The Real Scoop on Dressing Down

[Victoria2]

9 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I'm sure with what Jeremy Clarkson earned in Top gear he didnt get his jeans at primark or Matalan . 

 

I agree if people knew there limitations and understood what casually smart means Cunard wouldn't need a dress code. However given the number of men who dress like students from 60s or 70s, I'm not sure this approach would work.

 

Not quite the same I know, and I like to think I know what to wear when going to certain functions, but it's still helpful to be given an advisory level of dress. Given I’m on holiday when on Cunard, possibly with many different nationalities and function expectations with regards to dress attire can be understood and interpreted in different ways  in various parts of the world, Cunard's dress code guide is very helpful and will continue. Knowing one's limitations eg what suits, with regards to dress happens every day for me no matter where I am or what kind of level of dress is expected and I would have thought many folk are the same

 

Talking jeans, smart or otherwise, earning power doesn’t preclude anyone from buying from lesser brands of shops [and cheap jeans on model figures can look just as good as brands costing two hundred times more] so unless you have had a sneak at the labels inside Mr C's jeans, you have no idea where they came from.

 

As we’re in the realms of  supposition and as you mentioned him, his frequent less than suave and sophisticated images, jeans wearing or otherwise, he is a huge, in more ways than one, personality and can dress to please his supposed persona should he wish and although not personally acquainted with the gentleman, I would like to think if he were ever to be in a situation such as Cunard which required a certain level of dress and precluded certain garments in areas of the ship, he would be up to that challenge and not turn up of an evening in jeans, smart or otherwise and tas I mentioned, the only time I have seen obvious, and I'm talking dark blue denim, jeans being worn to dinner in QG specifically, was when the advisory was changed on that one evening in Muscat, and again, the two chaps looked fabulous. They knew how to throw an outfit together.

 

Most Cunard chaps would know their limitations on what to wear of an evening although given some of the figures after a few weeks of wonderful food, that too can be a challenge in itself in some respects,  and given again, this is Cunard, the  number of 60s/70s studently dressed passengers at night will be few and far between as most will adhere to advisories and will not attempt to push boundaries so this is all supposition based on the fact a small percentage  passengers will not be dressed appropriately. And probably, never will.

 

Getting back to my initial tongue in cheek remark, my take and so by my definitions, smart jeans can be smart, and dumb jeans are fit for the bin. Inbetweeners make great daywear. 👍

 

 

[babs135]

Just leafing through this topic and the Windsor Castle comment caught my eye.  Travelled back from Cape Town to the UK in 1969 on her.  There were 4 of us complete strangers in a cabin with no toilet, etc!!!  All luggage was kept in a separate area (apart from toiletries and similar) and if you needed something from your suitcase you had to trot along and ask the crew member if he'd find your suitcase, take it out, and then return the case to the be placed back in the room.  Great times and as has been said, crossing the equator was a sight to behold with Neptune and his trident ruling over everyone.

 

I don't want to get embroiled in the you must wear this, you can't wear that debate but my take on it is quite simple.  If you are taking a cruise/voyage on Cunard do people not do any research beforehand and check on the dress code?  And if so, and they still, book, why don't they then make at least some effort to adhere to the 'rules'?  Or am I missing something?

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

.

 

I don't want to get embroiled in the you must wear this, you can't wear that debate but my take on it is quite simple.  If you are taking a cruise/voyage on Cunard do people not do any research beforehand and check on the dress code?  And if so, and they still, book, why don't they then make at least some effort to adhere to the 'rules'?  Or am I missing something?

With regards to the original post,  they are.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Victoria2

[exlondoner]

Posts enquiring about dress tend to come in two forms:

1. Will it be all right if…(like the OP here)? To which the answer is almost always that it will be fine, but you might have more fun in a suit - and that’s not a clause one often comes across.

 

2. Can I get away with…? To which the answer is usually probably not.

 

The first is usually from people who want to do the right thing and not offend anybody, the second, often, from people who don’t care.

[Windsurfboy]

If jeans were allowed, it would not be smart dress  jeans one would see, the ship would soon look like an audition for Gardeners world. Might as well just abandon dress code. 

[Victoria2]

10 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

If jeans were allowed, it would not be smart dress  jeans one would see, the ship would soon look like an audition for Gardeners world. Might as well just abandon dress code. 

Jeans were allowed and they were smart 'dress' jeans.The wording allowing them to be worn was quite specific. No tears etc.

 

[Windsurfboy]

I'm  talking about a change to general dress code,  if jeans were allowed , even if it ssid smart dress jeans, it would open flood gates to any jeans , as who can define what is smart. No ripped jeans , still allows any old jeans

Edited May 23, 2023 by Windsurfboy

[Victoria2]

12 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I'm  talking about a change to general dress code,  if jeans were allowed , even if it ssid smart dress jeans, it would open flood gates to any jeans , as who can define what is smart. No ripped jeans , still allows any old jeans

and I was talking specifics.

 

No one has said jeans will be allowed in the evening in a general dress code change so you are speculating.

 

I was being factual and made an objective comment based on personal experience and not speculation.

