Post #261183 by vintagegirl on Tue, Oct 17, 2006 12:08 AM

On 2006-10-14 09:54, ookoo lady wrote:
Dressing appropriately is also a way of showing respect and appreciation for the other people around you. Many people who come to an elegant or themed event want to immerse themselves in that atmosphere. When you dress for the occasion you are making a contribution, not only for yourself, but for the other participants.

So concisely and eloquently said, Ookoo! While not everyone can afford Shaheen originals from the 50s, SOME effort can still be taken for special occasions because if we don't, eventually there will be no sense of occasion in our culture and society anywhere. And how boring would that be? And while this may seem like snobbery to some, ceremonial dress has existed in every culture—yes, even Tiki culture. So why should it seem strange or snobbish to put a little extra effort into one's presentation for an event that supposedly means a lot to us such as the Mai Kai's 50th? Even if there are those that are usually laid back with their dress, I have still seen many of those same go the extra mile with an extra special shirt or dress or even something more unusual like when Bamboo Ben literally wore a suit of bamboo to Tiki Farm's first Tiki Bash years ago. That was definitely extra special!

For those that refuse to look any different than when they rolled out of bed, suppose we all looked like that for something like the Mai Kai? While the music and the food would still be there, the atmosphere would definitely be duller. If our predecessors of the post-war era didn't dress for occasion, then there would be no Tiki "scene" to emulate ourselves after in the first place.

And regarding footwear, I'm not a big fan of viewing people's flip-flop and Tevas adorned feet in a restaurant either, but perhaps a more congruous choice can be made for such occasions. And save the casual footwear for the beach or the poolside. In fact, for those with foot problems, flip-flops will only exacerbate them as they give no support to the feet and can cause other alignment problems in the knees, hips and back.

And for those that require photos to illustrate what I consider appropriate "special occasion" dress...(I did not attend Hukilau this year, but these are a few of the possibilities if I had—sorry, I'm just a little indecisive when it comes to what to wear):

Perhaps this:

Or this:

Or this. (Note: even my diminutive dance partner had a "special occasion" dress on.)

[ Edited by: vintagegirl 2006-10-17 11:13 ]