Is It A 'Dress Code' Or Is It Discrimination? Restaurants Explain Their Stance.

Should wearing a pair of shorts or a baseball cap keep you from enjoying an expensive night on the town? At many upscale restaurants, potential customers are turned away if they’re wearing clothes that don’t match the classy vibe inside. Some diners have complained about discrimination, especially when dress codes seem to be enforced differently for certain people due to their race, class or gender.

But others agree with restaurant owners who believe that maintaining a minimum standard in their luxury spaces allows patrons to fit in appropriately with the decor, creating an atmosphere that makes everyone to feel special. After all, they say, they’ve invested quite a lot in their business, and it’s not too much to ask customers to step up a little bit for a five-star experience.

We spoke with experts in etiquette and dining out to explain why things are the way they are.

Here’s why dress codes exist in the first place.

Richard Ford literally wrote the book on dress codes. Ford, a Stanford Law School professor and the author of “Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History,” said there’s a duality inherent in the creation and enforcement of rules about the kind of clothing people are allowed to wear.

“On the reasonable side, dress communicates respect and professionalism, so schools, workplaces and venues have a good reason to insist on clothing that fits with the mission and purpose of the institution,” he said. “On the troubling side, sometimes dress codes are used to screen out stigmatized racial groups.”

He pointed to dress codes banning gold chains, dental grills or sagging pants. To add another layer to the issue, even establishments that cater to a largely Black customer base sometimes want to signal what Ford