Do people dress like slobs today? Or were people 100 years ago just plain and drab?

[StillShaving]

Smoking: Three homeless people from South Ferry doss houses are in Battery Park on June 6, 1941

A leading question, but I believe that most people today dress less well than the generations before (myself guilty). But I can't understand why, given that modern technology has provided new fabrics, better environmental controls (A/C & heating), and less physical exertion than ever before. Today many men wear shorts, graphic t-shirts, athletic shoes, blue jeans, polo shirts, etc. Add some holes or stains then its even better. While in the past even these so-called homeless people shown above are dressed well enough for church. What happened??? Was everyone just a conformist to a different standard 100 years ago, or did textile state of the art mean that everyone was wearing basic white or dark clothing with little choice. Where I incorrectly equate this drab wardrobe as people dressing more formally?

Above photo from How times have changed in New York City! Extraordinary colour photographs reveal 1940s life in the Big Apple in all its glory

[Antique Hoosier]

You should have been at the Brickyard 400 today. Amazing wardrobes.

[rob_NH]

Today we have the options of comfortable clothings at low prices. 100 years ago, I don't think they had those choices available.

[ZackP]

My casual clothes are dress slacks and a polo (sometimes shorts if it's too hot or corduroys). When I go to classes (I am a college student) I wear tie and sport coat. I think it's respectful to the educators.

[Stevew443]

I think most people just do not wish to dress well anymore. It is easier to just toss on a t-shirt and jeans than to actually put on an ironed shirt, nice pants and decent shoes. As I type this, I am sitting at work. Of the 4 gentlemen sitting in this office right now, I am the only one who is not wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I actually put some thought into what I was going to wear tonight. Even though I will only be seen by these other gentlemen in my office, I dressed well... ironed khakis, a long sleeved button down sport shirt (ironed) with a nice matching bow tie. I think I am also the only one who took the time to shave before coming to work. I have always thought that it is easier to provide quality work if one is dressed professionally. Taking pride in one's appearance is just the start in taking pride in one's work... and life.

[goatee]

I think most people just do not wish to dress well anymore. It is easier to just toss on a t-shirt and jeans than to actually put on an ironed shirt, nice pants and decent shoes. As I type this, I am sitting at work. Of the 4 gentlemen sitting in this office right now, I am the only one who is not wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I actually put some thought into what I was going to wear tonight. Even though I will only be seen by these other gentlemen in my office, I dressed well... ironed khakis, a long sleeved button down sport shirt (ironed) with a nice matching bow tie. I think I am also the only one who took the time to shave before coming to work. I have always thought that it is easier to provide quality work if one is dressed professionally. Taking pride in one's appearance is just the start in taking pride in one's work... and life.

i agree. i think people have gotten lazy, and don't care. hell,, kids these days don't even pull their pants all the way up!! how lazy do you have to be????

[professorchaos]

Lazy, disconnected with tradition ... whatever the cause, the result is the same. It wasn't that long ago a button down was considered an undergarment and a man wouldn't be seen in public in his shirt sleeves.

Of course modern conveniences have removed us from the cause of some of those traditions too.

[ZackP]

Suits and such are VERY expensive, remember that. It has been expensive for me at 19 to buy these things, especially being a not-so-common size, so Goodwill doesn't fair me well. About pants? I wear them to my navel.

[smalltank]

People worked as salesman going door to door..my grandfather after the war owned his own chicken farm..sold eggs $.10 a dozen in the 1960's..im sure he dressed well..today we have cheaper clothing options abd we as a county are more populated than 50years ago..I work from home alot..so..t shirt n jeans and sneakers do the job for me..when things change..so will my closet

[ricardo9505]

whatever a man chooses to wear, may he be presentable and respectful at the time of need. who am I to tell a man what he can or cannot wear.
my father always had wise sayings in spanish, one of which was "tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are".

