Dressing down of society...

[luvmy3]

i don't wear shorts to restaurants (mcdonalds or otherwise), but i wear t-shirts and jeans most weekends and wouldn't change to go to olive garden. To me that's the kind of place you duck into for dinner, not a destination worth dressing up for.

ita.

 

[denisem]

So, I guess most people wouldn't care if I walked into an Olive Garden wearing only a thong?

I dunno, George...how do you look in a thong?

 

[Aisling]

I don't wear shorts to restaurants (McDonalds or otherwise), but I wear t-shirts and jeans most weekends and wouldn't change to go to Olive Garden. To me that's the kind of place you duck into for dinner, not a destination worth dressing up for.

Covering your behind, wearing a top that hides your underarm hair, and not wearing spandex pants if youre a man in which your private bits are thoroughly outlined hardly requires "dressing up." Well, maybe it is to some people.

 

[Cinderella94]

I'd understand this discussion if we were talking about The Yachtsman, for example, but around here Olive Garden is not considered fancy-shmancy. It's along the lines of Applebees or T.G.I.Fridays.

So, if being concerned over this is someone's biggest problem of the day, then they must be having a pretty great day :.

 

[Northstar]

Ok folks, even though it is a casual restaurant like Olive Garden, I think it warrants dressing better than in gym clothes.

Secondly, I really don't want to see armpit hair in any dining establishment.

Thread title's wrong! if their armpit hair is showing... the problem isn't that they're dressed down, it's that they're undressed!

 

[DizBelle]

Really.. who cares?

People who would like to live in a civil society where people are respectful to each other.

How you present yourself in public is a component of showing respect for other people. If you say "I don't care what other people think about how I am dressed", then you do not have respect for other people who did take the time to make themselves presentable.

I'm not saying that you should dress to the nines for a dinner at Olive Garden. But real clothes (not gym clothes) that are not stained with dirt and sweat are all that is needed.

 

[OK!]

Does it matter? Male or female, I really don't want to see your armpit hair.

Bingo. I've never seen it at a restaurant, thank goodness; it's repulsive enough to see it at the gym!

 

[redlight]

People who would like to live in a civil society where people are respectful to each other.

How you present yourself in public is a component of showing respect for other people. If you say "I don't care what other people think about how I am dressed", then you do not have respect for other people who did take the time to make themselves presentable.

I'm not saying that you should dress to the nines for a dinner at Olive Garden. But real clothes (not gym clothes) that are not stained with dirt and sweat are all that is needed.

I wouldn't go to the Olive Garden dressed in gym clothes, but why should we spend so much time worrying about what other people are wearing.

 

[disykat]

I would have no problem meeting someone straight from gym class at Olive Garden, but I'd expect him to take his hat off!

In general, I don't expect to see armpit hair except at the beach etc. I guess that's a double standard since I go sleeveless most of the time - but I remove the hair!

 

[S. C.]

I don't care what people wear when they go out to dinner, I'm there to focus on my family and my dinner, not what kind of fashion statement someone chooses to make.

I agree!

 

[bicker]

Is it time already for another elitists versus grunge thread?

 

[mickaholic4077]

So is it bad enough for a people at olive garden website?


I do think society will notice people not addressed appropriately for any given location. Be it a ballgown at walmart or something appropriate for the beach at a restaurant that has a wait staff.

Society has been dressing down for decades, though.

I like a more proper dress--but my proper dress insn't what proper dress was in the 1950s. I don't complain though when I do "have" to dress up. I like to do so.

I do think society--especially where I live as it is "beachy"---dresses too down far too often. But I don't balk when the few times we have gone to the Chart House and proper attire as anywhere from Sunday best to deck shoes, khaki shorts and a smart polo or tropical shirt. But that's the environment here. That would not pass (most likely) at a comperable establishment in a big city away from the water.

Does it affect me--not necessarily. But if I dress "appropriate" for some place and some random person walks in in cut offs and a bikini top, it would be noticed. Especially if they have extras we usually shave off in the USA.

OT-I see you mention Chart House. Do you live in Melbourne? I live very close by there. I ate at Chart House once. It was great!!

 

[eliza61]

I can understand Op. Lately people in my neighborhood are not even changing out of their pajamas!! When did it become fashionable to go to the supermarket in slippers and sleep pants?

 

[bicker]

That really crystallizes the difference, and the fine line between legitimate criticism and elitism: Indecency laws are on the books for a reason, because they represent society's perspective of right and wrong -- those criteria are unequivocally legitimately applied to all. Other criteria applied represent one group's personal perspective of right and wrong -- that's, by definition, elitism.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Be it male or female, armpit hair is a nasty sight while dining. it just is. Maybe if my vision was poorer, I wouldn't mind, but my dear father cursed me with eagle eye vision.

