Why don't people dress smartly any more?

[MilkTrayLimeBarrel]

More and more recently, I have noticed that people in general just look scruffy whether for work or leisure. My DH is a prime example of this. He always used to wear a suit and tie or trousers with jacket and tie for work - he looks lovely in a suit - this was one of the things which attracted me to him! Now it's jeans and a t-shirt for work every day (he works in an office so it's not physical work) - and he just looks as if he has fallen out of bed! He tells me that 'nobody' bothers to dress smartly for work any more. Why have standards fallen so far?

Plus it's not the fashion. It's just not. I'm known as rather eccentric when I wear my checked long skirt or trousers with a polo neck or shirt.

"Occasionally he has meetings with billionaire clients. Everyone wears a suit apart from the clients, who wear jeans and T-shirts. Because they can."

There you go - we're just dressing for the job we want :)

Mind you the sixth formers at our school are holding up the old tradition of suits - even the girls have to wear suits - apparently it's preparing them for the workplace, not sure which one - the teachers are scruffy as hell! Good job we aren't reliant on schools to teach our kids how to navigate the modern world.

I work (multinational Asia-US-EU-UK engineering company) are the Americans & frankly they look weird - out of place, dated & a bit naff

I wonder what the US colleagues make of their Brit colleagues?

I think it’s also because we are getting fatter too. A tightly fitted waist band and a jacket that doesn’t do up might on a day to day basis remind us of that

Probably quite a bit of truth there

I agree with Judydreams. You can look put together without wearing a suit and heels.
Frankly these days a lot of people prioritise "comfy" to the extent that everyone is in elastic waist pants , walking around sucking on containers of milky liquid, like a lot of giant toddlers.
There's a middle ground. I like my clothes to feel comfortable, and they all are, but that can be a nice pair of wool trousers and a good quality long sleeved top, with leather shoes. It doesn't have to mean pyjama bottoms and a hoody at all times.
I have a couple of pics of my grandparents and they were quite poor, but damn they looked stylish, my granny especially in her little hats and fitted jackets. I miss people dressing up a bit to go out for dinner and things too. It's nice to put on something a bit special sometimes.

Also, you can look stylish and well dressed in jeans and a t-shirt or scruffy and cheap in a suit - it’s all about your overall ‘look’. It’s not like putting on a cheap nasty tie or a pair of plasticky court shoes suddenly transforms you into Don Draper’s even more stylish and commercially-successful sibling .

And I say this as someone who wears a lot of very fitted and tailored 50s style clothes - I know plenty of more ‘athleisury’ types who look much more put together (and make much more effort!) than me

I'm not saying that women shouldn't show their shoulders at work. I'm saying that cold shoulder polyester tops are nasty and cheap looking. Imo.

Not mentioned anything to do with 'modesty'

@HepzibahGreen containers of milky liquids?

Starbucks!

I love fashion and I love the different ways people interpret it but for the last few years I've noticed that when I go out there just seems to be a sea of people in jeans and t-shirts and I just find that so boring

But that IS the fashion! It’s fashionable, at the moment, to rock a sort of mid-90s normcore/contemporary leisurewear mashup. Which personally I’m all for as it involves wearing comfortable shoes all the time

KnitFastDieWarm your username made me actually lol

@HepzibahGreen ahhh. I don't drink coffee, had no idea what you were talking about

@KnitFastDieWarmnitfast, where you been, girl?

I dress for myself and my comfort. Most people do. It's not 1950 anymore, thank fuck. And yy, glad to see the demise of heels - they hurt and are bad for your feet and bad.

A big office near where I work changed the dress code from smart to casual, they went from looking professional to scruffy overnight. Shame really.

But who's to say that 'suit = professional' though?

"US colleagues make of their Brit colleagues?"

I expect they find them perplexing - there is an significant culture clash ... dh mainly works with Germans & Latvians who take 'casual' to another level though!

Can't say there's any fattening ... it's all competitive vegan & extreme sports.

I used to go to European wide events for a company and you could see the difference in polish, more the men. And looks for men. We looked a more mixed bunch.

Casual doesn’t mean scruffy, OP. Just because someone is not dressed in a costume, gloves and pearls like some secretary from the 50s, they can still be presentable, clean and good looking.

I am the most relaxed person about clothes and prioritise comfort. When out of work I wear jeans and t shirts. Don't own a pair of heels.

But even I think things have gone a bit too far. Things I've observed at my work in the last month

• White trainers worn with navy trousers
• Leggings as trousers
• Nylon sports trackpants worn with a business shirt

It just doesn't seem worth the effort. I like my clothes (and hair and nails and so on) to be clean, not in need of repair, to fit and be appropriate for what I am doing. I don't want to meet some sort of 'smart' dress code (which is only ever going to be subjective anyway).

In recent years I have started to find ties genuinely hilarious. Why we have decided that men and schoolchildren can only really look smart with one tie on I don't know; they are such ridiculous things.

You are quite right OP all the old standards have gone,
Some people are a bit scared to dress differently
to the majority and feel that they need to conform.
Personally I always wore jackets and ties at work as I felt that you should always be a bit formal in a role where you may meet the public.
I never really cared for "Dress down Fridays" which one firm
had.

In recent years I have started to find ties genuinely hilarious I never thought about it before but you're right what on earth are ties about?

I briefly worked in an office where every one was a bit scruffy. There was one woman who made a real effort every day and she's looked fabulous. Just well groomed hair and makeup and stylish clothes, not overly formal at all just neat and well turned out. She got mocked for it! Men and women alike used to comment when she'd walk by and roll their eyes and insinuate she was vain with too much time on her hands. It was bizarre and really mean as she was lovely inside and out.