Wear’s the party?

Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999 | 9:59 a.m.

But for baggy britches, Adam Sparks would have been boogie-bound with the Boogie Knights.

A recently turned 21-year-old communications major at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Sparks was invited by a friend (a former Las Vegan) on a visit to the city Sparks associated mostly with the movie "Swingers."

Vegas, baby.

Sparks had planned his quickie trip to Las Vegas for weeks and his three-day adventure was meticulously mapped out. On the first night, he would check out the nightclub near the top of the Rio, the Voodoo Lounge. Later, he'd hit the club down the street from the Hard Rock Hotel, the Drink.

In particular, Sparks eagerly anticipated gyrating to the retro-'70s funk band, the Boogie Knights, which plays every Thursday to well-coiffed and cologne-slathered revelers at the Drink. As planned, Sparks' own boogie night started at the Voodoo Lounge, where he first realized his pants were to undergo careful scrutiny from highly attentive strangers.

Prior to entering the Rio's stylish rooftop restaurant-nightclub, Sparks was given a once-over by the club's door attendants. After careful analysis, he and his Structure-brand, construction-style pants were allowed into the club.

"I thought I was in good shape after that," Sparks said. "The Voodoo Lounge is supposed to be pretty strict, pretty picky about what people wear. Yes, I was wearing baggy pants, put I also had a polo shirt on and I wasn't a threat to anything."

But later, at the Drink, Sparks' evening took an unexpected turn. Having been presented with a coveted VIP pass to the club by one of his friends, Sparks waited in line with a few other special guests. As each produced passes and headed for the entrance, Sparks (and his pants) were halted by a member of the club's ever-diligent security team.

Sparks was peppered with phrases like, "club policy," and "too baggy," and "need a belt." One of Sparks' friends swiftly offered him a belt to cinch up the offending garment, which failed to satisfy the security guard.

Sparks remarked to the employee that the pants (and money therein) were gladly welcomed earlier in the evening at the Voodoo Lounge.

Fine, Sparks was told, then go back to the Voodoo Lounge. Instead, he and his three friends visited the Beach, where the pants finished the night.

"I was a little offended, because (the Drink) is a place everyone talks about and the reason I came in on Thursday was to go there," Sparks said. "I didn't think I was dressed any differently than anyone else. In fact, the guy who told me to leave was pretty much wearing the same thing I was, only his pants were a little tighter."

If Sparks sounds like a good guy caught in a bad scene, he's not alone. Mark Greisen, the VIP host at the Drink, is one of several Las Vegas club managers who must make judgment calls and enact dress code policies to establish a relatively happy medium for nightlife clientele.

Changing attire

"My philosophy is, the Drink is a very classy joint, but can be somewhat casual," Greisen said. "Not everyone is wearing dress shoes, but not everyone is wearing work boots, either."

When told of incidents similar to that of the unsuspecting Sparks, Greisen explained his club's dress code and policies and how they appease unhappy potential customers.

"We don't take any baggy pants, jogging suits, any sweats or sports jerseys, and no sleeveless shirts," he said. "But we try to be reasonable with everybody. We're pretty understanding, and if you're from out of town and don't know of the policy, nine times out of 10 you can talk to me.

"If you don't look like a bum, nine times out of 10 I'll tell you why we have our policy and I'll say to go in and enjoy yourself."

One prevailing philosophy could be called the "implied code." The Orbit Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel has no set dress code. However, it's implied that guests wouldn't traipse into the late-night establishment looking like Jethro Bodine, or wearing low-riding baggy jeans and an Oakland Raiders beanie cap.

"It's not an issue for us like it is for other clubs," Hard Rock publicist Tanya Huisenfeldt said. "We have a very classy type of person who comes into the hotel and we've never been faced with that issue. We do not stand by the door and analyze what they're wearing."

In other words, use your judgment.

"Obviously we want them to wear shirts and shoes," Huisenfeldt said. "Some things are just expected."

The House of Blues, set to open at Mandalay Bay on Wednesday, also has not established a specific dress code.

"We're an all-inclusive place," House of Blues publicist Dana Olliges said. "Our whole theme and philosophy is to welcome everyone."

Clubs with unbending, stated dress codes include Ra at the Luxor, Club Rio and Voodoo Lounge at the Rio, and Studio 54 at the MGM Grand.

"No shorts, beach attire, tank tops, T-shirts, ripped jeans, tennis shoes and sandals," Ra Manager Billy Richardson Jr., said, rattling off his club's policy. "We just like people to be dressed up. We've found that if people have nice clothes on, it's a better atmosphere with less problems and more fun."

