I'm going to buck the tide a bit and say that there is nothing good about being overdressed for an event or place. It makes one look like a tourist, or a fogie, or both. Some of the advice being given on another thread about dressing for certain cafes in SF will, if taken, result in the OP's looking like a rube who doesn't get out much.
Sorry to sound harsh, but part of dressing well is dressing for the times.

NewbE, how is that bucking the tide here? I've seen several people express the same thing even giving examples, but I haven't seen anyone say it is good to OVERDRESS for an event.

If you are talking about someone wearing a coat and tie in a nice restaurant where it really isn't necessary and many don't, surely you don't call that "overdressing". If people look at a businessman who happened to meet his wife for a nice dinner still wearing a business suit in a nice restaurant (or even in a sports bar for that matter) and people take him for a "rube" then those people have a much worse problem than those bothered by sloppy dress in a nice restaurant.
Now if you're talking about evening gown and tuxes in a neighborhood restaurant, that's another matter.

Or are you saying a businessman SHOULD go home and get more casual before going out to a plain but nice restaurant, but it's fine for a painter or a mechanic to go to dinner there in his work clothes?

OK, forget about the tide, I'm not bucking anything. Perhaps what I should be saying is that it's pointless to generalize.

I really dislike dressing up. I'm 55 and plan on never putting on another pair of panty hose. Ever.

I do have a couple of skirts that I wear on the rare occasion I find myself in a city and heading out to a 'nice' restaurant.

I don't own any dress shoes with toes. I guess I think nice sandals are ok where I go.

I live in a college town, vacation in places like Key West, where shorts and t-shirts aren't frowned on, even in the nicesr restaurants.

And will retire in a couple years to Belize, where the mottos is 'No shirt, no shoes, no problem'.

Works for me.

Even though I like casual clothing, I do think that we have gotten carried away with dressing down. People these days go to funerals, weddings, job interviews, work and nice restaraunts looking like total slobs. Making the effort to dress up a little more for certain events shows respect. It would be nice if people dressed up more for these occasions and it would be a nice change of pace from all of the flip flops and ball caps I see. Boring.

"Well I'm not quite 40, but I find myself dressing better as I get older."

It's called maturing. Once upon a time this was considered a good thing. Now apparently it's considered acceptable for people in their 40s and 50s to dress like (badly dressed) teenagers.

"no shirt, no shoes, no problem".

Good for you. But if I sat next to this in a restaurant it WOULD be a problem for me:

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/...AtComputer.jpg

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww! Patrick! that picture is GROSS! :-&

I need some bleach eyewash STAT. I also need some meds to rid that image out of my brain, and some anti-emetic as I'm throwing up all over my keyboard! I think I may have nightmares tonight....

10am PST, too early to take a peek at Patrick's link-sounds like I'd be sorry anyway.

JeanH, I'm with you..open toe sandals/shoes are a way of life these days, and pantyhose? You mean that barbaric form of isometric exercise (putting them on) is still around?

Neo,
Isn't that a picture of one of our infamous east coast posters?

Where do you ever find this priceless stuff - ROFL

I thought it WAS Patrick...?! lol

It may be the proud owner of the (self proclaimed) 50" waist.

Gross picture!! Funny though. Some things are just meant to be covered up......

The Roman Catholic Church in America has a terrible problem in dressing down. Some people come to church dressed in the same clothes that they'd mow the lawn in or lounge on the back deck. I've seen young ladies go up for Communion with exposed belly buttons and upper buttocks and well-exposed upper breasts. I actually ushered with a guy who often came to church with blue jeans with paint all over them.

As for restaurants, men shouldn't be wearing hats inside. Big turnoff.

Now I'm really insulted. How could anyone think that picture was me? It doesn't look anything like me. I have gray hair!

LOL Patrick, that was uhm gross!

GeorgeW, the worse dressed person I believe I ever saw was at Mass. He was sitting in one of the back pews and so was in the communion line for quite awhile. He was about the size of the fellow in the photo Patrick posted. He had on a pair of overalls (is that the right word..the bib attached to the pants), no shirt and the pants were cut off to just about an inch below his underpants (assuming he wore underpants of course). Oh, he wore white atheletic shoes with brown socks that came up to the calves of his legs. I can only assume the poor man had a mental problem.

Personally I have always loved clothes and do wish that people dressed up more then they have these last years. But all I ask is "just cover up your body" so to speak, lol.

Gosh, it would never occur to me to care one way or the other what other people in a restaurant are wearing.

This is a very interesting thread--enjoyed reading the whole thing!

Here are a few thoughts/reactions/opinions in no particular order:

Many people equate dressing down with being a slob, which frankly doesn't make sense to me. One can be "dressed down" and stil look very sharp, neat, whatever, and the opposite is true too: people who are "dressed up" but don't look put together.

Somewhere in early childhood, it must have gotten established in people's minds that a "skirt" was dressier than "pants." But really, you have to take into account fabric, accessories, footwear, the whole picture, in determining who is "dressier"--the woman in the wrinkled cotton skirt with her slip showing, a spot on her ill-fitting blouse, and scuffed shoes, or the one in the beautiful jacket, tailored dress jeans, and great shoes?

Once at Tru, a place that requires jacket and tie for men, a man in my party was made to put his jacket back on despite the heat. That was my last visit to Tru!!!

I had no idea people were so obsessed about seeing other people's toes! I mean, what is wrong with open shoes, sandals, etc., with a nice pedicure? And have these people ever tried to buy evening shoes that were NOT strappy, sandal-y things??

A number of people said they relaxed their dress standard when traveling, but how is that OK? Maybe everyone they see that they consider underdressed has equally compelling reasons? And why are cotton pants per se better than jeans?

Finally, Miss Manners herself defines asparagus as a finger food!

Must just be me as I read these posts but I would rather be slightly overdressed than underdressed for an event. Guess I am the odd one here.