Etiquette Questions for Y'All

[flybye023]

Specifically, wearing the proper attire for an event/social gathering.

Have you ever worn something that you wished you hadn't?

Would you be offended if someone (politely) mentioned that you might want to change your clothing or remove something you were wearing because it was inappropriate?

Have you worn something you thought was okay only to find out later it wasn't and wonder why no one told you?

Do you tend to be embarrassed in these situations or find them funny or just shrug them off?

[Plaidman]

Well, I can't answer that. I never been to a fancy party. I've been made fun of by some people by my clothes. (My best friend being the prime example).

However, only once did I make my entire school laugh and make fun.

I was late for school, and just grabbed a shirt from the dryer and ran to school.

How little did I know that I grabbed my mom's blouse. So I had to wear my mom's blouse the entire day in school. My school was small and alterntive. Only 3 teachers and 36 students. Since I was one of the few boys who didn't drool after every hot girl there, and was well known to have turned down the most popular girl there when she asked me out, I was thought to be gay.

1: I'm not gay.
2: No-way in hell the most popular girl would want one of the bottom runners. It was going to be just a fucking prank.
3: Wearing a blouse didnt help my case any.

[42_42_42]

Oh, I wore things as a adolescent/teenager all the time that now as an adult I wish I hadn't, but fortunately, I've gained some sense since then. The worst offender that comes to mind is the ridiculousness that I wore to my aunt's wedding when I was 11. My mom had a pale blue gauzy capelet thing left from a bridesmaid dress that ended up in our play dress-up box. For some reason, I decided to wear it like an apron over my pink frilly dress AND I tried to French braid my very short hair, so it was coming out all over the place and had about a thousand bobby pins in it. At the time, I thought I looked like a fairy tale princess.

[AdminAssistant]

I hit adolesence in the mid-90's...oh the things that I would wear.... Typical Jr. High outfit was a baby doll tee, jeans about 2 sizes too big, and doc martens. (Then my best friend and I would hang out at her house watching daria and my so called life). In High School that changed to less fitted shirts and flares. I went years without seeing my shoes. When I was in high school, I had a camo coat...like everyone else at the high school. They're relatively cheap and readily available (and warm). My first year of college, in October, I threw on my coat over a tie-dyed tshirt. One of the guys in my department said, "What, are you hunting for hippies?"

Needless to say, I asked for a new coat for Christmas.

[Broomjockey]

Would you be offended if someone (politely) mentioned that you might want to change your clothing or remove something you were wearing because it was inappropriate?

There's not even close to enough information for a good answer. What kind of event? Who's present? How long was the event? How difficult would it be to remove the offending article? Is it necessary for the outfit (aka, suspenders, belt, tie, etc.)? How bad is the offense? Would I need a replacement for the potentially-removed garment?

If, say, I was wearing a pair of jeans to a fancy dinner, and a friend let me know while I still had plenty of time to go change, I'd appreciate it. If I happened to wear the wrong colour tie, and it happens to clash with the colour scheme of the room, or of the hostess, or it mortally offends someone, they can suck it. Unless it's a party for the boss.

You see? Everything changes based on the situation.

[flybye023]

You see? Everything changes based on the situation.

I agree, however, I just wanted general input at this point. Have you been on the receiving end, have you corrected someone, have you gone "oh my gosh why doesn't someone say something," etc.

I do have a specific situation that happened (if anyone cares ) but I wanted some more comments before I go into it. But, I will say that yes, the item was wrong place, wrong time. It was not essential to the outfit and was easily removed.

[SG15Z]

Well I personally don't care. I dress how I want to anywhere I go (except work of course or there is a specific dress code of some kind). If people don't like it tough. But that's just me because I could care less if I offend people because I wore jeans and a t-shirt at a formal party.

So I may not be the best person to offer advice....

