Barry Courter
Screenshot of a list of rules posted by Southside Social. I had to scratch my head over all of the hubbub over the weekend regarding management of the popular Southside Social nightclub posting a dress code that would seem to eliminate anyone under the age of 21. Though maybe there are adults out there who like to wear their ball caps with the bill to the back, baggy cargo shorts and professional sports jerseys with another person's name on them.
Oh, wait, I know some of those guys, but that's a topic for another day.
Anyway, Southside management was immediately taken to task for being racist and for trying to make everyone dress as if they were going to a fraternity/sorority mixer at some tony Ivy League school.
Apparently, the decision makers at Southside Social felt the heat and on Tuesday morning they posted a note on Facebook saying: "Last week, we may have been overzealous in redefining our dress code. However, at the time, we felt that the atmosphere in our establishment had the possibility of becoming unsafe for our guests. In moving forward, we will continue to enforce the original dress code that has been posted outside our door and on our fence since we opened. We very much appreciate the support of our patrons and only ask that you dress in a way that is comfortable and responsible. Again, we apologize for offending anyone - we only want to ensure a safe, fun and secure environment."
Where Southside Social seems to have made a mistake was in how things were worded maybe, or the seemingly sudden nature of the new more extensive dress code that forbade sunglasses after dark, baggy clothing, thick chains, hooded sweatshirts, shorts below the knees, jerseys except on game days, backward caps, visors, skull caps and do-rags.
They are certainly not the only club to have a dress code. Many nightclubs here and around the country have a dress code, and it has to do with what type of clientele management wants to appeal to. Sometimes they are only enforced when things get out of hand.
"It's not about race," says Raw owner Jim Striker. "It's about dressing to go out, and you should not dress like you are just running around with your boys. It comes down to what do you want your place to look like.
"If someone looks in and sees a bunch of guys in baggy shorts and plain T-shirts, no matter what color, they probably aren't going in."
He says most nightclubs are a social gathering place, and for many nightclubs that means attracting people who feel comfortable being where they are. Dress codes can and do help color the environment.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.