"Un-style" in the Social Elite

In 2010, the Prime Rib Restaurant, an icon of the Baltimore social elite changed their dress code from "formal" to "business casual". Why does this seemingly meaningless policy change matter? It represents the loss of high culture's force hold on the influence of a formal style in a power institution. It shows that in order to retain a increasingly youthful clientele, they need to act in accordance to the wishes of this culture. In the twenty-first century, youth culture has penetrated high society and dictated a movement away from formalized style and instead subscribes to a belief that casual is better

Today, America is far more relaxed in style and dress "codes" are slowly falling by the way side. No longer do students have to wear dress shirts or dresses to class as they did in the 1960's. This reflects how our culture is changing and how individuals are able to assume a number of different roles. You don't need to dress like you're ready to learn in order to take a class at UMBC just as you don't need to dress like a member of an elite institution in order to attend an elite institution. The lack of a formalized style today is like the changing definition of the American experience. A woman in the 1950's had three career routes. She could be a nurse, a teacher, or a doctor; and her dress reflected that because her options were much more feminine. Today, you can be whatever you want to be and your dress reflects you dressing any way you want to dress. In the classroom setting the way women dress varies from person to person and there are few consistent principles (outside of decency standards). Style barriers have broken down as societal roles have expanded, allowing the casual fashion of youth to infiltrate the rest of society.

Word Count: 309