I was amused by the flap over President Obama's working in the Oval Office in shirtsleeves and the horror engendered by the possibility that some members of the administration might venture into the White House in blue jeans. I believe such challenges to dismal dress codes are a good sign of change. I have always found it irritating that the universal uniform in Washington, as in the business world, is a dark, preferably black suit, light shirt, and modest tie. (There is the story about Nixon asking who guy in plaid was and saying, "Fire him!") At work, I believe, everyone including the president should feel comfortable. If that means a suit, a blazer, or a sweater and blue jeans, fine.
However, even I, who have taught at a university for more than 30 years in sneakers and without tie or jacket, will wear a black suit to a funeral or other formal occasion. And I find myself equally irritated by generals who rarely leave an office appearing, say, before congress in garish, ill-fitting fatigues. When I was in the army you couldn't get off the base or even into the officer's club wearing fatigues!
Perhaps my reactions are strictly personal. When I was a kid, my mother would not let me wear sneakers (they were unhealthy) or what we then called dungarees (too working class) and in high school and college I resented the dress codes which ordained jackets and ties. But even as a denizen of the Village in the 50s, there was a uniform for us would-be bohemians, and my friends in the San Remo were uncomfortable when I once showed up in a suit and tie!
Opinions about dress codes?