From suit and tie to ‘Anything Goes’: The Senate dress code has unraveled before

Who cares what they’re wearing
On Main Street or Saville Row?
It’s what you wear from ear to ear.
And not from head to toe that matters.
— You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile from the musical ‘Annie’
Apparently you can wear anything you now want in the U.S. Senate.
Smile or no smile – but with a caveat.
If you are a legislative aide, a parliamentarian, a clerk, or work for the sergeant-at-arms, you must still suit up to enter the Senate chamber.
But senators may dress however they’d like.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman often wears casual clothing around the Capitol (Drew Angerer)
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quietly instructed the Senate sergeant-at-arms office to quit enforcing a Senate dress code rule — which isn’t really a rule.
Remember, this is the Senate. The Senate has 44 standing rules. But often those rules pale compared to various Senate precedents, customs and folkways.
It’s not written down anywhere, but the Senate purportedly has a custom which requires men to wear a coat and tie in the chamber. The tradition is less specific when it comes to women. But appropriate business