Husband doesn't want to dress up!

[shmoggy]

Yes, my husband is one of "those" guys. He doesn't want to dress up at all. My and my kids are all dressing up and I'm excited to look pretty for the night. I'm not going to try to convince him to dress up, I'm just curious to hear from past Carnival cruisers...what can he get away with wearing? I'm thinking that I can at least get him in a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt, but definitely no tie. I know some people will scoff at what he's wearing and decide that he's "ruining" their formal night, but he couldn't care less about that...I'm just wondering what clothes will get him denied access to the dining room. I feel rude for even asking this since I know there are strong opinions on formal nights, so please please be gentle with me, this isn't my fault!!! =)

[pmoniz]

Hope this works & helps - http://johnheald.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/dress-code-flyer-07-option-2_layout-1.pdf

 

I think a nice pair of dress pants, shirt & shoes is fine with me!

[desperatehousewife]

Yes, my husband is one of "those" guys. He doesn't want to dress up at all. My and my kids are all dressing up and I'm excited to look pretty for the night. I'm not going to try to convince him to dress up, I'm just curious to hear from past Carnival cruisers...what can he get away with wearing? I'm thinking that I can at least get him in a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt, but definitely no tie. I know some people will scoff at what he's wearing and decide that he's "ruining" their formal night, but he couldn't care less about that...I'm just wondering what clothes will get him denied access to the dining room. I feel rude for even asking this since I know there are strong opinions on formal nights, so please please be gentle with me, this isn't my fault!!! =)

Trade him in and get a new one!!!

:D :D

Poor thing....

I'll be gentle, you asked so nice.

The only thing that will outright get him denied is a ratty t-shirt, tank top, swimwear,shorts, possibly jeans depending on the Maitre'D and being nekkid..

 

If he were to wear what you said, he would not have a problem.

Now...I hope that he changes his mind for you, as I think that is a pretty selfish attitude to take toward his wife and children...I'd slap my husband silly!:D

That being said, if he chooses NOT to, you dress to the nines, have a great time and enjoy your first cruise..there is nothing like it!!!

Good luck!

[gerif]

Tell him the formal FAMILY portrait will just not be the same without him in it. Actually, he will not be denied entry to the dining room dressed as you describe - however, I can't help but think he'll feel pretty dumb sitting at a table with everyone else (including his wife and children) dressed formally - JMHO.

[spartygrad95]

I just saw them real fancy-like tuxedo tshirts on sale. That there shirt with a pair of black "shotgun blasted" jeans. Mega foxy! Sorry, I can't help myself. Im a dude, who doesnt really "like" to get dressed up, but it's fun once in awhile, especially when you look as good as me.

[chipmaster]

I too am very casual. I haven't bought a suit nor any formal for 20 years and can get buy with jean and a t-shirt at work.

 

Khaki's and a dress shirt ( no tie ) worked for me. No question I was one of the most under dressed but nobody stopped me. Most certainly I wasn't alone but definitly in the minority. I'm sure there were some snickers from some :rolleyes: I'm sure the food tasted the same to me as the guy in the penguin suite at the next table :D

 

I expect things to be a bit more formal on the Princess so I'll be digging up a tie and a lugging a sport coat along:(

[GORDONCHICK]

Can he get in? Most likely. Ask him if he'll do it just for you (with sad/sexy eyes, lashes batting) this once. If he doesn't like it, he won't have to do it anymore (unless you say otherwise). And if he thinks he'd feel uncomfortable in the dining room a little underdressed (and maybe he wouldn't) there are plenty of other places to eat. But if those kiddos want to dress up, by gosh - encourage that! Maybe they can play on his heartstrings as well. Regardless, have a wonderful time.

 

And the other poster who mentioned family portraits is so right!!! A cruise is the best opportunity to get pictures of everyone dressed up and they are one of the best souvenirs.

[BayMan123]

Yes, my husband is one of "those" guys. He doesn't want to dress up at all. My and my kids are all dressing up and I'm excited to look pretty for the night. I'm not going to try to convince him to dress up, I'm just curious to hear from past Carnival cruisers...what can he get away with wearing? I'm thinking that I can at least get him in a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt, but definitely no tie. I know some people will scoff at what he's wearing and decide that he's "ruining" their formal night, but he couldn't care less about that...I'm just wondering what clothes will get him denied access to the dining room. I feel rude for even asking this since I know there are strong opinions on formal nights, so please please be gentle with me, this isn't my fault!!! =)

 

 

Why don't you guys just give him a menu from room service, then the rest of the family can go out and have a good time!!!!! Only kidding on this, but overall - WHO CARES YOUR ON VACATION.

