Bar Under Fire for ‘Racist’ and ‘Classist’ Dress Code

Elise Solé
The Bottled Blonde, a bar in Chicago, just issued a dress code that some view as racist. (Photo: The Bottled Blonde)
The Bottled Blonde, a bar in Chicago, just issued a dress code that some view as racist. (Photo: The Bottled Blonde)

A bar that wants to maintain a “classy atmosphere” has released a dress code, which some are calling racist.

The Bottled Blonde, a pizzeria and beer garden in Chicago, recently posted a sign on its doors outlining a lengthy dress code. Here are a few examples from the list of banned items:

“No Excessively Baggie, Sagging, Ripped, Dirty, Frayed, Overly Flashy, or Bright clothing. No hawaiian, tie dye, floral, skull prints, or anything else obnoxious. No gang attire (leather cuts, colors, or insignias) and no camouflage. No Embellishments or Statement [attire]. No plain white tees, long tees, denim, flannel … or zippers on shirts. … Tank tops before 6 PM only. … No Jordans, Nike Air Max, or Air Force Ones. … Hats must be worn forward at all times.”

Photo: Reddit
Photo: Reddit

On Monday, a photo of the sign — captioned “Apparently Bottled Blonde only wants GAP patrons” — was posted by user xxirish83x to Reddit, where it received more than 400 comments from people who debated whether the dress code was racist or classist.

“As others have pointed out, this dress code isn’t to keep black people out,” wrote Reddit user LeaveIttoBeaver. “It’s to keep poor people out. They want good looking customers who have money to spend on $6 PBR.” runandkickgirl added, “A simplified version of this sign: ‘Dress Code: Hooded white sheets only.’”

The manager of the Bottled Blonde declined to comment when contacted by Yahoo Style. However, Twitter had plenty to say.

It’s unclear whether public backlash will force the Bottled Blonde to amend its dress code, but this type of activism can work. In February, a Chattanooga, Tenn., entertainment center called Southside Social issued an apology and amended its dress code after unleashing a list of banned items put together to stop “thugs” from entering.

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