Dress Code Opinions-- A Matter of Age or Geographical Location?

[simplelife]

I don't think "business casual" has ANYTHING to do with how I dress on a cruise. .

 

Cruising is my time to get away from business casual - I go ultra-casual in the daytime (capris or bermudas, tees, etc) and dressier at night (casual or "fun" sundresses - something I wouldn't wear to work, and of course dressy for the formal nights).

[simplelife]

I don't know, I've seen the older generation 50-? dress both ways some dressier than others and some more casual.

quote]

 

We have a group of 12 couples (ranging in age from early 50's to mid 60's) that often socialize together, travel together, etc. our opinions and practices on dress vary widely. (Interestingly, the youngest couple and the oldest couple are the most tradtionally formal). Although we live in the same city now, we represent a wide range of geographic backgrounds (East Coast, West Cost, South, Midwest, Western Europe; urban, rural, and suburban) Yet when we go places together that call for more elegant dress- weddings, etc -everyone looks great. Each person's interprets the dress code according to their own tastes and styles, but all are appropriate. One woman may wear an intricate beaded outfit and her DH a tux, and another a sleek black dress and her DH in a dark suit, and still another in a glamorous silk pantsuit and her DH in a designer tie and trendy sportcoat. It is clear that ALL put time, thought, and effort into their appearances to recognize the importance of the occasion.

 

When DH and I cruise, we love formal nights, whereas another couple (our same age) prefers cruising where they never have to dress up. So I think the whole dress code debate is more a matter of personal style and preference rather than age or geography.

[cruisegal101]

My thought is that a lot of the difference in opinions has to do more with when you first started cruising. If the first cruise was within the last 5 to 6 years, you started when "less" emphasis was put on formal dress. For those of us who started crusing a long time ago, cruising wasn't just a vacation--it was a really special event/vacation for the average person. It was a time to do something fancier than a week at the beach or a week in the mountains. And I think that many of us still look forward to this fancier occasion. It was an opportunity to be waited on hand and foot; an opportunity to dress for dinner in a lovely and formal dining room; and an opportunity for us to participate in a trip totally unlike normal everyday events or holidays. This was all before cruising became so affordable for the mass market. And it is why there are still cruise lines out there for everyone. I've sailed on Carnival, HAL, Oceania, NCL, Celebrity and Cunard over the years. And I will probably sail on most of them again. But my choice in cruise lines will be based on the type of occasion that I am looking for and I won't expect that cruise line to alter it's established guidelines to suit my preferences just as I don't expect any other place to adapt to my preferences.

[Kurbanfan]

My thought is that a lot of the difference in opinions has to do more with when you first started cruising. If the first cruise was within the last 5 to 6 years, you started when "less" emphasis was put on formal dress. For those of us who started crusing a long time ago, cruising wasn't just a vacation--it was a really special event/vacation for the average person.

 

Great.....then maybe in the next 5 or 10 this will all be on the backburner;)

[nabby]

I would agree with this post, and I would add that there are many different cruise lines out there and I don't stick with just one sort of vacation all the time. I do enjoy dressing up sometimes and so if the cruise line offers it I will take advantage of it - I think it is fun, and adds to the more classy ambience of that cruise. On the other hand, some of my favorite cruises have been on a small sailing charter where everything is casual (you bring one casual skirt or dress to wear to a restaurant and even those are very casual!) Of course, you also have to do your own cooking and cleaning ;) The atmosphere is completely different - and sometimes that is exactly what I am looking for in a vacation. I love having all of the different choices.

 

 

My thought is that a lot of the difference in opinions has to do more with when you first started cruising. If the first cruise was within the last 5 to 6 years, you started when "less" emphasis was put on formal dress. For those of us who started crusing a long time ago, cruising wasn't just a vacation--it was a really special event/vacation for the average person. It was a time to do something fancier than a week at the beach or a week in the mountains. And I think that many of us still look forward to this fancier occasion. It was an opportunity to be waited on hand and foot; an opportunity to dress for dinner in a lovely and formal dining room; and an opportunity for us to participate in a trip totally unlike normal everyday events or holidays. This was all before cruising became so affordable for the mass market. And it is why there are still cruise lines out there for everyone. I've sailed on Carnival, HAL, Oceania, NCL, Celebrity and Cunard over the years. And I will probably sail on most of them again. But my choice in cruise lines will be based on the type of occasion that I am looking for and I won't expect that cruise line to alter it's established guidelines to suit my preferences just as I don't expect any other place to adapt to my preferences.

