Our evolving dress codes: What do we expect and what's changing?

Anderson's Menswear's Simon Franks said men shouldn't be afraid to be audacious with their tie selections. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

After Parliament this removed the requirement for men to wear ties, it got us thinking about how dress codes evolve. Ethan Griffiths investigates.

At Andersons Menswear on Victoria Avenue, sales assistant Simon Franks was immaculately dressed - although tieless - as he attended to the store.

Laid out across the iconic Whanganui menswear store were various items of clothing, ranging from a rack of polished and unblemished old-style formal jackets, all the way to a selection of Canterbury rugby jerseys so colourful they could almost be considered standard dress at a pride parade.

Smack bang in the middle of the store was a large sample of ties, ranging in price from $45 to $75, of which Franks said still flew out the door.

"We turn over ties on a regular basis. We have them constantly restocked and every month we have a tie stockist come and see us and we talk about what's popular," Franks explained.

"We always make sure we have that we carry a range of block colours, because we have a lot of patterned shirts that men often wear block colours with."

Franks said that while your typical block ties are still popular, men are becoming much more adventuresome with their threads.

"The thing is with ties, and we say this to a lot of our customers, don't be afraid to be bold. Don't be afraid to wear a patterned shirt and wear a patterned tie with it. Take the time to throw something against it and see what works.

"There are no hard and fast rules. The only rule is wear what you like."

Meanwhile, at the Whanganui Regional Museum, public programmes presenter Lisa Reweti took the Chronicle on a tour around the museums' collection of clothing, including old school uniforms and a nurses get-up complete with a red blazer.

Lisa Rewiti says Reweti tiki or heitiki can absolutely be seen as a form of cultural formal wear. Photo / Supplied

Asked if school uniforms in particular had been relaxed over time, Reweti said they undoubtedly had.

"Little girls wore pinafores and little boys wore their little shorts and matching tops. These days, all kids can wear sort of gym clothes, T-shirts and shorts, whether they're girls or boys," Reweti explained, pointing to a girls school uniform complete with a formal tie.

Also in the collection was a 1970s era tan suit, topped off with a matching tan vest worn on the inside of the jacket.

"You don't see that on the street now."

Quizzed on what has changed between now and then, Reweti pretty much listed everything.

"Styles change, society changes, and attitudes change. But it is so interesting to look back and see what we once wore."

However, there are examples of dress tradition remaining.

Reweti went on to explain social norms of dress code within Māoridom, referring particularly to a traditional practice at Putiki Marae where women in leadership roles are expected to wear black during pōwhiri.

"That practice is still very strong today."

When asked about the very item that sparked the whole tie-or-no-tie saga at Parliament, Reweti explained that tiki, or heitiki (hei meaning suspended), hold important cultural significance to Māori and can absolutely be seen as a form of cultural formal wear.

"Heitiki are taonga. They are a symbol or a status of mana. They are so much more than a tie."

Tiki are inherently special. They carry weight, mana, have often been passed down through many generations, and in some cases have a brain and a life of their own, Reweti explained.

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall says while there is no official dress code laid out within council standing orders, he does expect a "decent" standard of dress.

"If you're dealing with private property or public money, then you should have appropriate respect," McDouall said.

"I have twice had to tell elected officials off. One guy turned up in jandals and shorts and I informed him that wasn't acceptable. Next time he turned up in jandals and longs, so I was happier with that."

McDouall added that while ties weren't necessarily commonplace around the council table, there were still some very impressive appearances.

"I will point out that at Tuesday's council meeting, I noticed that not a single person in the entire council chamber wore a tie, and I'm not attached to ties at all," he said.

Councillor Alan Taylor, seen here modelling a fine garment, was labelled one of Whanganui's fashion leaders by Mayor Hamish McDouall. Photo / File

"But I do have to say, while no one is as well dressed as the late Rangi Wills, councillor Alan Taylor has displayed some incredible threads at times. He is a real fashion leader."

So the outcome of the investigation?

With nurses no longer clearing bedpans wearing formal jackets, men not wearing top hats while walking along the main drag, as well as the now frequent occurrence of shoppers donned in pyjamas at the supermarket, it's probably fair to say we don't dress as formally as we once used to.

But how we do dress doesn't necessarily hold less significance.