Are we back to three evening dress codes again?

[DarrenM]

On 11/2/2023 at 12:16 AM, someguyfl said:

I'll just throw in my own $0.02 ... I don't personally care too much what people do, but I do think it would be nice if, in general, people did put effort into dressing nicer on the 'evening chic' nights.

With that said, I personally own a tuxedo and multiple suits, as well as designer jeans, t-shirts, styling sport coats, etc etc... Depending on the itinerary, bringing along a suit really might just be asking a lot ... eg: I will be doing a B2B cruise later this year starting in Santiago Chile, ultimately ending in Buenos Aires, and cruising Antartica... The full cruise will be 30 days and will range from hot/humid to ... Antarctica cold.

It seems it will be impossible to fly business class, so that would mean that I'd have to put my suit in my checked bags (which will get them entirely wrinkled), and take up a lot of space ... as well as an extra pair of shoes which will only be worn a couple of times.

Honestly, really not sure if it's worth the hassle to bring my suit, but, we'll see...

And, adding to that ... the difference in someone wearing nicely selected, tailored, designer jeans / t-shirt/sports coat (ie: dress to impress at a night club) vs someone wearing a rented Men's Warehouse suit... I'd say the Men's Warehouse suit is clearly the under-dressed person.

 

When I go to company parties, I regularly have all the ladies commenting on how I am the best dressed guy at the event, and, unless the dress code specifically requires a suit, I don't wear one -- and many other men do.

Likewise, I've dressed in a similar way on Celebrity cruises, and had various other cruisers cold-approach me to comment on how much they liked my style.

Sure, this might be a generational thing, but I can see the difference in quality very clearly, and I'd rather someone wear quality clothes than just "a suit" which ticks a box.

 

For the record, I'm 41 / Male.

Okay, off my soap box.

I refuse to pay more than £10 for a shirt. I darent tell you what I see as a rip for shoes.

 

I would love to be sat next to you on a cruise being judged because if it.

 

It would be comedy gold.

[DarrenM]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:45 PM, sunshinegirl89 said:

Does the world come to an end if you wear "cruise casual" on an "evening chic" night?  Sailing the Apex next month with DH, DS18 and DD20.  We are very casual people and have zero desire to wear anything remotely fancy or formal.  Outside of wearing shorts to dinner, which I know is big no-no, we will be casually dressed. Guys will be in nice (lululemon) khaki style pants with a golf shirt, DD will probably wear a nice sundress, and I'll be in capris.  Hope no one gets their knickers in a twist.  

My kind of dress code.

 

There will be some furious with you though. You just have to laugh at them.

[DarrenM]

On 11/4/2023 at 5:58 PM, JLMcruise said:

We wear the same size - so he wears my slacks and save space in the luggage... Just kidding😂

Could be a fun cruise

[DarrenM]

On 11/5/2023 at 12:39 AM, someguyfl said:

Adding a little bit more context to my previous post re: being dressed nicely. 
 

Cost of your clothing is irrelevant. If you focus on how truly wealthy people are dressed, the most important rules seem to be, in order of most to least important:

1) clothes should be clean and not wrinkled

2) should fit well

3) should be appropriate for the occasion (ie: gym clothes at a dinner restaurant is never acceptable, but a sun dress on a cruise ship dinner might be… use discretion). Sure it’s great to wear a suit on a formal night of a cruise… but nobody would be surprised if Bill Gates was wearing slacks and a sweater to that sort of event (assuming he actually went to such events, which I doubt)

4) (at this point, it’s already becoming much less important) should be stylish … but not necessarily expensive (I have plenty of clothing items below $100 that get tons of complements, as a guy)

5) should not be a walking billboard … sure, a billionaire might be wearing a $1000 Moncler sweater… but it isn’t going to say the brand name in giant letters…

 

If you follow those rules, there are very very few places they would ever give you a problem. Basically, a few Michelin starred restaurants… and a few special events (eg: weddings, award ceremonies), where the invitation spells out the dress code very clearly. 

