Dress Codes

[davidg]

And that brings up the next issue. Many people see dressing up as a nuissance, to be avoided if at all possible. They haven't realized the fun of being the best dressed man in the room.

Jock says it's simple and, for those of us who know, it is. In theory. In practice though there are so many outfitters out there that have got us confused and sloppy. So much so that it can indeed "become a nuisance, to be avoided if at all possible"

I'm attending a black tie dinner in 2 days time and I need a new evening dress shirt. I want to go with the traditional fold down collar, soft front marcella (I'd prefer plain front but that's asking the impossible), french cuff, stud fastening version. Can I get one? No. Every shop seems to think shiny black plastic buttons are the same as dress studs and attached wing collars are "the thing". Does it matter socially if I turn up dressed outside of the accepted convention, NO. Will I know if I am not doing it conventionally and with style, YES

I could turn up in one of my fly front shirts and still be correctly dressed, but I want to wear my studs. Why is that so difficult? Only because the retailers make it difficult. If I didn't know better would I bother with all this hassle? Probably not