Christchurch nightlife known for rigid dress code

Christchurch Nightlife. Source: Unsplash / Long Truong

Clubgoers and bar patrons must abide by an unofficial and inconsistent dress code in Ōtautahi Christchurch’s central city. 

Those not dressed up to standard are turned away or sent to the back of the line. 

Office administrator Alex Parr, 22, was denied entry to the now-shuttered bar Baretta for wearing Converse sneakers. He also witnessed his friends being turned away from Original Sin for “not dressing well enough.” 

He described the expected attire for men as including a buttoned-up collared dress shirt, formal trousers, and dress shoes. He said that the dress code for women is slightly less strict but still “inconsistent,” with exposed skin being rejected or accepted depending on the venue and the security guard. 

“Depends who’s on the door that night,” Parr said. On many occasions, formality was not the main goal; he has seen people turned away for wearing blazers. Another of Parr’s friends was rejected for wearing Gucci loafers which looked “too nice.” 

Rose Hubble, 21, is a former bartender who worked at a venue catering to patrons on their way on Christchurch’s main strip. 

“The dress code for the Terrace was always a point of conversation between people at my bar […] lots of people would be joking that they might not get let in because they had dressed too casual,” said Hubble. 

“The dress code is […] something that is definitely on people’s minds when it comes to town in Christchurch.” 

Hubble said that due to the dress code, “every man looks exactly the same,” and that it limits personal expression.  

In a 2022 Re:News story, Ash Nobari described Christchurch’s town dress code as “strict” and “heteronormative.” 

He stated that he had been turned away for wearing nail polish. On another occasion, he was rejected for wearing an $800 mesh top from Prada. 

Nobari said that when dressing according to the code, “I’ve got to get myself looking as hetero as I can.” 

Recent UC graduate Caleb Langdale-Hunt, 22, believes that the dress code makes it more difficult for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves through fashion. 

“Boys are expected to wear a dress shirt and dress pants with some dress shoes, so there’s a lot more skin coverage […] there’s a lot of heteronormativity that’s enforced in that dress code,” said Langdale-Hunt.

“It’s hard for queer people to fit within these spaces and it’s just reinforcing these ideals. We need more queer spaces where queer people can just be them.”