I dont doff my cap to truly wealthy people. Seems a weird thing to concentrate on.

[DarrenM]

On 11/6/2023 at 4:48 AM, ldubs said:

 

OK.  I'm still not sure how that relates to how wealthy people dress.  It just seems to be an odd focus. I follow the guidelines and don't look sloppy, but in truth being stylish is incredibly far down my list of things on the importance scale.   I don't think people are dressing the way they do on cruises because of budget constraints.  But what do I know.  

this 1 million times this

[DarrenM]

On 11/6/2023 at 1:41 PM, C 2 C said:

That's at least twice my budget.😀

4 x mine

[DarrenM]

7 hours ago, sofietucker said:

Have seen plenty of violations in Luminae over the years too. But I also remember about 10 years ago, there was a rack of men's jackets in various sizes at the entrance to the MDR, and the maitre 'd handing them out to diners as needed... 

I swear I wouldnt notice. Unless someone walked in still wet from snorkelling, with the snorkel still attached.

 

The poster you quoted said, "you are not looking hard enough" if you dont notice.

 

Why would I even need to look? IO am enjoying my meal, and working my way through the cocktail menu.

 

Looking what others are wearing is about no. 23,345 on my list of things to do.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I have to say what made me laugh the most on my recent Royal (I know not Celebrity, but same family) cruise was how most people argue to eat in the buffet so they don't have to dress up...yet I saw a lot of people dressed to the nines in the buffet. It's like they missed the memo on "buffet is so you don't have to dress" most people want.

[hcat]

serious thread turned silly by thread hogs!

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I swear I wouldnt notice. Unless someone walked in still wet from snorkelling, with the snorkel still attached.

 

The poster you quoted said, "you are not looking hard enough" if you dont notice.

 

Why would I even need to look? IO am enjoying my meal, and working my way through the cocktail menu.

 

Looking what others are wearing is about no. 23,345 on my list of things to do.

 

If there will be no dress code then there will be NO dress code except for my Christmas sweaters.  Flip flops and shorts then.  And pool clothes at dinner.  You don’t seem pretentious enough to care.

 

I also plan to stop bathing or brushing my teeth.  My husband doesn’t like the smell but who cares?  That’s my business.

[DarrenM]

Not sure you should be getting personal hygiene mixed up with dress code.

 

 

[sofietucker]

4 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I swear I wouldnt notice. Unless someone walked in still wet from snorkelling, with the snorkel still attached.

 

The poster you quoted said, "you are not looking hard enough" if you dont notice.

 

Why would I even need to look? IO am enjoying my meal, and working my way through the cocktail menu.

 

Looking what others are wearing is about no. 23,345 on my list of things to do.

Lol. On the Edge, luminae has several rows of banquettes: we were often seated between two other tables.This, BTW, was when they had just resumed sailing: 318 pax on the ship, but the suites were sold out. The Retreat was mobbed and dinner was wall-ro-wall. We stood in herds each night waiting for a table; so much for distancing! As I like to sit on the bench, I found myself shoulder to shoulder with a guy who wore a different old, faded rock n roll tee each night. Talking Heads! Etc. I mean bands that broke up in the 80s. Had to tell us where he'd seen each show. No one batted an eye when he'd show up in his finery.

[doghog]

13 hours ago, zitsky said:

Well the President stopped by house yesterday just to ask my opinion about the dress code.  So I’m sure they will make changes soon.  I told them it should be mandatory to wear Christmas sweaters in the dining rooms.  All year.

President...😂 Christmas sweaters and swim suites for you then. 😂

[DarrenM]

2 hours ago, sofietucker said:

Lol. On the Edge, luminae has several rows of banquettes: we were often seated between two other tables.This, BTW, was when they had just resumed sailing: 318 pax on the ship, but the suites were sold out. The Retreat was mobbed and dinner was wall-ro-wall. We stood in herds each night waiting for a table; so much for distancing! As I like to sit on the bench, I found myself shoulder to shoulder with a guy who wore a different old, faded rock n roll tee each night. Talking Heads! Etc. I mean bands that broke up in the 80s. Had to tell us where he'd seen each show. No one batted an eye when he'd show up in his finery.

