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.