Welcome to the Club Now, Wear What You Want Now

Though clubbing has been non-existent over these Covid-infused times; the combination of live music and dancing has been an automatic form of celebration and letting your hair down since the 1920’s. From boogying to the Bee Gee’s in the 70’s, to raving underground to the latest D&B today; it is clear that club attire, attitudes and culture have changed over the decade. But how?

The phrase ‘dress to impress’, has confused society’s nightlife dress-code. With lengthy queues for club entry bombarding city streets on a Saturday night, it is easy to spot girls daringly dressed in bras and tasselled pants; mirroring Britney’s iconic 'Slave for you' outfit, the only thing missing - a python on their shoulders. Today, clubbers spend hours tanning, crafting their makeup and choosing an outfit. Generally, for young women, we see the 2000’s aesthetic of leather on leather, tight skirts, and heels as high as some of the clubs more risqué members minds. The sleek curvy ‘Barbie’ imitation of the ‘it girl’, making it feel like you just saw a Kardashian in the toilets washing her hands. However, popping on jeans and a T-shirt following a hasty decision for an impromptu sesh after doing the big shop seems to be the thing currently too, but how has the attitude towards going-out-wear changed?

In 1990, Madonna famously shocked the nation wearing what the fashion world redeems, ‘The Cone Bra’, literally sticking out like a sore thumb.. or cone! But the seductive encouragement of things sticking out is what made the outfit so controversial. The meeting of the Blonde diva’s off-white suspenders and unmissable nips, celebrating sexual deviance outraged many. The singer stated, ‘Art should be controversial’, the album Like A Prayer, reiterating the 90s ignorance to female sexuality.

As I scroll through time stealing TikTok’s on my phone, It becomes clear to me how the judgement and freedom of clothing has changed since Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour. 2020 saw the liberating, but pressuring rise of ‘hot girl challenges’ on the app. The trend ‘why aren’t you in uniform?’, where girls pose in day-to-day clothes, and then by the magic click of a finger find themselves in sexy lingerie. Society now seeing seductive clothing as a ‘uniform’, when thirty years ago it was so opposed. The updating of attitudes of course pleases me. I remember being eighteen leaving my parents' Sylvanian Family-style house, my parents and siblings dressed like Enid Blighton’s Dick and Anne. I waltzed down the stairs in a pair of unbreathable leather shorts and studded boots for my first party. Against the humorously fitting howl of the kettle, my father demanded me to change, a face so angry even Enid couldn’t have described it.

Shockingly, according to a government survey, 72% of the UK population have experienced some form of sexual harassment at least once. In the same way as laundry tablets unnecessarily inform us, ‘do not eat’, should clothes labels now come with warnings signs? ‘Be prepared for possibility of groping, as tight material and may arouse an unwanted eye’. Dressing in a provocative way has been mistaken socially on the club scene as, ‘consent’. The lack of certainty between feeling sexually liberated and wanting sex causing a stigma around clubbing for many. Does wearing fishnets and a red lip mean: Come have me now, gross old stranger? Of course not. But in the same way as you avoid that pervy second uncle at Auntie Sue’s cringe Christmas party in your sparkly frock; clubs, short skirts, and showing ‘too much skin’ can lead to unwanted touches, not being left alone, or sadly worse. So why is societies approach to club ware so visually different, as we check the general ‘vibe’ in the rowdy drunken queue? Emmeline Pankhurst might turn in her grave, not that she knew about keyhole tops and spenny sambuca shots, but a large factor is the differing interest in dress between men and women. Emmeline would be pleased to see young women dressing and feeling so confident- with no dumb laws saying they couldn’t!

I excitingly went on a night out in Brighton recently and, in a Cher from Clueless fashion, I’d had my outfit planned weeks before, bought accessories to adhere the ‘90’s look I was creating, and made a last-minute replacement order on a lipstick I had snapped! Mac’s Chilli ices my lips, it’s nine thirty-three, I got the straighteners out at eight, we were supposed to leave ten minutes ago, but eyelash glue always makes me late! I turn and stumble to my friends, two boys lost in their phones. “Let’s go then”, the taller one says. “Are you not even ready”, I annoyingly flail my even shaved arms. He switches hit white T -shirt, to his black T shirt. Two minutes at top that took, and then we go. My hour and a half feel’s worth it, my figure feeling fine in a newspaper-print dress. Seemingly, women just enjoy dressing up and feeling glamorous more than men; however Harry Style's 2020 Vogue shoot disproves this. In a black blazer and a ruffled gothic style long dress, Styles projects a daring, unafraid sense of self expression, in vintage styles and womenswear. The singer shows us that style has in fact developed to a more open and diverse form of expressing ourselves; men’s fashion brands like Levi, Top Man and Burton better up their market, because more daring club-wear for men is becoming more explored and exciting! I believe you can wear what you want (checking exactly where you’re going!) and that chokers don’t mean I’m an animal to come over and pet, it’s called fashion alright?!

As DJ Manian says: ‘Welcome to the club now, everybody up now’. Go club goers, get up and dance! But what will you wear tonight?