Formal Dress Dead?

We blame the internet for almost everything, including the bankruptcy of Sears and other department stores in Canada and U.S. There must be other factors though. Is it possible they kept stocking things we don’t use anymore?

Microwave ovens have been regular kitchen items for a long time now, but stores kept selling 4-pot sets. The diet police is very active. That’s why we seldom use the frying pan, but they still sell 3-pan sets. Women are no longer full time housewives with frilly aprons, but stores still sell cake and cookie trays. Those silver knives, forks and tablespoon sets are so pretty in their boxes, but do families eat together every night? No, make that once a week, let’s say Sunday, but stores still sell cutlery sets.

Did department stores go out of business because they sold clothes we don’t wear anymore? I thought about it yesterday at the mall. It’s Christmas time, the season to be jolly, so stores have evening gowns on display. Most of them are long and have some glittery stuff on the upper body. Stores call them formal wear, if I’m not mistaken. These long dresses are historical. This time of the year used to have quite a few events that needed suit and tie for men and formal dresses for women. It would be the governor’s ball if you lived high off the hog like that. It would be Christmas dinner at work, the annual church dinner, the women’s collective dinner or the neighborhood’s year-end party in a posh hotel.

Women don’t dress formally any more. They wear black leggings to work, to parties and restaurants. Haven’t stores noticed? How about inventory? Haven’t they noticed that year after year, they sell only ten long evening dresses? Women don’t buy them even after Christmas, when they are 70% off. However, the men’s department came to grips with reality. They don’t sell suits anymore.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger