Wait, not the Sean Jean, now?!
by Jen Chau
Have you ever worried about not being let into a club because of the way you were dressed? You know, your clothing wasn’t quite dressy enough, or you were wearing sneakers? (god, you really should have known better! what were you thinking?!). Well, apparently, a spot in Nashville has taken all of this so seriously that they have gotten very specific about the gear that is unacceptable. Thanks to my bro for the heads-up on this. 
A Nashville Nightclub has introduced Brand Specific Dress Codes. The sign outside the club displays a list of unacceptable brands, including: Southpole, ECKO, ENYCE, Sean Jean, Phat Farm, FUBU, etc. The brand specific dress code is creating controversy both because it discriminates against style and because the brands chosen suggest racial profiling. One shop keeper described, “You see black people wearing more of these type of clothes. I have it on now. I think he pointed his finger toward black people (talking about) the grills and the Sean Jean. I think he’s talking about more black people.”
I agree. The grills and the Sean Jean needs to stop. 
Seriously, this brings up a lot of questions. I honestly don’t think this situation is as much about race here as it is about the club’s assumptions about “the kind of people” who wear these brands…although it probably does go back to race for the club. They are probably thinking Phat Farm = hip hop, hip hop = thugs, thugs = trouble. And of course hip hop is synonomous with black, so…. 
I mean, let’s be honest — what were they thinking? Probably that the people who wear Ecko and FUBU are thugs up to no good who will only do damage to their place. Or maybe the management just doesn’t think this crowd is “refined” enough to be partying at their establishment. Clearly, this situation reeks of assumptions and stereotypes…and possibly even some classism. I can see how all of this is being pinned on racial discrimination, though, because again, the assumption at play here is that only black individuals wear these brands.
Well, I don’t know how it is in Nashville, but if it’s anything like the big apple, good luck. I mean, when you are trying to get into these places, you’re at the bouncer’s mercy. I think that it’s a club’s prerogative to let people in based on their arbitrary/random rules and whether they feel generous on any given night. It’s all so silly and superficial, but that’s the way it goes in the land of drinking/dancing/seeing and being seen. This is why I stay home.
But clearly this club hasn’t done its research. If it had, it wouldn’t blindly ban Sean Jean. I mean, have they caught sight of the Sean Jean “2 Button Grey Sharkskin Jacket!?” Suave!
I think that if folks want to boycott, they should definitely show up to the club in this, this, or any of these.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
t-hype wrote:
I live in Nashville and I know where that place is. I imagine, considering the menu ($1 drafts and $.30 wings during happy hour) that there was a horrible mix of rednecks and hoodrats at that joint AND since the rednecks most likely own the place, “no cowboy boots” wasn’t even considered an option…
Speaking of less than desirable places for “colored” folks in Nashville, I don’t care what anybody tells you, skip Sambuca. They’ve been very rude to several different sets of my friends on different occassions.
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 11:48 am ¶
Gandalf Mantooth wrote:
I wouldn’t want to be seen entering one of those clubs on Demonbreun. However, this is hardly the first time a Nashville club has used coding to try and exclude Black folks or “whiggers.” I started noticing it when I saw a “no baseball caps” rule years ago. Not a “no hats” rule, mind you. However, when baseball caps became popular among the white fraternity boys, the rule disappeared. I’ve seen other rules that attempt to segregate their crowds. However, there are some Black clubs catering to “grown folks” that have established similar dress codes, though they don’t point out specific designers.
That said, I’m all for a blanket, across the board BAN on saggin and baggin, hockey jerseys, oversized football jerseys (except on game day), rags, etc. It is time to move on dudes! Played out!
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 12:52 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
its not even really about thugs–its about clientele control. The club owners probably want to keep the clientele mostly white. If a club is all white no problem, if its 80% white its deemed a “mixed spot”–but if it 50/50 white and black its a black club and white folks stop going after a while. When this happens the club’s insurance rates mysteriously get raised, they start having problems with Alco. Bev. boards regarding their licenses, the drugs etc that were present before that nobody cared about all of a sudden become a problem, noice/parking complaints start to roll in, etc. I have a couple of friends who ran clubs and experienced this first hand. The worst thing you can do as a club owner is to have your establishment labeled a “black club” if you’re located downtown or outside of a predomininantly black area. At least in the south–not sure if this is true in the northeast.
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 1:08 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
maaan I’m glad my club days are over.
bertie- why did you just run down the history of every club in my hometown?!
When those rates go up, they have to hire more private security (probably “recommended & certified” by the insurance co) and station cops outside. The fire dept starts to check on the occupancy too (I mean when have you ever seen that before?). I have SEEN the fire dept make clubs COUNT 1-2-3 -stop. If you came in w/ a crew, you waited.
It’s not just the South. It’s happened in DC. I STRONGLY suspect that’s why Dream’s clientele “changed”. Actually, I have NO problem w/ dress codes. It DOES raise my hackles when the target is not so subtle. But, then again, I’m all for a ban on doo-rags.
sheez—this reminds me of a club I went to outside ATL, that charged $50 cover if you wore athletic apparel.
T-HYPE! 3 bucks & you keep the cup!!! Jager bombs (people in baggy clothes do Jager????). $.30 wings!!! WOW, I can just imagine the monocles, monogrammed cuffs, pinkies in the air… “See hyah Phineas ah doo buh-leeve Prezdent Roozvelt was a Communist!”
….No wonder they want to keep the riff-raff out!!!
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 2:39 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
lol gat–yeah although I hate the targeted dress codes, I do understand that sometimes it’s an economic response to systemic racism–rather than racist intent of the club owner. Although I’m sure in many situations it’s a little of both. Not that it makes much difference if you want to drink and dance and favor sean jean clothes. But I’m with you on the doo-rag thing. When it become acceptable to wear them in public, I don’t know. But I do hate when sneakers are acceptable but not timbs–or jeans are OK, but not “baggy jeans” or t-shirts are Ok, but not jerseys, etc. Its clear that these dress codes do not raise the classiness of the place–they just serve to keep certain folks out.
Also, I lived in DC when dreams first opened–I heard it has a “black night” now on thursdays, and is predominantly white and asian the rest of time.
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 3:23 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
sigh
Posted 06 Oct 2006 at 10:33 am ¶
S wrote:
Here are the next set of “rules”, “policies”, and “bans”:
No Conrows/Braids
No Weave
No Wave-caps
No Waves
No Grease or Gehri Curl Juice
No Acrylic Nails
No 40″ Rims
No 3″ Wide Gold Chains (does your chain hang low?)
No Wide Noses
No Big Butts (ooh, this applies to lots of folk)
No Big ….’s LOL!
Did I cover everything “black” and “hip hop”?
Posted 06 Oct 2006 at 1:55 pm ¶
Pulser wrote:
SMH.
Posted 25 Jan 2008 at 8:32 pm ¶