London Club Dress Codes

London is an extremely multicultural city as it attracts more than twenty million visitors each year. The city is famous for its exclusive nightlife as it has everything to suit everyone’s needs with a great selection of VIP clubs. Capital A List works with the most luxurious boutique nightclubs including the famous celebrity hotspots- Cirque Du Soir, Project and The Box and offers you the best guest list experience.

As these are the top exclusive clubs in London it is extremely important that the crowd matches the image of these high-end venues. Therefore when its comes to the London club dress codes it is known for being rather strict. London clubs dress codes is defined as the expected type of clothing to be worn by people and is usually set by the management of a specific club. In contrast to New York City VIP nightclubs, guests in London may face refusal for ignoring the London clubs dress codes stated on the website of a venue. However less exclusive and well known clubs such as Fabric, Ministry Of Sound and Heaven are not focused too much on what people wear. Therefore the dress code is more casual even allowing guys to wear jeans, T-shirts and trainers. Despite that girls often dress up anyway to show off their newest outfits and to keep up with the latest trends.

It seems thats West End clubs have stricter rules in terms of London club dress codes as most of the exclusive high-end nightclubs suggest a smart casual dress code or a smart sexy dress code. Smart casual being smart jeans, T-shirts and trainers are allowed. Whereas a smart sexy London clubs dress code usually means ‘dress to impress’ as you choose your best outfit for a night out. It is interesting to highlight that some clubs actually use the image of their crowds in order to brand themselves. For instance, a huge part of the allure of NYC nightclubs is the crowd that they attract. NYC VIP clubs such as Le Baron, Red Egg or Le Bain are very selective about who is allowed in, especially where A-list celebrities and stars love hanging out. Even though NYC’S most exclusive nightlife spots do not have a definitive London clubs dress code everyone is aware that dressing up is a must in order to gain entry. High heels is a must for girls for entry purposes.

In contrast, the doorman/door girl has a discerning eye for guys’ taste for fashion and therefore it has a huge impact for them getting in. For example button down shirts and smart leather shoes is a perfect combination to be part of the elite crowd. The aim of London’s top clubs doorman/door girl is to tailor the look of the venue, get the right crowd in and keep big spenders happy. High-end venues such as The Box and Tape are two of the most exclusive clubs in London which are often chosen by celebrities as favourite establishments for a night out. For example, The Box is beloved by Kate Moss and Prince Harry and Tape is often attended by Rihanna and Drake. Therefore bouncers must be very strict in terms of the London club dress codes and often face the challenge on deciding who can enter the venue. Their aim is not to just recognise people who are likely to misbehave inside the venue but to also judge guests’ dress code as it often reveals their likely behaviour. Therefore the way a person presents herself/ himself is very important. According to thetrendspotter.net (2016), above-the-knee dress and high heels is the standard girls’ dress code for London clubs parties, however elegance and appropriate appearance should be involved to the overall look.

With reference to the London club dress code for guys it is worth knowing that many top clubs in London take on different approaches about wearing T-shirts. Therefore is its advised to wear blazers, leather jackets and smart long sleeve shirts. Denim is also allowed as long as its very smart and classy.

Even though most of the exclusive London clubs have a separate section on their websites for advice about a specific London club dress codes – it is standardised and often does not mention details. In those cases guys and especially girls can use their imagination and creativity in terms of designing their look. Most girls want to feel glamorous and sophisticated on a night out whilst keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Therefore the major influencer for annual fashion and style in London is London Fashion Shows. According to Hall (2015), London Fashion Week is a crucial element in fashion sector which affects the following trends and dictates fashion designs until the next show. It is not an exception for the celebrities either. Recently Rihanna has been noticed at Tape nightclub wearing a flirty cut-out blush pink dress. Cut-out dresses have been in demand season after season, however this year it has reached its peak and became as popular as ever (today.com, 2016). Another hot trend in fashion world is crop tops which became a chic fashion staple beloved by model Abbey Lee (picture below) and by singer Rihanna. It can be worn literally on any occasion and creates a sexy yet sophisticated centric-look.

With such a variety of high-end clubs in London its seems that their management have different preferences on what crowd they would like inside their establishments. London clubs dress codes is one of the ways on how to attract the right elite crowd and maintain the concept and high standard of a club. Not everyone is fashion-inclined about what is expected in terms of the London clubs dress codes at these exclusive clubs. Therefore in it is important to do a quick research especially if there are any doubts in regards to proper attire. Alternatively contacting the concierge where you have booked a guest list such as Capital A list will erase any uncertainty as they will advise you on the correct dress code.