to create the most exciting, pleasing, attractive appearance for your audience.”
Yet so many of us do the exact opposite. What, after all, do our sweats, ripped jeans, and skimpy shorts and shirts say about us? Do they signal that we are a “product” that is clean, neat, alert, responsible, and quality material worthy of advancement … or do they signal that we are dumpy slobs, more interested in lazing through life and getting by with minimal effort?
It’s completely our own choice as to which of these options we’ll follow … but just remember, that choice may be the difference between a Ruth’s Chris or a Chili’s life.
I’ll sit in the bar with my Trump hat, same food faster drinks.
Depends on the country and whether plaintiff, defendant, or potential juror.
In the U.S. it is not appropriate attire to wear flip flops and shorts when appearing in court. Doesn’t matter whether you are on the jury, the defendant, the plaintiff, or a member of the legal team. No exceptions. What eccentric fools wear is another subject.
Anyone with even a smidgen of home training knows that. And yeah it does make a difference in how you are seen by others in court if you dress disrespectfully.
What is “inappropriate” and “unsuitable” to wear when the intention is to deceive others?
I agree, and I'd add that depending on whether it's a sham trial or not, it also helps how you're seen by others outside the court.
Congratulations to Afroman on his victory.
Enjoy your life as a slob and I’ll enjoy my life as not a slob.
I used to like dressing up for work. Putting on a nice suit was like putting on a suit of armor.
Custom made shirts and fancy ties were fun. Real shoes that needed polish were fun.
Now it’s a sweat shirt and jeans. It’s comfortable but its not “style.”
It’s Tony’s job to reprimand unruly customers. I believe he owns the restaurant, not the waiter. His job is to serve customers, not run the place. If Tony said any customers get out-of-line, come get me if I’m around, are you going to defy him? Tony got the job done, with no fuss.
Yup. Just like places to shop or dine. We prefer the dressed-up window.
Birds of a feather flock together.
And then there’s speech . . . you have to know the lingo to be a member.
I much prefer wearing a good Italian wool suit (e.g., 15 milmil 15) to jeans...it’s way more comfortable, especially when flying.
Between sole and upper — are those LEDs? Do they flash or just on solid?
“ I believe he owns the restaurant”
Well. Ok then
I never watched the sopranos and know little about it. I did work in a mafia restaurant like that on Long Island when I was a kid. The owner was like that. I saw him rip a pay phone off the wall. I saw him wrap up a whole dinner for four with the tablecloth and carry it back to the kitchen to get the customers out. And the clientele. The regulars, his associates. Whoa. The names alone.
I can’t watch the sopranos. I’ll drive my family nuts pointing out the falsehoods
Anyway no hats inside. If broken up with guys for less than that
The very worst are the black women who dress like an exploded can of biscuits.
Back in the day, call it 35-40 years ago, there was a BBQ joint in the upscale Buckhead part of Atlanta called the Texas State Line BBQ. Lunch it was OK, but if you came in after 5 wearing a tie it got cut off and stapled to the wall.
They shared a property line with a Mexican restaurant. Yeah, they put up a barbed wire fence.
That was the feel good story in the last month.
Pink crustacean.
I don’t question people’s dress at funerals. I had to buy a suit for tha last one I attended, and a lot of folks there couldn’t afford one. It was for an 80-year-old retired cop, not a wealthy crowd.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.