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Comment by adrianmonk | Hacker News Reader

As far as I can tell, it used to be more important culturally to look and act your age.

If you were 40 and still dressing and acting like you were young, a lot of people would assume you weren't a serious, responsible person and were foolishly trying to hang onto your youth too long. These days the attitude is more like just because you're a grown up with responsibilities doesn't mean you can't cut loose and enjoy life sometimes.

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I’ve been wearing t-shirts and shorts daily for the past 51 years. This is honestly the first time I’ve wondered if some people don’t take me seriously because of what I wear. I’ve never noticed anything (though my wife and kids could tell you I am notoriously oblivious).

Solid color or benign logo, probably OK. Band, sports team, anything jokey, college -- no, they aren't taking you seriously. Star Wars related -- they are laughing at you.

You can take my band tees from my cold dead hands.

don't worry, nobody wants your old, sweaty, mustard-stained shirts. nor is anyone impressed that you were there in '88 before anyone else thought they were cool

Umm... they very much do. I regularly go to markets here in a capital city in the midwest and those old band shirts are selling for triple digits by the youth.

"the youth"

And here I felt silly for having a strong opinion about something that doesn't matter.

I’ve always said when you’re paying the bill you can wear whatever you want. I don’t need anyone to take me seriously, I’m not a politician.

of course you can. nobody is requiring you to be taken seriously. you seem a bit sensitive, however

You're the only person in the thread taking this at all seriously.

I cannot take you seriously with that poor grammar.

The irony is, I work for a huge sporting goods manufacturer. I’d be taken more seriously at work if I did wear sport team t-shirts.

I'm not sure what circles you frequent but no one in my social sphere would laugh, or even care really, if someone would wear Star Wars clothing.

Yeah, mine either. But then, my circle of friends and acquaintances aren’t hung up on social signals like clothing.

And if they wore a MAGA hat? Just a piece of clothing, right?

That depends on context and location.

Where I'm from, wearing your football's team shirt is nothing to be scoffed at. That is, except by your rivals, but they're not taking you any less seriously - just not liking your choice of team.

And yes, it's very normal to wear that to work, especially (but not exclusively) after a big match where your team won or played particularly well, or at least bravely.

Differs from country to country. It's obvious as soon as you land in some countries that people dress in a certain style. I noticed that in colder climates people tend to use less vivid colors more darker tones, single color tops while in hotter climates people wear colourful tops and shorts almost everywhere and it's considered normal.

That's alright. When you wear chinos, an argyle vest, and those hideous warby parker glasses, I think you look like a 20 year old waiter desperate to be thought of as some wealthy stock investor.

Don't even get me started about the Clarks Desert Boots.

Ask your wife. She'll know. ;)

I’ve been doing the opposite and dressing based on what I learned from my father and uncles. They said that shorts are for children and athletic wear like t-shirts aren’t to be worn outside of athletic settings.

From what I can tell nobody noticed this either.

As long as if someone is doing their job well and/or being nice, I don’t care what they wear (assuming they aren’t naked or something overly silly haha).

Try it, I was once invited to a club I wasn't interested in going to, so I got a fancy haircut and dressed up for the occasion. I got to experience a bit of what it's like to be a celebrity, with people approaching me, buying me drinks and inviting me places, and more...

I've since then done something similar a couple of times, it's like being in Quantum Leap.

That really depends on the shorts, the shirts, and the obliviousness :) But yes, people were most definitely judging. Whether that was good or bad, or whether you missed any chance or received worse treatment because of that, almost certainly yes. Was it fair? I don't think so.

Yeah I'm in my late 40s but live like I'm in my 20s lol.. I'm glad these things aren't so strict anymore

There's a great expression in reference to dealing with other people's lifestyle/clothing/etc judgment: if you don't feed me, clothe, house, or f^*+ me, $&%^ you...Very relevant.

> weren't a serious, responsible person and were foolishly trying to hang onto your youth too long

You left one out. That was an obvious sign of mid-life crisis.

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