The concept of clubbing is a night of disorganized fun. So, you’d think. Who’s to say that you’ve just wrapped up a chaotic three-hour pres, jumped in the Uber (it was too cold to walk) and stumbled to the entrance of the club, all ready to pay your entry, and… you get sent away. But not because you are too ‘intoxicated’, but because you are wearing your trusty grey joggers. This unfortunate event
happened to me in my first year attempting a spontaneous night out at the Liquid Rooms, but it made me think: Why is it that my informal choice of trousers is the reason I can’t have a boogie with my friends?
When looking into the regulations for dress codes in clubs, they seem to expect a sort of ‘nightclub
fashion’, where you are expected to adhere to the sophisticated vibes of that club. One article even suggested that you should choose your outfit to ‘match the expectations of that venue’. This is
interesting if we apply this concept to the tearing up of the Hive dance floor on a ‘tame’ Thursday
night. Whilst I can agree with dress codes in more formal circumstances such as being denied entry for dinner at the Gleneagle’s Townhouse or the Witchery for wearing my scuffed open-toed Birkenstocks, I think that denying people’s freedom of expression through their clothing in an environment of riotous shared-interaction is somewhat ironic.
So, why is it that clubs are really turning away people for their choice of clothing? Could it be that the club is over-flowing as it is, and so to let those (who have been standing in the freezing queue for 45 minutes) down gently, they instead insult their choice of footwear? In which case, I would argue that this method is single-handedly insulting. This method is also pointless as I have on many occasions witnessed friends and strangers alike being denied entry without any valid reason, and all you can do when this happens is accept defeat. Unless of course you want to scrap with the bouncers. It may be worth noting that maybe these bouncers simply enjoy this power of turning people away a little too much. Calm down, we’re not at Berghain!
But could this denied entry be to uphold the club’s reputation that it gives itself? We Edinburgh students know how much Why Not enjoys a themed night, whether that be Halloween, Christmas, or Euphoria themed. However, with the questionable occurrences that I’m sure we’ve all seen, be it in the Main or LED room, the implementation of a strict dress code hardly succeeds in retaining the face of the club’s reputation. If we take Bourbon for example (rest in peace), I’ve recounted many times where my friends and I felt somewhat judged for our absent five-inch heels and false lashes. Sometimes we have those days where we ironically cannot be bothered to put makeup on but are more than willing to Uber to Garis, just to dance away some of that mid-term stress.
Yet, many people believe in this concept of dress codes in clubs, believing that Subway wouldn’t be as appealing an environment if you knew everyone would be rocking up in PJs. While I can agree that this would be a bit of a mood killer, we can always count on a themed sports social crashing the club to prevent this from happening! And so, I can’t help but think that while clubbing differs from person to person regarding its formality, I don’t think you should be denied entry for wearing what you wish.
Still, something to note, maybe don’t wear joggers to the Liquid Rooms! That is if you want to get in.
Image courtesy ofTommy Manning.