Why don't people dress for dinner any longer?

April 13, 2007

By GAIL CIAMPA
Sunday, April 01, 2007

Feel free to call me prissy, old-fashioned or even my grandmother, but I can't help wondering why grown men and women can't wear shoes when they go out to dinner. Can't we save the sneakers for things like running on the track, or running on the treadmill, or running errands?

Last week, I went to dinner for a review in an elegant little bistro in the suburbs. The owner was dressed in a suit and greeted each guest coming through the door. A hostess wore a lovely peach dress and high heels. All the servers were nattily and professionally attired in black shirts, pants and aprons.

From my comfortable seat with a full view of the front door, I watched diner after diner come in wearing sneakers, most of them white and blinding. I suppose they were running shoes. Most of these folks were neatly dressed in pants and sweaters so they had to care about how they looked. But their feet would make anyone cringe.

How can going out for dinner on a Saturday night not rate a little dress up? If you wouldn't wear shoes for a Saturday night date, then when would you wear shoes? Doesn't everyone have at least one pair of shoes? The shoe departments at stores look huge and there are whole stores devoted to footwear. Is no one buying shoes any more?

I understand some people have foot problems and they get a pass every time. But can everyone have bunions?

Why doesn't anyone seem to care? The owner and hostess never flinched or looked askew at any of their diners. To the contrary, they were thrilled to have a full house. Still, I couldn't help wondering how disappointing it must be to host people in your lovely restaurant and serve them your elegant food and have them look like they came from the gym.

When I reviewed Ruth's Chris Steak House, it was a Friday night and my husband wore a shirt and tie. We are of a certain age and that's just how we dress for going out. Not so everyone. I couldn't believe how many men wore polo shirts or collarless Ts. They looked like they just got off the golf course but it was about 10 degrees outside.

I have a friend, also of a certain age, who claims that everyone in America dresses every day like they are going to a football game. It doesn't matter if they are going to church, the theater, a funeral or school, they look the same. How true. If it were about the money, it would be one thing. But shopping is a competitive sport here in the United States. One can only conclude everyone just keeps buying the same outfit over and over again.

I wonder what's so wrong about showing some decorum. It all reminds me of a scene from my all-time favorite baseball movie, "Bull Durham." In this story about a minor league baseball team, it is veteran catcher Crash Davis' job to lend life lessons to Nuke LaLoosh, a young pitcher, to help him make it to the majors. Davis picks up the young guy's flip-flop shower shoes, points out the fungus growing on them, and tells LaLoosh he needs new ones.

"Think classy, you'll be classy," he instructs.

Is that such a bad idea?