One thing I think is good to remember. The Priest is not just another person. He is special. His ordination set him somewhat apart from us. His mission in life puts him in a unique position in relation to us. He represents the church and he should stand out in that representation. He should not be like, act like or look just like everyone else. He is so much more than that.
One of the problems that we have in the Church today is a general loss of the prestige, dignity and respect that the priests used to have. I think that came about with the blurring of the lines between the laity and the clergy following Vatican II. While probably well intentioned it basically ignored that under the system we have in the church, authority flows down from the Pope towards us in a chain of command kind of thing for lack of a better term. The Priest is the one representative of the institutional church that most of us will ever come in cotact with except at confirmations. And even then, he is probably the only one we will ever know personally.
I don’t think that his manner of dress while not working should really be a matter of concern, but then again, priests don’t have regular hours, their job is not a typical one. With that in mind, and given the enormity of his job and his responsibility, the priest I think, should strive to set an example in everything he does and everything he says.
As an aside, when I was in the military, I served two years with a Marine Corps unit, even though I was in the Navy. We used to joke that we could always spot Marine Corps Officers off duty by the way they dressed and the way they carried themselves. But it wasn’t a joke. Those men and women knew they represented something different, something they were proud of, something that was vitally important to them. They took their office very seriously. Most priests used to feel the same way, and I’m sure that mostt of them still do.
As for the others, well maybe they need to think of exactly what they are, what they represent and what their mission in life is.