<p>Romanigypsyeyes, I may be confusing you with emaheevul, but I thought you have posted threads that dealt with not knowing what to wear for a special date with a boyfriend, not being familiar with clothing other than jeans, etc. That IS a case of parents failing someone. If I am wrong and am thinking of another poster, I apologize.</p>
<p>Hasn’t seemed to hinder me. So again, I am darn proud of my parents doing a “disservice” by teaching me that who I am inside is more important than what I wear. I give others the same respect. Proud of that fact.</p>
<p>I know how to dress for interviews and such. I’ve never interviewed for a job or internship that I didn’t get a call back for. I am talking about dressing for campus and whatnot- which is what this thread was about. </p>
<p>PG, you are confusing me. I’ve never had that issue.</p>
<p>The professional sports coaches with their fat bellies hanging out and spitting all over the place? Yeah, those suits sure make an impression!</p>
<p>Since pro coaches are just a tiny fraction of those who will EVER major in sports-the rest-fitness instructors, PE teachers, community sports teachers-most every one that I’ve ever seen shows up in sweats, gym shorts or yoga pants. They’d look pretty silly showing the moves in a suit.</p>
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[Why</a> Do Baseball Managers Wear Uniforms? - Mental Floss](<a href=“http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/118075]Why”>http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/118075)</p>
<p>I am not a sports fan.</p>
<p>And then there are these guys: <a href=“http://abovethelaw.com/2011/06/quinn-emanuel-shoes-needed-class-optional/[/url]”>http://abovethelaw.com/2011/06/quinn-emanuel-shoes-needed-class-optional/</a> Big name biglaw firm (even if they did just lose that Apple-Samsung case). A family member recently interviewed with them and was uncertain about how to dress - if you know the people interviewing you might actually be wearing flip flops and Bermuda shorts, will you tick them off by wearing a suit?</p>
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<p>For job interviews and similar occasions/venues which requires dressing up, that is the reality. </p>
<p>However, the main point of this conversation is whether such formality needs to be foisted upon undergraduates going about their daily lives on campus. </p>
<p>I don’t believe it does and find it disturbing some here want to take us back about 50 years regarding college dress norms.</p>
<p>Sseamom- stereotype much? You would be screaming up a storm if anyone made that kind of remark about a non-athletic person.</p>
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<p>Quit exaggerating. No one said that.</p>
<p>The phrase “you were raised better than that” comes to mind.</p>
<p>Cobrat, stop exaggerating. No one’s trying to institute nationwide dress codes for college campuses here. It’s your usual exaggeration of “other people feel a different way” into “they must want to force people into doing something else,” I have zero interest in how any college kids dress other than my own two, and my own are just fine. </p>
<p>Oops -cross posted w Bay</p>
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<p>The above sounds very much like the mentality of the Prof who kicked my HS classmate’s father from a freshman class until the next class meeting sometime in the fall semester of 1964 because he forgot to put on a tie and thus, was not compliant with college dress code norms of that period or before. </p>
<p>Also, while he and many other students felt the same way I did…that it was an idiotic reason to kick someone out for an entire class, conventional norms of that time…especially among the conformist upper-middle class of that era would side 100% with that Prof. </p>
<p>In fact…the establishment which created and enforced such norms were so strong it took years with widespread student protests, civil disobedience, and even campus building occupations before those norms were overturned.</p>
<p>No, cobrat, what oldfort describes sounds nothing like the mentality of the prof in 1964 who kicked someone out for failing to wear a tie.</p>
<p>cobrat, you really have a thing about “conformist upper-middle class,” “establishment,” “conventional norms.” Aren’t you a bit old (based on what you have disclosed on CC, you are in your late 30 to early 40) to still have such hang up? Shouldn’t you be part of the establishment by now?</p>
<p>Momofwildchild-neither am I, but my H hasn’t met a sport he doesn’t like and really, there aren’t too many baseball or football coaches in the best of shape, who look exactly fashionable. And the baseball ones-the ones I’m mostly cursed with watching, DO spit all the time.</p>
<p>H’s friend knows a lot of former pro players and they clean up very nicely. But in their JOBS, these guys DO have to wear athletic gear-and I’ve never understood the need to wear a suit on game day or whatever-wear a team tee shirt and be done with it.</p>
<h1>346 ucbalumnus wrote:
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<p>Right. In an interview or work situation not knowing the rules and following them is potentially damaging. This is a good thing to teach our kids.</p>
<p>We have someone “in a position of power in the organization” making those rules but they are arbitrary. In some environments the most dressed up men (and women) will be service staff. Sometimes I go to meetings, parties, restaurants where men are very deliberately dressed down, and the wait staff is in black suits. Is this turning traditional dress code rules upside down?</p>
<p>Women wearing jeans on the street is a deliberate rejection of the universally accepted societal dress code rules of the '50s, and most of the '60s. Ucbalumnus correctly points out jeans are “work clothes” and when we dress them up with fancier shoes and a jacket that was originally meant to be paired with a skirt (for the woman’s equivalent of a man’s dark suit) - the accepted societal dress code has changed dramatically. Pizzagirl’s uniform is the end result of fairly radical and recent dress code reform. There are constantly challenges to our ideas of appropriate dress.</p>
<p>I am still interested in this unseen higher societal power that has the power to dictate how we should all be dressing on the street, because if we get it wrong we run the risk of offending others and being almost outright rude. 
