Minsk Resident Outraged by Restaurant Visitors' Appearance: 90% in Jeans, Tracksuits. Only Two Tables in Dresses and Suits

Illustrative photo. Source: lookby.media

Minsk illusionist Dzianis Liashkou expressed his surprise on the Threads social network at the dress code of guests in one of the capital's restaurants. The man wondered if it's normal to come in sportswear.

«Today my wife and I went to a restaurant (a rather good one in Minsk) and were shocked by the guests. 90% were in jeans, tracksuits, fleece suits. Apart from us, only 2 tables were in dresses and suits. Am I old-fashioned, or have people stopped showing respect for the establishment?» — wrote the Belarusian.

The post sparked a discussion. The most popular comment (over 1200 likes) was left by a girl, who listed point by point what she considers a manifestation of respect for a restaurant. Among them:

«1. Don't yell. 2. Don't watch videos on your phone with sound. 3. Don't be overly familiar or address staff informally. 4. Don't throw food. 5. Don't break toothpicks or tear napkins. 6. Be polite to guests and staff. 7. Pay the bill. 8. Give objective feedback to the waiter if asked. 9. Leave a tip (optional)».

«Being a dandy and impressing everyone with your dress coat is not on the list», — summarized the author.

«But why a dress and a suit for a simple dinner?»

Another popular response, which gathered over five hundred likes, concerned the appropriateness of formal attire:

«If it's not an event, but just a regular dinner/lunch at a restaurant, then it's perfectly normal to come in jeans, a hoodie. On the contrary, I don't understand people who put on 'their best' just to go out and eat».

In the comments, an example was also given of European establishments, where the attitude towards clothing is quite simple:

«My husband and I were at a famous restaurant in Copenhagen, where tables are booked well in advance and strictly by time slots. 90% were in jeans, tracksuits, fleece suits. People came to enjoy the food and relax, not to participate in a vanity fair».

Another user explained the changes in society by respect for one's own comfort:

«Finally, people have started to show respect for themselves and eat in what's comfortable for them, instead of forcing themselves into something unknown. It was assumed that high society people went to restaurants, dressed in evening gowns and suits, 'showing off' new styles and displaying their status to one another. But they also dressed up at home. Now that's not required. I'm surprised you didn't arrive in a carriage with a coachman; now *that* would truly be out of place!»

Some readers reacted more sharply, noting that they didn't understand such a problem at all.

«My dear. I go to a restaurant to eat and have a good time with my companion. I don't give a damn about other people and the dress code. But you, it seems, have too boring a life and an uninteresting companion, since you were sitting and examining other people», — someone wrote in an aggressive tone.

Another woman also did not support Dzianis:

«Did you go to the restaurant to discuss the appearance of the guests or just to have a good time together? No offense — you're supposedly a young man, but you're whining like an old woman on a bench».

Others more moderately remarked: «People come to a restaurant to dine. Was there even a dress code?»

«This is about a cultural shift».

However, there were also those who supported the young man's position:

«An interesting question. It's not about clothing. It's about a cultural shift. What was considered normal before? In the 90s and 2000s, a 'restaurant' = an event. Almost like a small wedding. You'd put on a suit, your wife a dress, a 'going out' mood. Clothing was a marker of respect: for the place, for the people around, for the event itself».

Another user agreed with him: «People have lost their aesthetics and taste. You spoke here about respect for the establishment, but a decent appearance is, first and foremost, self-respect».

Another woman shared her own observation:

«Yes, I'm also shocked. We went to a restaurant for breakfast, and I thought they were filming a movie about the 90s. Everyone in tracksuits, chains hanging. An elderly woman in training leggings. And this was a good restaurant, not a cafe».

«Maybe enough with the double standards?»

Later, the author of the post shared his impressions of the reaction to his remark:

«In the last post, I read the slogans of girls: 'I wear what I want', 'It should be comfortable for me', 'Dressing up for an establishment is old-fashioned'. And you know what?

Agreed. What the hell are suits, dresses, heels for, right? Let's all walk around in comfortable clothes. You come to a meeting in a stretched-out tracksuit because you're 'comfortable'. I come in a stained hoodie and dirty sneakers because 'that's comfortable for me too'. We sit opposite each other. Two comfortable people. Cozy.

And then you write to your girlfriends: 'Ugh, some guy came dressed like a bum, no spark'. And I write to my friends: 'Well, she looks like a dorm neighbor, no mood at all'.

So maybe, enough with the double standards? Appearance isn't about 'showing off'. It's about respect. For yourself and for your partner. It's about the message: 'I'm making an effort for this evening'. One can, of course, dig deeper. Maybe your 'comfortable' tracksuit costs as much as my salary, and that 'careless bun' is two hours of styling? Then it's not comfortable; it's just expensive pretense».

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