Are we dressing to the lowest common denominator?

1819 News ^ | October 8, 2025 | Annie Holmquist

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

I saw that in the "Viagra incident" of 2002 when I saw a church feature worship leaders wearing tee-shirts promoting the Pfizer drug.

[riverrunner]

I wear a suit and tie Sunday morning as the greeter I try and set the example.

So does our pastor.

We have others that do and others that are dressed in jeans and flannel.

Some women in dresses some in slacks.

Rarely someone will show up dressed inappropriate.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Our entire society is dressing down for everything. No more suits and dresses at work. Sean Duffy gets mocked for telling people to not wear sweatpants and pajamas when they fly to try to bring a little class back to air travel. People come into church as if they just came in from plowing the field. People walk around in public in what looks like pajamas.

One note of hope is that the young people in my office seem to be dressing more professionally. They may be rebelling against the “casual culture.” Maybe there is hope for the future.

[chajin]

In my parents' day, a man who was not wealthy was called "a cheap suit," indicating that a suit was normative clothing for anyone not in a uniform, or a tradesman--and those men would wear suits when they were not working. Even rock-and-rollers were suited; cf. the Jerry Lewis parody here.

People who dress well act differently, which would change the ambience of public society if it were implemented. Convincing most people to dress up, particularly those segments of society who are the least mannered publicly, would be impossible, however; it would have to be imposed.

[cnsmom]

Young people show up to mass in their morning after bar clothes. The parents say nothing.

[AppyPappy]

My pastor is 26 and wears a coat and tie on Sunday. So do I. There are great quality sport coats in the thrift stores. I even wear one going to “the Walmarts”. Button down shirt and a camel hair sport coat.

[Z28.310]

Everywhere...yoga pants!

Not too long ago, only women in MTV videos and street walkers wore skin tight, spray on clothes.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

There was a time that “Sunday Best” meant the clothes you wore to church. This summer at my Catholic church I saw a guy in shorts, flipflops and a Hawaiian shirt.

[PeterPrinciple]

rather they stem from a desire to raise our own attitudes and radiate respect for ourselves, others, and the true, good, and beautiful things in life in the process.

---

yep, it is about your heart, not the actions. This is a personal challenge for me. Raising standards and understanding the why is important.

On the other hand, sometimes I dress down to test hearts. A financial guy just lost a million dollar account because that is not what he saw. I did take the time to correct him and told him he should see everyone as a big account. But of course he didn’t hear the message, he thought I was mean and unjust for correcting him.

So regarding churches? I have experienced them putting more value on my money that me..............................

So............test hearts before making a judgement.

[mewzilla]

I’m a chick.

And about the size and height of your average NCAA place kicker.

I cannot buy off the rack unless I buy menswear.

Dress nicely?!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I’ll settle for being decently covered.

[PeterPrinciple]

I saw a guy in shorts, flipflops and a Hawaiian shirt.

---

might have been his sunday best, did you check?

[Sirius Lee]

One note of hope is that the young people in my office seem to be dressing more professionally.

That was my observation in that last two winter gigs I did for a large insurer. The boomers, and Gen X (my folks) were dressed like bums - jeans, flannels, garbage looking pullovers - both the men and women. The under 30's were not suited up, but were at least wearing ironed button downs and black or grey slacks (remember that word?) and the females were dressed appropriately as well.

I only sold them an application and maintain it a couple months out of the year. It's not my corporation, they can do what they want as far as dress code. It's just slovenly.

[TBP]

And people get annoyed if you don’t.

[Dr. Sivana]

Rarely someone will show up dressed inappropriate.

At our traditional Catholic church we actually have a sign with diagrams outside the front door. These are guidelines, as we haven't turn a lady away because her hem is too far above the knee, but it helps set the tone. Here in Phoenix, AZ, we have the added complication of 115°F and a Mexican contigent that habitually dresses down. We do NOT have a problem with men wearing shorts, flip-flops and tank tops.

The idea is to show respect for Our Lord, the nature of the event, and those around us. Even though Matthew 22:11–13* is not primarily addressed to the physical garment we wear, the parable works because the people (including us) who hear it understand the expectation and meaning, so the principle applies here, too.

*11 And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. 12 And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. 13 Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[TexasGator]

“In other words, if we want to float through life as a nobody, then we should absolutely continue wearing our jeans, sweatshirts, and sneakers to all occasions – church, work, and special events.”

Still only wearing shorts here.

[Magnum44]

My church says "Come as you are!"

[DesertRhino]

Cargoes! For more dressy occasions golf shorts.

[T.B. Yoits]

Our entire society is dressing down for everything.

entire
society
down
everything

That's a literary accomplishment to fit so many absolutes into one sentence.

Matthew 7:1-4
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

[GingisK]

I’m ugly. Playing dress-up doesn’t help.

[TBP]

the way we dress is really a subtle message about how we see ourselves and others.

My mother always said something very similar: that that the way you dress for something is the way you feel about it.