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.
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I wear a dress shirt and sport coat when I go out because thrift stores. I was in the Walmarts, checking out the women in their best Elmo PJ’s and saw 2 guys very well-dressed and my first thought was “gay”. I was wrong. LDS Elders.
Dress nicely when you go out. Make the world a neater place.
Agreed about at the office, unless you are the men building it.
I couldn’t agree more.
Yes, dress standards have certainly deteriorated.
I’ve seen people getting on planes wearing pajamas.
My mother made all of us dress up like we were going to church (another place where dress has been downgraded) if we flew anywhere, so people didn’t think we were bums or savages.
“How much seed oil is in those two (and, every other one of their) dishes?”
Enough to make it taste good
Still do.
I also dress to meet clients.
Professional women who consider black pants and a top the height of daily fashion look like losers..
Funny odd story.
Had to go back to work after many years out of workforce. Bought a basic wardrobe of cream and conservative colors. Dresses and jackets.
Remember I was raised by women with birthdates from 1880 to 1920.
I get into work snd all the women. Particularly management were wearing black pantsuits. Looked like a flock of crows.
Now my old fashioned perspective taught me is no one wore black before 5 pm. Except household help and shopgirls. My grandmother’s buyer and all the women at good stores stood out because they wore black.
So to me whenever management gathered it looked like maid’s night out.
Took me a bit to readjust the perspective.
Does anyone remember when airline passengers dressed in suits and ties and classy dresses? Today flying is like riding an overcrowded bus in a third world country where most of the passengers need baths and deodorant.
Only pimps and gangsters wear double-breasted suits
Indeed
A man needs to dress well for business reasons.
W.C. Fields
That's usually because the thermostat is turned down and portable heaters are not allowed under your desk.
I think you hit it...don’t dress slovenly.
They brought us a vegetable tray- the celery had dirt on it. I pointed it out to the waiter. He took it back. A few minutes later he returned with another tray. We checked it out and it was THE SAME TRAY, NOTHING WAS WASHED. IT WAS STILL DIRTY, like it had just been pulled out of the ground. My wife had a glass of wine. I had ordered a beer which I never got.
We waited an hour for our food, which NEVER CAME. Finally we got up in disgust, I went to the manager (for about the 6th time) and loudly complained. I told him I would be contacting Chilies corporate about the service, and you know what? He acted like he didn’t care. I had to pay for my wife’s wine, to boot.
We went to McDonald’s for my daughter’s graduation dinner.
When we got home I immediately fired off an email to Chillies relating everything that happened in their establishment.
A few days later I received an email back. It was a discount coupon for a return visit. Chillies? Never again.
I don't think that's caught on in Dallas in the summer.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Wearing a suit as opposed to holey denims does something for the inner feeling of confidence and well beaing.
In the summer?
Down or “puffer” vests (!) started as a sort of tech bro thing, then expanded to middle aged men trying to appear relevant.
Guys wearing a vest in the office is the fashion equivalent of a high rising terminal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal.
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