 

I think the day jeans are allowed generally as evening wear in the main restaurants  on Cunard is the day one can definitely say, Cunard has changed for the worst. Until then it's all speculation unless, as in my experience,  and it was  for no other reason than the pirate run must have been very fast and we were hours early into port and so evening excursions and shuttles were hurriedly laid on which as a consequence, meant the dress code was modified accordingly.

 

It happened, the sky didn't fall and the jeans wearers looked phenomenal. Will it ever happen again? I'm sure it will. Will jeans, smart or not become part of a ship wide advised evening dress code including main dining?

I very much doubt it.

 

[Mara4166]

I am trying to work out what is acceptable as a dress shirt.  My husband LOVES Hawaiian shirts.  We could be in the middle of a blizzard in Alaska and as long as the building is heated he would wear a Hawaiian shirt.  We would most likely be in one of the grills and I am hoping Chinos and a Hawaiian shirt will be okay for non-gala evenings.  We have cruised with Princess before and are looking for a ship that has an actual Gala/Formal evening (he has a tux for Gala evening). I assume women do not need to wear a dress on non-gala evenings.  I usually wear nice trousers and a top.  Our trip (if we book it) would be a return TA with the Caribbean. 

[PORT ROYAL]

12 minutes ago, Mara4166 said:

I am trying to work out what is acceptable as a dress shirt.  My husband LOVES Hawaiian shirts.  We could be in the middle of a blizzard in Alaska and as long as the building is heated he would wear a Hawaiian shirt.  We would most likely be in one of the grills and I am hoping Chinos and a Hawaiian shirt will be okay for non-gala evenings.  We have cruised with Princess before and are looking for a ship that has an actual Gala/Formal evening (he has a tux for Gala evening). I assume women do not need to wear a dress on non-gala evenings.  I usually wear nice trousers and a top.  Our trip (if we book it) would be a return TA with the Caribbean. 

A “stand out” Hawaiian shirt in the QG Dining Room on Cunard could start a craze… Go for it!

The published evening dress code on Cunard is a minimum requirement.

[majortom10]

Current adherence to dress code especially smart attire is very poor on QM2 considering TAs are supposed to be the most formal. Some people's idea of collared shirt is laughable and there seems to be no adherence on any part of the ship after 6pm. Standards have dropped significantly since our last roundtrip TA in 2019.

 

[bitob]

On 5/16/2023 at 7:38 AM, Windsurfboy said:

 

They've changed it to "dress" shirt , which is an Americanism for a proper long sleeved shirt with a collar,  to make it clear that polo shirts even though they have a collar are not deemed smart evening wear.

 

 

Insane imo

is this being enforced?

my husband wears some very dressy long sleeve polos ( not remotely golf or sports shirts),sometimes with a jacket. Are these now forbidden?

[Windsurfboy]

Theoretically he could wear a Hawian shirt with a Hawian bow tie and cummerband (contrasting so we could see it) on formal night. Would look stunning with a white jacket. It would be within dress code. 

 

My view is always does the person look as if they have made an effort. If so go for it.

[NE John]

My wish is for fellow pax to be respectful of others who follow the code and to dress to reflect the more elegant evenings that Cunard (and most of us) are trying to pull off. 
It’s so un-often that we get a chance to spruce it up these days so I like the enforced after 6pm dress code atmosphere on Cunard.  My DW and I certainly make the effort. 

As mentioned before, I’m tiring of looking at a sea of fleece vests, polos, and khakis that many now think is the proper dress standard;  I want to take a vacation from seeing at that look. 

[Pushpit]

2 hours ago, Mara4166 said:

I am hoping Chinos and a Hawaiian shirt will be okay for non-gala evenings.  We have cruised with Princess before and are looking for a ship that has an actual Gala/Formal evening (he has a tux for Gala evening). I assume women do not need to wear a dress on non-gala evenings.

Going by the published policy it says "Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Essentially, choose something along the same vein as you’d wear to a stylish restaurant or the theatre on a special occasion."

 

That's the wording on the UK site. So in terms of that, would that shirt be OK in a stylish restaurant on your birthday? I would say it's possible, and therefore OK, but the photos on the USA site show a more conservative look in their photos, referenced at the top of the thread, so personally I'd pack some other shirts to give you the choice once on board. During the day Hawaiian shirts are fine. For ladies a dress isn't essential for smart attire, as shown by the words - again wear what you would in a smart restaurant to a birthday event.

[bluemarble]

50 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

That's the wording on the UK site. ... but the photos on the USA site show a more conservative look in their photos, ..."

 

I just noticed the "What to pack" page on the Cunard US website has been updated so that it is now similar to the Cunard UK website. Gone are the sample photos of what to wear for Smart Attire and Gala Evenings.

 

Perhaps more significantly, also gone now is the reference to "black tie dress code" for Gala Evenings. In its place is the reference to "elevated dress code" for Gala Evenings, the same as the UK website has stated for the last several months.

 

For whatever reason, the US website does not contain the sections about "Formal dresses" and "Formal suits" found on the UK website. That means those of us in the US are missing the tidbit found on the UK website that states "Formal suits are only required on board a Transatlantic cruise on Gala Evenings". Not sure what to make of that omission on the US website.

