“Birthday Dinner Etiquette” Is Ruining Relationships [Video]

It seems like every seventy-two hours, social media skids into an uproar over what is appropriate birthday dinner behavior. Birthday dinners have become full-fledged friendship trials — who shows up and how they show up is taking up a chunk of social media discourse. The consequences are real. Not adhering to “birthday dinner etiquette” can get you cut off or slandered. Even fajitas are up for discussion.

One recurring birthday dinner infraction is outdressing the birthday girl. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a dress code. Dress codes can be useful. They help inform guests about what they’re getting into. It is perfectly reasonable to ask your guests to attend a function or occasion dressed to support the vibe you’re curating.

However, you can not dictate that the quality of your friend’s appearance be below a certain standard, and it’s weird that you want to.