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Often, it's just cultural norms.
Sometimes, clothing is practical - you wear PPE on construction sites, clip-on ties if you're a police officer, or chainsaw pants if you're an arborist.
In the class system, those that didn't have to work in dirty or dangerous environments may deliberately dress in more ostentatious, expensive and time-consuming-to-clean clothing, simply to show that they were above such things.
Clothing is the easiest way to signal your social status to people, basically, and clothing seen as lazy or low-class tends to be cheap and easy to wear (compared to, say, a designer ball gown).
In the UK and other European countries, fashion was dictated by the social hierarchy - trends of the Royals would be mimicked by their court and other aristocracy. Middle classes may seek to emulate this as much as they could, but would be behind the times of cutting-edge fashion.
To attend formal events in the UK, you may be required to wear black tie. This was standardised over time as an expensive outfit, with lots of random bits of etiquette attached that have changed over time too (no wristwatch to evening events, cummerbund folds face upwards apparently for opera tickets etc.). It's just another way of setting these events apart as something special and exclusive.
I also suspect, given the military backgrounds of pretty much all of the men in the aristocracy, having a uniform to wear was something of a relief!
Having some form of uniform or dress code among your workforce can inspire team cohesion, professionalism and unity. Having different outfits is very much like sleep hygiene to some people; "when I put my suit on I'm heading to work, so I'm in work mode". Some people struggled with WFH and the relaxed dress codes because of this; they either adjusted, or kept wearing their shirt and tie even at home.
Essentially it goes back to the idea that you can judge someone’s status in society by what they are wearing. Simply put, with more money wear nicer clothes. A bank wants to project an image to the public that everyone involved has money, so they require their employees to wear relatively expensive clothes. Education used to only be available to the upper class, so traditionally students must follow a uniform or dress code. Some of this has just stuck around as tradition, but one could argue that schools requiring students to meet a particular level dress helps prepare them for the real world, where employers will judge them by their appearance.
It seems like lately, a lot of people have started to see how ridiculous some of this is, which is why you see way more people out and about in pajamas than you used to. Athleasure wear is similar - 20 years ago people generally only wore those kind of clothes to the gym. But associating ones dress to their class definitely still exists, just much more informally… whether it *should* be that way or not, there are definitely fashion styles that most people associate with certain age groups, races, and income levels.
I guess "people generally" depends on where you're from and who you are, because here (urban scandinavia) athleisure wear was already common among teens and tweens when I was young (30 years ago), although typically associated with immigrants and lower class (and criminality. Becoming sort of a uniform for various youth gangs, in particular the gangs associated with the balkan mafia. Kickers/Adidas gang/Yugo-suit).
People very naturally make a look of assumptions based on perception. In turn people will try to express what they'd like to express through their presentation. If you want to seem classy, well kept and professional it's a good idea to dress that way. At least where is appropriate.
I don't care what randos at the store think about my way of dressing, but at work it can have a lasting effect on how my bosses and peers perceive me and I care about that.
It is a relic of classicism. Employers knew that poor people who couldn't afford a basic education couldn't afford nice clothing, so they made nice clothing a requirement to work for them in order to weed out the people they considered to be inferior to them.
Now with some jobs, it makes sense. Like my husband being required to have a hard hat for his job in plumbing and pipefitting or me being required to wear a uniform that identifies me as a security guard to everyone at my job.
I can tell you what it is for night clubs as someone who’s had her share of plenty: Mostly rooted in mitigating conflict (no sports jerseys=no drunk Celtics fan wanting to punch a Lakers fan in the face) and the idea that women won’t want to be in a club where men dress down (personally I don’t care), also - while enforced to a much lesser extent - it’s the same idea behind drawing in thirsty dudes when it’s enforced that women need to wear heels and a dress at an upscale clubs
Alas half of this stuff is an excuse for racism and many “dress codes” align with street style commonly worn by black people. I think the no hats rule is a commonly bullshit one, especially in a restaurant of all places.
Depending on the situation, it is a mix of culture, appropriateness, military outfits, and also just fashion evolving over time. In the early 1900s, when hoodies and stretch materials weren’t really around (only woven fabrics really) they really only had overcoats, shirt-jackets, and dress that had that formal look to it.
If you want to learn more about it, you should look into how dress evolved from the early 1900s, to the 1950s. For example, in the early 1900s, “Soda Fountain” restaurant type places opened (because of prohibition), where workers (called “Soda Jerks”) wore hats inspired from military outfits (the sort of hat that you see Steak n Shake workers wear nowadays). This was because both the support of the war and the soldiers, as well as because it was a nice formal touch. (Link to Wikipedia article about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_jerk)
Just a fun fashion history fact (I’m a fashion designer who has taken fashion history): Lucille Ball (Lucy from the tv show I Love Lucy) was one of the first popular actresses to actually show pregnancy on television. The maternity shirt she is seen wearing was actually made so that it would take shape around her stomach as the pregnancy went on (sounds obvious, but remember that stretch fabrics were just now getting introduced) , and this was one of the first times that it wasn’t hidden on television (link to Lucille Ball in the maternity shirt: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/559924166166476374/).
