LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Maybe this has happened to you. You go out to eat at a restaurant you haven't tried before. But you're not sure about the vibe, so you don't know what to wear. So you worry, will I look out of place? Could I get turned away at the door?
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
At many fine dining establishments, so I'm told...
FADEL: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: ...It's still expected that customers come in upscale attire - you know, jackets for the gentlemen, elegant dresses for the ladies. But, of course, many restaurants are ditching those dress codes.
FADEL: Yeah. That's what we heard when we called some high-end restaurants here in Washington, D.C. - not a scientific sample, to be sure - and we asked about their dress code policies. And many didn't have one or said that the dress code was just a suggestion.
INSKEEP: We went deeper at a Japanese restaurant here in D.C. called Love, Makoto and spent time with one of their managers, Leonard Howell (ph), who said they're a come-as-you-are restaurant.
LEONARD HOWELL: We want to create a fun vibe and a great atmosphere to welcome everyone in. So you could have children with you. You could be coming from work. You could be coming from, like, working out, even. So that you could just be welcome, you know, to come and get a drink, have some great food with your family and friends.
INSKEEP: And sit at the bar next to someone after you were working out.
FADEL: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: Howell adds that, in cities, having an easygoing attitude on dress makes it easier on tourists.
LEONARD HOWELL: We are a world-based city. So we welcome the international traveler, the local, the, you know, kid coming in from college next door. So we really welcome everyone.
FADEL: Not far from Love, Makoto is a French restaurant called Bistro Cacao. They have two seating areas downstairs. There's no dress requirement. But upstairs, they require business casual.
HULYA BOLUKBASI: We do that to create a romantic, intimate environment for our guests.
FADEL: That's Hulya Bolukbasi. She's the owner of Bistro Cacao. And she says her business-casual dress code isn't strict. It's just what her customers want.
INSKEEP: So no matter where you want to eat these days, your style - dressed up, dressed down, dressed sideways - is mostly welcome at all establishments, as long as you can pay.
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