I know this was kind of long but I wanted to get some of thoughts out their on the whole americans dressing like slobs issue. I agree with you, Anonymous. When people were invited onstage at a recent performance of Penn & Teller on Broadway, many women looked as if they had stepped out of a jazzercise class, while men ambled around in hideous cargo shorts. Dressing bad is one thing but smelling like a dirty dogs bed. no excuse. Society needs a generous dose of respectability. Yuck. I don't consider the Kardashians a good example of the point you're trying to make, because a lot of what they wear is trampy. At the airport, many fliers appear ready for bed in their saggy sweatpants or even pajamas. Go Retro is about celebrating the retro, and that means appreciating what people used to look like before these over the top trends took hold. Most 9f us are the work horses that keep the system going, that's all. Lived a couple of years in Japan. This is a lot like what happened to the car industry in America during the 70s. It's also due to the usage of technology and exposure to the information sewer which is the internet. Having said that, I wholeheartedly agree with you; the absolute laziness and sloppiness of people (including, but not limited to, prospective employees) appalls me. I get "dressed up" to go out. Having said that, I mean no copyright infringement by the posting of pictures, videos, etc. And have you seen those hideous khaki-jogger pants that the younger millennials are wearing now? Dress for Failure: Americans Look Like Slobs - The Feehery Theory People used to take decent care of both dress&their bodies,years ago. One would think this common sense, but evidently it's a mystery to those at the management level. People looking like potato sacks. Very neat and put together. Appearance is the first thing we all notice, and many people still do use that when making judgments about each other. It's no different than plastic surgery -- getting a bump smoothed out on your nose is one thing, but transforming yourself with multiple surgeries into a human Barbie (or Ken) doll is quite another. Help! I'm optimistic for the 2020s to see if we will see a fashion renaissance. That way they could develop a sloppy style that could be made for very little money and sell clothes for a lot of money. I go to my local library; instead of handing my items to a waiting librarian to check them out for me, as I once used to do, I am now made to do it myself. I'm not asking that every man dress like Don Draper and go to work wearing a suit, tie, and hat (but us ladies would certainly not complain if the working world looked like that again; just saying.) W, omen notice certain things when they first see a man--his eyes, his smile, his shoulders. A colleague who used to work at the Neue Galerie a museum housed in a former Vanderbilt mansion would see visitors in cutoffs. Most people took pride in looking their best and dressing for success. It doesn't cost hundreds or thouands of dollars to wear clothing that doesn't look as though it functions for bedtime wear. Very true&very depressing. Slob Nation: Why Do So Many People Today Dress Like Hobos in Public? I was feeling special. Women look like hell aside from the FAT, poorly dressed, bad attitude, no makeup face, greasy hair, body odor, fifty earrings in their ears. If Justin Bieber gets twenty tattoos on his body, then this must be okay and cool for the young and dumb kids to do. Clothes have gotten cheaper, tackier, and minimal in variety. This was some fifteen years ago. I think it's so sad how sloppy Americans have become, even when they dress casually. To judge from Professor Przybyszewski's students, her one-woman crusade to rescue the nation from its own sloppiness is bearing fruit. I love to dress casually myself and it would be pretty ridiculous to don a dress and gloves to pick up milk and bread, like they did in the 1950s. I'm a guy and I feel like you about this issue. Blah! Its very obviousThey look pleasant and situationally appropriate. However, the sad part is that we are now supposed to believe that such public obscenities are to be humored, or accept them for what they choose to be. Some might say I'm being snooty, superficial, judgmental--and maybe even a bully for having this opinion. I have made a vow: I dont care how old and arthritic I become (and I already do have a very damaged, arthritic knee) I will not dress like a frumpy old mess to go out to a theater. Hmm, interesting points. They have already been forgotten and more mass shootings will inevitably follow. People at my age with several tacky tattoos, girls with half of their heads shaved, boys only wearing basketball shorts and baggy t-shirts. I'm 69 and think some people who dress like slobs have mental health issues. Half the time you cant figure it out. Sadly, you are right, only now we have miraculous technology instead of religion. Love your observations, Doug. But I can't help feeling that there are too many dirty ingredients in the melting pot now. Basic common sense, and yes, it seems like most people dress without it now. I'm not saying that I think all men should be wearing gray flannel suits or that all women should be wearing Paris dresses like they did in the conformist 1950s. Some conservative commentators and celebrities began calling for a boycott of Bud Light after the beer was featured in a social media promotion by a transgender influencer, Dylan . It's truly revolting and frankly, seems