What happened to being well-dressed?

[TowinKarz]

Casual functional clothes are a lot better than "nice" stuff that is hell to wear and you can't do anything for fear of getting it irreparably dirty. I hate ties and sport coats with a passion, if it ain't a job interview, court, or a funeral, don't expect me to wear one. They aren't comfortable, they limit your movement and there's no reason to wear one, nothing objectively works better if you're wearing a tie. You could say the same about jewelry, but, at least a wristwatch or a necklace isn't actively STRANGLING you. A good pair of slacks is wonderful, but, knowing my klutziness, I'd rather have jeans that can take the beating and come out more or less clean.

That said, there's a difference between dressing stylishly, and dressing presentably.

I don't care if you want to wear jeans and a T-shirt everywhere, but, once the knees wear out or they get permanent stains, replace them, please. You don't have to be at the apex of what's "in", but at least look like you made the best with what you've got... people leaving the house in jammies, or with food-stained shirts just scream "I don't give a fuck about me or anyone else".

 

[biozeminadae1]

The West needs to die. Its degenerating culture is a cause for celebration for people like me.

 

[JokahBaybee]

Casual functional clothes are a lot better than "nice" stuff that is hell to wear and you can't do anything for fear of getting it irreparably dirty. I hate ties and sport coats with a passion, if it ain't a job interview, court, or a funeral, don't expect me to wear one.. They aren't comfortable, they limit your movement and there's no reason to wear one,

Lmao get a better fitting suit and learn to launder clothes pleb

 

[Nick Gars]

I enjoy dressing nice, but I've always been a scrawny white boy living in ghettos. You stick out like that and you're asking for trouble. Gotta look the part to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Your clothing and how you hold yourself can be a massive deterant to criminals even if you're a small guy.

 

[Red Hood]

You say boomer-ish, when a lot of it had to do with the boomer generation casualizing everything due to "a necktie is like a noose, man" or some similar bullshit. Hippie iconoclasm had a lot to do with the casualization of America. In my grandparents' generation (Greatest), the reason you dressed well in the workplace or at social functions like church was because it was considered a show of respect- I'm dressing well because I value you, and have taken extra time and trouble to look less like a slob.

"It isn't comfortable" has been the go to response when I ask manchildren why they still constantly wear shorts and graphic tee's like 9 year olds instead of real clothes.

There's also a real lack of shame in this society. See fat people, fur fags, cosplayers outside of conventions for proof of this.

People that say "it isn't comfortable" have likely bought any business or dress clothes they own off the rack (and probably at a massive retailer like Wal-Mart or Kohl's) and not had them properly tailored or made from decent material. Considering brand new material that fits properly, gabardine pants are significantly more comfortable than jeans are. But most people don't even bother to buy clothes that fit them properly.

A quality suit you've had made to your measurements and in a cut that flatters your physique looks and feels amazing.

 

[Linako 2.0]

I think the biggest thing though is just formality is gradually going away. My husband has a white collar job in a major city. He wears casual button downs and chinos everyday and people always ask him what he's dressed up for. His co-workers wear jeans and sweatpants most of the time. It's so weird to me that offices are letting employees show up like that now.

It's not just with clothing but also tablemanners.
Somehow I'm considered highclass for knowing what spoon.fork is for what, putting the napkin on my lap and I notice that my mates will slurp on their soup in public; and lets not forget putting elbows on the table.
Last year I decided to visit distant family for Christmas and apperantly stood out because I decided to dress nicely and not hyper casual.

 

[Unpaid Emotional Labourer]

I think back in the day, people also stayed closer to the same size throughout adulthood. Combined with the fact that the in/out of fashion was on a much longer cycle and the incremental little style changes that fell in between were things you could accomplish by altering existing pieces (changing collars, for example, collars weren’t always attached; updating a dress with new ribbons; changing out buttons), that meant you actually could wear the same clothes for many years. Also people knew how to sew, or else they were wealthy enough to pay someone who did. Since you’d maybe go up two sizes tops your entire adult life, that’s very easy to let out a bit. I believe seam allowances were much more generous as well, under the assumption that some letting out would happen over time.

Lbr, most people now cannot get into their clothes from high school. Back then it was not uncommon at all.

 

[Maurice Caine]

You say boomer-ish, when a lot of it had to do with the boomer generation casualizing everything due to "a necktie is like a noose, man" or some similar bullshit. Hippie iconoclasm had a lot to do with the casualization of America. In my grandparents' generation (Greatest), the reason you dressed well in the workplace or at social functions like church was because it was considered a show of respect- I'm dressing well because I value you, and have taken extra time and trouble to look less like a slob.

People that say "it isn't comfortable" have likely bought any business or dress clothes they own off the rack (and probably at a massive retailer like Wal-Mart or Kohl's) and not had them properly tailored or made from decent material. Considering brand new material that fits properly, gabardine pants are significantly more comfortable than jeans are. But most people don't even bother to buy clothes that fit them properly.

A quality suit you've had made to your measurements and in a cut that flatters your physique looks and feels amazing.

Hey, these don't come cheap y'know. Around my parts they come around three grand. Way easier to just buy one off the rack.

 

[Aqua Panda]

My theory is the change is due to expense. A full suit and tie really adds up. A full blown men's jacket especially so. It can be really expensive to replace them from the normal wear and tear standpoint.

A lot of places are switching to business casual. (Polo shirt, belt, kaki/black dress pants.) Still nice looking and more comfortable for most.

For general wear, I'm betting it's just people not wanting to be bothered unless they are going out to a social event, bar, or nightclub. (Or trying to get hookups/sex.)

 

[Kosher Dill]

My theory is the change is due to expense. A full suit and tie really adds up.