Would have loved that. At least its real.

 

Much better than those wearing Ramones T shirts who dont even know who Ramones are.

 

I could have talked to him for hours.

 

I magine that compared to "Nice Tux, where did you get it?"

[PTC DAWG]

6 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I refuse to pay more than £10 for a shirt. I darent tell you what I see as a rip for shoes.

 

I would love to be sat next to you on a cruise being judged because if it.

 

It would be comedy gold.

My shoe collection would probably make you faint.  🙂

[DarrenM]

Oh I dont know about that. I have a female wife.

[DarrenM]

I do pay a lot for my running shoes. But not for just walking about shoes.

 

I currently have running shoes, a pair of skechers (cheap ones for walking about) and 1 pair of brown shoes. Thats my full shoe collection.

 

Would rather spend my money of my vinyl collection

[sofietucker]

9 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Would have loved that. At least its real.

 

Much better than those wearing Ramones T shirts who dont even know who Ramones are.

 

I could have talked to him for hours.

 

I magine that compared to "Nice Tux, where did you get it?"

Yep; turned out we had even seen some bands on the same tour! I do mourn one loss re: the formal nights. Women's sparkly gowns? Okay, fine. But it was really great to see the variety of men's wear: kilts, military dress, white dinner jackets, tuxes with fun cummerbunds and ties... Once there was a couple in matching tails. Even among the very few (usually geezers) still in tuxes, there are zero cummerbunds these days. 

[DarrenM]

4 minutes ago, sofietucker said:

Yep; turned out we had even seen some bands on the same tour! I do mourn one loss re: the formal nights. Women's sparkly gowns? Okay, fine. But it was really great to see the variety of men's wear: kilts, military dress, white dinner jackets, tuxes with fun cummerbunds and ties... Once there was a couple in matching tails. Even among the very few (usually geezers) still in tuxes, there are zero cummerbunds these days. 

I have no idea what a cummerbund is.

 

I have to say though, this reminds me of a scene from a Agatha Christie movie - Hercule Poirot - The Orient Express, Death on the Nile.

 

My idea of hell.

[DarrenM]

3 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

I have no idea what a cummerbund is.

 

I have to say though, this reminds me of a scene from a Agatha Christie movie - Hercule Poirot - The Orient Express, Death on the Nile.

 

My idea of hell.

Not the films obviously. They are great old movies.

 

The dress code.

[villauk]

7 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

have no idea what a cummerbund is.

 

…and there’s you coming from a university city which still has formals where gowns are worn 😁.

[sofietucker]

Cummerbunds are those folded sashes at the waist of a tuxedo or dinner jacket. They replaced wearing a waistcoat under the jacket and are therefor cooler. Rather than serving as a belt (that's replaced by suspenders) it covers the hardware of the waistband, buttons, etc. They usually match the tie. Towards the end of the formal era, they were appearing in wild colors and patterns.

[sofietucker]

5 minutes ago, villauk said:

 

…and there’s you coming from a university city which still has formals where gowns are worn 😁.

Oh, Hogwarts! Lovely campus... Student wandered past us teasingly hoping they'd be chosen for Hufflepuffs, etc.

[villauk]

1 minute ago, sofietucker said:

Oh, Hogwarts! Lovely campus... Student wandered past us teasingly hoping they'd be chosen for Hufflepuffs, etc.

 

Both my DSs have to wear gowns to formals at the different universities they are at over here.

[PTC DAWG]

35 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

Oh I dont know about that. I have a female wife.

Fair enough, I was just basing my comment off of your 10 buck shirt comment.  🙂

 

I wish I had never discovered Olukai shoes...flip flops to leather sneakers, they are great to my feet.  I do know folks who spend a lot more than me.  

 

Re vinyl, I still rue the day when back in the late 80's, I left behind a very large vinyl collection when moving...the new owners really didn't care...I'm still recovering from that...rebuilding slowly.  

Edited February 27 by PTC DAWG