We live in the age of the hoodie and the sneaker. The tech billionaire who wears a t-shirt to a board meeting has democratized casualness. But walk into a true institution—a brasserie in Lyon, a grand hotel in Madrid, or a classic steakhouse in Buenos Aires—and you will still find them:
There is a specific sound that is disappearing from the world’s great dining rooms: the crisp, almost imperceptible swish of a starched jacket as a waiter leans in to pour a glass of Sancerre. garces en uniforme
When a waiter approaches your table wearing a stained apron or a faded band t-shirt, your subconscious immediately lowers the price you are willing to pay for the food. When that same waiter arrives in a pressed white shirt, a black bow tie, or a long white apron wrapped precisely around the waist, the calculus changes. We live in the age of the hoodie and the sneaker