[leela14]

My husband will not wear a tie or suit - ever - under any circumstances. He didn't wear one for his Ph.D thesis defence, and he said that was his most prestigious moment ever (well besides marrying me of course - no tie then either).

 

So how do I get around these events with him? A very nice pair of high end trousers with a great cut and fabric, with a mandarin collar shirt, or some other kind of collared shirt that is not supposed to be worn with a tie - that way the look isn't unfinished, and he will wear a jacket for 5 minutes until he gets to the table, then that goes immediately. If these pieces are all high end and not cheap fabrics, it actually looks very classy. I paid more for a few of his outfits than I would for suits, cut and fabric makes all the difference.

 

I love him in what I call the "Brad Pitt" look too - it's not formal, but he wore it for our Christmas party, a nice pair of dress slacks, some kind of patterned dress shirt with a jacket and no tie. I bought him this outfit for Christmas and the gentleman at the store assured me that it could be worn without a tie, that the look was very in right now. Of course it's not "Black Tie". . . .

 

So it is possible, you just have to get creative.

[meaty_petey]

 

I love him in what I call the "Brad Pitt" look too

 

[iheartbda]

OP, as others have said, your DH will not be turned away.

I know you're not trying to convince him about dressing up, just want to relate my experience.

 

For our very first cruise my DH was making grumbling noises about wearing a suit on vacation but took one and wore it. I never said a word for our next cruise but HE decided he was wearing a tux and has done so every time since.

 

When he saw how I looked in my long formal, he wanted to be a compliment to my look.:) I think what sealed the deal forever was when we were waiting for an elevator and a young lady said, "you guys look great!".:cool:

 

Hopefully, this will not be the only cruise you take and maybe the next one he will decide to go a bit more formal when he sees how fabulous you and the kids look dressed up and will want to compliment you as well.

[Jungle Jane]

He won't get turned away....when we cruised a whole gaggle of people came in LATE and all in jeans and very casual clothes on the 2nd formal night. Sat right down, ate their faces off, lobster flying everywhere, then left. No one said a word to them. I guess it's their right but I'd have died of embarrassment.

 

Give hub the sexy eyes, have him wear something nice "for you." I don't think he has to go all GQ or anything, just dress pants and a dress shirt. Go to the men's dept at Penny's or Macy's and see what they have for dressy guy looks that don't include a tie. I betcha you'll find something that you'll both dig.

 

Enjoy!!!!

[karen sharpe]

Too bad ..I wonder what makes him so opposed to dressing up?? I belong to that set that feels a man should own at least one suit. But those are "my issues". Your issue is how to enjoy the evening dressed up and how to not be embarrassed by him .What a shame. Well I'm sure you don't want to go unaccompanied so probably the least formal attire that might be suitable would be a open collar long sleeved, dress shirt or a dressy light weight sweater with collared shirt underneath with well pressed pants,,dockers etc not jeans, closed leather shoes

Have you asked him why he hates dressing up? Maybe he's just nervous re the possible social interaction at a "formal affair".:confused:

[Happy ks]

OP, as others have said, your DH will not be turned away.

I know you're not trying to convince him about dressing up, just want to relate my experience.

 

For our very first cruise my DH was making grumbling noises about wearing a suit on vacation but took one and wore it. I never said a word for our next cruise but HE decided he was wearing a tux and has done so every time since.

 

When he saw how I looked in my long formal, he wanted to be a compliment to my look.:) I think what sealed the deal forever was when we were waiting for an elevator and a young lady said, "you guys look great!".:cool:

 

Hopefully, this will not be the only cruise you take and maybe the next one he will decide to go a bit more formal when he sees how fabulous you and the kids look dressed up and will want to compliment you as well.

 

 

 

This is how you should present it to him, just ask if he will dress to compliment you and the kids. I swear, if he wears a suit/jacket/tie that fit, he will not be uncomfortable.

 

I think most men just wear the wrong neck size. You should tell him to try a night wearing a bra and a pair of pantyhose under his clothing :rolleyes: , they would find a tie isn't that big a deal then!

 

Otherwise, if you have a formal portrait done, you will all look like a million bucks, with a handyman sneeking into the shot. (kidding, don't take it too personal)

 

I know you stated he doesn't care, but I think he really will when he sees everyone else looking so great. For the record, I may notice a person doesn't get dressed up for formal night but I no longer have any attitude about it. I got over that a few years back, now I really don't pay much attention. But I sure do admire the people who look really fine!

