As the economy improved, many Indonesians can today afford to appear well-dressed, or cultivating a netjes look like foreigners. In contrast, foreigner visitors have abandoned the netjes look. Instead, they wander around comfortably dressed in shorts, flip-flops and shabby T-shirts.
This illustration can be translated as how we struggled for a “look of affluence” when we were poor, as exemplified in the netjes look. In contrast, as if impressed with our laid-back dress code of wearing T-shirts, foreigners started to adopt the style. As a matter of fact, the laid-back look was only because we could not afford to buy a suit and tie.
Read: Malaysians praise Jokowi’s appearance when meeting Elon Musk
Over the years, many foreign visitors changed their appearance by wearing T-shirts in public instead of fussing with suits and ties. Thus, Caucasians are influenced by a casual style of dressing in T-shirts, while most of us struggle to be able to dress in a suit and tie.
Dress code or fashion does play an important role in reflecting one’s social status, either individually or in society. Dressed up in a suit and tie can make people feel much more elegant than merely wearing a T-shirt.
To avoid the possibility of showing up in improper attire, official invitations usually include a “dress code” requirement. Similarly, at meetings between high-ranking people, a dress code is generally negotiated beforehand between the parties involved.
This is all an attempt to prevent “awkwardness” or, even worse, a misunderstanding that could disrupt the relationship.