# Southerners



## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

It seems that a great many of the forum members/posters hail from Dixie. Curious: how many of us were born, raised, and/or currently reside below the Mason-Dixon?

Follow-up: is there consensus that Southerners take "dressing up" more seriously than folks from other parts of the U.S.?

Cheers,
Harris


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## Foghorn (Feb 2, 2005)

I have noticed the same. I think we were raised/socialized to understand that our appearance or attire reflects a sense of respect we have ourselves, others, & the occasion. Not that other regions do not, but this was something formally instilled in our youth. 
F


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

I hail from Dixie, spending the majority of my life in Georgia (along with short periods in SC, LA, and NOVA) and currently living in Alabama. As much as I thought I would like New England when I went there a couple of weeks ago, there was something that I couldn't wait to get back to here in the South, which is something that I wasn't expecting, but I'm glad to be back.

As far as your question about Southerners taking dressing up more, I would probably have to agree, and feel like it is epitomized by Southern sorority girls and the women that they grow into. My roommate is from Illinois by way of Florida, and I know he's told me that his mom feels intimidated coming to visit us at school because she feels like she's not up to standard of dress for women compared to the real Southerners around her.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Born, raised and currently reside below Messrs. Mason & Dixon's line (most of the time in Kentucky, but also SC, TN and, currently, AL, brief stints in DC and Michigan). 

Alas, I don't know that Southerners do take 'dressing up' more seriously. There is a certain good ol' boy aversion to formality that runs strong in many. Still, I suppose that dressing up is more accepted in the South than, say, in southern California. As Trip notes, you likely find it running stronger among the ladies, which isn't a bad thing at all!


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## pendennis (Oct 6, 2005)

I was born and raised south of the Mason-Dixon line, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Currently, I'm of prisoner of work, in Michigan.

There is a difference, but I'm beginning to believe that it is generational, as much as regional. I was raised to dress in a particular manner, which is more formal than what is taught today. I never darkened the church doors on Sunday without a suit; at worst blazer/sport coat; and always a tie, even in the summer.

From an early age, adults were addressed as ma'am or sir, regardless their age. Hats were removed going indoors; doors were held for all women, even underage girls; men preceded women going down stairs or escalators, and trailed them going up; men always walked on the outside, toward the curb; and gently took a woman's arm when crossing a street; men always opened the car door and insured the woman was seated comfortably before closing the door.

When I moved to Michigan in the early 1980's. There was certainly more brusqueness here, than in the south. The pace of life literally moved faster, and far less courteous.

Dressing was different but not less formal. Men wore suits which were a bit more contemporary. I had lots of 3-b sacks, with vests. Most men here did not wear vests, and the suits had more cut, a bit more English or European. Shoes tended to be more European, less of the Alden, BB, Allen-Edmonds popularity.

Dressing has deteriorated. I still wear suits to work, even in the corporate casual environment of today. I still believe the suit and tie is *THE* dress of corporate America, but I'm a vanishing breed. A few years ago, one would only see casual on Friday's at our WHQ. Now, I rarely see a suit Monday through Thursday.

Of course, a lot depends on what part of the north one resides. Certainly the northern midwest has become more casual; but from the video I see of New York and Boston, there are still a lot of men dressed more formally.

Just my take.


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## Larchmont (Jan 2, 2005)

Welcome back Harris.

Born in Connecticut. Raised in New York. Lived in North Carolina for the past 8 years.

I am not sure about the dressing up part down here, I think it depends upon the group of people you are with. At the beach you can find polo shirts, bermuda shorts and tassel loafers at one table and t-shirts, cut-offs and flip-flops at another.


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## Plainsman (Jun 29, 2006)

Born and raised in Mobile, AL and have been in Auburn, AL since college (I won't say how long that is).

I've been all over and spent some time in New England as well, but I would never want to leave the South. The culture, food, clothing is just different than everywhere else. (I'm still nursing a bowl of my mother's potato salad and a jar of homemade pickles from her visit last weekend) 

I have to agree with pendennis that the courteous and gentleman-like nature is still very high. I still say ma'am and sir to just about everyone (for sure the parents). All the stuff about holding doors, etc. is just second nature. 

Clothing is big too. I think clothing just goes naturally with everything else. In my opinion it is a little less formal. Comfort is required on those hot summer days. 