dangerous--you're just asking for an infection. The wealthier people here dress in a different way than the middle and lower middle class people. Going to the grocery store especially when I'm inundated with foul dress. It's not a question of money, but of class, as in the way you present yourself in public. I really hope this trend does not continue into the 2020s. I try to look as good as possible when out in public. And its not just at the theater where folks have simply stopped trying: Offenders turn up at the Metropolitan Opera in Crocs. Why would you want to emulate a style that's notoriously associated with gangs and criminals? The status marker . Someone on Facebook (not a fan of the blog's page, but another page who shared it) took offense at the post and said people don't have enough money to afford food with this economy, let alone proper clothing. They totally remain the property of their respective owners. Smoking: Three homeless people from South Ferry doss houses are in Battery Park on June 6, 1941. The rise of casual style. Its all about money, many do not have the means, i get it, ive been poor too, but i never looked like a mentally ill hobo. And no, not all of them have a thyroid issue or medication causing itit's what they're choosing to eat. Like someone commented above, its sad that you would be looked at funny for wearing a suit with a fedora because you like to look nice. s-a-h-d. Another excellent post! I know I'm late. You're only displaying that you're a dumb ass who thinks he is invulnerable to getting pneumonia. That training reflected in my life. People should pay attention to keeping up appearances instead of rotting their minds with the unsrestricted use of technology. Both of my parents grew up in thrifty households, but my grandparents always made sure they and their siblings had appropriate clothing to wear to school, church, etc. Yes, You Need to Dress Better Than You Do. At least they were clean. take the Kardashians, for instance. Thirty year olds having the mind set of a 15 year old. Unless they are a Doctor, all are dressed like trash. What happened to the days when you had to go out "dressed appropriately"? Speaking of strange body piercings, has anyone seem the disturbing trend online which may or may not be Photoshopped where people are piercing the sides of their faces and expanding the holes so that you can see their teeth? \: Yes Pam, I think you are completely right when you say that these businesses are trying to save a dime at the expense of customer service and shave their labor costs. For my entire life, I have dressed well and spent very little money. Because of fear of communism, all kinds of social organizing has been discouraged, and now they are reaping the rewards. Pajamas belong in the bedroom not at the store. For a clue, its name ends in "Garden." That really got 'em going. I'm not sure what dressing down has to do with Trump or mass shootings. when running errands, by the way. People nowadays don't appreciate quality and style. This nonsense needs to stop right now. I'm of the generation called "Millenials," which is a label that I dislike, since it seems to imply that my generation is lost and stupid, or at least that's how I perceive it. Quite absurd and totally devoid of fashion. Each person is in essence lonely. Look at what's being sold in the stores, and there's your answer. I went out today to go clothes shopping, hence being on this site now. Even bums on the street have digital devices, as though to be without one is the ultimate comedown in our culture of automatons. Now I see twenty somethings who, when trying to wear semi-formal or business attire, are doing so in the wrong way, such as leaving the shirt untucked, or wearing sneakers with a suit, etc. It's quite repulsive. You can see what this means by tuning into Judge Judy and looking at how far down the tubes America has really gone in the last 20-30 years! I went to a department store and wandered around browsing in the clothing section. Women should never wear leggings - if only they can see how awful they look in it, or maybe they know but it is what the stores want you to buy so they all buy the same crap. People have cast off classical beauty and age old esthetics for what they think is the new thing, when it really is the old abnormal. I believe that people feel better about themselves, perform better, enhance their credibility and create their own good luck by looking their best.Thank you for an interesting and important post, Pam! Shady has it right, you feel better about yourself when you are "looking your best". Hi, I'm Pam - thanks for visiting Go Retro! I was beginning to think i was just a grumpy ole buzzard. It has to do with self respect. Public slobbiness started earlier than you noted. Even working class people (which I am) used to take pains to dress as best they could for special occasions, such as church or going out to dinner. That quote must be extended today to both sexes. Whatever the reason, I refuse to believe that lack of money is the main cause for dressing like slobs. We get very nice clothes. I remember as a kid we dressed up to go out, even if it was to an A&W. The people don't try to look their best because they live inside a marxist fever dream where everyone is their best buddy and everyone is so very equal. So many people here just covered in tattoos. This explained all the jamming issues and stoppages they continually experienced during the contact we were engaged