Quote:
Conditions have been "getting worse" since the fall of Puritanism.

Since early Egyptian dynasties, it would seem (I read somewhere about a lament on "how spoilt this new generation is" being one of the earliest deciphered texts).

There are two mechanism at work here, I think: one is a system of conventions, customs and taboos every society (and group within it) has, and behaving as a good antropologist does (i.e. trying to blend) is a good way to avoid being spotted as an outsiders by the natives and thus avoid tension or rejection. Other mechanism is a relic of the times when a strict dress code was just another way to erect a barier for those from a wrong social segment: the point being filtering people by their ability to afford an appropriate costume (which, of course, is now absurd: almost everybody can afford a barely conforming costume, unless they employ X-ray diffraction analysis at the door to check whether diamonds on one's cuff links are genuine). Funeral dress code belongs to the former group; fancy restaurant one to the later; I am not sure about opera - might be both.

I try (albeit not very hard) to conform to the former, although I think we should be above taboos without substance. The later I either ignore or avoid settings where they come into play.

Ah, yes, there is another mechanism, a variation of the first one: uniform. Business suit is just that, an uniform. In that regard, I might be considered an irregular.
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Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue