DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I are part of a close-knit group of five couples. We all socialize often, whether in our various homes or out doing some recreational activity. One of our gentleman friends is truly a very nice person: friendly, considerate, good sense of humor and an animal lover (cats, anyway). However, at all of our social functions, his dress consists of shorts, a sloppy T-shirt and tennis shoes, usually without socks. That would be fine for a backyard barbecue, but that is his uniform for all occasions – birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and even major holiday dinners where I feel something “nicer” is in order.