Naturally in a college town this time of year football is king. When the students are going to games in navy blazers and wearing ties and the girls are wearing nice dresses, you know something is different.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

I'm from the North and I've always lived here, having actually migrated closer to the Arctic Circle as I've aged. (Not that Vermont is that close.)

I don't have a large sample of data to go by, but I was definitely struck by the manners of one lawyer who was working for us for a while. I think he must have been a little younger than me, maybe fifty or so, was from the South, and had attended West Point. He definitely dressed more formally than I do (almost everyone I know does), and he seemed to have manners that most people would characterize as old-fashioned. For instance, he was more deferential to me than most people I've supervised (fine, but not something I expect from people) and whenever we went out to lunch as a group I noticed that he would rise when one of the women in the group would stand up to leave the table.

Please understand that I don't intend any of these comments negatively, but I do think this is out of the norm in my experience, even taking into account that things in Vermont in general, and the Vermont legal community in general, are very informal.


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

*West of the Mason Dixon Line*

Yeah, Welcome back Harris. We've missed you.

When John T. Molloy published his revised version of Dress For Success, he included a whole new section that dealt with "regional" differences in the way people dress, and they way people react to what you are wearing.

I don't own a copy (mine is the 1970s version of Dress For Success).

All I remember is that out west, every piece of Molloy's advise goes out the window.

People in Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Southern Utah, Idaho, and parts of Arizona have a deep seated mistrust of Easterners. Little wonder with the way absentee landlords in Congress have destroyed so much of our land out here.

But I digress...

Wish I could tell you what Molloy said about Southern tastes, and about regional differences in the south. This would all be dated information of course, ca. 1984.

Alan Flusser also included much information about regional flair in Style and The Man. This section of his book was actually more of a regional buyer's guide.


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

I am a southerner born and raised, although I did spend some time in captivity in southern California. I've lived in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and spent a good bit of time in Tennessee. From those experiences, I do not believe you can make an overall generalization about the whole region. I found Florida (the "southern" part of Florida, which is oxymoronically in the north), to be more casual than most of the other areas. My experience has also been that New Orleans and Mobile are more formal than Nashville or Atlanta. Those differences noted, all of the above mentioned southern states seemed to hold to a more formal and traditional dress code than California.


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## I_Should_Be_Working (Jun 23, 2005)

Plainsman said:


> Born and raised in Mobile, AL and have been in Auburn, AL since college (I won't say how long that is).


Okay Plainsman, the idea is that you're supposed to get away for a while, then retire to Auburn. When the co-eds start looking at you like a dirty old man, that's the signal to leave.

Jokes aside, I hear the town has exploded in the past decade - especially with a younger demographic. What are people doing, though, professionally? I could see if you have a research interest needing proximity to a major university, but beyond that, what drives the economy enough to employ people?


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## Plainsman (Jun 29, 2006)

I_Should_Be_Working said:


> Okay Plainsman, the idea is that you're supposed to get away for a while, then retire to Auburn. When the co-eds start looking at you like a dirty old man, that's the signal to leave.
> 
> Jokes aside, I hear the town has exploded in the past decade - especially with a younger demographic. What are people doing, though, professionally? I could see if you have a research interest needing proximity to a major university, but beyond that, what drives the economy enough to employ people?


I did actually work in Washington DC for a brief period and commuted to Montgomery for several years before I started working for Auburn. I'm not in academics, although I am finishing my last semester of law school. I work in Risk Management and Insurance for Auburn. But this was always home to me. BTW, school started today and the co-eds are as lovely as ever. Also another reason to love the South.

Auburn U is as big as ever creating a need for more employees. There is also a singificant housing boom. Construction, landscaping, etc. are huge. There are several large factories and more on the way. More students means more shopping, dining, etc. Since Auburn is an hour from Montgomery and Columbus, Ga it has also become the place for city folks to live. The schools are great, little crime, etc. The city is facing a lot of growing pains and is on the verge of being the hub of east AL. But, I still miss the quiet college town it once was.