[karen sharpe]

Not adhering to dress code on formal/elegant night is not about geographics or age! It's about behavior issues. Would you go to gym class in a long gown?

AND no I'm not a gym teacher!:)

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

Not adhering to dress code on formal/elegant night is not about geographics or age! It's about behavior issues. Would you go to gym class in a long gown?

AND no I'm not a gym teacher!:)

 

 

 

Can you please explain to me how you would know this for a fact? Have you ever taken the time to go up and talk to these people? I'm looking forward to hearing just how you could make such a statement not knowing all these people that chose to not follow the dress code? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[karen sharpe]

I'm of the live and let live genre. I respect others' space . If they chose to ignore dress codes that's their issue not mine!

[sizzle_sisters]

Dress codes are definately all about behaviours esp if rules are posted by the cruise line. People who choose to ignore rules speak volumes about themselves.

And I would think that approaching someone NOT in correct dress would certainly be asking for something other than an answer! KAPOw... I protect this beautiful face, no way I want it bruised:):)

Heck if they dirted my gown, I'd need to find a laundromat while onshore! YIKES.. way too much lost cruising time :)

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Uhmmm...

This is a very nice and interesting thread here.

But please be careful about morphing it into a "people who ignore the dress code" thread/battle.

 

That's not what it started as - the original question is simply...

 

Do age or geographic region affect people's opinions on the various dress codes?

;)

[Kurbanfan]

Uhmmm...

This is a very nice and interesting thread here.

But please be careful about morphing it into a "people who ignore the dress code" thread/battle.

 

That's not what it started as - the original question is simply...

 

Do age or geographic region affect people's opinions on the various dress codes?

;)

 

You tell them Curt:D

For a minute I thought I was in the wrong thread:cool:

[karen sharpe]

I'm sorry Curt and right you are, this is an interesting thread. I am about as torn on this opinion as the poll values.

Geographically and in this era of accelerated communication the globe is getting smaller. I think there is a general consensus every where that comfort should be a strong consideration in clothing.

I don't think this is age specific. I have adult children who go to the work place without wearing suits, a husband who pulls out the tie only for the important meetings and friends who absolutely refuse to go to cruise formal nights because they are "on holidays".

I still believe in respecting dress codes and I have to admit that the relaxed fashion of today sometimes borders on sloppiness but I think we are still in the arc of the pendulum.

[slidergirl]

There have always been the fashion rebels throughout history, and many times the rebels changed fashion. Some of it was for rebellion against the establishment, like the flappers of the roaring 20s. Some were for what they perceived as common sense - like why did women have to wear white gloves to work in the offices in the 40s? It will be perceived as bucking the system, being defiant, flaunting the rules, etc. But, it does move the fashion barometer. Back when I was in 9th grade, I was one of those who fought hard against our school dress code. It made no sense to have 2 different wardrobes, one for school, and one for all other times. I guess I was never the conformist. When I worked for a company that required business wear, I would wear very nice pant suits, but I made sure I had a wide variety of colorful socks to wear with my pant shoes. For years, I really wanted to try cruising, but I just couldn't bring myself to do the dress code thing. Outside of weddings where I was in the bridal party, and my proms, I have done only one formal night. It was actually for a cooking class, where we recreated the last 1st class dinner served on the Titanic and we all decided to make it according to the dress code on the Titanic. My country club has an interesting dynamic going on. Our town is a mountain resort town. Casual is the norm. Events marked "Park City formal" mean to wear a jacket with your jeans for men and a fancy shirt with your jeans for women. Well, the dining room at the CC has a "no jeans, no cargo pants, no shorts, no hats, no Tshirts " rule. The bar has a "jeans, cargo pants, shorts , hats, Tshirts welcome" rule. The bar is always crowded with folks waiting for a place to open up, while the dining room gets maybe 10 people all night. If you look at the people in the dining room, they are all older (60s) and come from the established CCs of the the East and drove the rules made here. The only way we got a piece of the dining room carved out for what the rest of us normally wear is the Utah Liquor Board decreed that kids couldn't be in the the bar area, so they made a "family area" where folks bring the kids and dress like the bar area. The other area of the dining room still sits largely empty.

