Do you miss the way we used to dress before everything became so informal?

[strawberrydress]

I was at work today and thinking how much dress codes have changed. Even just five years ago I was wearing pencil skirts, blouse and heels to the office and that was a totally normal outfit. I feel like if I wore that now everyone would think it was really weird! Today I saw people wearing trainers, jeans, t-shirts. I don’t remember the last time I saw a man in a tie. Everyone was so casual.

I feel I notice the same thing everywhere - people don’t seem to dress up for things which used to be seen as quite formal events like going to the theatre or out for dinner.

I used to really enjoy clothes and thinking about what to wear but it doesn’t seem to be as much fun anymore and there aren’t many opportunities to wear nice things without looking out of place. Does anyone feel the same or is it just me?

Heels aren't good. Don't understand why anyone wants to wear those, ever. Surely you can still wear what you want to work in terms of formal clothing. Does it actually make you work any better?

For me yes I work better in more formal clothes, I used to be Rachel Zane now I feel like Waynetta Slob, this thread has made me realise I need to get back to how I used to look.

I'm tall. I don't need to wear heels, but I do still love them. They make my wide leg trousers look amazing and dresses swoosh more. I teach, so I guess it's semi formal, but I veer more towards the formal end and full on glam for nights out. I spent years having to wear a jacket to work, so I don't feel properly dressed for work without one.
It would be cheaper to wear my own clothes though, rather than have a work wardrobe. But then, lots of staff basically wear the same 3 things all the time, so maybe it's my own fault.

YABVU.
wear whatever you like yourself and own it OP. The requirements from yesteryear to have multiple ‘wardrobes’ that can only be worn for specific things like work, home, going to the theatre etc are really unsustainable financially and environmentally for a lot of people especially now, so no, I really don’t want those days to return. But if you like dressing up and it makes you happy, then we’ll definitely just do it.

I completely agree! I miss the days when everyone came to work looking smart. Smart doesn't have to be high heels or a suit, but looking scruffy is just lazy. Likewise I miss the days when everyone dressed nicely to go out. Going out should be a treat, something special. Make the effort people!

rogue ‘we’ll’ in my post there. Ignore that.

No, I like the fact that we can dress much more comfortably for most events these days.
I like the fact my dc can go to clubs in their jeans and vans and not have to totter along in stilettos. I like the fact I can go to the theatre in whatever I want - I mean, it's dark and even if it weren't nobody is looking at me.

Don't get me wrong, I do like dressing up occasionally - weddings or the odd fancy dinner, but I like that it is then a special occasion

I still wear a dress and boots if I'm going into town or out for a meal but there definitely seems more of a uniform of jeans, tops and trainers for everything apart from work. This change seems to me more pronounced since the pandemic.
The shops are still selling a range of more dressed up casual clothes and they must be selling them, even if more now in the sales, but I often wonder where they are being worn as doesn't seem to be anywhere I go 🤔

I'm not a natural casual dresser so yes I miss it. I also love the idea of doing things properly like wearing suits and ties and proper shoes not trainers for business/office. On the one hand casual wear is practical and comfortable but on the other, it just feels so lazy somehow. There's no way I could do my best work in trainers.

I remember up till the early 80s people 'dressing up' for their family holiday dinners, like nice trousers & 'dressy' tops. Now it seems to have 'devolved' into jeans and tops. Maybe it's a US regional thing, but it seems no one gets all gussied up anymore to visit family. On one hand I'm glad it's become more relaxed as kids don't have to worry about messing up nice clothes and it's more comfortable for adults. On the other hand it was nice to get a new special outfit.

Back in the early '60s (my childhood) the women wore 'naice' dresses, jewelry, and heels and the men wore suits. Us kids were in Sunday Best. I wouldn't want to go back to that, though!

DH and I do get dressed up to go out to dinner to certain places though. There are one or two that still have a dress code.

I miss it! Getting 'dressed up' to go out when I was young was a ritual and I've always loved it. I love dresses and heels, but it's not just that (doesn't have to be heels and my feet are certainly happier now I'm wfh) it's feeling like I'm doing something special and making an effort. I feel dowdy if I don't make an effort but appreciate everyone is different.

