Just curious: Why do people not want to dress up?

[lovebug33]

I am not trying to flame anybody, but I am curious. Heck, I'm going to dress up nice every night of the cruise because I want to. There are so many posts about people not wanting to dress up, I'd just like to know why. TIA!

[cruise.freak]

I dress up everyday at work and on vacation I would rather dress casual. We still do dress up for formal night but I do not like wearing anything that fancy. I am a jeans and t-shirt person!

[esther e]

I am not trying to flame anybody, but I am curious. Heck, I'm going to dress up nice every night of the cruise because I want to. There are so many posts about people not wanting to dress up, I'd just like to know why. TIA!

 

Good question. I love to dress up and do! I'm also the one on the plane who never flies in jeans!!!!! Sure, I bring jeans on a cruise if the tour is one that requires them.

 

You will see me every night in something "special.":)

[seadancer]

I wear 3 piece suits everyday. No big deal for me but i do like my jeans just not on formal nights;)

[miami]

I am on vacation and have absolutely no desire to dress up. I want to relax and be comfortable.

 

I do not own any formal clothes and do not want to buy one just to wear once. Besides I would never get my DH into a suit.

[Jan_In_Maine]

I spent years wearing suits everyday and when I left the corporate world I vowed never to wear a suit again --- I am now "forever in blue jeans"

 

Except when we are on a cruise then I love to dress up - with bright colors and jewelry and pretty shoes, etc.

 

Everyone is an individual though, and I know if DH had his way he would be the one wearing jeans in the dining room ... its a good thing he listens to his wife!

 

To all - enjoy! Jan

[Joanne G.]

I got a kick out of dressing up on my first few cruises, but now the novelty has worn off. For one, there's the packing issue - I never want to take more luggage than what I can manage myself. (I'm single - no one to help schlep bags.) The formal duds and all the accessories take up a fair amount of luggage space and are less suitable for wearing more than once.

 

Another reason, also related to being singe - I cruise with my sister and brother-in-law or a woman friend, so there is none of the romance of dressing up for a partner. On Celebrity last summer, my friend and I were feeling a little silly getting all dressed up for our "date" with each other.

 

Lastly comfort - I will never agree with those who say formal clothes and dressy shoes can be as comfortable as casual clothes and shoes.

 

So, other things being equal, I will choose a cruise with casual dress options. If I end up on a more formal line for one reason or another, I'll pack the formal clothes and follow the guidelines. But it's not my first choice anymore.

[Lois R]

I got a kick out of dressing up on my first few cruises, but now the novelty has worn off. For one, there's the packing issue - I never want to take more luggage than what I can manage myself. (I'm single - no one to help schlep bags.) The formal duds and all the accessories take up a fair amount of luggage space and are less suitable for wearing more than once.

 

Another reason, also related to being singe - I cruise with my sister and brother-in-law or a woman friend, so there is none of the romance of dressing up for a partner. On Celebrity last summer, my friend and I were feeling a little silly getting all dressed up for our "date" with each other.

 

Lastly comfort - I will never agree with those who say formal clothes and dressy shoes can be as comfortable as casual clothes and shoes.

 

So, other things being equal, I will choose a cruise with casual dress options. If I end up on a more formal line for one reason or another, I'll pack the formal clothes and follow the guidelines. But it's not my first choice anymore.

 

Hi Joanne:)

I am single too so I also carry my own bags as well. I love dressing up

and have never had a problem packing. I bring 2 formal outfits

for a 7 night cruise. One suitcase and one carry-on bag.

Have always had room for everything I needed.;)

I don't feel like the novelty has ever worn off and

even my dressy clothes are comfortable:D I don't worry about

dressing up for a "date". It feels good to me just doing it

for myself...as I always sail solo.

 

Different strokes for different folks:)

[esther e]

I'm not single and haven't been for 48 years. That said, I dress for ME. My sweet DH wouldn't know if I had something on today that I wore yesterday. I love my clothes and want to wear them. The only time I "worry" about what I'm going to wear is next year to my 50th class reunion. You can be d**n sure I'm going to spend lots and lots of time in front of mirrors, deciding, choosing, picking, discarding.......:eek:

 

Esther

[madhouseinc]

I am not trying to flame anybody, but I am curious. Heck, I'm going to dress up nice every night of the cruise because I want to. There are so many posts about people not wanting to dress up, I'd just like to know why. TIA!

 

Since I retired I live in jeans and t-shirts - even when I worked it was a casual office - love the idea of doing something different and dressing up every nite and to the teeth on formal nights. The day I put in my reservation I started my spreadsheet of clothing I would bring that was 2 months ago and still have 83 days to go! :rolleyes: What I found was I could fold my formal wear in a smaller area than my casual clothing. Jeans take up a lot of room!