So, I think it is largely a matter of geographics, with a measure of age, when it comes to what someone considers 'appropriate' dress.

[Keksie]

I think that opinions on dress codes are formed by many factors. I don’t think that age has much to do with it. Geographical location may play a part but I think it is more a factor of a person’s temperament and interests. Some people are very by-the-book, some people are more relaxed. Some people notice what others wear down to every detail, some people only notice if someone wears something extreme. Some people believe comfort is king while others will even be in pain as long as they think it makes them look better. Throw all this in with geographical differences, new cruisers, seasoned cruisers, ambiguous and changing dress codes and you get a lot of different opinions.

[bermuda triangle]

I love formal nights on cruises and dressing up in general. I am 29. I find most people in my age group enjoy dressing up. It is fun and exciting.

I personally find, that weddings I have been to are formal. I think that as society finds work clothing becoming more casual, excuses are being made for more formal events!:)

 

Then again maybe it depends on where you live, who you associate with, etc. I can't say for certain.

[Kurbanfan]

I think that opinions on dress codes are formed by many factors. I don’t think that age has much to do with it. Geographical location may play a part but I think it is more a factor of a person’s temperament and interests. Some people are very by-the-book, some people are more relaxed. Some people notice what others wear down to every detail, some people only notice if someone wears something extreme. Some people believe comfort is king while others will even be in pain as long as they think it makes them look better. Throw all this in with geographical differences, new cruisers, seasoned cruisers, ambiguous and changing dress codes and you get a lot of different opinions.

 

That makes perfect sense.............

[KLLund]

There have always been the fashion rebels throughout history, and many times the rebels changed fashion. Some of it was for rebellion against the establishment, like the flappers of the roaring 20s. Some were for what they perceived as common sense - like why did women have to wear white gloves to work in the offices in the 40s? It will be perceived as bucking the system, being defiant, flaunting the rules, etc. But, it does move the fashion barometer. Back when I was in 9th grade, I was one of those who fought hard against our school dress code. It made no sense to have 2 different wardrobes, one for school, and one for all other times. I guess I was never the conformist. When I worked for a company that required business wear, I would wear very nice pant suits, but I made sure I had a wide variety of colorful socks to wear with my pant shoes. For years, I really wanted to try cruising, but I just couldn't bring myself to do the dress code thing. Outside of weddings where I was in the bridal party, and my proms, I have done only one formal night. It was actually for a cooking class, where we recreated the last 1st class dinner served on the Titanic and we all decided to make it according to the dress code on the Titanic. My country club has an interesting dynamic going on. Our town is a mountain resort town. Casual is the norm. Events marked "Park City formal" mean to wear a jacket with your jeans for men and a fancy shirt with your jeans for women. Well, the dining room at the CC has a "no jeans, no cargo pants, no shorts, no hats, no Tshirts " rule. The bar has a "jeans, cargo pants, shorts , hats, Tshirts welcome" rule. The bar is always crowded with folks waiting for a place to open up, while the dining room gets maybe 10 people all night. If you look at the people in the dining room, they are all older (60s) and come from the established CCs of the the East and drove the rules made here. The only way we got a piece of the dining room carved out for what the rest of us normally wear is the Utah Liquor Board decreed that kids couldn't be in the the bar area, so they made a "family area" where folks bring the kids and dress like the bar area. The other area of the dining room still sits largely empty.

So, I think it is largely a matter of geographics, with a measure of age, when it comes to what someone considers 'appropriate' dress.

 

 

I find this a quite interesting contibution because I found Park City Chic to be quite chic and pricey. I have never seen such gorgeous casual clothing anywhere else .. not that I have spent a lot of time looking for this .. but it did seem that most of the clothing I saw there would be in the casual catagory .. but fabulous casual. The adorable little fur jackets for the slopes were especially distracting .. sigh .. but it was an entirely different look everywhere I went in Park City. I thought it was perfect for the place and setting and I was sorely tempted by many many things there ..