[Rapscallion]

Stag do, and I had complaints from my peers about the T-shirt I was wearing that said, "For every animal you don't eat, I'll eat three." It's from the Maddox site - if you don't know it, feel free to google.

They were concerned we were going to get beaten up by vegetarians. I pointed out that one of the others had a football shirt on, meaning rival fans were more likely to beat us up than vegetarians, and that another had a shirt from a heavy metal band with someone being electrocuted in a chair on it.

I think it didn't help that it was fairly figure-hugging. I still wore it.

Rapscallion

[MaggieTheCat]

Well I personally don't care. I dress how I want to anywhere I go (except work of course or there is a specific dress code of some kind). If people don't like it tough. But that's just me because I could care less if I offend people because I wore jeans and a t-shirt at a formal party.

So I may not be the best person to offer advice....

That's basically my husband's and my opinion. Especially my husband's. He does wear a polo shirt to work, but with jeans, and whenever he can get away with it, he'll wear a t-shirt. He doesn't own anything more formal that khakis and a polo shirt, and he rarely wears the khakis.

Me, I do like to dress up a little bit, but I think my taste is a little different than most average women. I don't really care.

I think that if someone told one of us that we were dressed down/inappropriately for an event, unless it was something major -- which I can't even think what would qualify as major, certainly not any kind of party that we'd ever be likely to attend -- we'd shrug and ignore them.

[Jester]

have you corrected someone

I corrected my older sister, The Witch.

More accurately, I almost shot her.

It was my cousin's wedding. The bride is respendent in her white dress, etc., etc.

And my attention whore of a sister shows up wearing a blindingly red dress. Not just that, but one that was rather low cut, and tight up high, to the point that dead blind people three miles away couldn't help but notice her tits.

No one said anything, so I did. I basically told her she was out of her mind, and that what she was wearing was rude and disrespectful, and what in the HELL was she thinking? I was offended for my cousin and his bride! The last thing you are supposed to do at a wedding is draw more attention to you and away from the bride!

The Witch fixed the situation slightly by adding a shawl/throw/whatever the hell you call it to cover up her cleavage slightly, but still.....

[HYHYBT]

The last thing you are supposed to do at a wedding is draw more attention to you and away from the bride!

Well, it's up there, but not as bad as, say, yelling out that the bride and groom are brother and sister when asked if anyone has a reason they shouldn't be wed.

[SG15Z]

Well, it's up there, but not as bad as, say, yelling out that the bride and groom are brother and sister when asked if anyone has a reason they shouldn't be wed.

Or bust through the doors and run towards the altar saying "Stop! Don't marry him/her! I love you!" Well unless you really mean it, but why are you waiting till the last minute then?

[Shards]

Or bust through the doors and run towards the altar saying "Stop! Don't marry him/her! I love you!" Well unless you really mean it, but why are you waiting till the last minute then?

EVEN if you mean it. I mean, seriously, who breaks up a wedding like that if it isn't in a rom com?

[blas]

I don't think I've ever *intentionally* over or under dressed or showed up inappropriately (except some of my old coworkers used to call me a walking dress code violation, but I digress).

My biggest faux pas was when I was younger, I was really insecure, and wore WAY too much cover up. The big thing also was that I am naturally as white as this screen, and I could never, ever find a makeup light enough for me, so I always had that silly line/mask look. I also was way, way too much in love with black eyeliner, especially when paired with really dark eyeshadow and burgundy lipstick.

Remember the music video for "Lady Marmalade"? Christina Aguilera's type of makeup (minus all the glitter and blush, I didn't really wear blush until I was older) was how I used to go all out every single day.

YIKES!

[SG15Z]

EVEN if you mean it. I mean, seriously, who breaks up a wedding like that if it isn't in a rom com?

Man I'd hate to be at a wedding when that happenes.......unless it's someone I don't know getting married or I hate the spouse they chose and wish they had chosen the one that's interrupting the wedding. Then I don't mind the free entertainment.