[digitalgirl]

My husband has never owned a suit, rented tuxes a couple of times for weddings. I talked him into buying a suit while we were at Walmart shopping for our first cruise. (Thank goodness they had suits, I would never have gotten him into a men's store)

I bought him a matching tie with his favorite football team on it.

He dressed up for the formal portraits. They all came out wonderful and we bought several to share.

He doesn't like to dress up but he will one night on the cruise for me!

I think there are just occasions it is polite to dress up, weddings, funerals and formal nights on a cruise.

Men think wearing a tie is so bad, try high heels, nylons and some of the dresses we wear. I'd love to wear a suit instead.

[caviargal]

I love clothes and enjoy looking and feeling my best. It matters not if I am travelling solo, with a friend, with my mom or with my DF.:)

 

Also, dressing for dinner has always been a special part of the cruise experience for me. My formal and informal attire for cruises is just as comfortable as any casual clothing I own. On casual nights, I dress as I would to a nice restaurant on land and that means a dress or skirt with heels or a nice pair of slacks and a pretty top. I feel good when I look good and I do it for me.

 

I enjoy dining in a nice restaurant with others who take the time to look nice much more than a chow down in a buffet with folks in jeans and shorts. It is not my style at home or on vacation. The apparent new trend of dressing down will never be something I adopt.

 

I also enjoy taking my time dressing for dinner in the cabin while leisurely sipping a martini or glass of wine. To have the luxury of time is truly a pleasure as well!

[madhouseinc]

I also enjoy taking my time dressing for dinner in the cabin while leisurely sipping a martini or glass of wine. To have the luxury of time is truly a pleasure as well!

 

You voiced my opinion big time!

jeri

[AZPam]

I certainly can relate to both sides of this issue. While I don't have to get very dressed up for work, much more casual for me, I do enjoy getting dressed to the nines every so often. However, after so many cruises, the newness has kind of worn off for me too and I hate packing all that extra stuff. I still do just cause it's nice to see everyone look so nice and I want to follow the suggested attire, but I can see a time in the not so distant future where I will be eating in the buffet on formal nights!

[lovebug33]

A lot of this makes sense. I teach school and have to dress conservatively on a daily basis. I bought some downright sexy clothes to wear because I am tired of being a school marm!

[johnql]

For me, it's a matter of comfort. Dress shoes and a tie are not my idea of dressing comfortably.

[Jane110]

 

I enjoy dining in a nice restaurant with others who take the time to look nice much more than a chow down in a buffet with folks in jeans and shorts. It is not my style at home or on vacation. The apparent new trend of dressing down will never be something I adopt.

 

Same here! I always take pride in my appearance.

 

However, I do prefer the "country club casual" of Oceania Cruiseline that has no formal nights. Though even then, I'd never wear a pair of daytime casual pants and a tee to dinner. I dress like I'm going to dine in an upscale, smart casual restaurant. Nice pants or skirt, dressy top worn with pretty and delicate sandals.

 

However, when on a cruise that has formal nights, I dress accordingly. I believe in following the clothing guidelines. IMO, it's the right thing to do. My evening clothes are quite comfortable and DH doesn't feel discomfort in a suit and tie. His dress shoes are comfortable for him too. Neither of us would buy uncomfortable clothing.

 

I also enjoy taking my time dressing for dinner in the cabin while leisurely sipping a martini or glass of wine. To have the luxury of time is truly a pleasure as well!

 

Me too! I've become quite the expert in making Cabin Cosmo's! :D

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

First I do dress up and wear formal attire as required or requested by the cruise line to be in compliance, but that said, I have to confess I do not enjoy wearing formal clothing. It doesn't seem "romantic" to me. I don't even feel like myself in such clothing.

 

I feel much better in athletic attire like yoga pants and a T or a light, but pretty sweat suit ( not old-fashioned grey). My feet feel so much better in jogging shoes or athletic sandals. My feet suffer in really dressy shoes. Even mid-size heels kill my ankles. I actually wear black flat sandals on formal night and pray that no one will notice.

 

I know many women do really love to dress up in lovely gowns and wear their best jewelry, but I just don't "feel" it. Never have. I dislike wearing delicate clothes I am afraid I will damage, or tear, or run, or snag or stain or whatever. I also don't like having them in my closet never used except three times a year on cruises.

[MrsMoose2001]

I see both sides of the coin to so to speak.

 

First I'm not sure if it's all about comfy evening clothes.

 

I only had one cruise, but I did not view the cruise as special and neither did my DH. For us the "special part" was being in Alaska. I have friends that cruise, for some the cruise is special and for some, it's just a vacation like any other vacation, they do not see cruising as anything special.

 

For my DH to have brought formal attire on a trip to Alaska, would have been the same to him as bringing formal attire on an African Safari. It's all about how one views something.

 

With that in mind, I'm not referring to breaking a dress code either as we chose Regent with an all CCC dress code for Alaska. We do believe in following a dress code.

 

Now if we take out the "ratty, torn, dirty, smelly clothing" and just talk about nice every day clothing, and formal.

 

Some people even if they can afford to buy whatever, may not want to spend the money. I know you can buy from e-bay or thrift but that is not for everybody. Some people just always want to buy nice clothing, and can't do the "inexpensive" route. So if they know they will not be cruising often, they may not want to make the investment of a nice gown/tux if they have no other use for it, because it might go out of style for the next cruise. For some it is about packing, it does take more effort to pack a suit and evening dress than nice casual clothing, and all the extra "trimmings" can take up more space.

 

I don't think it's just about "evening clothing being comfy" but some of the "extras" may be uncomfy. Let's face it for a man to be in a tux/suit with a tie that is properly "afixed" (meaning not askew, loosened or not tight up to the neck, is not as comfy as an open collared shirt and for a woman, I personally can see where all the "trimmings" might be a little less comfy than nice everyday casual clothing. If people really enjoyed it, why do some say, "I go back and change after dinner"? I have evening clothing that are comfy but no matter how comfy, they are not as comfy as say a pair of nice pants and a twinset.

 

For a person who has to attend black tie events in their everyday life, it may not feel like a vacation to them if they have to do the same on vacation. For some who dress casually everyday, then dressing up feels special. Again, it's all about individual lifestyles.

 

The question is not about not doing it, it's why people don't want to do it. So please no flames. I'm not saying break a dress code, just giving an opinion of why some people may not want to.Again, this has nothing to do with looking sloppy, or wearing torn clothing, I'm talking about looking nice and clean in a more "relaxed" outfit.

 

You can take pride in your appearance which has nothing to do with "formal". So for the person who prefers to look nice in a more relaxed (non-formal) attire, doesn't in my opinion mean they don't care how they look.

 

Again, this isn't about "should they" of course they should if that is the required dress code, again, I simply stress why they may not want to (two seperate things in my opinion). You may not want to go for a mamogram or a blood test or a pap smear but you do it because it's necessary.

 

Then there is the "time" factor. As some pointed out, they like to have a drink in the room and take the time to get ready.

 

For me this would not be the case. We do not drink in our room (land vacations or on our one cruise) except when skiing at certain locations because of lack of bar. I like to go to the bar/lounge for pre-dinner cocktails.

 

I do not enjoy fixing my own drink. I also would not want to come back tired from sightseeing (land or cruise) and have to "go through the whole effort" of dressing in formal attire. That means having my hair done which will take away from sightseeing, and well I might just be too tired to want to bother. I've done enough black tie/formal events to know that it takes more effort/time to dress for one of those than it does in a nice pair of pants and twin set as an example for me and the same for a man.

 

Again, I'm not advocating breaking a dress code, I'm simply giving some thoughts as to why some people would prefer to dress in a more relaxed manner.

[Genessa]

we dress formally for the formal nights and dress nicely for the "smart casual" nights, because we love to dine at a nice table, with waiters and assistant waiters serving us good food.

 

That said, if Princess said we could dress any way we want, my dh & I would both be in heaven! We both dress well for work and business dinners and can't wait for the evenings and week-ends when I can wear my jeans and tees and he can wear his khakis. In fact, at home, if we are going out to dinner, we are thrilled when we find great restaurants with great food and no dress codes.

 

So, we go along with the suggested dress codes, at least until a cruise ship can have a buffet meal along the lines of the Borgata buffet in Atlantic City.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I stated above that I don't enjoy wearing formal clothing, but I do enjoy wearing a nice pair of slacks or skirt, pretty sweater set, and pearls or other attractive necklace. I really don't mind dressing to that extent. I just don't enjoy the next step...all out formal attire. For me, it would be great if cruises had no formal night, but did expect country club casual most nights.

 

Many who say that formal clothing isn't "comfortable" may not be referring so much to fit as to the unaccostumed "feel" of being in formal attire. I am one of those people. Believe me, I make sure my formal outfits fit. I still don't like to wear such clothing. I don't feel "right" in it. I doesn't match my personality. I feel phony in it or what Oprah calls "not authentic." My "authentic self" (if there is such a thing, Oprah) is much happier in less delicate finery.