Let's Hear it for the Boys

Shedding standard business attire has been the norm for high-powered tech executives. Led by Steve Jobs and fully realized by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, the no-look of casual t-shirt-and-whatever signals "I'm a rich genius so it doesn't matter what I wear." Bill Gates was just born too soon.

Steve and Mark setting a low sartorial bar

Casual Friday at the office eventually morphed into Casual Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well, with Friday and Saturday becoming more casual yet. I've gotten used to seeing men in scrubs at the supermarket. They have undoubtedly discovered scrubs' optimum comfort. I've convinced myself those men are through at the hospital and will not be going back to work. Or at least will not be working on me.

After years of fashion trying to get men to grow-up-and-dress-up, it looks like even fashion has given into their inner little boy. Any woman who has ever dealt with getting a grown man to wear long pants on an occasion when he should may cringe at the thought. But to some extent, fashion is only giving in to what may already be the norm.

No one likes wearing uncomfortable uniforms, and  today's business 9-to-5 reflects that. Young men maybe have grown up— but not always out— of the fun stuff of their skater youths. And the younger generation always influences the older one, even if it takes a while.

This summer the most dressed up men I've seen are wearing Hawaiian shirts with chino pants. It was practically a uniform among grown men of a certain age at dinner on Friday night.

I'll have one from column A, B and C

I convinced my husband to break up his beloved seersucker suit by wearing the jacket with a collared polo shirt and jeans. I got the idea from "Garden & Gun" magazine who were advising their male readers how not to look like attendees at a convention for southern lawyers.

Men, take note, lest you think you can just reach willy-nilly into your closets. Ladies, take notes because the man in your life may need your guidance. Oh, and Happy Father's Day.