in. All you could find was dotted bras, leopard patterns and colors like orange and green an purple, but notam something as classic as ordinary white. But high culture isnt the only victim. I'd say it was around the late 1990s that people gradually started slacking off more and more in the wardrobe department, perhaps due to the widespread adoption of casual Fridays in the workplace (which eventually became casual Monday through Friday) and the rise of the dotcom industry, with its laid back company culture (which allowed people to ride scooters inside the office; I worked for one of these places myself.) This is what modern technology has wrought. The store thanked me for reporting this and said they would take care of the problem. Variety is the spice of life. Even in the court house, I asked my attorney (suit and tie as with most of the men) females working there with bare legs and tattoos that actually think they look good? They would judge you because you are not a mindless sheep buying the latest leggings at Victoria's secret or not dressing like a hipster. No one would ever consider me overdressedor overeducated, for that matterbut if I am now regarded as well-dressed . Anyways, thanks for stopping by! Then there are the so-called mens suits, again, made from cheap, chinese polyester fiber with no wool. During my childhood in the 1950s, the manner of dress was much more formal than it is today. but also afraid because we might continue some of the trends from this decade into the 2020s. Ridiculous! At the end of our meal, the waitress brought back the little computer monitor to my table. You know, older people here are mature and appropriate, while younger. Another depicts him clutching a Juul, the millennial e-cig of choice. Good for you for making the effort to look nice! I recently went out to dine a "chain Italian" restaurant that shall be nameless, but is one that is very popular and is nationwide. And it has become harder to differentiate who works at these stores and who is really the customer. No wonder everybody from Patti LuPone on down is complaining that nobody knows how to behave anymore: If you dress like a child, chances are you're going to act like one. She wanted to buy a white pair of women's underwear, but we couldn't find any. Respect has to be earned,it's not an entitlement. I just don't get the whole "grunge" look. The dress pants that were available were of cheap fabric, studded with rhinestones, and had fake pockets. You could move to new York, but then you have to be spending some serious cash on clothes and probably a style consultant as well to stay with the trends. Their pants are slimmer than that staple of American men's closets, chino pants. I've bitched about this topic many times. There really is no excuse for it,except that people are'nt taught to dress better by parents or media. )From my first office job in the mid-1980s up to 2000, I always had one suit in the cleaners, 2-3 "work suits" in my closet & 1-2 "good suits". It is such complete bullshit to try to blame the way that people dress on a lack of money. I do; a little mans suit with shiny black shoes, a little fake kerchief, and a perfect coiffure. I've complained on here before about the way people--Americans in particular--dress today, but the topic is worth revisiting. It's hard to look good in anything,if you look like a beached whale,both men&women. Also, I realize that appearance isn't everything and that personality has to be accounted for when recognizing nice people. When will a renaissance begin? I don't look like a slob. Oh, and the "language", notice the level of profanity that is mostly bleeped out, radio, TV, etc..Great topic, Pam! Comedian Bill Maher questioned why celebrities and Democrat politicians do not address issues like the Black-on-Black crime wave in cities such as Chicago. Even the mod youth culture of 1960s England was made up of some pretty snazzy dressers(picture via. to look even worse? Its the norm to display how overweight you are and the tattoos youre covered in. Or if a lady wears attire that isn't masculine based, why, she is an oddity and the feminists will be on her for looking as women should (don't tell the PC police on me!) Yet, given enough time there may be a reaction to all this boorish behavior and sloppiness masquerading as fashion. This look ruins some nice designer made pants and you can't even sit properly in them without feeling tightness around your knees. I'm moving to Korea, where my length doesn't exist; I can't just buy more pants. Groups of people working side by side like work horses, but who don't connect and form a community. I am a male in my early thirties who has, or at least once had, a penchant for "dressing up", before the economy crashed. Where is the decency?I'll probably be "overdressed" in their eyes, but I intend on showing up to class in a nice dress and heels everyday with my hair neat in a braid. Regardless, my clothing fits me as it should and is clean. What does "dress like kids" even mean in this context? Even though Im retired, I still love to dress up and follow fashion. I said on here a few months back in another post that every day we're another day closer to the depressing world depicted in "WALL-E" where humans are so obese they are immobile and they suck their nutrition from cups all day while glued to computer screens. If you want to understand the cluelessness of the American male when it comes to dress, consider a recent Men's Wearhouse