A Sign of the Times

Recently, B and I went to Lawry's the Prime Rib Restaurant in Beverly Hills, CA for dinner. They have several locations worldwide including Las Vegas, NV which I have been to as well. At both locations there is a lot of consistency. The waitress is always cheerful and does magic with the spinning bowl salad, the prime rib is delicious, and the corn is perfectly creamy.

Mmm...Lawry's

But this last time we went something was different and it had nothing to do with the restaurant but rather the clientele.

We do dress nicely but not all out fancy when we go to Lawry's. I'll put on a dress and heels and B will put on slacks and a shirt with a tie.

But while we were waiting for a table we saw people dressed in very casual clothes. I saw a lady in cropped jeans and bright tennis shoes sitting with legs wide open in the lounge. I can't even begin to describe how many flowers had a hangover and puked all over her top. Her kids were running around and eating up all of the meatballs (they're really good!) in their basketball shorts and tennis shoes. Then in walked some people who were around my age that we wearing torn up jean shorts and flip flops.

Example casual and horribly mismatched attire
Not photographed at a restaurant but at an airport for illustrative purposes.
Gentlemen, don't ever wear your dress socks like this.

Lawry's has a dress code and it is stated on their website for each of their locations.

We recommend attire that is befitting a special occasion restaurant. We strongly request no tank tops, torn jeans, shorts, hats and casual gym wear.

http://www.lawrysonline.com/lawrys-primerib/beverly-hills/general-info

Granted, it merely says "recommend" and "strongly request." But does it really hurt you to dress up a little nicely for dinner these days? You aren't expected to be white tie or anything because you're gonna be forking and knifing steak. 

After we got seated in the main dining room and watching other patrons go to their tables (some appropriately dressed and some not) we actually brought it up with our waitress. She said it was basically a sign of the times. Lawry's of Beverly Hills has been around since the 1960s and back then they really did enforce the dress code. Today the culture is a lot more casual. She even compared West Coast attire to East Coast attire. I agree that in Southern California people do tend to be a lot more casual. Women do their errands and shopping in workout attire here. I believe that is fine, but not at a nicer sit down restaurant. 

For the restaurant it is also a business decision. With the general population being a lot more casual do you serve more people in one night or do you enforce the dress code and serve less people? Hence I believe that is why the dress code on the website is only strongly requested and not actually enforced. 

Is it really that hard and too much effort for people to dress for the occasion? Are we just becoming slobs with the way we are seen in public? Do we not care? 

I feel that you should be respectful of the setting of the place you are going to. Your manner of dress affects your behavior and when you are out in public it affects other people too. And you, lady with the flower puke top, became a conversation piece at our table. 

I think it is a little sad that people will pay over $60 for a meal and not want to be dressed a little more nicely. Then are people who are of the camp that argue, "I am paying for my dinner. I should be allowed to be as comfortable as possible." 

We're people. Let's have some decency.