Common bar attire: gym shoes, "Mad Men" looks and jeans

(Chase Agnello-Dean/RedEye)

See our main story on "fashion profiling" at Chicago bars

When Joey Vartanian started in the bar business in the 1980s, he remembers patrons dressing sleekly for a night on the town--nice pants, nice shirt and, most importantly, nice shoes.

Today, a proliferation of gym shoes on bar- and clubgoers represents a general dressing-down in night life attire, especially among men, said Vartanian, owner of Crobar nightclub in Lincoln Park.

"I see couples going out all the time where a girl dresses up and a guy looks like he just rolled out of bed," Vartanian said. "I think these women shouldn't accept it."

Some in the nightlife industry say  fancy looks might be coming back.

Skinny ties and new-wave jackets are in, and "Mad Men" has inspired a retro '60s look, said Rich Kewitz, a creative consultant for the hospitality industry.

The tough economy also is fostering a more polished bar wardrobe, Kewitz said, as people are treating their more infrequent nights on the town as special occasions or networking opportunities.

Club fashions, which generally follow pop music trends, also are exhibiting a return to glamour, said Shaina Van Selus, a promoter at Berlin nightclub in Lakeview.

The resurgence of disco music and the influence of Lady Gaga have encouraged club-goers to experiment with gold lame, face paint, jewels, leather and studs, in ways that try to imitate wealth, Van Selus said.

"I see a lot of big over-the-top gold necklaces, lots of feathers," she said.

Some are nostalgic for the days when dressing to impress was de rigueur for the young and hip.

Cuvee, an upscale Champagne lounge in River North that opened in August, has a strict dress code that encourages men to wear collared shirts in hopes of bringing back a more formal era.

Of course, what people wear depends on where they're going.

People wear jeans and T-shirts to Wicker Park sports bar Boundary, manager Emily Wood said, though on weekends they dress up a little more--usually by putting on a nicer pair of jeans.