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## familyman (Sep 9, 2005)

Born and raised in Michigan. Now residing in Texas. Though we fought on the same side during that northern agression thing I'm not sure Texas counts as the south. It sort of has it's own sub culture sort of like southern California or The Pacific NW. Although there doesn't seem to be much trad here, there is similar current running through. The casual seems to be a more formal and the formal more casual. Beyond that Texas has enough cultural variation over it's vast size it's hard to make generalizations about the place. 
When the working years are done we'll pack up and move back to Michigan. I'm a creature of the changing seasons and the snow and I have to go back.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

agnash said:


> My experience has also been that New Orleans and Mobile are more formal than Nashville or Atlanta.


I would agree with this statement.


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## rl1856 (Jun 7, 2005)

New Jersey born and reared; resideing in South Carolina by choice. In fact, I have resided in the south for the majority of my life, first in Atlanta then along the South Carolina coast.

I would not call it dressing up, because that implies that one ordinarily dresses down and only changes when the situation requires it. 

What I have noticed is that southerners dress more formally on an everday basis than inhabitants of other parts of our country. I think that daily attire is also related to an upbringing where manners were reinforced from an early age and it is expected that everyone should treat each other with politeness and respect. Attire is one aspect of how you present yourself to the world.

Differences in how "formal" one southern city may be compared to another, could be interpreted as an indicator of how many non southerners have moved to the city. When we lived in Atlanta for example, the average person living there had not been borne there. Such an influx of non natives has had a definate effect on the growth and evolution of the city. The same can also be said about Charlotte and Nashville. On the other hand, places such as Mobile, New Orleans and Charleston, have actively worked to preserve their heritage while still (moderately) embracing newcomers. 

Best,

Ross


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## crazyquik (Jun 8, 2005)

I've always lived in North Carolina. Several visits to Washington DC though...

Never been to the mid-west, California, New England, or anywhere like that to be able to comment.


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## rcb31768 (Jun 6, 2006)

*Living in the South.*

I was born in Charleston, SC. I was moved to Columbia, SC by my parents at a young age and could not protest to much. Eventually I moved back to Charleston and lived for a few more years, but now Columbia is home.

I love the south. As far as opening doors for women, saying sir or any other such manners, I never really thought about it, I just did it, I was raised this way.

I work in a bank in Columbia and we wear coats and ties everyday, and no we do not even have a casual Friday. We have a major good ol boy attitude in our work place. I enjoy it a lot, i guess it was the way I was raised. My little one is three and he always says thank you and please and we are working on all the other niceties of being a traditional conservative southern gentleman. Sorry for my post being so long.


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## law_reb (Jul 20, 2006)

I have lived all over the U.S.(New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri) and the world(Korea, Germany, Belgium) with a father in the military. The south is just different. After marrying a girl from Arkansas and moving to Mississippi for law school I found there was a whole different world south of the Mason Dixon line. People here still say yes ma'am and no sir. Men do still open doors for women. Ladies wear dresses when they don't have to(even for football games) and men dress nicely for fun not work. People down here talk slow and move even slower. The smaller the town the slower the pace. I have to translate for my two brothers who live in Kansas when they visit me because of the southern drawl. At home I wear seersucker and bow ties and don't get a second look. This summer in Northern Michigan I felt like people were staring at me and wondering where this clown came from. Then when my wife speaks they know. And then they ask her to talk some more because she sounds so "southern".


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## mpcsb (Jan 1, 2005)

*Curious*

Being raised in the upper midwest I don't ever remember any self-identification as a 'Northerner' or 'Midwesterner'. 'The South' seems to have mostly been used in relation the Civil War. As there are many 'Southerners' here, when do/did you begin to self-identify as one? Or is this identification simply prompted by Harris' original question? I apologize if this is off topic - I'm just fascinated as there seems to be little or no identification as for us 'Northerners' (well at least me).
Cheers


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## zignatius (Oct 8, 2004)

Trads are alive and well out west. You definitely don't see many white bucks out here (or braces or boaters), but it's not like you'd get heads to turn. Well, maybe you would ... 

I was born in San Francisco (Jackson Street) and was moved to Portland as a teen. Been here ever since and it's definitely home. Our part of the family was rogue, I suppose, because all the aunts and uncles and cousins are still in NY, NJ, CT. 

Yes, every time we attend a gathering back east, the attire goes up a notch. No surprise ... and the adjustment isn't a stretch for any of us (it's actually refreshing at times). I attribute this, i suppose, to strong family ties and ample tradition within our own fam. 

Anyway, the west is known for being casual and I think anyone who lives out here realizes the wide range degrees of casual. Casual in Portland (and Seattle and S.F.) is one thing, but casual outside the valley is another ... "tell me something new," right? 

Finally, Portland -- because it was settled by New Englanders (after the native peoples, of course) -- the city continues to have a subtle N.E. flavor. (fun fact: Portland was named after the Portland in Maine after winning a coin toss to a Bostonian who wanted New Boston.)

I've never doubted hardcore trads are concentrated in the south. My travels aren't anything out of the ordinary (both coasts (north of the M-D Line), the usual in Europe and lots of time in Canada) so this may sound odd to all the Southern contingent, but the closest I've come to the heart of Dixie was having lunch in Annapolis before flying out of BWI. (At least grant me bonus points for reading "Confederates in the Attic" a few years ago. I loved that book. And it disspelled any foolish Southern biases I might've had as a kid.) 

Apologies for the length of this post. It's ridiculous.
-zander


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

familyman said:


> Born and raised in Michigan. Now residing in Texas. Though we fought on the same side during that northern agression thing I'm not sure Texas counts as the south. It sort of has it's own sub culture sort of like southern California or The Pacific NW. Although there doesn't seem to be much trad here, there is similar current running through. The casual seems to be a more formal and the formal more casual. Beyond that Texas has enough cultural variation over it's vast size it's hard to make generalizations about the place.


The South is itself not a monolith. The Tidewater is very different from the Appalachians, which is very different from the Delta. East Texas has a lot of Southern elements, west Texas fewer. Certainly there is a Western mystique about Texas, but there is also a residual frontier/Western attitude in much of the South west of the Appalachians. There was a time when Kentucky and Tennessee were referred to as 'The West'.

As for self-identification as a Southerner, I would say for most there was never a time in their lives when there was not such a self-identification.


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

Further comment on the Pacific Northwest. Going back at least 80 years, maybe longer, people here did not exist in isolation. Just look at the Social Blue Books published from the 1920s to the 1960s; many people here either themselves attended or sent their children to Northeastern prep schools. Those who attended our local prep schools as often as not continued their education at private colleges in the Eastern U.S., which is clear from perusing the alumni directories of the prep schools. Sometimes people met their spouses in college and brought them back here to raise families. There were also the several local clubs, where people who went to school elsewhere mingled with those educated in the East. For those who went to university in state, during the 1950s and early 1960s the Ivy League Style was featured prominently in most if not all of the college shops.


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## knickerbacker (Jun 27, 2005)

Born in Greenwich, Connecticut 
Raised in McLean, VA / DC metro area
Lived in NY, upstate and NYC 
MA and MN for a spell
Currently reside outside the territorial boundaries of the United States in San Francisco.

My impression of the gentlemen of the South is this: more of those that dress well dress very well by my standards (and those generally supported by this board) and there is a bit more emphisis on the formal for events than in the Northeast - the Southern gents seem to have a few more formal events and dress occasions that many of their Yankee counterparts from balls that are attended by a broader economic spectrum, to races and other events. There also seem to be more GTH things, & more often in the CSA then found in the USA.
This impression will not prevent me from entertaining friendly rivalry towards our Southern brethren- Northern Virginia was much less "Northern" when I moved there as a very young Connecticut Yankee with a long family history in the Northeast! Back then, for every mile you drove away from DC, you drove a year back in time (which is both a very good thing and, sometimes, not so good). The rolling hills of Loudon County had yet to be swallowed by suburban sprawl, a middle class family could buy a home in Fairfax County (good luck now). I fondly remember working on horse farms for several years on weekends and in summer but, as usual, I digress.
edit- I'd point out that the above statements about better dressers applies to the under 50 crowd.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

While I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, I did spend a good number of my military years assigned to locations in the South; Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina/South Carolina, Virginia, and Missouri (not sure it's South but, it's close). I don't tknow that I could conclude that folks in the South dress better but, the incorporation of personal courtesies into daily life is significantly more obvious and the folks, as a whole, do take the time to make a life rather than just making a living. Virginia was close to "heaven on earth" and I came close to choosing to settle there. However, as was indicated by "familyman," I am a creature of the seasons and, consequently, returned North. I did however, raise my children so as to incorporate a number of the "Southern" social graces into their upbringing. I am proud to say, they are now very well mannered young adults


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## MichaelB (Dec 17, 2004)

Though I live in Rhode Island, I've visited the South a fair number of times for conferences and presentations--especially New Orleans, Charleston, and the horse country around Camden, SC. Every time, I've been charmed by the courtesy I encounter from Southerners--the effort they'll make to start a conversation or at least offer some pleasantry. It goes beyond the obligatory greeting you'll get at any good hotel or restaurant. They take the time to make your acquaintance, and cultivate a conversation, even if it is just to pass the time it takes for the elevator to arrive. As a New Englander of habitual reserve and haste, I find I must try to match their Southern graciousness--not that I succeed, but the trying is good for my character. 

Better dressed? Yes--certainly in those spots I mention visiting. And amongst my colleagues--college profs and prep-school teachers--more southerners still dress "old school," while most of the westerners and Northeasterners dress down--out west, because everybody does, and in the Northeast, almost as an ideological statement. Lamentable.


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## J. Fields Collins (May 25, 2005)

Having spent close to 27 glorious years in the South, I must say that the comments that AlanC and TripReed have posted are spot on. I think there is something ingrained in the Southerner to have a more distinct air of 'formality' of dress on a daily basis. This does however, depend heavily on the city. New Orleans, Mobile and Charleston are all good examples of traditional Southern cities. One could even extend this argument to certain portions of cities being more traditional than others, Belle Meade and other notable 'Tiny Kingdoms' are great examples of tradition, while some of the outlying 'developments' have increased the ratio of non-traditional to traditional style and dress. 

Just my 2 cents,
J.


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## Prepdad (Mar 10, 2005)

Also born, reared and reside in the deep south. Live in the same city where I was born, actually.

In traveling, I've certainly noted a difference in the seriousness of "dressing up." Case in point: in our city a wedding after 6 o'clock in the evening almost without exception means black tie for guests. I daresay that isn't the case in many other cities and sadly you might not even get some guests into suits. 

Perhaps some of this involves the natural Southern proclivity for hanging onto those traditions of the past.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

A gentleman here, born and raised in the south-ascribing to the mysterious and romanticized version of the south, old south really. I realized I was a southerner shortly after I realized that Tennessee was not bordered on the north by New York, sometime during college I suppose. I am from the deep south you see and only recently settled in Tennessee.

I wonder what role "church" plays on the way we dress in the south. For the most part we are a churched bunch. Every child and most men regardless of occupation have a small wardrobe set aside for church. These also are used for weddings, funerals and decoration days. One might hear, "go put on your church clothes" when going to a funeral. 

Allen


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## crazyquik (Jun 8, 2005)

mpcsb said:


> Being raised in the upper midwest I don't ever remember any self-identification as a 'Northerner' or 'Midwesterner'. 'The South' seems to have mostly been used in relation the Civil War. As there are many 'Southerners' here, when do/did you begin to self-identify as one? Cheers


As early as I could "self identify". Probably before I could read I knew that I was a Southerner and things were different here.

Regarding church, even over the last few Sundays, when midday temps were at or above 90 degrees, I would say 1/3 to 1/2 were wearing suits, and another third wearing jackets. The jacketless were in the smallest minority. I counted as much as 10% of the men in "summer suits", either seersucker or poplin.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

mpcsb said:


> Being raised in the upper midwest I don't ever remember any self-identification as a 'Northerner' or 'Midwesterner'. 'The South' seems to have mostly been used in relation the Civil War. As there are many 'Southerners' here, when do/did you begin to self-identify as one? Or is this identification simply prompted by Harris' original question? I apologize if this is off topic - I'm just fascinated as there seems to be little or no identification as for us 'Northerners' (well at least me).
> Cheers


On this topic, I'm not sure self-identification as Southern is something that has ever been conciously done in my family, I guess it was just always assumed. However I do know that the term "Yankee" was and is used to differentiate those who "aren't from 'round these parts."


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

It's not easy to know why so many Southerners approach "dressing up" with greater seriousness. It seems it's most apparent when casual clothing is worn. A lot of Southerners wouldn't be seen in public in a t-shirt-sneakers combo. It's funny how many collared shirts (polo or OCBD), bermuda shorts, and loafers one still sees in the heat of a Southern summer. This may be one of the bigger differences between the two regions/cultures: what's worn on the weekends and week day evenings after the "work clothes" have been set aside.

The frequent wearing of bow ties also distinguishes the South, I think. 

Harris


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Born and raised in southern Virginia in a fairly traditional family, though not really Trad. My grandfathers were very stylish when they went out, as were my mom and her sisters, but the other men in my life were not what one would call well-dressed, though everyone dressed for church.

I think a certain formality in dress is a Southern hallmark, but depending on social class (percieved and real) the standards tend to vary. 

A lot of more stereotypically 'backwoods' people tend to wear the same rumpled and dirty shirt, jeans and boots everywhere, regardless of location, but others tend to iron their jeans and press their shirts. 

Conversely, a lot of wealthy and otherwised refined Southerners dress expensively but horribly. We have a lot of great men's stores, but just as many or more shop at places that don't offer the kind of help that a person needs to wardobe properly, and the results are hard to miss (and look at)

I guess it's that way everywhere, but I've never lived anywhere else long enough to reference their regional styles.


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

As a Marylander, I guess I am both a Northerner and Southerner (since Maryland straddled the Mason Dixon line).

This is an interesting issue. Assuming that Southerners do dress up more (which I am inclined to believe), what is the reason for such.

I am tempted to say that it is the South's historic relative isolation (relative to the North and International communities). I think until relatively recently, there were few truly "international" cities in the South which could influence dress and fashion (ala New York). I would guess that many parts of the South held onto their agrarian/planter roots, which might be assumed to lead to stronger family and community ties since the "industry" of farming or agriculture is more locally based. 

But for these things to have an effect, I think you would have to assume that people dress better when they are likely to see other people they know (that is, in a smaller or closer knit town or city).

Where this last theory seems to get shot to heck is that I know a lot of people (mostly Northerners) who seem to think it is perfectly acceptable to show up to parties or other social occassions in t-shirts, jeans, etc. Clearly they know that they will be seeing other people at such a function. Do such people think they look better in a t-shirt? I dont know. It baffles me. 

Maybe Southerners (and pockets in the North) are normal and we should be examining why others insist on street-wear.


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## jhhenson (Aug 3, 2006)

Born and raised in the South. Grew up in TN, but I am currently trapped in AL for law school. But as soon I graduate in May, I am planning to return to God's country.

I agree with the comment earlier about Southerners being "a churched bunch", and that church has played a role in how Southerners dress. If you aren't lucky enough to live in the South, however, there is still time to move here.


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## Financier (Mar 6, 2006)

Having spent 90% of my years in North Carolina, I am also a regular traveller to many other parts of the country. I don't see a trend twoards more formal dress here. Maybe I'm just hanging out in the wrong crowd. I see no shortage of dirty t-shirts and flip flops every day. 

I also wear a suit to work everyday, as do my co-workers. I wouldn't call a single one of us trad. I do see quite a bit of trad in the lawyers that occupy quite a bit of our building, however.


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## I_Should_Be_Working (Jun 23, 2005)

A few random thoughts...

Southerners typically live in areas of familiarity. Even in larger cities, people tread in the same waters. As such, you are not likely to be unknown when going out. IMO, this is what often gave rise to the lessons instilled in us as children, ones that we all recall in some personal way or other. "You're not going out looking like that!" was often associated with somewhere specific, and somewhere having peers and acquaintences. People tend to care more about their appearance when they are known.

Many Southerners were/are poor but proud. To this day, not so well off parents in many a small Southern town will make sure their daughter has a decent Easter dress every year. Likewise, I am always taken back when seeing an older gentleman of a bygone day waiting for public transportation in suit and hat. Whatever weakness found in matters of finance was made bearable through the strength of family, neighbors, and traditions.


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## kkollwitz (Oct 31, 2005)

Reared in Louisiana, living in Greenville, SC. I suppose how Southerners dress is reflected in an Arab proverb which was told to me when I was a teenager:
Eat for yourself, dress for others.


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## kitonbrioni (Sep 30, 2004)

Dressing up is also a part of the Great New England--aka the Snow Belt.


