Dress to impress the bouncer

Over spring break I was gallivanting around Germany with one of my suitemates. In Frankfurt, a friend told us that the place to be on a Wednesday night was the club underneath the European Central Bank. Excited for the momentary lapse of the “war on fun” and the prospect of walking up to a bouncer without the usual drop in the stomach and sweat on the brow, I got dressed up in cute clothes and ready for a night on the town.

My friends were another story. They were excited for the party, but not quite dressed to the nines. As we walked out the door, they chuckled about their sneakers. But no one was chuckling as we walked up to the door and were promptly turned away by the bouncer. “Your shoes,” he said to them. “You can’t come in without leather shoes.”

After a little haggling in German, the bouncer would not budge, citing the “after-work” environment and relegating us to a deserted bar on the outskirts of town. One of my friends was flabbergasted at the idea of being turned away for dress code violations—he had never heard of such a thing.

Dress codes are perhaps hard to come by in Morningside Heights, but below 96th Street, they are rather common in city venues. As college students, the jeans-and-sneakers mentality is hard to get away from, but going out at night is a different matter altogether.

Here, it is not as common for establishments to require “leather” shoes, but there is a reason that they maintain the right to deny entrance to potential patrons.
Going out is about dressing up and putting on a show for others, especially in Manhattan. If you venture beyond the dive bars on Amsterdam, you become part of the spectacle, and it is important to dress appropriately.

Assuming that you came to Columbia because of New York City, you probably already know this. But if you don’t immediately know where your MetroCard is and can’t point to the East Village on a map, it’s time to get up-to-date on dress codes before you head downtown again.

There is a certain ambiance that a restaurant or a bar wants to achieve, and it can’t do that with you lounging around in your battered sneakers.

Dress codes (and what to wear!):

1. Casual
Anything in Morningside Heights, bars on Bleeker Street, sports bars.
Dress code: Shirt and shoes normally required.

2. Business Casual
Usually bars in business-y districts, like Midtown or the Financial District during the day or early evening for the after-work crowd.
Dress code: Collared shirt for men. No sneakers, no jeans.

3. Business
More upscale restaurants and bars in similarly business-y districts.
Dress Code: Collared shirt, jacket, and tie for men. Skirts or dress pants for women.

4. Cocktail
More semi-formal, with more emphasis on fashion than business attire. Most nice restaurants and bars downtown expect a rough equivalent of this.
Dress Code: Slacks or nice jeans and a collared shirt for men, a dress, skirt, or nice pants for women.

5. Club:
Not a dress code, but a destination.
Dress Code: Anything flashy or expensive looking. Something somewhat revealing for women never hurts.

6. Jacket required
Mostly at places where you are expected to shell out upwards of $100/person for either a meal or drinks. Places that have Michelin stars.
Dress code: Jacket required for men, and a tie wouldn’t hurt either. Skirts or dress pants for women, not so revealing.

The moral of the story? Friends don’t let friends wear sneakers to the ECB.

Shane Ferro is a Columbia College sophomore majoring in political science and sustainable development.
Weekend Romp runs alternate Fridays.