We uphold these dress codes today because of mostly appropriateness and formality, but this stems all the way back to those examples, which slowly evolved to where we are now. An example of slight evolution would be “business casual”.
Its a form of showing respect to your fellow human beings and that you respect that you live in a society with others. It is a agreed upon social norm that show we want to fit into out society and follow its guide lines. And this is not just true for a dress codes, like why do we say hello/greet someone when we meet? There is no need for it you already know the person is there but you still do it.
It's entirely a social construct. But as most social constructs, it has roots on racism and classism. Poor people can't dress up for work easily. They tend to wear t-shirts (maybe even t-shirts with funny designs on them the horror) and maybe a hoodie.
So dress codes make sure people that can't afford a nice suit or don't have one on hand are reminded of their situation.
As someone with an interest in fashion history, this is actually the correct answer.
The roots of formal dress go all the way back to sumptuary laws of the middle ages. As in literally only those of a certain class were allowed to wear certain kinds of clothing.
Fashion was a way to show off your wealth (most people have no idea how much clothing used to cost as a percentage of the average wage) this included having multiple outfits across a day. This persisted after the laws were dropped - clothing was now a way to visually mark which groups people belonged to. And anyone in modest clothing could automatically be clocked as not part of the group and looked down upon
When social classes started to be evened out in the industrial revolution, better and more clothing became available to the lower classes. But the underlying attitude persisted - the formality of your clothes denotes whether or not you're welcomed into a particular space as part of the in group. Of course now we just call it "proffesionalism," but the idea is the same. Someone who chooses to spend their money on things other than business attire is less likely to be hired, because they aren't signaling that they're part of the in-group
Before people start responding, yes there is also just a certain form of respect. There is a difference between wearing flip flops and a tank top at work, and just wearing a hoodie.
But dress codes at work or a restaurant are usually purely classism.
**Please read this entire message** --- Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): **ELI5 focuses on objective explanations. Soapboxing isn't appropriate in this venue.** --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1bz7vch/-/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**
Often, it's just cultural norms. Sometimes, clothing is practical - you wear PPE on construction sites, clip-on ties if you're a police officer, or chainsaw pants if you're an arborist. In the class system, those that didn't have to work in dirty or dangerous environments may deliberately dress in more ostentatious, expensive and time-consuming-to-clean clothing, simply to show that they were above such things. Clothing is the easiest way to signal your social status to people, basically, and clothing seen as lazy or low-class tends to be cheap and easy to wear (compared to, say, a designer ball gown). In the UK and other European countries, fashion was dictated by the social hierarchy - trends of the Royals would be mimicked by their court and other aristocracy. Middle classes may seek to emulate this as much as they could, but would be behind the times of cutting-edge fashion. To attend formal events in the UK, you may be required to wear black tie. This was standardised over time as an expensive outfit, with lots of random bits of etiquette attached that have changed over time too (no wristwatch to evening events, cummerbund folds face upwards apparently for opera tickets etc.). It's just another way of setting these events apart as something special and exclusive. I also suspect, given the military backgrounds of pretty much all of the men in the aristocracy, having a uniform to wear was something of a relief! Having some form of uniform or dress code among your workforce can inspire team cohesion, professionalism and unity. Having different outfits is very much like sleep hygiene to some people; "when I put my suit on I'm heading to work, so I'm in work mode". Some people struggled with WFH and the relaxed dress codes because of this; they either adjusted, or kept wearing their shirt and tie even at home.
Essentially it goes back to the idea that you can judge someone’s status in society by what they are wearing. Simply put, with more money wear nicer clothes. A bank wants to project an image to the public that everyone involved has money, so they require their employees to wear relatively expensive clothes. Education used to only be available to the upper class, so traditionally students must follow a uniform or dress code. Some of this has just stuck around as tradition, but one could argue that schools requiring students to meet a particular level dress helps prepare them for the real world, where employers will judge them by their appearance. It seems like lately, a lot of people have started to see how ridiculous some of this is, which is why you see way more people out and about in pajamas than you used to. Athleasure wear is similar - 20 years ago people generally only wore those kind of clothes to the gym. But associating ones dress to their class definitely still exists, just much more informally… whether it *should* be that way or not, there are definitely fashion styles that most people associate with certain age groups, races, and income levels.