On the subject of Olive Garden, we ate there last night and I saw a strange thing in the ladies room. I wash washing my hands and the changing table was off to the side, blocked off by a bit of a wall so that it was only partially visible. I could only see the very end of the changing table, and that was just out of the corner of my eye. But I thought I saw the feet and legs of a Build A Bear sitting on the changing table. I figured someone was changing a toddler and the BAB was the kid's, so they'd put it down at the end.

After I finished washing my hands, I discovered the paper towel dispenser near me was empty, so I'd have to use the one by the changing table. I walked that way, only to see that there was no toddler being changed. Nope, there was a girl in her late teens, changing TWO Build A Bears directly on the changing table. Yep, down to their "diapers." She didn't looked addled or anything and lord knows, no one was watching over her, so I think she just took her BABs very seriously. I dried my hands and got out of there before I started LMAO.

We were seated just after that and I told DH and DD about it, noting that the girl was clearly not a real mother yet, as she was not using a changing pad. DD said, "Oh no! Who knows WHAT was on that changing table." DH and I cracked up, because we were both thinking the same thing. Those poor BABs may have taken home some icky souvenirs from Olive Garden that night.

She most likely has a disorder, since no one was with her. I can't imagine any typical teenager doing that. I hope no one laughed at her within her seeing/hearing distance. I can appreciate that must have been a strange sight. I work with children with Autism, though, so I'm used to that kind of thing.

 

[NCRedding]

People who would like to live in a civil society where people are respectful to each other.

How you present yourself in public is a component of showing respect for other people. If you say "I don't care what other people think about how I am dressed", then you do not have respect for other people who did take the time to make themselves presentable.

I'm not saying that you should dress to the nines for a dinner at Olive Garden. But real clothes (not gym clothes) that are not stained with dirt and sweat are all that is needed.

I agree with you, but I also see that it is a losing battle. The responses on this thread show the percentage.

I go to court daily, and am amazed by what people think is appropriate attire for that.

I also believe that with the dressing down of society has come a lowering of civil standards. Count me in the old fart category.

 

[bicker]

I think some of the "lowest" lowering of civil standard are often attributed to some of the best dressed, so I think that linkage you're trying to make is spurious at best.

 

[SeedsLuvDisney]

Our softball team goes to Chili's (which is at the same level of an Olive Garden)after most of our games, still hot, sweaty, dirty, some wearing pants, others wearing shorts, most wearing hats... The manager goes out of his way to thank us for coming, always asked how we did and ALWAYS says he hopes to see us next week..

Perhaps if we saw MORE people at Olive Garden in gym clothes after they did some sort of physical activity we wouldn't be such a fat society???

 

[BuffettFan]

Our softball team goes to Chili's (which is at the same level of an Olive Garden)after most of our games, still hot, sweaty, dirty, some wearing pants, others wearing shorts, most wearing hats... The manager goes out of his way to thank us for coming, always asked how we did and ALWAYS says he hopes to see us next week..

Perhaps if we saw MORE people at Olive Garden in gym clothes after they did some sort of physical activity we wouldn't be such a fat society???

ITA !
Someone else said that Olive Garden is a drop in restaurant that doesn't require changing clothes, and I agree with that too.

My DH and I have coached youth soccer for a long time, and after every Saturday game we would go for lunch/dinner with most of the other parents and players to restaurants like Olive Garden, Chillis....Applebees. I never thought it was inappropraite to go there with a bunch of casually dressed, sweaty, and sometimes dirty people. We too were always welcomed, and always asked about the team's performance that day.
Would we take them to a nice little bistro, no. Absolutely not. We would be undressed. But Olive Garden.....really?

I wouldnt have a problem with a man in a sleeveless shirt and gym shorts, even if he was sitting at my table....and I probably wouldnt even notice him at another table.

 

[DizBelle]

ITA !
Someone else said that Olive Garden is a drop in restaurant that doesn't require changing clothes, and I agree with that too.

My DH and I have coached youth soccer for a long time, and after every Saturday game we would go for lunch/dinner with most of the other parents and players to restaurants like Olive Garden, Chillis....Applebees. I never thought it was inappropraite to go there with a bunch of casually dressed, sweaty, and sometimes dirty people. We too were always welcomed, and always asked about the team's performance that day.
Would we take them to a nice little bistro, no. Absolutely not. We would be undressed. But Olive Garden.....really?

I wouldnt have a problem with a man in a sleeveless shirt and gym shorts, even if he was sitting at my table....and I probably wouldnt even notice him at another table.

Before you leave, do you ensure that the seat you were sitting in is free of dirt? I would be kind of peeved if my white capris got stained with infield dirt simply by sitting in a seat at a restaurant.

I really don't think it is too much for you to clean up and not be sweaty and dirty before visiting a restaurant.