[RCCLismyfav1]

Don't worry yourself or stress yourself out to much over this....Not worth taking all the fun out of planning for your cruise.

 

 

Some men enjoy or should I say don't mind dressing up and some do, my DH does not mind but would rather not. He has the correct size everything:D but just is more comfortable in a pair of jeans or casual pants with a casual shirt. What I tell my DH is please just wear the shirt, tie and maybe jacket long enough to have the pictures taken and to get into the dining room then after you sit down you can take the tie and jacket off.

 

Don't worry what you think others may think....if your comfortable with yourself and your DH never ever let what some busy body with no life may think about you.

 

Have fun planning and have a great cruise, the most important thing to come out of any cruise is to enjoy the different Islands, the experience and first and foremost to enjoy your family and friends that you travel with and make those memories count....;)

[Kurbanfan]

Just as the other poster mentioned above right now they are doing a trial run on elegant casual for formal night on Carnival:

 

http://johnheald.files.wordpress.com...2_layout-1.pdf

 

So according to this new dress code he will be fine.

 

Happy cruising!!

[lel5344]

Unfortunately, many men choose to wear clothing that is not the right size and, as a result, they will be uncomfortable in almost anything that is not totally casual and loose-fitting.

 

One of the things I do for my customers (and I work for Jos. A. Bank) is to NOT show them the size of a suit or sport jacket or dress shirt. Instead, I put them in a size that fits and feels comfortable. I will often enlist a wife's support, asking her if she buys the same size clothes at every store, or do her clothes vary in size according to where she shops. Of course, if she buys everything from the same brand, she can pretty much count on uniformity in size from garment to garment, and that's the emphasis I give to my gentleman customers. That works in our company because virtually everything is our own brand.

 

Personally, I love dressing well, and I do it every day for work. All my clothes are comfortable. I will admit that I work very hard to maintain my weight in a range that means my clothes fit properly.

 

I also feel very strongly that when a man wears clothes that look good, his self-esteem will be enhanced and he will feel better!

[vfb2girls]

You could of been talking about my husband, he also was one that refused to even think about getting dressed up let alone buy a suit. Well for our last cruise I had bought a stunning red satin long halter dress that I must say looked great on me. When I tried it on for my daughters and my husband saw it he was floored! I normally wear big baggy clothes most of the time so to see me all dress up was quite a surpirse to him. So the very next day he asked me to go with him to look at suits! I was shocked! He ended up getting fitted for a great fitting black suit and he said it was so comfortable. I can tell you we looked pretty good for two old grandparents on formal night. This was last summer and we are cruising again in November and my husband already asked me what I was wearing and if I am planning on buying a new dress since he wants to buy a dress shirt that will compliment whatever I am wearing. So my advice is to get dressed up before you leave for your vacation and asked your husband how you look and just maybe he won't mind getting dressed up for you, and if he doesn't want to then don't worry about it. It is after all a vacation, meant not to be stressed about but enjoyed.

[annierie]

Unfortunately, many men choose to wear clothing that is not the right size and, as a result, they will be uncomfortable in almost anything that is not totally casual and loose-fitting. One of the things I do for my customers (and I work for Jos. A. Bank) is to NOT show them the size of a suit or sport jacket or dress shirt.

 

 

I also feel very strongly that when a man wears clothes that look good, his self-esteem will be enhanced and he will feel better!

 

I have no problem with men dressing to look well. I have a problem holding them to a rigid standard and allowing NO flexibility while allowing women to virtually ignore the dress code.

 

For example, if a dress code says gown or cocktail dress, it should mean no exceptions, at least to those who refuse to accept a lighter suit on a man while his wife is allowed in wearing pants and a top not even of the same weight, style or coordinating material/design.

 

I have seen some awful interpretations of suitable evening wear on women and they are ignored or even encouraged, while men requesting to wear light gray suits or blazer and slacks with tie are chastised here on CC.

 

Enforce it for both sexes or allow interpretive leeway for men as well as women.

 

My husband wanted to take a sage colored suit (Jos A Bank fitted to his size and quite nice;) ) to the Med for the ONE formal night on our cruise two years ago. He was told by our friends, no, it isn't formal, yet my female friend wore a pants outfit (not included in the "Suggested" attire for formal night).

 

So, why is her "Getting away with" less than formal wear tolerated while his request to take a light weight suit to Turkey and Athens during 95 degree weather considered a faux pas.

 

Enforce it equally or tolerate slight variances to the posted words in a brochure.

