I don’t mind a jacket. I hate ties. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em. I admit, it’s a great look. But, to paraphrase Mitch Hedberg, it’s like getting choked by a really weak guy all day long. I really can’t enjoy very much if you make me put on a tie. I am sure there are many items in the female wardrobe of comparable torture. Those shoes y’all wear that seem to cram all your toes into an acute 15-degree angle don’t seem like much of a picnic. But fortunately there is no social more mandating those things and the womenfolk have nobody to blame but themselves. (If you are ever wondering the male answer to the question, “Hey, did you notice my stunning shoes?”, the answer is no.) Anyway, I will put on a tie if I must. But I will not be happy about it, and I will find myself wondering if we wouldn’t all be better off if the West had adopted Japanese men’s formal wear. Those things look really comfy.
it feels like i’m going to work. Which makes me feel like i’m in my monkey prison suit. So I try my very best not to wear a suit outside of work unless I absolutely have to. I don’t mind wearing a dress shirt, but once I put on slacks and a tie I just feel weighed down in life. With all the incredible food in Paris where I can wear a dress shirt / polo with a fine pair of fitted jeans , this is low on the list unless I can get a bunch of friends to get together and plunder the list.
I expect a tie and jacket from you at sushi gen next week ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Sorry Keith, but you are totally wrong about this. Tons of men - tons! - not only notice, but also love women to wear stunning shoes. You may not notice them, but to extend that failing to all males is mistaken.
I notice women’s shoes, almost first. I make a suit & tie look good, not the other way around.
And fitted jeans?
I can’t say I consider my apathy towards women’s shoes a “failing.” Hey, if you enjoy those things, great. Maybe they’re not as torturous as neckties after all.
Ive always found ties more expressive than oppressive.
total miss for us. Duck served almost raw. Maitre’ d was apologetic but by the time a properly cooked bird was provided, potatoes were cold, mood was shot. Something like duck 1,700,000 and they f’d it up. Great view and list, though.
Just ask Rex Ryan!
I’m a guy who lives in jeans and tee shirts whenever I can and Honestly, the tie is no big deal. And suit also no big deal. Put on a nice suit, good shoes, a white shirt, and a matching tie, and it fits the mood.
For guys who say the tie is choking them, all I can imagine is they’re fat dudes who never button the top button on the shirt, except with a tie. Is it the tie that’s the problem, the top button on the shirt, or the double neck roll??? 
Like you Peter I live in jeans, T-shirts and shorts, although I tend not to wear shorts and jeans at the same time. No big deal dressing for lunch or dinner every now and then. I really like La Tour d’Argent and the wine list is superb. Sadly they are shut next week when we are in Paris otherwise we’d be there with bells on.
Sarah FWIW I feel the same as you and glad to hear you care about your appearance! I’m sure you’re a lovely woman.
Getting dressed up is part of the package and makes going to elite restaurants all the more special. In general, Americans have unfortunately lost their sense of appropriateness and often dress like slobs. I’ve been to high dollar steak houses and seen men dressed in T-shirts and jeans - total turnoff and IMO disrespectful to the dining establishment.
Quite funny
Here in Europe, it is quite common to only dress up when you are going out, and dress down when working. CEO’s not included off course.
Hey no problem - I love wearing jacket and tie, and have often attended wine events in NYC dressed in that fashion. I wore tails and a top hat to my senior prom and, I’m told, looked awesome. 
I enjoyed your OP, Peter. After your season of incredible discipline with respect to exercise and healthy diet this must have been particularly satisfying. We were there two years ago for lunch and enjoyed the view. Had a half bottle of 1997 Grivot NSG Pruliers suggested by the sommelier. I was dubious at first but it turned out to be quite nice and showed young.
Cheers,
Doug
Just an update on La Tour d’Argent. I went while in Paris last month and it was a disaster. The menu has been changed again to more modern French. The pressed duck has to be ordered 3 days in advance. They don’t tell you this when making your reservation, so we missed out on that. The duck we did have was raw. The fat wasn’t rendered in anyway. It was inedible. The wine was a huge disappoint as well with the head sommelier serving numerous off bottle to the table and saying that they tasted fine to him. Prices have been adjusted way upward. Much of the wine is no longer original to the restaurant. The one highlight was a 1991 Chave Cuvee Cathlein. Mag of 82 Cristal Rose was off. Bottle of 1980 Rousseau Chambertin was more tired than it should be been. 1985 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet was dead. 1993 Raveneau Clos was dead. I’ve had properly stored bottles of all of these wines which have been spectacular. Something is amiss at La Tour d’Argent these days. I won’t be going back.
That is very sad to hear, Ryan. I haven’t been in a few years and it sounds like I won’t be going back. Always sad to hear a classic fading into decay. Thank you for the report.
You experience was just the opposite of the one I had in October. It`s hard to imagine such a drastic change it a short time; hopefully this was an annually.
Its interesting that my son, ever since he was 8, loved to wear a jacket when we went to a good restaurant. I appear much more casual than him.
If you like the idea of the pressed duck, there is now a restaurant in London doing this dish:
I love it. (No affiliation except a happy customer.) Old school French cooking, in a slightly scruffy room with excellent but not over the top service. Wine friendly, with a nice list and happy to allow customers to bring wine.
And if you want to press the duck yourself, Otto will let you have a go…