Why are the 80s back this fall?

I see where you're coming from, Katrin,
but let me put a few things into
perspective. For one thing, not everyone
is as sloppy as you suggest. Some choose
to be, while others (like me, more or less)
wear jeans and t-shirts, and still others
wear "business casuals", even if their
workplace allows jeans. And there are
still those who (whether by dress code or
by choice) wear suits and ties. I am an
easygoing guy and would hate to have
to dress up just so I can go to work in
an average workplace. For me, "self
respect" means making my own decision
about how I'm going to dress, if that
doesn't make a significant impact on the
job I do. And for my line of work
(education), I think there is absolutely
nothing wrong with totally casual
clothes. And I would say the same thing
for the mainstream business world in
many cases, though here, "business
casual" or even ties are more likely to
be required. When you do business
with someone, I think you should care
about that person's skills, honesty and
relevance to your relationship. If it were
up to me, I'd call caring too much about
professional dress UNprofessional.
Anyway, most of the people I know are
not particularly sloppy, and whatever
the ups and downs of their style, often
look IMO more natural than many people
in the 1980s.

Sorry to get so controversial. I'm not
trying to scream at you or anything, just
to make a point about something I feel
strongly about. There is nothing wrong
with dressing up (though uncomfortable
ties are one of the most useless inventions
ever) but it should be optional in most
jobs.

Not at all. It's good we can discuss different
opinions without animosity.