# When a restaurant says "Jacket Required" for men.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313 "2004-08-11T03:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/1 "2004-08-11T03:31:55Z")
Do they mean JUST jacket, Or Jacket AND TIE? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/2 "2004-08-11T03:38:54Z")
Depends on the establishment. Out here in California, people think wearing a jacket over a tshirt is ok, and meets the dining requirements. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/3 "2004-08-11T03:42:37Z")
If you have to wear a tie, I would expect that to be stated. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/4 "2004-08-11T03:50:32Z")
It is usually just a jacket and they sometimes have “loaner blazers” if you are with a party and the only one not meeting the requirement. I had that happen to me in New Orleans when my parents and their friends tried to take me out to dinner. The host allowed me to come in but he gave me a jacket that I had to wear. I had a button down shirt on so it looked fine. I have a feeling that if I had shorts or a t-shirt on, we would have all been turned away. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/5 "2004-08-11T05:21:46Z")
Nope. Excuse me, I’m going to pass the opportunity for a cheap joke to the next entity in line. 'Twasn’t my fault. The lady in front of me dodged off like a spooked squirrel. Never mind me. Hey! It’s your turn. Come back here, hey…dang. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/6 "2004-08-11T12:23:57Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Do they mean JUST jacket, Or Jacket AND TIE? 😕 They’d like you to wear ALL of the other clothes that you’d normally be wearing, plus a sport coat or suit jacket. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/7 "2004-08-11T14:35:18Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Nope. Excuse me, I’m going to pass the opportunity for a cheap joke to the next entity in line. OK. “You can come in, but don’t start anything.” RR ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/8 "2004-08-11T16:07:05Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > They’d like you to wear ALL of the other clothes that you’d normally be wearing, plus a sport coat or suit jacket. You mean I can’t go in dressed like [Porky Pig](http://www.toonopedia.com/porky.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-restaurant-says-jacket-required-for-men/259313/9 "2004-08-11T18:42:56Z")
The Magic Castle in Hollywood requires coat and tie, but states so clearly in their literature. So my thought matches with those above: jacket required means ties are optional.