[Walker]

Modern conveniences such as internet have made it so one does not need to leave his house...ever. You can pay your bills on line instead of going to the post office to mail a bill and actually talking to the postmaster. You can order your groceries online and don't have to get your meat at the local butcher shop or dry goods at the grocery store. Fraternities such as the Freemasons and other social clubs were you would dress to the nines to attend your monthly meeting are declining. The modern age can make you a recluse if you let it. So it's no wonder people don't know how to dress anymore.

[Topgumby]

I think people dress like slobs today because people today are slobs.

[MichaeltheRomanHistorian]

It is fascinating to see how clothing standards change over time. I suspect though, in some ways, those of us on the Haberdashery are different (but not in a superior/inferior sense, just different). I grew up in Idaho and did my postgraduate work in London, travelled to many major European and Asian cities (as well as US ones) and now I live/work in the Seattle area (where many residents remind me how I do not 'have to' wear nice clothes, though others often comment on how nice it is to see a young man dress nicely). So I think I've seen the spectrum though I am not as well-travelled as many of you gentlemen. Are standards declining? Perhaps, I don't know though. I hesitate to say anything definite since it seems that's what many generations think about the times they live in and the times which they think will follow. I think what fascinates me most is that if people wish to dress like 'slobs' (though often very expensively attired ones) I suppose that is fine so long as they also respect my desire to dress nicely. People have to be comfortable and I'd rather see someone dress very casually but with self-respect than to wear a suit which they clearly hate and do not feel comfortable in. That said, I still don't see the point of wearing anything with holes in them in public if one can avoid it (much less buying pre-distressed/damaged clothing).

Part of what made men dress so well (in our eyes) is not easy to replicate. Several of you have pointed out environmental concerns: My three-piece tweed suits (of which I have so many) are probably not the ideal even in cool and rainy Seattle (what with central heating being so prevalent). Cost is another factor as well, as Zack points out (kudos to you for dressing nicely for classes). I personally find suits, ties, sports jackets, and the like to be quite comfortable as I have taken the time to get reasonably priced and well-fitted garments to the best of my abilities through sales or E-bay or whatever affordable means. However, cost is not always a factor. Even men who could afford bespoke often don't see the point when they can just put on whatever and work from home (who will notice?). Part of how I dress is who I am, I like looking reasonably tidy and, well, like an old-fashioned humanities academic: tweedy and perhaps a bit absent-minded. ;) Another factor is simply social. This idea of 'casual' has been driven into our heads for so long that to deviate from our 'casual and independent thought shared by the masses' is not approved of. Or perhaps so few people today know how to dress well because they don't know what proper fit is (if you wear skinny everything all the time or wear these trendy jackets which show off 4-5 inches of bare forearm and wrist). I often hear: 'How can you wear that? That must be SO uncomfortable and you must feel like you're choking with that noose around your neck!' Or 'Nice suit!' when I am wearing a button down collar shirt, sports jacket, and pressed trousers with dress shoes.

I don't know, perhaps people have always complained that their generation and the ones which follow dress like slobs. Perhaps we can imagine that's how the Eastern Romans (Byzantines) felt about those Blues and Greens... (sorry, unfair jibe. :P ...and this post has rambled and been long-winded enough that I thought I might try a bad joke). Anyway, I shall cut it short as I've pontificated and gone around in circles but not ultimately been helpful. :P

[mark the shoeshine boy]

I think we are too casual in our appearance anymore. I can speak of the auto industry. When I first started 33 years ago, it was mandatory that you wore a tie, and a sport coat if it was cool. Now look at the dealers, polo shirt with a company logo, shorts and tennis shoes. Our dealership does not have a mandatory code, however, I usually am in button down shirt (white or blue) dress slacks/khakis and shined dress shoes. I am asked all the time if I am the boss. Must be something to shining my shoes every morning.

[Jawaburger]

My favorite picture of my Grandpa is of him sitting in his chair reading the paper with a suit and tie. It is hard to imagine people today wearing a suit and tie let alone while relaxing with a cup of coffee and the paper! Yes, times have changed.

