The Times Does a Thorough Analysis of NYC Clubwear

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The Times published an article yesterday about club dress codes, and it's almost (but not quite) as painfully obvious as another story they wrote recently on how dresses are this summer's hot new trend. Turns out, "Dress codes have long been the secret language of New York City night life." But what if you don't speak it? Well, thankfully, they're here to help.

For example: "Gentlemen who prefer Ed Hardy shirts, those dragon-happy hallmarks of 'Jersey Shore' chic, will not be getting into the Mulberry Project, the subterranean speakeasy cocktail lounge in Little Italy, any time soon. If you prefer your dress shirts colorful and boldly striped, don't bother with the club Provocateur, in the meatpacking district."

And Daniel Koch, who runs the Day and Night Brunch weekly party, is very against T-shirts. Apparently, he feels, these guys come to his party from LA and have the audacity to think a cotton tee is acceptable. "We have to say, 'Look, dude, this isn't what you think it is.' You can't rock a T-shirt here unless you're a rock star." (Maybe using the word "brunch" for something that is quite different from normal brunch is causing the confusion.)

But some people just won't have any luck. Michael Satsky of Provocateur has admitted that he tries to weed out the "randy bridge-and-tunnel boys who prowl the neighborhood on weekends. Luckily for him, they apparently self-identify through their shirts." He further reiterates: "We do not do plaid, and we don't do stripes."

Satsky says that for women, heels should be a minimum of five inches, which we're sure has been strictly enforced with a sign that says your shoes must be this tall to get into the club. Really, it all comes down to this: "If the crowd in Provocateur on any given night is a gauge, being European, gorgeous and at least 5-foot-10 is good, too." However, it seems there are some exceptions, such as a woman who strolled into GoldBar in pajama pants, and said, "To walk into a place and know it's ridiculous but I couldn't care less because I'm rockin' my pajama pants. That's very SoHo."
· Dress Codes in New York Clubs: Will This Get Me In? [NY Times]