Some young adults are really challenging this idea. Books are being written about this.</p>
<p>My kids understand how to dress appropriately for all occasions. One of them wore almost nothing but sweats during college. OP - I agree with slitheytove way upthread. Send your son with very little clothing. Let him check out the campus culture and buy what he wants then. I do not think he needs to “dress up” (whatever that means :)) for class unless he chooses to do so. I agree with other posters that, if resources permit, a dark suit, navy blazer, pair of khaki pants, white dress shirt, tie, dark dress socks and basic dress shoes are appropriate for every young man to have in his closet. Even if he decides to wear a skirt and cute flats every day to class.</p>
<p>have only skimmed throught this thread, but alh, your posts are a breath of fresh air amid a sea of assumptions. Concur with all that you said!</p>
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<p>I certainly have never posted seriously about not being familiar with clothing other than jeans either. I did post once about a date, asking for clarification on business casual as I had never had an occasion to dress that way before and wanted to make sure what I’d planned to wear would be appropriate-- it was the dress code listed for the restaurant. Not sure how you’re supposed to learn if you don’t ask. I’ve never had a problem showing up to events dressed appropriately, so I am not sure why I got dragged into this and don’t really appreciate it…</p>
<p>[Bill</a> Cunningham | Nap Time - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Bill Cunningham | Nap Time - NYTimes.com”>Bill Cunningham | Nap Time - NYTimes.com)</p>
<p>pajamas on the street!! roflol</p>
<p>How long before we have to wear them to be acceptable to polite society :)</p>
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<p>This is an example of why these threads become annoying. No one on this thread wrote anything about an “unseen higher societal power.” In fact, the opposite was stated. Appropriateness of dress is dictated by the law, dress codes, community standards, and personal opinion. You say your kids “understand how to dress appropriately for all occasions.” How do they know this? How do you know this?</p>
<p>The value in this anonymous thread is learning from others about how they react to seeing people wear certain clothing in certain situations. You can “rage” against their opinions all you want, but those opinions are out there, and they are not some “higher power.” They are the opinions of people you and your children may encounter frequently or infrequently, and if you don’t care about them, then ignore them. Judging them as wrong just because they are different from your own opinions is a bit hypocritical. They are what they are.</p>
<p>Good point, bay. While it seems that line you quoted was amusingly tongue-in-cheek, it is often hard to pick up the tone in posts, and all too often someone overreacts, misreads or assumes/ascribes some hidden meaning or agenda into a staightforward question or comment, makes a flip or harsh comment, and off to the races we go. (Am speaking in generalities, not about any particular quote- just responding to your comment about what tends to be annoying and/or derail threads).</p>
<p>That said, people are entitled to their opinions, regardless of what they base it on. Yesterday I threw on what is “officially” considered a swimsuit cover-up (but looks like a dress) to go to my massage, as its easy to throw on/off. Afterwards I remembered that I had errands to run, so off I went in my cover-up. I do hope I didnt offend any fashion police ;)</p>
<p>But would I wear this thing to work or to an interview? No. But I did an alum interview of a college applicant who was dressed in a funky outfit topped off by colorful plastic garden/rainboots (and no it was not raining). I thought they were adorable, and appropriate for the situation. But if she had arrived at my office to apply for a summer internship in that outfit, I might have thought differently. </p>
<p>It really depends on the situation.</p>