The bar, the club, or the casino? Or maybe you’re heading to a more unconventional place for a party or some other kind of midnight chill? At the end of the day, however, your choice of the place doesn’t matter! The only question looming in your head is, “What should I wear to look irresistible, comfortable, and suit the venue at the same time tonight?”.

Your virtual fashion inspector is here: we gathered the list of venues you may like to visit at night and a bunch of tips on a proper dress code for them. Let’s kick off with the most popular one. 

Bar 

The bar’s concept is a melange of an immense variety of venues designed to serve alcoholic beverages. The primary purpose of a bar is as simple as that. We can’t say the same about each bar’s choice of drinks, interior, target audience, pricing policy, and surely, dress code. If high heels and cocktail dresses combined are the first-class look in one bar, another venue down the street might be friendly only to casual-looking people. 

So that’s why you need to know the type of bar you’re going to visit first. For example, so-called holes in the walls, plastic bars, or beer pubs never required a specific outfit to visit them. Casual clothes we wear every day will be just fine. On the other hand, there are specialty and “full of itself” bars where you’re usually expected to be looking classier. 

Moreover, there are concept bars and venues dedicated to a specific theme, so there your outfit becomes a part of an overall concept and to wear something ill-fitting means to ruin the atmosphere. 

Summing up, let’s list win-win options for each category: 

Mainstream & plastic bars, holes in the walls, beer pubs: Basically anything you’d wear for a walk. Jeans of any kind, slouchy T-shirts, comfortable shoes. Avoid many layers, tight suits and dresses, high heels, and huge purses. 

Specialty, full-of-itself, and concept bars: You might be expected to wear a cocktail dress or a classy bodysuit along with a midi skirt. High-rise denim, crop-top, or a blouse might be also an option. Still take care of your outfit’s comfort: your body will thank you after a few glasses of seasoned scotch or a bottle of exquisite Pinot noir. 

Thematic bars

: here, just be theme-specific. If the bar is dedicated to the 80s, wear some vintage clothing; if you’re going to a bikers’ place — consider dressing up in leather & chains. 

Club 

Clubs are similar to bars regarding clothing. From elegant Annabel’s in London and undeniably hot Amnesia in Ibiza to breathtaking Brooklyn Mirage in New York and techno mecca Berghain in Berlin — all of them follow different door policies. Their dress-code requirements will contrast jarringly as well. 

Most mainstream clubs want you to look chic. Here, it’s appropriate to wear a bodycon dress, a jumpsuit with high heels, or a leather skirt with a crop-top blouse. On the other hand, Berlin-like techno clubs often prefer to see people in minimalistic black or vintage rave clothing to keep the right vibe. 

Casino 

Traditional casinos are known for setting up very high standards in terms of dress code. This can be witnessed even in movies: look at the people sitting around the poker table in Casino Royale or the similar, although a darker, scene featured in Snatch. Men are wearing black-and-white power suits, while women are dressed in discreet gowns, blouses, and skirts. 

It sounds like a lot of hassle, especially if you prefer a more casual look. Especially when you can turn on your PC and enjoy playing poker or roulette wearing whatever you want. It’s even possible to get very close to a genuine venue feel by playing games like live-dealer roulette, where you watch the stream from a real casino studio led by a dealer, playing the game at the same time. 

Maybe that’s part of why casinos have been loosening up their rules: people skip the option to visit a casino as preparation might take more time than the main course. Thus, now more and more gambling venues accept smart-casual looks, which means you can comfortably wear skinny jeans, tailored pants, or a midi skirt combined with a sophisticated, button-up shirt, blazer, or a turtleneck sweater as a winter option. 

What About Out of Ordinary Night-Time Places? 

Bars, clubs, and casinos are not the only places you can spend the night at. You can go to the concert hall, museum, SPA, beach, or even the gym. What to wear there? In the case of the concert hall, smart casual will be the best pick, speaking of classic or jazz concerts. Museums at night accept guests in almost any casual clothes, although some museums of a classical type might deny you if you wear something flashy and distracting. SPAs, beaches, and gyms? Well, here, we think you already know that!

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