Standards of dress

David Rose

David Rose

Active member
[warning]Split from: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=29023.0[/warning]


PeteHall said:
No significant discoveries for me during the year, but I think my highlight of 2021 was the CDG 75th anniversary dinner and celebrations.

Despite doing plenty of caving over the year, the social scene was very much more muted, so it was absolutely brilliant to see so many friends together for a big celebration.

51472753538_735695de79_k.jpg



The only other big 'party' I managed during the year has been mentioned already...
Click to expand...

I am sure the CDG dinner was amusing in its way. But why oh why is no one in this photo wearing a frock or black tie? Must standards of dress always be so lax in the caving community?

With any luck, this year will see the return of Hidden Earth. I hope the evening function on the Saturday evening can be held with a proper dress code - maybe even white tie since it's been a while.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
The answer, David, is that some of us who have been forced to endure wearing collars and ties at work for many years refuse to have this awful "dress code" imposed on us in our free time as well. Life's far too short to waste time ironing.  ;)
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
Hmmmmm . . . I assumed that DR was taking the piss, but maybe he's being serious after all.
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
I'm with Pitlamp. I bought my first DJ quite recently as it was going cheap in a Moss Bros sale. I really only wear as fancy dress one or twice a year. As my GP career progressed I started dispensing with ties and finally in hot summers wearing shorts and sandals. Nobody thought any the worse of me (but then I had softened them up by attending night time emergencies wearing a shell suit). My dear wife wants me to off load most of my shirts now - many of the ties have gone.
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
We did actually consider black tie for the CDG dinner, but the general concensus, from both young and old, was that an informal dress code would be more popular with the intended guests.

I, for one, find formal dress does not come naturally.  I last wore a DJ to the "freshers ball" at uni in 2005, and while I do still own the thing (bought from a charity shop), I'm pretty sure I wouldn't fit into it any more. I can be quite socially awkward at events and trying to conform to a somewhat alien dress code would have left me on edge and struggling to relax and enjoy myself. I'm sure I'm not alone with these feelings in the caving community.

I get that it looks better in the photos if everyone is dressed posh, but if it meant that some people chose not to come, or others were left feeling uncomfortable, that seems a poor trade-off and I'm glad it went the way it did.
 
B

Boy Engineer

Active member
mrodoc said:
..... As my GP career progressed I started dispensing with ties and finally in hot summers wearing shorts and sandals. Nobody thought any the worse of me .......
Click to expand...

Just to clarify - this reads as though you also dispensed with shorts and sandals. Surely a matter for the GMC?
 
ChrisJC

ChrisJC

Well-known member
For our society's annual bash, I always wear a DJ. Even if I am the only one, I'm not bothered!

Chris.
 
Cantclimbtom

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
If we are going to get silly and snobby about dress, I'd like to remind: those who see correct evening wear as important (which doesn't include me) distinguish between pre-tied bow ties (how terribly gauche! The height of vulgarity) and those who tie their own. Although I note Ede & Ravenscroft nowadays sell both self tying and pre tied bow ties (gasp... standards have fallen!).
 
2xw

2xw

Active member
Surely expecting the CDG to dress fancy would be like putting lard in a lurpak tub? Be a surprise if most of them managed to wash beforehand
 
Roger W

Roger W

Well-known member
"When I was a student," said my mate Sid, "the university insisted all cavers wore full academic dress when underground. It was a bit of a problem on ladder pitches as you tended to get tangled up in your gown, and a mortar board was not very practical for mounting a stinky, although you could place quite a few chunky beeswax candles there."

"At least," he added, "we did stand out from the redbrick lot."
 
mrodoc

mrodoc

Well-known member
Just to clarify I stopped discarding vestments at the shorts and sandals stage (and I wore a shirt). I even got that wrong once by wearing  different types of sandal on each foot (they were both brown). The first patient of the day noticed - but nobody else for the rest of it.
 
Cantclimbtom

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
Like the pic!! Apologies if off topic, is that camera an Olympus, perhaps an Olympus trip? (Which was my first camera)
 
E

Ed

Active member
RobinGriffiths said:
White dinner suits would sort out the men from the boys. See who ends up covered in gravy and red wine stains.
Click to expand...

For a Gentleman black tie is semi-formal evening if the event begins after 1800hrs. Jacket should be black or midnight blue. If the event start before then a taylored 3 piece lounge suit should be acceptable. Though, there should be a intermission between the day event and evening event to allow you to freshen up and change.

White tie is formal evening wear.

White dinner jacket is semi formal as per normal dinner jacket but should only be warn in warm climates..... Tropics etc. Popularised (and acceptable) via Southern US states and Caribbean. It should not be worn in the UK

 
Cantclimbtom

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
Not certain... Liked for the distinction between formal and semi formal which seems to elude many people. But if the occasion requires change to white tie then most likely before 6pm it'll require morning wear not lounge suit (or if very very anachronistic a stroller suit perhaps), and if it's relaxed enough for lounge suit to be acceptable then who wears a waistcoat with that?
To be honest I absolutely don't miss wearing that kind of clobber, haven't had to for years. The stupid idea of carrying but never wearing a pair of grey silk gloves, and a top hat that you were nervous that some fool would sit on (seen the prices of those things?). Even good dress shoes cost a lot and what if the same fool who damages hats stands on the toe caps and scuffs them. It's a lot of hassle, for little gain in my opinion.
Let's resign that to the history books, BBC period dramas and the like
A good lounge suit (with decent shoes) covers 95% of occasions very adequately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top