 

I dislike pants on women for formal events. I own three formals and a half dozen cocktail dresses, so I dress very nicely when I need to, but don't appreciate having to carry the 8 pounds of formal wear (those charcoal gray wool blend suits with the size 12 dress shoes, two shirts, the ridiculous signatures limited edition tie which cost more than my dresses (note to self, never let him into Jos A Banks without adult supervision when he comes home with $130 tie ;) )). He is a clothes horse but wishes to travel with what is most appropriate for long journeys and the custom suit just weighs too much and is too hot in the tropics or the Med. If we jumped off the ship and came right home it would be different, but we do extensive land trips post cruise.

 

He looks good and his clothes are comfortable, but cut him some slack if he wishes to maximize his options for a 20 day trip with a 4 hour formal night requirement by wearing a lighter weight and color and dressing it up nicely with coordinating shirt and tie.

[lel5344]

That $130 tie is one of our Signature Gold ties, hand made in a limited edition of 200 ties! Just bragging...lol.

[shmoggy]

I just saw them real fancy-like tuxedo tshirts on sale. That there shirt with a pair of black "shotgun blasted" jeans. Mega foxy! Sorry, I can't help myself. Im a dude, who doesnt really "like" to get dressed up, but it's fun once in awhile, especially when you look as good as me.

 

LOL...thanks for the laugh!

[shmoggy]

Too bad ..I wonder what makes him so opposed to dressing up?? I belong to that set that feels a man should own at least one suit. But those are "my issues". Your issue is how to enjoy the evening dressed up and how to not be embarrassed by him .What a shame. Well I'm sure you don't want to go unaccompanied so probably the least formal attire that might be suitable would be a open collar long sleeved, dress shirt or a dressy light weight sweater with collared shirt underneath with well pressed pants,,dockers etc not jeans, closed leather shoes

Have you asked him why he hates dressing up? Maybe he's just nervous re the possible social interaction at a "formal affair".:confused:

 

Oh, I know exactly why he hates dressing up. He's a cop and has to wear a uniform every night to work and it is extremely uncomfortable. He wants to be free to wear what he wants to wear and I'm just not going to get upset about it because we're going on vacation and we both need to be happy, so I'm just trying to figure out what the bare minimum would be for him...no flair! (Office Space lovers, hope you got that reference!) Anyway, I'd certainly enjoy seeing him all dressed up, he used to be a Marine and he was gorgeous in his dress blues, but I know how miserable it can be to have to stand like a manequin all night just to be able to breathe!

[annierie]

That $130 tie is one of our Signature Gold ties, hand made in a limited edition of 200 ties! Just bragging...lol.

 

 

LOL, shame on you, putting those lovely expensive ties with a shirt and sucking them into buying it.

 

It is gorgeous, it's a lavendar color tie with the medallion design, but really!!

 

We are lucky, we live in Maryland near the factory and the outlet store.

 

Also, I have some of the women's business suits from back when you made women's clothing. Still ticked off you got out of the women's business.

 

He has a few of the "3 fers". The jacket with two pair of slacks, to make a suit and a jacket with slacks set -- he takes them on business trips.

[shmoggy]

You could of been talking about my husband, he also was one that refused to even think about getting dressed up let alone buy a suit. Well for our last cruise I had bought a stunning red satin long halter dress that I must say looked great on me. When I tried it on for my daughters and my husband saw it he was floored! I normally wear big baggy clothes most of the time so to see me all dress up was quite a surpirse to him. So the very next day he asked me to go with him to look at suits! I was shocked! He ended up getting fitted for a great fitting black suit and he said it was so comfortable. I can tell you we looked pretty good for two old grandparents on formal night. This was last summer and we are cruising again in November and my husband already asked me what I was wearing and if I am planning on buying a new dress since he wants to buy a dress shirt that will compliment whatever I am wearing. So my advice is to get dressed up before you leave for your vacation and asked your husband how you look and just maybe he won't mind getting dressed up for you, and if he doesn't want to then don't worry about it. It is after all a vacation, meant not to be stressed about but enjoyed.

 

Aww...that is such a nice story, I love when stuff like that happens!

[thegotogirl]

We cruise with 2 other couples, and NONE of the guys dress for formal night. They do wear slacks with a knit shirt (some with a collar), and a jacket...but that's it! It's their vacation too....if he doesn't want to get dressed up, so be it. About the pictures....if you're having a good time and smiling, the clothes don't make the man (or woman). I also think it makes the rest of the night easier as you don't have to change after dinner in order to enjoy the rest of the night! Have a great time:eek: