Post #261044 by TikiJosh on Mon, Oct 16, 2006 10:06 AM

On 2006-10-15 18:00, Rattiki wrote:

What amazes me is that the Mai Kai doesn't enforce such a dress code! :o

What I glean from that statement is that they probably don't care that much. The thing I don't understand is why anyone else does.
We've a local restaurant near the beach here, kind of a fancy one. Not a supper club. A nice restaurant. But people from the beach inevitably show up, wearing bathing suits and God only knows what else. The times I've gone there I've been wearing a suit, or a shirt and tie at the very least. But the management doesn't see fit to enforce any type of dress code, and I don't worry myself over it. It doesn't matter to me who's wearing what. Everyone comes to this particular restuarant cause the food's damn good. It doesn't ruin my night just because the missus and I are having a nice dinner and there's people wearing flip-flops and shorts. I mean, I've enough things to worry about without getting worked up over a non-existent dress code. :)

On 2006-10-15 18:13, TikiMama wrote:

Of course I was kidding (well, maybe "kidding on the square" as Al Franken says). I personally think Tevas are very ugly, however, I will agree that they are "special use" shoes. Tidepooling is a great example. But you know, tikibars are not tidepools! I have some charming steel toed cop boots which I think look lovely with the correct ensemble at the correct event. However, I wore gold and rhinestone mules to the Hulilau, as is proper.

A tiki bar might not be a tidepool, but you wouldn't wear steel-toed cop boots to the beach. Well, you might, but that's like wearing golfing shoes to run a marathon. You're talking about wearing the correct shoes to the correct event, right? :) Anyway, my point is, the "tiki-scene" is a celebration not just of tikis :tiki: and midcentury American lounge culture :drink:. It's also a celebration of beach culture, and all the associated things that go with it. Sandals of all types go with beach culture. Tevas are great because they're not just "special use"-- I can wear them to the beach just for walking, or for schlepping dive gear, or for tidepooling. They're also good enough for wearing to casual restaurants. Whether the Mai Kai is a casual restaurant or not is up to the management. Which brings me back to what I said at the beginning. If a restaurant has a dress code, that's fine. You do what they say, or they don't let you in. It seems silly at best to get upset about a non-enforced dress code.
I'm not saying that dressing up is silly, or that one should never do it. I just don't see why one would criticize others for not doing it. If it's all in good fun then that's fine, but at least remember to drop a few smilies in so that people know you're having a little fun with them. :)
And I'm not so sure that my wife would let me go out for a night on the town wearing gold and rhinestone mules. I think she'd rather I wear the Tevas. :)

On 2006-10-15 09:59, ikitnrev wrote:
I was impressed that all of the people deemed the event worthy to attend, and many used valuable vacation time and money for airfare/hotels/other trip expenses. They made the choice to attend this event, and that is what should be deemed most important.

Even Rattiki agreed with that last.