Omnivore - Restaurant attire: Step it up, people, and dress to the occasion

• Besha Rodell
• Scott Henry dresses like this on Wednesdays.

Screw informality. There, I’ve said it. Now let me illustrate my point. On New Year’s Eve, the wife and I showed up for a late dinner at Kevin Rathbun Steaks. We were led by the hostess to a large booth against the far wall and, as I settled in and surveyed my fellow diners, one question popped into my mind.

Namely: Who imagines that it’s appropriate to wear an anorak windbreaker to such a posh restaurant? The guy at the table next to us, apparently. And, scanning the well-appointed room, I was taken aback by the number of open collars, golf shirts, and untucked shirttails.

What have we come to, 21st century American guys, that we (actually, you) no longer dress up for special occasions amid fancy surroundings? I realize this isn’t the ’50s, when men wore ties to mow the lawn, but c’mon — what became of dressing for dinner? One needn’t be Jack Donaghy to be dismayed by the spread of the “casual dining” trend into more upscale establishments.

This isn’t a matter of class warfare. I’ll wager there were no paupers enjoying veal chop-Oscar or lobster fritters at KRS the other night. Just a bunch of rich guys (or petite bourgeoisie) who didn’t feel like making the effort to put on a goddamn blazer.