Have we gotten TOO casual?

I am old enough to remember dressing up for air travel. Not dainty hats and white gloves dressing up, but still suits or dresses and nice shoes. And paper menus for the meal choices! I think I still have the first one in a box somewhere in the basement. It was an airline that no longer exists (Eastern), and I remember the menu had a picture of a sunset on it. Fancy!

Fast forward to 2025, and on a recent airport layover I saw (and smelled) people with their shoes off in the airport. Now, I’m not one for wearing uncomfortable shoes. Post COVID, I’ve had dress heels on maybe twice a year. I also have expanded (pun intended!) my trove of stretchy athleisure (is that word in the Scrabble dictionary yet?) wear, searching for the ultimate in comfort. (But also with pockets–see previous post on that topic.) But when did it become okay to take off our shoes in public places?

I read an editorial several years ago that has stayed with me, about past generations who stayed dressed up all day. Someone rings the doorbell at 8 pm? No worries, mom is still in her dress, pearls and stockings; dad is still in his suit (although his tie may be loosened). We are ready for visitors! Not so today. Of course, we hardly ever wear suits or dresses anymore, even to work, or concerts, or shows. (We don’t really get unexpected guests either, thanks to the ease of communication by cell phone/text/instant message/anything but in person, but I digress.) I do like to be comfortable, but I’ve actually found myself dressing up a little more lately.

There is something empowering about dressing your best. I may never wear panty hose again (they are so 90s!), but I do like to look nice, and find myself looking for excuses to dress up. Church? For sure. Dinner out? Of course. Play or concert? That deserves a step up. I’m not just dressing up for me, I’m also showing respect for whatever event I’m attending, and the people attending with me. I think that idea has been lost somewhere through time, as we’ve become more and more focused on comfort and less on how our actions–or dress–are perceived by others.

This is not a social commentary, merely an observation, along with a personal choice. I do wear yoga pants a large percentage of the time (I even have “dressy” yoga pants!), although I don’t actually practice yoga. And if you come by my home too early in the morning or too late after dinner, it’s possible I will still/already be in my pajamas. But I’m starting to dress up more for events, realizing that the confidence boost is worth the slightly less comfortable clothes. I’m not the only one–I’ve been to a couple of concerts recently where I noted several young ladies in floor length gowns. Seated near others wearing jeans and sweatshirts.

I am not advocating a return to the dress habits of the 1950s, nor am I suggesting that people should obsess about what others think of their wardrobe choices. I also don’t think that we all need to dress alike or worry about being ostracized for our fashion decisions. But I admit that it brings me joy to dress up, and to see others dressed up. And I do think that, for the most part, we should keep our shoes on in the airport.