THE TIME: New Years Eve, 2010/2011
THE PLACE: Staunton, Virginia (smack dab in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley)
THE VENUE: The Ball Room of the Stonewall Jackson Hotel
THE EVENT: The Frontier Culture Museum New Years Ball
THE REQUESTED DRESS: Black Tie

Okay, here you have it. A community of about 26,000 ordinary folks with a median income in the lower $40s. The event, at $125 per person, was sold out (220 tickets). Of the gentlemen attending, most were in black tie with a few (maybe 15-20) in dark suits. Who was there? Well, I saw Richard, my mechanic, Travis, the guy who runs the local Ace Hardware, two police officers, and Aaron, the owner of the local cigar store, all in black tie. There was also one gentleman present in a dinner jacket, starched dress shirt, self-tied bow tie, and a pair of well-worn, but well scrubbed, Levi 501s. None of these gentlemen are what you'd call high income earners-- but they are a pretty good cross section of what some might characterize as the middle class. They certainly aren't uber-rich, but they (and virtually all of the other guests present) do enjoy dressing up when the occasion calls for it. (The event, by the way, was over-subscribed with a waiting list of twenty-four.)

What it comes down to is this-- some ordinary, middle class, folks have no problem putting out a little effort to look nice for a special occasion.