 

So that is an interesting (to Me) analysis of the geographical portion of fashion and dressing.

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

I'm of the live and let live genre. I respect others' space . If they chose to ignore dress codes that's their issue not mine!

 

Thank you that explains what your previous post is all about...Nothing!;)

[BlueHerons]

I think it is geographical.

 

I would not wear the same thing to work in New York that I would wear in Hawaii.

[slidergirl]

I find this a quite interesting contibution because I found Park City Chic to be quite chic and pricey. I have never seen such gorgeous casual clothing anywhere else .. not that I have spent a lot of time looking for this .. but it did seem that most of the clothing I saw there would be in the casual catagory .. but fabulous casual. The adorable little fur jackets for the slopes were especially distracting .. sigh .. but it was an entirely different look everywhere I went in Park City. I thought it was perfect for the place and setting and I was sorely tempted by many many things there ..

 

So that is an interesting (to Me) analysis of the geographical portion of fashion and dressing.

 

Yes, we are "fabulous" casual :-) Yes, we wear jeans and cargo pants and cargo shorts, but they are not sloppy, as some people seem to think all of these items are. For me, it's a little pricey, too, especially the cool little shops on Main St. I just can't bring myself to spend $160 on a pair of True Religion Jeans. The under $100 ones by Caslon that I bought at Nordstrom are just fine. The $210 camo capris by Da Nang are beyond my common sense level, so I buy the $70 ones by PrAna. I'll spend a little more on the tops. I never feel out of place or mis-dressed for any dinner anywhere in town. Well, except for the dining room at the Country Club :-)

If we didn't enjoy the casual lifestyle, we wouldn't live here! Maybe we're the example that those particular items of clothing does not equal sloppy.

[perkyblue]

I think that the assumption is that older cruisers are the ones who are more likely to go more formal and that younger cruisers are more casual. But I don't really agree. I'm young (20's) and I consider myself a cruise traditionalist. I love traditional dining and dressing up for dinner on the ship--which is a little strange because in normal life I'm a jeans & t-shirt girl, very casual. But cruises are my one chance to feel "fancy" and wear formal clothes. I think it just depends on the upbringing and personality of the individual, regardless of age.

[PJNJcruise5]

From reading the posts there seems to be a trend. I think the style of dress has more to do with age than demographics.

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

Dress codes are definately all about behaviours esp if rules are posted by the cruise line. People who choose to ignore rules speak volumes about themselves.

And I would think that approaching someone NOT in correct dress would certainly be asking for something other than an answer! KAPOw... I protect this beautiful face, no way I want it bruised:):)

Heck if they dirted my gown, I'd need to find a laundromat while onshore! YIKES.. way too much lost cruising time :)

 

 

But from the way I read it, it's not a rule it's a suggested dress code. ;) So on that note until the cruiselines decided to enforce their dress codes, and or change the wording then I don't think it's a behavior issue it's simply a choice one makes how to dress. If you decide to dress in a formal fashion great for you and if not that's great also. :)

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

I think that the assumption is that older cruisers are the ones who are more likely to go more formal and that younger cruisers are more casual. But I don't really agree. I'm young (20's) and I consider myself a cruise traditionalist. I love traditional dining and dressing up for dinner on the ship--which is a little strange because in normal life I'm a jeans & t-shirt girl, very casual. But cruises are my one chance to feel "fancy" and wear formal clothes. I think it just depends on the upbringing and personality of the individual, regardless of age.

 

IMHO I think there is some truth to this, when reading the Alaska boards it appears the average age is 50-70? And according to the reviews it is a very casual cruise meaning that most of them are not attending the formal dinners in tuxs or formals and some not even in cocktail dresses or suits. But more of Sunday clothing, pant suit, and a shirt and tie and some not even that. So I think your thought is somewhat valid.

[KC_fn]

All else being equal, and as a very broad generalization, I think it's more a matter of generation than anything else. People who were young adults in the 1940's tend to have a very different idea about appropriateness than people who were young adults in the 1990's. I think it almost becomes a character trait that sticks with us over time: The way my generation dressed when I was young is the best way to dress.

 

Of course, there are many many exceptions to this, and that's JMHO :).