"My D’s wore the shorter shorts (not gym shorts) with silk tops and fashionable flip-flops for their really casual restaurant look.:
And I think that’s the point - a girl running around campus could also wear shorter shorts with a nicer top and fashionable flip-flops - and STILL be casual and comfortable for her orientation - but it would “work” more places than the gym shorts.
Again, this is not some crime against humanity - an 18 yo girl with a cute figure can get away with pretty much anything!
My attitude is very simple - if it’s not a job interview/some sort of professional event/or some sort of obviously formal event, and you are not wearing anything offensive or showing too much skin, you should wear whatever you want. I actually do enjoy dresses and wear them, but I wouldn’t want/care/expect for someone else to wear them.
By the way, not at all a fan of the short shorts trends, even though I have the legs to wear them - I will take my longer shorts, thanks. Also not a fan of ‘fashionable’ flip flops. I love my Tevas - they are great, comfortable, make my feet and knees feel great, let me walk fast/run, if I need to - just don’t restrict my movement. I wear them with everything, including my shorts and summer dresses.
I would have no issue flying, eating, or going to the store in athletic shorts - I live and work in NYC.
“Business casual” still leaves ambiguity for men. However, it should be relatively simple to tell men what the expected dress in a given business environment (not constrained by functional or uniform requirements) is by level of formality or casualness (though possibly the shirt and trousers may be at different levels):
"Well, good thing no one was talking about expecting anyone to wear a dress! "
Dresses was just an example that’s been brought up a lot in this thread. My point was that if I invited a friend to dinner, I wouldn’t care if they wore shorts and a t-shirt.
In fact, just a few weeks ago a friend took me to dinner after a race to celebrate - you can guess what I was wearing
While I’m sure this looked nice, it’s hard to find anything silk that can go in both the washer and dryer.
In my experience, any garment brought to college that needs to be dry cleaned, hand washed, or even hung up or spread out to dry after being machine washed rarely gets worn. So a college student might want a different look.
The funny thing about the Nike Tempo shorts (and I have owned some in the past) is that, as my local Fleet Feet owner/merchandise buyer said, “They really aren’t the most flattering shorts on anyone!” She has a good eye for style, too. I know they are very popular, though.
My husband frequently wears shorts on planes. As a Texan, he wears shorts whenever possible. I never fly in shorts- I freeze on planes. Otherwise, I would not hesitate to wear nice shorts on a domestic flight to a warm climate.
Marian- if you don’t know if your flats are cute or not, I can pretty much assure you that they are NOT!
Yes, my college age D wouldn’t wear Bermuda shorts. D would’ve packed a sundress or nice jeans and top. I brought up the Bermuda shorts just to illustrate that all shorts are not created equal. It’s not the shorts, it’s the look that matters. To some people just about anything goes. Others, like me, still believe that there is appropriate dress for different occasions. And in my book, athletic shorts are usually not appropriate dress for dinner at a restaurant.
I know you said in your experience…, but this made me chuckle. Say this to pretty much half of my wardrobe. The majority of my everyday shirts are delicates and their care has never put a damper on me wearing them. I’m not even sure I fully dry clothes aside from my towels and a few rough and tumble shirts. Additionally, there are plenty of college girls and guys who are able to wear clothes that need a bit of extra care aside from a wash and tumble dry.
The girl likely had no idea that she would be dragged along to drinks and diner with friends of friends of her parents. She packed for a two day orientation at her college and her family was graciously invited out but it wasn’t, I’m sure, on her radar when she was packing. The parents asked about dress code and told their hostess that the kid only had two pair of Tempos and 3 tees (2 of which were likely dirty.) They were told that she would be fine wearing what she wore on the plane . . . so she did.
“To some people just about anything goes. Others, like me, still believe that there is appropriate dress for different occasions. And in my book, athletic shorts are usually not appropriate dress for dinner at a restaurant.”
Exactly. This isn’t about casual. This is about athletic shorts specifically.
Here’s another example: My H lives in scrubs. But if he comes home and we’re about to go run errands or go to dinner - even casual - he’ll put on jeans and a t-shirt (and knowing him, both will be 20 years old, lol). It has nothing to do with formality - we’re talking casual diners, running to Sam’s Club or Home Depot - it has to do with scrubs, like workout gear, being something that isn’t typically appropriate dress outside the specific context.
Did she even know this dinner was happening? It sounded to me like they were already there for the orientation when they were invited over, only to find that the daughter didn’t have clothes the OP deemed appropriate. I wouldn’t blame her for not packing an outfit for an outing she didn’t know existed. She probably thought she was just going to her orientation, not going out to a nice restaurant with her parents’ “friend of a friend.” If you have particular standards about dress codes, then you need to tell people beforeally they come. Yes, I know some people think you should always pack a “just in case” outfit, but I don’t think it’s fair to expect someone else to. I once visited my family back home, only to have my mother tell me that we were taking a family picture. I had pretty much only brought jeans and t-shirts because I wasn’t expecting to do any thing other than hang out with friends and family. So I went out and bought something to wear for the picture. Not the end of the world, and I never would have thought to pack something “just in case.”
If she knew about the dress code before they came to town, then I agree with others that “really casual” might have been the problem there. In my mind, “really casual” does not equal a sundress or nice pants.
But as for whether wearing shorts and a t-short is appropriate for orientation and a plane ride, unless there’s a dress code, sure, why not? I don’t see anything wrong with it, but I also dress very casually. Neither are exactly formal or even professional events. I doubt she looked out of place in either situation. No need to look down your nose at people who don’t adhere to your standards of dress.
@Niquii77 - My D is the same way. She washes over half of her clothes on “delicate” and hangs them on a drying rack in her dorm room. Now ironing…that’s a different story.
Wow- the OP probably never guessed that a little pair of Nike shorts could cause such a stir! While I do try to dress nicely when I go out -casual usually but put together- what others do is their business. I guess it is just not that important to me how other people decide to dress (unless the outfit is outrageously inappropriate as in shorts that are so short that body parts are hanging out). Nothing to get so riled up over.
Overt hedge, I have those Cache Bermuda shorts in navy. Glad you approve. I’m in my 60’s, and wouldn’t expect a young gal to wear them. I now feel comfortable enough to run errands after the gym, but all my pants are just past the knees.
As an old school person, I would not travel in shorts, as I don’t want somebody else rubbing up against my legs. I have worn denim skirts. I also travel with one nicer outfit, which could be a nice top or sweater, as going out to dinner can be expected. I notice my son and his g/f always visit with at least one nicer outfit.
MArion, I showed my niece my new bathing suits, and she was too polite to say ‘ugh’, but I could tell I made a mistake. We joked about the shop having great salespeople. Niece got 3 suits there. This store only sells swimwear, and a saleswoman will spend an hour with a customer.
