Would it have been quiet if the defending champion decides to stay at home and when someone asks him he says it's because of a disagreement about the event's rules? Wouldn't that have gone around and raised the issue/discussion?

I'm still undecided who's right here or who should have done what: I'm not for stupid dress codes, but it also seems silly to get hung up over if you can easily comply at no detriment to your performance or anything, so idk, just saying that it does seem like an option to stay home if you disagree when you're someone whose absence would be very conspicuous