The District of Columbia is a tourist destination, especially in summer, and there were lots of folks wandering the streets in the official uniform of tourism: shorts and t-shirts. Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with this choice of attire. DC is bloody hot and humid and one does what one must to be comfortable on the walk between the museums and the monuments.
But out to dinner is another thing altogether. We had just sat down at the bar when two couples walked in for a drink while they waited for their table. The women were dressed appropriately for a nice restaurant dinner: One was in a dress and strappy heels, carrying a shawl in case she was seated under an air conditioning vent; the other was in a pair of trousers and a blouse. The men wore shorts: One, a pair of plaid shorts and a camp-style shirt with a hipster, woven hat (which he wore throughout their dinner); the other wore a pair of satin finish, below the knee basketball shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off.
We were all seated together at the bar. They ordered drinks (a tequila shot and a beer for Mr. Sleeveless; proseco for his (presumed) wife; Club Soda with lime for the lady in the trousers, nothing for Mr. PorkPie.). They seemed perfectly nice. But I couldn't get past the men's attire.
It seems to me that if one's date is wearing a dress and heels, it is inappropriate and disrespectful to wear gym or yard-work attire--especially out to dinner and especially if it is ragged. Further, a sleeveless t-shirt exposes far too much of one's body to other guests trying to enjoy their squid ink capellini with PEI mussels. I mean really, must I be faced with some guy's hairy shoulders and armpits while trying to eat? And, then there is Mr. PorkPie. Seriously, dude, lose the hat indoors. This bit of decorum seems to be lost in the days since men routinely wore hats and were routinely taught to take the damned thing off indoors.
Is this a gender issue? I don't think so. If one of the women were wearing a sleeveless top, I wouldn't have objected. But if it were a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, as this was, I would still have objected. It's simply not appropriate in my book to go to a nice restaurant wearing ragged clothing.
The chef, an old family friend, came out to say hello about halfway through the meal. The look on his face when he spied the couples at their table--they had been injudiciously seated right at the front of the indoor dining area of the restaurant--was priceless. I suppose the hostess and most of the front-of-the-house staff heard about it later. This was their error. But management must set the standards of dress, advertise them on the website, advise nearby hotel concierges, and enforce those standards at the door. Otherwise, this lovely restaurant may as well be a sports bar.