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## POLOGOLF (May 10, 2005)

I hail from the South better known as Dixie, spending all of my life in Beautiful East Tennessee. I even married a Southern Belle from Mississippi. 

I would agree that Southerners taking dressing more seriously, but I would not call it dressing up. That would imply that we dress poorly on most occasions. We are just taught to always present ourselves in a positive manner. With that being said, there are some people down South that could careless about how they dress and tend to standout from a normal Southern Gentleman.

I do think that a Southern Gentleman’s attire is related to his upbringing and is reinforced from an early age. In my family, we were raised to dress in a particular manner; we had to wear a collared shirt to the dinner table and always wore a tie to church. As for manners, we never really think about it, we just did it; we were raised to always act courteous and gentleman-like. 

I work in sales and we wear a coat and tie everyday. I also wear a bowtie at least a couple of times a month. My office does have casual Friday’s, but I make sure that whatever I wear that day I can put on a sports coat with it, if I need too. My normal casual/weekend wear is a collared shirt (polo or OCBD), flat front pants or shorts, with loafers. I will sometimes wear tennis shoes or boots depending on the situation. Once the weather turns cool I will add a barn coat to the mix.

I love the south and I hope I never have to live somewhere else.


POLOGOLF


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## Tito (Aug 6, 2006)

Grew up in Columbia & Charleston SC. I'm now stuck in Florida and it is a joke how people dress down here. I have even seen a Liscensed Stock Broker that wears sports jearseys to work everyday. It's pathetic. 

But the trendy look is over running Charleston also. The are fewer and fewer young Trads these days.

I have made one observation here in S. Florida. Generally the Latino women out dress all the others in the work place.


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## Smudger (Jun 11, 2005)

*'Ole Dixie'*

Distinguished Collegues,

As a born and bred Southerner who has lived all over the world, I am now trying to rediscover this unique heritage. When growing up, we always were expected to have manners and to dress well. Currently, I am reading James Webb's "Born Fighting" which explains some of the uniqueness of the South. Fischer's book "Albion's Seed" is next. Do any of you have any recommend readings which look at why the South is as unique?

Bill


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Smudger said:


> Currently, I am reading James Webb's "Born Fighting" which explains some of the uniqueness of the South. Fischer's book "Albion's Seed" is next. Do any of you have any recommend readings which look at why the South is as unique?


Try _Cracker Culture_ by Grady McWhiney. I think it will be just what you're looking for.


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## zignatius (Oct 8, 2004)

a good book on the South through the lens of modern-day Civil War aficionados: Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic. Loved it.


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## Speas (Mar 11, 2004)

Here's a list you could spend a long time on (Southron conservative perspective):

A little light reading I've enjoyed (cheap used on Amazon):

1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South - John Shelton Reed
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385474415/

Southern by the Grace of God - Lewis Grizzard 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563522799/


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Speas said:


> Here's a list you could spend a long time on (Southron conservative perspective):


You couldn't have a better list by a better person.

Alas, I fear 'tis time (okay, past time) to move this to the Interchange.


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## Trenditional (Feb 15, 2006)

I don't know what I am...=)

1) I'm a Yankee, born up north in New York.

2) I'm (someone fill in the blank), having been raised in California.

3) I'm a Southerner at heart, since I appreciate the respect and manners of many of the Southern people.

I think I'm in limbo....=)


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

My family's roots are in Alabama, and though I was born in Homestead, FL (my father was serving in the USAF), I was raised in Mongtomery, Al. I now live in a small town about 15 miles outside of Atlanta, Ga.

With regards to Harris' original post, I have to disagree somewhat with POLOGOLF. I agree with Harris' premise of 'dressing-up', for the everyday southerner, at least. 

My thought here is that we're not talking about "everyday I wear a suit to work" type dressing. Rather, we're talking about average, run-of-the-mill folks who aren't in the habit of dressing shabbily, but do normally dress casually (outside of work appropriate dress). For those of us, there are times (sometimes many, somtimes not so many) where we feel that occasion calls for dressing up. Church or church-related activities for example. Townhall or other community type meetings. Dinner (which is more properly called supper) at a nice restaurant.

In these cases, I do believe the average southerner take the necessity to 'dress-up' more seriously. However, I also see that slipping away with succeeding generations.


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