Edited May 31, 2023 by bluemarble

[ballroom-cruisers]

It would seem to me that whatever the fine details on the wording of the dress code the majority of people on the voyages I have been on, no matter which of the three ships, dress up rather than down including on 'smart attire' evenings. Very few men were not wearing jackets to dinner, and very few ladies were not wearing pretty smart outfits, whether smart separates or dresses and often very evening-out styling.  Perhaps I have just been lucky on the particular voyages I happen to have been on the past year or so. Nevertheless there will always be a few who wish to diverge from what the majority generally wear on the non-Gala evenings, and certainly Gala evenings have seen almost everyone dressing elegantly and making it quite an occasion on the cruises I have been fortunate to enjoy.

Perhaps a significant fraction of passengers are not even aware of the long running discussions on this forum, and others, about the dress code and how it should be interpreted!

[NE John]

3 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

Perhaps a significant fraction of passengers are not even aware of the long running discussions on this forum, and others, about the dress code and how it should be interpreted!

I believe a big enough percentage of pax don’t read up on what is expected for their voyage and ignore important emails from Cunard (print out tags, etc). 
Passengers have a responsibility to do some homework before they embark for any expensive trip. 

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

It would seem to me that whatever the fine details on the wording of the dress code the majority of people on the voyages I have been on, no matter which of the three ships, dress up rather than down including on 'smart attire' evenings. Very few men were not wearing jackets to dinner, and very few ladies were not wearing pretty smart outfits, whether smart separates or dresses and often very evening-out styling.  Perhaps I have just been lucky on the particular voyages I happen to have been on the past year or so. Nevertheless there will always be a few who wish to diverge from what the majority generally wear on the non-Gala evenings, and certainly Gala evenings have seen almost everyone dressing elegantly and making it quite an occasion on the cruises I have been fortunate to enjoy.

Perhaps a significant fraction of passengers are not even aware of the long running discussions on this forum, and others, about the dress code and how it should be interpreted!

I would imagine very few Cunard passengers will be aware of the discussions on this board.

 

I am on QV at the moment and I have seen two chaps without a jacket in QG so far over dinner. I would say the age profile is quite high and many (can’t see most of the restaurant) are what I would call conservatively dressed in jacket and tie. My husband does not wear a tie but always wears what I assume is considered a dress shirt, and a jacket.
 

This is meant as an observation and in no way meant as a guide and it’s not to say chinos and an Hawaiian aren’t acceptable wear if they confirm to guidelines but the shirt would definitely be a statement piece on this Round Britain trip!🙂 Maybe slightly less so on a Caribbean cruise?

As regards dresses, the only dresses I wear onboard are long and are reserved for Gala evenings. Dress trousers and beautiful tops are my non Gala staples.

[exlondoner]

Even here in the plague room, I have a shower and change into a pretty dress for the evening. My husband, unaffected, but not allowed into the restaurants, disdains so to do.

[Mara4166]

51 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I would imagine very few Cunard passengers will be aware of the discussions on this board.

 

I am on QV at the moment and I have seen two chaps without a jacket in QG so far over dinner. I would say the age profile is quite high and many (can’t see most of the restaurant) are what I would call conservatively dressed in jacket and tie. My husband does not wear a tie but always wears what I assume is considered a dress shirt, and a jacket.
 

This is meant as an observation and in no way meant as a guide and it’s not to say chinos and an Hawaiian aren’t acceptable wear if they confirm to guidelines but the shirt would definitely be a statement piece on this Round Britain trip!🙂 Maybe slightly less so on a Caribbean cruise?

As regards dresses, the only dresses I wear onboard are long and are reserved for Gala evenings. Dress trousers and beautiful tops are my non Gala staples.

Thank you.  This is the impression that I have from reading many of the posts, but your comments summarize it very well.  If we book this cruise, the Hawaiian shirts will be reserved for the daytime or in  the evenings during the Caribbean portion of the cruise.

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, Mara4166 said:

Thank you.  This is the impression that I have from reading many of the posts, but your comments summarize it very well.  If we book this cruise, the Hawaiian shirts will be reserved for the daytime or in  the evenings during the Caribbean portion of the cruise.

 

Follow the dress code, but there should be no pressure to wear a jacket unless your husband likes to wear one, even if 99% of others do. 

 

As for Hawian shirt the only question I would raise would it look like he can't be bothered to change.  Also dress shirt I think translates as long sleeved,  most Hawian shirts are short sleeved. 

[bitob]

Imo if the dress code for smart casual  is open to so much interpretation, compliance is challenging and enforcement is difficult

 

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

4 minutes ago, bitob said:

Imo if the dress code for smart casual  is open to so much interpretation, compliance is challenging and enforcement is difficult

 

 

I think it's very simple, a proper shirt ie with collar but not polo shirt and a pair of trousers but not jeans or cargo pants.

[ballroom-cruisers]

1 hour ago, bitob said:

Imo if the dress code for smart casual  is open to so much interpretation, compliance is challenging and enforcement is difficult

 

 

 

 

There word 'casual' is not in the dress code, so why is it brought back so many times in posts?