For men a clean shirt or polo and slacks or clean jeans are fine. No one expects you to dress up as if you were going to the office nor to dress down as if you were going to play soccer. As someone said, culture and climate are importanat concerns, so are economics.
If you make the rules too lax, it becomes ridiculous and if you make them too formal, there are some who cannot afford it. The best rule is use common sense.
Even religious men pay attention to culture, climate and economics. For example, we often wear a very light weight habit or a work tunic, which is shorter. It goes down just above the knees and fastened at the waiste with a belt instead of the chord. That’s because we’re in very hot and humid climate. Our postulants wear whtie polo shirts and grey slacks. In the cooler climates we wear the traditional wool blend habit with chord, scapular and cowl. The postulants wear a long-sleeve white shirt and slacks. However, oiur brothers in the missions do not wear the traditional habit, because it is very expensive to make. One habit costs $225.00. The climate is very warm and you can’t afford to have more than two habits. But the climate requires at least four if you’re going to wear them daily. By mid-afternoon, they are seaty and they smell. You have to change into a second habit. That’s a financial hardship for us. They wear a work tunic or slacks and a shirt. The complte habit is worn when the weather allows it or when the church has AC, which is only in the cities, not in the jungles.
The same rule of common sense would apply to a secular man. Factor in culture, climate and affordability and you should come up with something that is casual but smart at the same time. That would be the minimum. A suit and tie are never too much, but not everyone can afford a suit or wear one in certain climates. So I always advise people as to how low on the ladder you can go before you’re inappropriately dressed. Anything less than a polo and a nice pair of jeans is inappropriate.
Having said that, there are cultures where shorts are commonly worn for work, school and other functions where Americans would wear slacks. But I have not seen shorts worn for work in the USA, as a general rule. They are usually considered recreational apparel only in the USA, whereas a button-down shirt and jeans or a nice polo and jeans are more common, provided the jeans are in good shape. Again, use common sense.
I’m assuming that we’re talking about men’s clothing, not women’s or did I misunderstand the original post?
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
