The casualization of the world

[bil_maxx]

The dot.coms allowed people to work at home or in way less formal settings than previously when they worked in large(r) company offices. This enabled casualization to occur. If you are your own boss working in an environment where virtually no one sees you, you tend to dress down a bit. Then factor in the 'snowball rolling down a hill' effect, and it becomes the new norm.

Plus the dotcoms were started in large part by young rebellious computer types who became freakishly wealthy in a short amount of time. Dressing way down was their way of sticking it to the man.

 

[Edward]

Plus the dotcoms were started in large part by young rebellious computer types who became freakishly wealthy in a short amount of time. Dressing way down was their way of sticking it to the man.

Then they became the man, and so nowadays to quite some degree, dressing down is "the man". And so the wheel turns anew....

 

[Shangas]

Sooner or later, everything old will be new again. Maybe sometime in the future there'll be a mass rebellion against shoddy clothes and people will feel compelled to dress up once more.

We can dream.

 

[earl]

Then they became the man, and so nowadays to quite some degree, dressing down is "the man". And so the wheel turns anew....

"stick it to the man," haven't heard that phrase since my early adulthood in the early 70's. I think in accord with that that the casualization of dress began with the "hippie" period of the late 60's. It was an era of egalitarianism, of "classlessness" in more ways than 1. Obviously, they were mistaking the book for it's cover, assuming that dressing without "class" represented the ideal of egalitarianism. Nowadays it seems that it is associated with "comfort." To me there is no dichtomy, comfort vs. "class." Nor does it say anything about that "classless" ideal. I have times I dress "down," times I dress "up." To me, "dressing up" is about beauty and idealism and no longer about egalitarianism. earl

 

[ratpack66]

Sooner or later, everything old will be new again. Maybe sometime in the future there'll be a mass rebellion against shoddy clothes and people will feel compelled to dress up once more.

We can dream.

i hope so my friend

 

[Stearmen]

Fedora Casual

I was thinking, what would Thomas Jefferson think of this conversation? Keep in mind, we are talking about a man that stood 6 foot 2 inches tall, had flaming red hair worn in a small ponytail and wore tights when he dressed up!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I hang on very tight to this wishful thought on a daily basis lol

Sooner or later, everything old will be new again. Maybe sometime in the future there'll be a mass rebellion against shoddy clothes and people will feel compelled to dress up once more.

We can dream.

 

[herringbonekid]

i don't see the influence of the dot.com boom as being significant.
in Britain young people started wearing sportswear and trainers en masse in the mid 80s, WAY before the dot.com boom. the origin ? lad culture on the one hand as exemplified by brands such as Fred Perry, and hip hop on the other. then you had the ongoing influence of various youth culture dress codes such as punk, new romantic, goth, the 'Madchester' bands, grunge etc all of which happened before the internet existed in everyone's life. when i worked in London in the early 90s people in design studios and ad agencies basically wore the same things they do today, the same level of casualness. the mythic dot.com boom hadn't happened then; the absorption of youth culture dress codes into the mainstream had.

 

[Edward]

i don't see the influence of the dot.com boom as being significant.
in Britain young people started wearing sportswear and trainers en masse in the mid 80s, WAY before the dot.com boom. the origin ? lad culture on the one hand as exemplified by brands such as Fred Perry, and hip hop on the other. then you had the ongoing influence of various youth culture dress codes such as punk, new romantic, goth, the 'Madchester' bands, grunge etc all of which happened before the internet existed in everyone's life. when i worked in London in the early 90s people in design studios and ad agencies basically wore the same things they do today, the same level of casualness. the mythic dot.com boom hadn't happened then; the absorption of youth culture dress codes into the mainstream had.

True. What the dot com thing did, though, IMO, was to mainstream awareness of an existent trend in certain business sectors. Suddenly the magazines with "top richest / most successful" etc lists were dominated by photos of people like Steve Jobs and their "look at ,em, me so cool, me wear jeans EVERYWHERE!" mentality. It'd be interesting to see when things start to change in the creative industries - that'll be where the next wave starts, imo.

 

[nihil]

Considering the "lifespan" of previous distinctive looks in professional life, I think it's very natural that the look changed towards something different. The casualisation might even be a natural development from the looks of the past.

 

[CountryGent]

I was listening to a quiz on the radio this morning. Of the four morning show hosts only one could name the components of a three piece suit! (I would think, that even if they didn't know, that they could guess.) The next question was, "What do you tie with a windsor knot?". Two of the four knew (or guessed) that answer.

 

[Fifty150]

There was a time when so many sneakers came with Velcro, that we all thought that nobody would know how to tie a shoe anymore.

 

[samtemporary]

Had to fly this week. What people wore to the airport was, of course, appalling. Other than a few good old boys from Texas wearing 10-gallons, I was the only one in a suit and fedora. Many people in pajamas, though. :eusa_doh:

 

[MisterGrey]

Had to fly this week. What people wore to the airport was, of course, appalling. Other than a few good old boys from Texas wearing 10-gallons, I was the only one in a suit and fedora. Many people in pajamas, though. :eusa_doh:

Considering the way airport security has gotten in recent years, I don't blame them.

 

[Shangas]

I agree with Mr. Grey.

The state of "airport security" these days just doesn't make it worthwhile to dress up and travel anymore.

 

[rue]

Had to fly this week. What people wore to the airport was, of course, appalling. Other than a few good old boys from Texas wearing 10-gallons, I was the only one in a suit and fedora. Many people in pajamas, though. :eusa_doh:

I'm actually old enough to remember people dressing up to get on a plane. How sad that no one cares anymore.

 

[Old Rogue]

I'm actually old enough to remember people dressing up to get on a plane. How sad that no one cares anymore.

Back in the 90's I always wore a suit when flying for business. Most of my coworkers thought it was a strange habit. I distinctly remember that the airline employees always seemed to treat me with a little extra courtesy compared to passengers who were dressed down. I guess I caved to pressure, although I don't dress sloppily, I have backed it down to something like a nice pair of chinos and an open collar shirt.

 

[Edward]

Back in the 90's I always wore a suit when flying for business. Most of my coworkers thought it was a strange habit. I distinctly remember that the airline employees always seemed to treat me with a little extra courtesy compared to passengers who were dressed down. I guess I caved to pressure, although I don't dress sloppily, I have backed it down to something like a nice pair of chinos and an open collar shirt.

There was a time flying through Belfast especially in a suit I was never pulled over, whereas the one time I wore a leather jacket, I was pulled up at every single "random"check....

 

[Old Rogue]

There was a time flying through Belfast especially in a suit I was never pulled over, whereas the one time I wore a leather jacket, I was pulled up at every single "random"check....

I've had similar experiences. Odd how "random" checks are never quite random....

 

[Kirk H.]

I agree with Mr. Grey.

The state of "airport security" these days just doesn't make it worthwhile to dress up and travel anymore.

I agree too

[video=youtube_share;xNA2y_tNy5Y]http://youtu.be/xNA2y_tNy5Y[/video]

I hope this does not offend anyone.