Followup question(s): is there a reason why pants are never included in this list of items? Is it because nobody would dream of going out without pants on so it wasn't even thought of, or is it because it didn't fit the alliteration? Or both? Also, what about no "shorts?" Some places surely had rules against wearing shorts, but you never see those on these signs.

Hello everyone,

A good answer to this question would look at the historical growth and evolution of norms around business and attire, contextualise "NSNSNS" signs in that area, and possibly even deal with the legal ramifications of denying service based on attire.

So far in this thread, we've had answers that are entirely personal anecdotes, which we do not allow here. If you're coming here in an attempt to answer the question, keep in mind our rules concerning in-depth and comprehensive responses. Answers that do not meet the standards we ask for will be removed, and posters who break the rules of the subreddit admonished as applicable -- including being temporarily or permanently banned.

It is very rare that a decent answer doesn't result in due time, so please do come check into the thread in a few hours. A Private Message to the Remind Me bot is a good way to remember.

Additionally, it is unfair to the OP to further derail this thread with off topic conversation, so if anyone has further questions or concerns, I would ask that they be directed to modmail, or a META thread.

Thank you!