commercial in which a fellow freaks out simply because . People don't have any pride anymore. I wish more of us could understand that. The USA is being taken down on purpose..you really don't want to know what happens next..David. Give me a break. One goes to the grocery store and can use the self-checkout lane, yet human labor is still needed to oversee that we can, ironically, do it ourselves and not cheat or steal while doing so. Hi Pam, I've commented on this site before, and I thought I would give you an update as to how the thoughtless, ignorant masses are "behaving" in service restaurants these days. Yesterday, after I had come out of the Fred Meyers East store, I saw an idiot young adult male wearing a toddler-like once-piece pajamas with cartoon characters on them, heading towards the entrance. Loving the commentsBobby, I wonder if that travel guide you mention was responsible for starting the phrase "ugly American." Unless you have a personal tailor, probably at least 99% of clothing sold in what was once middle class retail stores is cheaply mass produced in some chinese sweat factory. Or darkly, is the past never to repeat, stagnating or spiraling down? It is actually commendable for someone of your age and generation to be tattoo-free. It seems nowadays that the only time people make an effort to dress up is when they HAVE to, like at job interviews, weddings, and funerals. Its not just younger people. Pam it is interesting you said that "everyone has their own idea of what is esthetically pleasing." I think dressing is a lot of fun and it's sad that more people don't see the fun in it. Bill Maher questions why Chicago's crime wave isn't addressed: 'Why are Loving the comments. Today, I still go out in public wearing decent-looking clothes. First, for a clue, I live in a town which is called "The Biggest Little City in the World," and which the comedienne Amy Schumer referred to as a "Dump." I know that times change, but why can't the so-called fashion people come up with a trend that acknowledges real style and class? All this nonsense with the jeans (mining and peasant trousers) started in the 70s with the rise of the left. Casual fashion was just starting to become socially acceptable but not allowed obscenities in public. I first wrote about the downfall of Victoria's Secret here a good 5 or 6 years ago, but the topic is worth revisiting. So much more profanity, sloppy appearances, uncouth behavior, tattoos, piercings, "Dr. Seuss" hair styles, and people just being rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. No one seems interested in it anymore. It's really gotten ugly out there, I am sorry to say, when I feel compelled to report these public obscenities now. The women often arent dressed much better; they tend to wear clothes that are either too baggy or much too small for them. These people are an eyesore and they're getting worse! If anyone ever invents a time machine, take me with you back to the past to where what once counted as good taste was not some rarity as it is now! Besides, at least in the town where I unfortunately dwell (It really sucks living here) I would probably experience cognitive dissonance should I "dress up", as a lot of persons have now adopted the "just got out of bed and am still in my jammies" look. Who dresses down to go to the doctors office? (Never mind the fact the photo I used showed a woman shopping for food in the grocery store.) It doesnt mean you have to be wealthy or thin. Never Yet Melted Why Americans Today Dress Like Slobs 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8, Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a subscriber? Coco Chanel once famously said, "Dress shabbily, and they remember the dress. Apparel is being displaced by travel, eating out and activitieswhat's routinely lumped together as "experiences"which have grown to 18 percent of purchases. I guess that this is supposed to be cute, to live in a so-called "culture" wherein manners and educated speech are for the dogs, and having an intellectual disposition is considered strange. When I go to the store now and look at the tags on the clothes, all I see is a lot of made in china but not enough of made in America. Among the cavalcade of pajama pants, tracksuits, nightgowns, painting rags, and ill-fitting sweatshirts that one encounters in the world's terminals and stations these days, the competently dressed. I wear classic hats but I'd never leave one on my head at at table, though I would look much better than the morons with ballcaps if I did. However, whenever I go out I at least bathe first and put on clean clothes. I sometimes feel like we are heading the wrong way and have thrown all common sense out the window. I should qualify my comment by stating that my work environment, while assigned a "suit-position", requires that I wear clothes more conducive to getting dirty, i.e., t-shirt, jeans and work shoes; my uniform of the day which is always clean and well fitting at least at the start of the day. I dont have to dress up to please you. I get turned off by the ugliness of tattoos and poorly and slovenly dressed people every time I go out. There was a young couple with a young child that i encountered in the elevator. Tell this to the same people who walk down the street with iPhone in one hand and Starbucks in the other. I find it off putting and want to tell these Hollywood and U.K. guys to spruce up and look like a successfully civilized person, not a digital age