No ambiguity

Studio 54 has a storied reputation stemming mostly from its original incarnation as a glitzy New York disco club in the late-'70s, where guests were allowed to enter almost entirely on the whim of the club owners.

In Las Vegas, however, there is little guesswork at MGM's Studio 54. As at the Rio clubs, a sign posted near the entrance informs guests what is and isn't acceptable attire.

"We have standards that don't permit what almost every nice club doesn't permit," Mike Milner, director of operations at Studio 54, said. "Ninety-nine percent of the people who come in here realize what we require, which is essentially club-style clothing, or after-6 p.m. attire."

Craig Gilbert, vice president of food and beverage services at the Rio, oversees operations at the Club Rio and Voodoo Lounge. He emphasizes that adhering to a set dress code policy does not mean a casino property is trying to filter out the Levis-and-Reebok crowd.

"We've figured that when people go out in the evening, they want an environment that's a little more upscale," he said. "We do require collared shirts and long pants, no beach attire, T-shirts, shorts or tennis shoes.

"We're not saying you're having to wear tuxedos and evening dresses, and if you want to be casual there are plenty of other entertainment venues on the property where you can have a great time."

Clothes make the crowd

Clubs independent of major hotel properties often struggle with establishing an ideal dress code. One continuous concern at larger clubs -- spacious establishments such as the Drink and the Beach -- is weeding out undesirable (but paying) customers in the interest of ambience.

"We're probably a little bit more lenient than a lot of places, especially when it comes to recognizing fashion trends," Michael Healea, director of security at the Beach, said. "We realize that baggy clothes are popular with younger people right now, and we have to be a little bit more judgmental. If they look like they belong to a gang, then they won't get in."

Healea said that turning away a handful of ne'er-do-wells willing to spend money on a given night can actually help business in the long term.

"The thing you have to take into consideration is, do you feel safe?" Healea said. "Is this a place you'd feel safe bringing your wife to? I'd rather lose a little bit of money by turning away of crowd of undesirables on one night that would ruin the night for 500 good customers who would never come back."

Healea's considerations for dress are unique, considering Beach bartenders often wear little more than G-string bikinis (for the women) and short denim shorts (for the men).

Meanwhile, Mr. Baggy Pants might get shut out.

"We have to be aware of what we are, especially in the summer," Healea said. "We're definitely not stuffy. We're not a poser club."

A year ago, when business became somewhat tepid in the early summer, Healea decided to drop the Beach's dress code and try to draw business into the 1,500-capacity club.

The result was a near disaster.

"Clothing and music can change a club's atmosphere instantly," Healea said. "When we backed off on the dress code, within two to three weeks the place looked like a bad area of East L.A. Our numbers went up a little, but we had absolutely more fights and more trouble."

Bag that idea

The Beach has since returned to its policy of no excessively baggy clothing, no sports jerseys and no backwards hats -- the type of clothing often associated, fairly or not, with gang activity.

"We're worried about what it represents," Healea said. "Not everyone who wears that stuff is dangerous, obviously, and we have to skate the line a lot of times. But our door guys can pick out an undesirable person in a second."

Club Utopia, with a well-heeled reputation as a club welcoming leniency in just about every area, is also on the lookout for the so-called "gangster" element.

"What I tend to do is keep out the gangster attire," Utopia General Manager Pauly Freedman said. "The colors, like all-red attire with red shoelaces, sports jerseys or hats that could have gang affiliation. This whole myth about gangster colors and gang attire scares people."

On nights when the club features live music, Freedman posts a sign outlining the club's dress code.

"We do that, and I'd say we're probably the most lax club in the city," Freedman said. "Our sign even has a joke, that women won't be allowed in if they're wearing a dress or skirt that reaches down below their knees."

Hot spots such as Club Utopia often benefit from spill-over customers, or tourists who struck out at Ra, Club Rio or Studio 54.

"Studio 54 kicked out a star one night, Cuba Gooding," Freedman said, referring to the Academy-Award winning co-star of "Jerry Maguire."

"He told me this," Freedman said. "He was booted for wearing a hat and wouldn't take it off."

Freedman said Gooding and a few friends wound up spending the evening at Club Utopia.

"It all depends on what kind of a scene you want to be a part of," Freedman said. "People have these rules and policies for a good reason."

And everyone -- from an Oscar-winning actor to a college student from Oregon -- should dress accordingly.

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