But we're in the globalized age of slave-produced clothing. All clothes, including suits, are cheaper than they've ever been. The exception is the top-end handmade stuff, since that is an increasingly specialized niche - somewhat captured by the conspicuous consumption demographic.

 

[millais]

People have come to value personal comfort over appearance and perception. I am in a place that gets to 110F in the summer, and I find I am the only one who is still wearing full length trousers and jackets in the heat. The physical discomfort can be hard sometimes, especially when major physical exertion is required in that kind of heat, but up until recently, people were accustomed to putting up with it

 

[Pee Cola]

From what I've seen, there seems to be a small but noticeable cohort of men that put a lot of effort into how they dress. These are the dudes who'll fuss over details that most people wouldn't think about yet the overall attention to detail is noticeable on a subconscious level. By details I mean things such as insisting on wearing canvassed jackets, having the right amount of shirt cuff showing underneath their jacket, pocket squares and so on. The thing is that these dudes are still in the minority, even in the largest of cities.

If you want some hope that not all is lost wrt to the way men dress, have a look at StyleForum sometime.

 

[Red Hood]

Hey, these don't come cheap y'know. Around my parts they come around three grand. Way easier to just buy one off the rack.

You can buy a fairly inexpensive suit from one of those suit warehouses run by a greasy Persian and have it tailored for not too much money.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

People have come to value personal comfort over appearance and perception. I am in a place that gets to 110F in the summer, and I find I am the only one who is still wearing full length trousers and jackets in the heat. The physical discomfort can be hard sometimes, especially when major physical exertion is required in that kind of heat, but up until recently, people were accustomed to putting up with it

Bullshit. They had low status people do it and nobody cared how they dressed.

If you honestly think people were wearing full duds toiling in manual labor in 110 degree heat back in the day, you are delusional. Gentlemen at the very least stripped to shirtsleeves though most went shirtless if there were no ladyfolk around.

The whole point of high fashion back in the day was wearing elaborate shit to prove that you weren't one of the grubby commoners. It was designed to be impractical. If you tried working in full kit there is a good chance you would get heat exhaustion. 110F ain't no joke, son. It'll kill you.

 

[Kosher Dill]

You can buy a fairly inexpensive suit from one of those suit warehouses run by a greasy Persian and have it tailored for not too much money.

A lot of the real junk, tailors will refuse to work on because you just can't do anything with them. The one I go to even has a list posted up front of what brands of suits are impossible to work with.

 

[millais]

Bullshit. They had low status people do it and nobody cared how they dressed.

If you honestly think people were wearing full duds toiling in manual labor in 110 degree heat back in the day, you are delusional. Gentlemen at the very least stripped to shirtsleeves though most went shirtless if there were no ladyfolk around.

The whole point of high fashion back in the day was wearing elaborate shit to prove that you weren't one of the grubby commoners. It was designed to be impractical. If you tried working in full kit there is a good chance you would get heat exhaustion. 110F ain't no joke, son. It'll kill you.

Shirtsleeves definitely, but I'm pretty sure that before the introduction of shorts and breathable footwear, everyone did their heavy lifting in the 110F heat with long trousers and workboots for lack of any alternative option, and they put their jackets and hats back on when they were finished.

 

[Pee Cola]

You can buy a fairly inexpensive suit from one of those suit warehouses run by a greasy Persian and have it tailored for not too much money.

A well-fitting cheap suit looks better than an ill-fitting expensive one.

A lot of the real junk, tailors will refuse to work on because you just can't do anything with them. The one I go to even has a list posted up front of what brands of suits are impossible to work with.

What criteria does your tailor use to determine what is junk? Are we talking overall quality of construction, or are there specific red flags e.g. quality of fabric etc? I get why they'd have minimum criteria; whilst some less expensive suits can be improved with minor alterations, there comes a point where the alterations exceed the cost of the suit. Not a big deal if you're talking a secondhand Canali or Zegna that you've picked up for under $100, but you wouldn't spend $100 altering a $49 Walmart/Kmart court suit.

 

[Red Hood]

Shirtsleeves definitely, but I'm pretty sure that before the introduction of shorts and breathable footwear, everyone did their heavy lifting in the 110F heat with long trousers and workboots for lack of any alternative option, and they put their jackets and hats back on when they were finished.

Lots of people wear full-arm and leg covering clothing in hot weather to prevent sunburn.

 

[Kosher Dill]

Shirtsleeves definitely, but I'm pretty sure that before the introduction of shorts and breathable footwear, everyone did their heavy lifting in the 110F heat with long trousers and workboots for lack of any alternative option

This seems about right. You can search the Library of Congress for "longshoremen", "stevedores", and the like, and see photos of them at work.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=stevedores&sg=true

Here's a good one from the 1930s with various states of clothed-ness: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8a24358/

What criteria does your tailor use to determine what is junk? Are we talking overall quality of construction

I believe it's construction. Indochino is the only specific "no-go" I remember offhand.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

Lots of people wear full-arm and leg covering clothing in hot weather to prevent sunburn.

And it adds a layer of protection from cuts scrapes burns etc. Denim jeans became a thing because that's what working men wore. Levi's whole thing was they put steel rivets in them to make them more durable for work clothing.

This seems about right. You can search the Library of Congress for "longshoremen", "stevedores", and the like, and see photos of them at work.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=stevedores&sg=true

Here's a good one from the 1930s with various states of clothed-ness: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8a24358/

Minus the hi-vis vest and hardhats this isn't terribly different than what they wear today. Long pants, steel toes, a light shirt, etc.

Point is, nobody dressed like a fashionable dandy and ever did manual labor. It simply didn't happen. The clothes aren't built for it. You wore working man's gear which later became fashionable later because of it's simple functionality and the snubbing of the hollow morals of the high society dickbags of the gilded age.