Neanderthal Man. Why do so many men dress like slobs? (fashion, washed, look) - Fashion In one image, he stands there in baggy, cornflower-blue track pants with mismatched sneakers and an unzipped cycling jersey. It's absolutely ridiculous. I saw no fewer than four men who were seated at tables or booths with grungy ballcaps firmly on their heads. On that related note, I don't get anyone that wears shorts in the winter. It was a privilege to wear jeans on Fridays, but now it seems we've gone to the other extreme, and in many offices the dress code is too lax ornonexistent. People go out these days looking as if they've never spent more than $10 on an article of clothing. and not to mention the tight down to the ankles pants, men and women look so stupid in them. 12 Celebs That Love To Dress Like Hobos | TheTalko It's wrong to call it "style" because obviously no thought or effort seem to go into women's hair today. Even attending church now seems more like a circus than actually being in church. Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference. When people who appear in front of millions on tv don't know how to wear a suit, then you can bet that Americans have a real problem with dressing right. But I can say this with a shudder: If I were a lesbian, I would not find this type of hideous look the least bit of a turnon. Well, if everyone is tattoooed then they all look the same, which is to say they all look like shit together. The smell was horrendous- parmesan cheese- him and her clad in ragged, ugly clothes, playing on their iphones. New York Post writer Elisabeth Vincentelli's rant on the growing slob population strikes a chord. Very good point. And to make my point, all one has to do is watch the Oscars and see how the celebrities turn up at the awards, with their goofy outfits, or with some men wearing SNEAKERS with their tuxedos. "My supervisor told me, 'Always dress up for Linda's class,. It appears to me, in my humble opinion, at least, that our society has given up apsiring and has accepted these debasements, and doesn't care about "keeping up appearances" at least for the sake of one's self respect. However, I continually wonder what the hell has happened to our country, with its sham "values" and its embrace of the ugly and hideous, whether it be in fashion, bodies, attitude, politics (don't get me started about Trump!) Do people dress like slobs today? Or were people 100 years ago just It gets so old, and it's just another reason why my opinion of society is beginning to drop.Im all for individuality and self-expression, and Im not suggesting that everyone needs to dress to impress when they leave the house. Years ago I wrote a post called "Why Are So Many Of Us So Fat?" Sure, everybody thinks that because they live in the United States of Moronica, have tattoos, piercings or want to look as though they have been living in a homeless encampment (even if they really don't) that this is freedom of expression. Female athletes haven't. SupaSaucy. The woman he was with had on shorts, tank-top, an un-zipped hooded sweat jacket and tenni-runners. I am sure there is some blame to be put on the top fashion designers who dictate what should be in fashion but come on, bring back real clothing.All this from Canada, I might add. As for ankle pants--what happens when winter hits? What you say is true, and as a New Zealander living in the UK, my impression is that the British are more careful about what they wear and many of my compatriots have slid down the same mucky hole as some Americans. I will not wear the rags. It also comes from a defiant attitude of I will be comfortable at all times no matter what, and f-you if you dont like it. So what's up with the overly-shaggy haired and bearded look in which famous men appear these days? That's not bullying, it's setting the standard. My father practically wore a coat and tie to mow the lawn. Too much soft-pedaling stuff/PC ,these days,is another part of the decline in class,IMHO. I refuse to look like a slob. Even wearing this which i don't think is overly flashy I stand out like a sore thumb in a decent size city amongst my age group and older ages. Even when I dont wear makeup or style my hair, I see to it that I am clean and presentable. According to a paper from Social Psychological and Personality Science, a certain number of subjects were instructed to wear casual clothing and formal clothing before taking intellectual tests. No, but I would except that people would dress in jeans with the shirt tucked in with a belt and nice dress shoes, is that so much to ask for? I have written a few comments here about it, and I fear that I am starting to sound like a broken record. It doesn't seem to matter how expensive the place is, either. As I live in a German speaking country I have also noticed that formal greeting is being more and more reduced. Just my 2^2/3 cents worth. How Did America Become a Nation of Slobs? - AEI Very well said&very true. As Maher pointed out in his on-air editorial, if you can afford $17.99 pajama bottoms with the Budweiser logo on them, then you can afford the $11.99 jeans at Target. For me, part of the appeal of going to such a restaurant (or other similar places, like the symphony) is the opportunity to dress up. Nowadays, the same type of store lets the employees wear whatever they choose, with tattoos and/or piecings unhidden. Take a look at television shows from the 1950s or at "Mad Men," and note how stylish people dressed when in public.