[Face&Head]

I started commuting into NYC about 35 years ago. Then and today, my very early 5:15 am train was largely populated by either the construction trades or Wall Street types. In the decades past the construction guys were all in clean work clothes and were well groomed (no 2-day stubble). Finance folks in suites, usually navy or dark grey with white or pale blue shirts and subtle ties. Shoes were immaculately polished (most office buildings had a shoeshine station). Today many of both groups look like they just rolled out of bed (or the gutter after a hard night). Many are so slovenly that I really wonder how they leave their homes that way. I wouldn't take my garbage can to the street looking like that. This is not everyone, the majority still look sharp (except for their shaving habits) and take pride in their appearance even though styles have certainly changed with suites in the clear minority and "business casual" the uniform of the day.

[Rivguy]

I am amazed at the level of dress (or undress) today. As a business professional, I have seen this degradation of dress only get worse over the years. Several companies started with a casual Friday and the policy was so abused that it was discontinued and yes, the dress code of casual Friday was spelled out in written form. The root causes of this are many but it comes down to laziness, and lack of respect not only for others but for ones self. I have seen a level of dress in some churches that I would not wear to the hardware store. A very nice upscale restaurant not too far from us had an "understood" dress code when it first opened. We enjoyed going there frequently and took family members and friends there to celebrate special occasions. The dress code relaxed and soon disappeared. You would see people in sweatshirts and cutoffs at a table next to a well dressed table. The place lost is "special" feel and people looked elsewhere for that environment. The restaurant went out of business. It was sad to see it slowly die. I realize that in this economy that the dress was not the only reason but it was a strong contributing factor. I have friends in HR who tell me stories that are at once shocking, sad and funny. The times, they are a changing gentlemen...in fact have changed...and in my view, some of those changes are not for the better. Some clearly are.

Regards,

Doug

[rob_NH]

I still find a polo shirt and khakis much more comfortable than a dress shirt, tie and sports jacket. Never mind the cost of dry cleaning suits and the labor of ironing dress shirts. The first thing I do when I am in a business suit is take it off asap, and get into something more comfortable. When I se people dressed up, I don't think of them as looking better, I see them as being less comfortable. We all have our priorities. People will sacrifice a lot for vanity.

And I can afford nice dress clothes, and have them properly fit and tailored. I just don't like the way the feel. I have a short neck, and the knot of a tie bothers my chin if I am looking anywhere but up. Since I work at a desk, frequently reading or working with equations on paper, I am looking down. Ties are a killer for me. Sports coats and suit jackets are tight in the shoulders if properly fit. I find this irritating (I admit, I am a bit claustrophobic). There is nothing as comfortable as wool dress pants and silk braces, but the cost of care is annoying. I'd rather save for my airplane then dump it into more wool and dry cleaning bills.

there is a big gap between a polo and dockers and torn jeans and T-shirts.

[mmack66]

Smoking: Three homeless people from South Ferry doss houses are in Battery Park on June 6, 1941

A leading question, but I believe that most people today dress less well than the generations before (myself guilty). But I can't understand why, given that modern technology has provided new fabrics, better environmental controls (A/C & heating), and less physical exertion than ever before. Today many men wear shorts, graphic t-shirts, athletic shoes, blue jeans, polo shirts, etc. Add some holes or stains then its even better. While in the past even these so-called homeless people shown above are dressed well enough for church. What happened??? Was everyone just a conformist to a different standard 100 years ago, or did textile state of the art mean that everyone was wearing basic white or dark clothing with little choice. Where I incorrectly equate this drab wardrobe as people dressing more formally?

Above photo from How times have changed in New York City! Extraordinary colour photographs reveal 1940s life in the Big Apple in all its glory

Yep.

[noelekal]

It's fashionable to be both dressed down and dumbed down in America these days.