Badly dressed? You have no place here!

Popular clubs like Century Club, Bangalore Club, Catholic Club to name a few, have a particular dress code for their members as well as the guests who come along with the members. It is mandatory for all the members and their guests to come in the prescribed code. 

The whole concept of having a dress code basically originated because some men would dress up in an inappropriate manner and this would create an air of embarrassment among the women who would come to the club.

After a series of complaints from some members, the dress code rule was put into action.
It has been almost five to six years since the dress code rule has been enforced on the members and almost all the clubs are very strict about the dress code. The members are simply sent back irrespective of their stature.

The dress code does not apply to women, it is only for the men. The men cannot come dressed in a tee shirt which has no collar; no shorts, no footwear without a backstrap. During interviews, they have to come in a three-piece suit. Traditional dresses like kachhe panche, dhoti and sherwani are always allowed.

Meera Vasudev says, “I do not feel comfortable coming to the club when I see men dressed indecently. I come here with my family to spend some time together and such things totally put me off. I am glad that this code has been introduced.” 

However, the women do not have any such restrictions. They have the privilege to be dressed in clothes of their choice. Mamata V, another member says, “I am glad that they have imposed the dress code. This way, there will be a sense of orderliness and control in the club, and among the members.”

The main idea behind imposing this dress code is to maintain a family environment in the clubs, and to see that there is an air of decency. 

C M Pai, a member of Century Club says, “The dress code concept introduced by the club is very good. Since a club is a place where I would want to come with my family, I would not feel comfortable if there are other men dressed up indecently. Such rules should be put into practice as they maintain a kind of decorum.”

There are some members who find this rule quite stupid at the same time. They are of the opinion that clubs are places where people come with their family and friends to cool their heels after a tiring day or week. If there is a dress code, then the whole concept of cooling one’s heels vanishes.

Says Rekha M S, a member of Indian Gymkhana, “I find the entire concept of dress code in clubs senseless. If I get a guest and come to the club, and if he is not allowed because of his clothes, it is such an embarrassment both for me as well as my guest.”

Venkatesh, a member of Karnataka Contractors Club says, “I go to the club to play tennis, and after tennis, I like to have a bite. Since I play tennis, I wear tennis shorts. But I am not allowed in and not able to eat because of this code. It is so ridiculous and causes a lot of inconvenience.”