My SO’s work met their goal and that means an all-expense paid cruise for him and me. I’ve never done a “real” cruise before. I’ve gone down the Nile on a boat, but apparently this is different. He went through the itinerary which included the formal dinners. Oh. So last night I went out and bought a tuxedo since my SO has one and I didn’t (and haven’t worn one since prom).
I guess I don’t understand the appeal. Why is this fun? To me, it’s like “let’s play the role of adults or aristocrats”. I’d rather just eat and move on and do a myriad of other fun and social activities. Or, just eat in my regular clothes and have a nice long dinner and be comfortable too.
In the interest of disclosure, I tend not to dress down either for the most part. I typically wear what would be business casual except when I’m on vacation. Then prefer to wear clothes that are easier to pack and not get wrinkled. And clothes that are simply comfortable too.
Most cruises nowadays on formal night only require a jacket, not necessarily a tie or even a tuxedo. But you will see people dressed a myriad of ways. If your SO is wearing a tux and this is an event for him and his work, then I would compliment him.
I do like getting dressed up occasionally. I own a tux, and will wear it a few times a year when the opportunity permits. I definitely don’t like to be overdressed for an occasion. There’s always a time for everything, and on a cruise, you can go from swimsuit and flip flops to black tie easily. I wouldn’t sweat it.
No, I don’t like getting dressed up for dinners, because I’m worried about getting food on my nice clothes. If it doesn’t involve food, I’m fine with it once a year or so.
I general, I think dressing up occasionally is fine. On a cruise, however, it sounds like a pain in the ass. When I travel, I like to pack light and wear the sorts of clothes that can cover a lot of different activities.
I dislike dressing up; I mean, I like it, when I can do it “my way”, which sadly seems to be unacceptable in formal occasions. A cruise with formal dinners would require 3-4 different dresses… that alone means I’ll never take anything more stately than the Algeciras ferry!
Something to consider (although you’ve already bought a tux, so it’s probably moot at this point): a lot of the cruise lines will arrange formalwear rentals for situations like this, removing a lot of the hassle of arranging for the right clothing.
I like to dress up on occasion (female here), but most of the time I’m in BetsQ’s boat (pun originally unintended). It’s a hassle to drag formalwear along, although there are ways to make it packable and light.
I love dressing up for dinner. I wear jeans and tshirts/sweaters/blouses most of the time and I like making the occasional effort to look extra good. I enjoy fancy, formal dinners and on the three cruises I’ve taken, I generally dress up a little even on non-formal dinner nights (wearing a cute dress or skirt rather than a sun dress or shorts).
I’m going to a pub and meeting friends to watch a hockey game tonight, and I’m still going to dress up a bit!
Hate it. I don’t even like putting on khakis and a sport coat, but will if the Ms insists on it. I had a tux and gave it away. I have one suit (down from 3 or 4) in case somebody dies, and even then: maybe. I haven’t worn a button-up shirt and tie since I retired, and only own maybe four ties and an equal number of shirts, down from probably two dozen of each. Jeans and a Carhartt tee is my uniform of the day, including Christmas dinner, unless I’m shamed into changing into a polo shirt. I fucking hate monkey suits, and always thought ties were satan’s hangman’s noose.
I hate the formal night crap on cruise lines. When I’m on vacation I want to wear clothes as casual as possible, and that’s also what I want to pack. If I have a nice suit I don’t want to have to cram it in my suitcase for one night on my vacation. Unfortunately the formal dinners on cruises also have the best food that you have already paid for with the price of your ticket but they won’t allow you to have unless you dress up. Probably why I don’t go on cruises.
I love dressing up for special occasions, as long as they really are special occasions. (If there are too many of them, they cease to be special.)
Weddings and funerals, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, taking my wife to a classy restaurant for our anniversary or her birthday, these are all occasions that I am happy to favor with a jacket and tie. So that’s 3-4 times a year, other than the weddings and funerals, whose frequency can’t be predicted.
I enjoy getting dressed up for dinner. I have a tux and half a dozen suits hanging in my closet that I rarely get to wear, and the fact is, I look good in a suit. So I enjoy wearing them on the rare occasion that it’s warranted. Plus, if I’m in a suit, then my wife will be dressed up as well, and she looks positively smokin’ in a dress. I love knowing that for me to get dressed up means pants, shirt, tie, jacket, socks and shoes, but for her it’s nothing but thong, dress and shoes. So sexy.
This morning, I woke up from my hotel room (where I am boarding for awhile), showered, shaved and put on a nice pair of slacks, my best shirt and a new blazer. I then went to see my mother.
She appreciated how I looked.
After lunch I came back here, hung up everything, put back on a comfortable pair of jeans and a tee-shirt.
They say “clothes make the man”.
I go out tonight
Heck, if I go out tonight or tomorrow, I won’t be wearing what I am now.
Women care how you look.
And I am single for the first time since 1988.
I don’t mind dressing up in general, but I hate eating with a tie and/or jacket on. I feel confined and tight. I have to do this for work quite frequently, and it really sucks when I’m eating great food at a great restaurant. The problem is that I can’t afford to eat at such places very often, except when one of my service providers takes me. And that’s when I have to dress up! :mad:
Also hate it. And it never fails that the weather is either 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity, or I end up slogging through mud and snow in dress shoes.
It’s nice once in a while. When we took a cruise for our honeymoon, we packed our tuxedos *and *top hats. Thankfully, our suitcases were large enough to hold the hats in their boxes so they didn’t get crushed, and inside the hats was a fine place to pack socks and undies.