I was wearing pencil skirts and heels to the office in the '80s, so that seems quite old-fashioned to me. But I think if you wanted to wear that today it would be fine if you owned it as your style. 'Formal' and 'informal' is open to subjection. I went through a period of feeling wrong in whatever I wore, and that nothing worked for me. Turned out I was going through the menopause. It no longer worked for me to just throw something on, casual, fancy, or not. Now I slob about in leggings and t-shirts/jumpers through the week (retired), but at the weekend I'm wearing expensive cashmere jumpers, jeans, DocMartens, and my very expensive but heavily discounted TKMaxx coat. I feel special like that - I don't care if it's not formal because it makes me feel good.

I think there's a difference between dressing informally and dressing as if you don't care. I think it does help as you get older that you're less bothered about how people are judging you. If I wanted to go out dressed to the nines to pick my loaf up from Morrisons I would.

I much prefer casual.
I remember when men used to wear suits all the time, even on the beach most men would wear shirts. Totally impractical.

Yes, I miss it. Not how it felt (restrictive) but how it looked (smart, flattering and professional). I have a waist and bust so cant do baggy/casual wear.

Our office has been smart casual for years apart from those who are client facing, who have to wear suits.

I went to a conference a few weeks ago and most men were still wearing suits with proper shoes or jacket & trousers with t-shirts and looked really good. The women though were mainly dressed in leggings, tops and trainers or flowery dresses and trainers and it looked a little casual to my eye. I wore a top and tailored trousers with brogues.

If you miss it enough to start a thread about it, why not just do it?
I assume dressing down hasn't been made compulsory?
What's the worst that can happen?

You can just wear what you want though now surely?
Out and about I see both types of people where I live. There are people really glammed up and people dressed down.
It good for everyone because now there is MORE choice, rather than just formal.

Where what you want. Groom how you like.

A lot of jobs I could never consider because I was so inept at being well groomed, and had such an aversion to dressing up. I could never understand the prejudice against scruffy. I suppose because my prejudice was so powerful the other way. What a waste of money and resources is being "well groomed". High heels are torture devices. I dare say my choice of what job to take was shaped by not having to dress up.

I used to wear my own clothes to work, now I wear scrubs (mental health nurse)

I love the scrubs but I do look like the back end of a bus in them🤣

Love not having to think about what to wear though.

DH’s office went smart casual about 20 years ago, he would say things relaxed a lot over that time with shorts more common recently.

I would encourage you to find ways to wear what you want. My work was a mix from suited to casual depending on role. Now it's still that way but the level of causal is a really low bar. My style of dress has changed, but not where I sit on that bar between suited to v casual.

I think high heels have been dying a long death for some time now - ever since ballet flats came on the scene and made flat shoes pretty.

Luckily, my office is still smart - fewer heels but nice dresses, smart trousers etc. for women, suit trousers and dress shirt for men but generally no tie or jacket unless they've got a client facing meeting. I think it's quite industry dependent, though.

I'm going out for dinner on Saturday and opening on wearing a dress. The problem I have these days, is knowing what shoes to wear these days!

We were able to wear casual to work but I quite liked having 'work' clothes and casual clothes so only went casual on Fridays (for the Friday night drinks really!).

Then I got pregnant with dd1 and thought am I really going to buy maternity clothes just for work? That was 12 years ago and I've worn casual clothes ever since (have had different employers since then).

I now WFH and I'm rarely out of trackies (although it's always jeans/chinos outside of the house).

Anything but trainers. The dress and trainers look is so embarrassing over.

I’m in IT sales and always dress well for work, I really enjoy putting a dress on for the office, heels, nice mac or coat. We use video at home, so always have make up on etc.

dress how you want?

I really miss getting dressed up, even nights out no one looks any different to people wandering around Sainsbury doing the weekly shop.

This. Work was always fairly casual but I like dressing up a bit for a meal out/drinks etc.

Recently went to a Michelin restaurant with DH and wore something like the photo (loafers not heels) and felt so out of place because everyone was in rollnecks, hoodies and trainers! I do have heels like that photo but no idea where I’ll ever wear them again!

Good idea if I added the photo …