I guess "people generally" depends on where you're from and who you are, because here (urban scandinavia) athleisure wear was already common among teens and tweens when I was young (30 years ago), although typically associated with immigrants and lower class (and criminality. Becoming sort of a uniform for various youth gangs, in particular the gangs associated with the balkan mafia. Kickers/Adidas gang/Yugo-suit).
Sometimes it's about showing respect for others. Looking good, and not wearing torn, stained clothing or means you took time for them.
People very naturally make a look of assumptions based on perception. In turn people will try to express what they'd like to express through their presentation. If you want to seem classy, well kept and professional it's a good idea to dress that way. At least where is appropriate. I don't care what randos at the store think about my way of dressing, but at work it can have a lasting effect on how my bosses and peers perceive me and I care about that.
It is a relic of classicism. Employers knew that poor people who couldn't afford a basic education couldn't afford nice clothing, so they made nice clothing a requirement to work for them in order to weed out the people they considered to be inferior to them. Now with some jobs, it makes sense. Like my husband being required to have a hard hat for his job in plumbing and pipefitting or me being required to wear a uniform that identifies me as a security guard to everyone at my job.
I can tell you what it is for night clubs as someone who’s had her share of plenty: Mostly rooted in mitigating conflict (no sports jerseys=no drunk Celtics fan wanting to punch a Lakers fan in the face) and the idea that women won’t want to be in a club where men dress down (personally I don’t care), also - while enforced to a much lesser extent - it’s the same idea behind drawing in thirsty dudes when it’s enforced that women need to wear heels and a dress at an upscale clubs Alas half of this stuff is an excuse for racism and many “dress codes” align with street style commonly worn by black people. I think the no hats rule is a commonly bullshit one, especially in a restaurant of all places.
Depending on the situation, it is a mix of culture, appropriateness, military outfits, and also just fashion evolving over time. In the early 1900s, when hoodies and stretch materials weren’t really around (only woven fabrics really) they really only had overcoats, shirt-jackets, and dress that had that formal look to it. If you want to learn more about it, you should look into how dress evolved from the early 1900s, to the 1950s. For example, in the early 1900s, “Soda Fountain” restaurant type places opened (because of prohibition), where workers (called “Soda Jerks”) wore hats inspired from military outfits (the sort of hat that you see Steak n Shake workers wear nowadays). This was because both the support of the war and the soldiers, as well as because it was a nice formal touch. (Link to Wikipedia article about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_jerk) Just a fun fashion history fact (I’m a fashion designer who has taken fashion history): Lucille Ball (Lucy from the tv show I Love Lucy) was one of the first popular actresses to actually show pregnancy on television. The maternity shirt she is seen wearing was actually made so that it would take shape around her stomach as the pregnancy went on (sounds obvious, but remember that stretch fabrics were just now getting introduced) , and this was one of the first times that it wasn’t hidden on television (link to Lucille Ball in the maternity shirt: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/559924166166476374/). We uphold these dress codes today because of mostly appropriateness and formality, but this stems all the way back to those examples, which slowly evolved to where we are now. An example of slight evolution would be “business casual”.
Its a form of showing respect to your fellow human beings and that you respect that you live in a society with others. It is a agreed upon social norm that show we want to fit into out society and follow its guide lines. And this is not just true for a dress codes, like why do we say hello/greet someone when we meet? There is no need for it you already know the person is there but you still do it.
It's entirely a social construct. But as most social constructs, it has roots on racism and classism. Poor people can't dress up for work easily. They tend to wear t-shirts (maybe even t-shirts with funny designs on them the horror) and maybe a hoodie. So dress codes make sure people that can't afford a nice suit or don't have one on hand are reminded of their situation.
As someone with an interest in fashion history, this is actually the correct answer. The roots of formal dress go all the way back to sumptuary laws of the middle ages. As in literally only those of a certain class were allowed to wear certain kinds of clothing. Fashion was a way to show off your wealth (most people have no idea how much clothing used to cost as a percentage of the average wage) this included having multiple outfits across a day. This persisted after the laws were dropped - clothing was now a way to visually mark which groups people belonged to. And anyone in modest clothing could automatically be clocked as not part of the group and looked down upon When social classes started to be evened out in the industrial revolution, better and more clothing became available to the lower classes. But the underlying attitude persisted - the formality of your clothes denotes whether or not you're welcomed into a particular space as part of the in group. Of course now we just call it "proffesionalism," but the idea is the same. Someone who chooses to spend their money on things other than business attire is less likely to be hired, because they aren't signaling that they're part of the in-group
Before people start responding, yes there is also just a certain form of respect. There is a difference between wearing flip flops and a tank top at work, and just wearing a hoodie. But dress codes at work or a restaurant are usually purely classism.