Black man wearing $250 black wool herringbone trousers told his pants were "too street" for

[Liberal_in_LA]

The doorman at the restaurant told him that he wouldn't be allowed into the restaurant because his pants were 'too street.'

Although the restaurant does have an evening dress code, Jackson doesn't believe that was the reason he was kicked out.

Jackson claims he was wearing $250 designer wool trousers and he noticed other customers wearing yoga pants, baggy cargo shorts, and baseball caps.
'Their dress code says no athletic wear,' Jackson told NBC Chicago, donning a bow tie, a vest, and the same pair of wool pants he wore the night of the incident. 'At no point in time will you find me doing anything athletic in a pair of wool pants.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3649578/Man-says-booted-Chicago-pizza-joint-pants-street.html#ixzz4C50511vb
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http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/security+footage+parlor+pizza.jpg

Parlor Pizza Bar said in a statement it enforces what it calls an evening dress code every day beginning at 5 p.m., stating “athletic wear is prohibited under our policy and unfortunately, the gentleman in question was wearing sweatpants.”

But Jackson said the pants he was wearing were actually tailored wool pants by designer Vince, valued at $250. He also claimed that as he and his wife were leaving, they noticed other patrons dressed far more casually.


“Saw people in yoga pants, baggy cargo shorts, baseball caps, and at that point in time we decided that we wanted to go back and talk to a manager,” Jackson said.
When he was still denied entry, Jackson said he began to believe the issue was less about dress code and more about race.

“You go from feeling kind of bewildered, to feeling shocked, to feeling embarrassed, and then you start to kind of ask yourself, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ he said. “And then you get angry.”

A spokesperson for Parlor Pizza said the incident was “in no way discrimination,” and noted that the restaurant’s dress code is posted on its website and at the entranceway. They added that security footage showed Jackson was wearing a baseball cap and shirt at the time, which may have contributed to the thinking that the wool pants were sweatpants.


http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Man-Says-Parlor-Pizza-Denied-Him-Entry-Over-Designer-Pants-383191261.html


http://m.yelp.com/biz/parlor-pizza-bar-chicago

Yelpers are weighing in

[Stinky The Clown]

1. "Who me? Racist? Not Me!"

[Warpy]

2. Unless the waistline was at his knees, they didn't have a leg to stand on

if they want to try to convince anybody out there that they're not blatant racists. I'm glad he's suing. If anything, he might have given the place a little class they so obviously lacked.

[Adrahil]

3. Well, to be fair, they DO look like sweat pants.

Last edited Sun Jun 19, 2016, 10:25 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't doubt the guy was "profiled" there, but he was wearing $250 sweat pants (they are called "jogger" pants).

Here is the pant in question:

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446962475&R=822508167258&P_name=Vince&sid=1556BA53F869&Ntt=vince+jogger&N=0&bmUID=llGBSy2

I think he's gonna lose his lawsuit.

[thesquanderer]

5. Yeah, it does seem to be athletic wear. Upscale, but still athletic wear. (n/t)

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Pic of him in the pants at the restaurant

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/security+footage+parlor+pizza.jpg

[Adrahil]

7. Tough to see the pants really. But the online sale page makes it clear.

They are $250 sweat pants.

[IronLionZion]

18. The woman behind him looks like she's not wearing any pants

and the others in the pic do look to be wearing shorts, t-shirts, sandals, and casual attire.

[RKP5637]

27. Yep!!! It looks like a walk in casual place to me. Nothing looks like formal dinner wear. n/t

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

39. They do look very casual.

Perhaps they were picking up food? Especially the woman standing at the bar?

[IronLionZion]

43. More photos in post 35

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027933423#post35

and post 40 clarifies their dress code, which can easily cause confusion

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

46. Yeah, if it's not clearly posted in the lobby

it would be very confusing. Who checks a website?

[Ken Burch]

53. And everyone else there looked just as casual.

So the restaurant's response is bullshit.

They were scared of "teh black&quot to repurpose a phrase often used for another group that gets discriminated against a lot).

[840high]

9. Jogging pants.

[Adrahil]

10. Right. Very expensive "athletic" gear.

His mieny of course. He can buy $250 jogging pants if he wants, but there ya go. Joggers.

[libdem4life]

54. To be fair, some of them were highly discounted...LOL

[IronLionZion]

13. Probably a combo of jogging pants and racism

the jogging pants gives them cover for the racism and makes it harder to prove.

But it does look like athletic wear.

letting their rule slide for other people doesn't change the fact that they have rules.

[Adrahil]

17. I think that is probably correct.

I'm not sure about Chicago, but in many areas (including where I am from), many middle-class black men wear high-end athletic "sweats" as casual wear. This dress code could very well be directed right at that segment of population.

[Drahthaardogs]

56. Look like sweat pants to me.

I cannot believe people spend that much money on a pair of pants.

[Silver_Witch]

4. Now we all know where NOT to eat!

[Odin2005]

8. I suspect this is the case for a lot of "dress codes".

A way to be racist with plausible deniability.

[mythology]

11. He should be suing the people who sold him those pants. $250 for that?

I suspect that the issue was likely racism, but I would need to see more evidence of other people who were there, was he belligerent, have there been other similar examples of this treatment (and with a racial make up of who was turned away).

[flamingdem]

12. He needs to win a lawsuit

to pay for his clothes.

Who's the snob? Snob vs racists? yeesh

[LanternWaste]

29. People implying he pays for his clothes via lawsuits.

"Who's the snob?"

People implying he pays for his clothes via lawsuits.

[npk]

47. Yeah like those women that pay $500 for a pair of damn heels

Dear Lawdy please bring them a brain, cause we all know shoes can be had for less than that. Whadafuck.

You know who I hate more than that though, those people who get expensive haircuts. Fuck! Please stop them.

[flamingdem]

48. I'm good with a $10 haircut because

students who are talented do just as good a job, well nearly as good as the fancy salons.

[npk]

50. LOL amen to that

[MADem]

14. An effing PIZZA place? Who the hell do they think they are?

It stinks of racism to me, too, frankly. Or at the very least, stupidity.

Oooooh...a baseball cap!!! At a pizza joint!! Oh, the HUGE manatee!

Per the YELP page, it's just a sports bar type place, with those irritating high tables with the chairs you have to climb up on that numb your ass after a bit.


If we were talking starched tablecloths, linen napkins and waiters in tuxedos, I could see they might have a point--but damn...it's a crappy bare table "move 'em in/move 'em out" cheap food and booze joint.

What "crust!"

[oberliner]

23. Pizza places aren't allowed to have dress codes?

That seems a little weird.

Obviously if they enforce the dress code inconsistently based on other factors (like race) then there is a serious problem.

But just having an evening dress codes seems ok.

[MADem]

31. I think it's a bit pretentious. What's next? Style snobbery at Burger King?

It looks like a crappy sports bar, with those stupid "too high" tables (with faux-rustic wooden tabletops given heavy layers of polyurethane--how "classy&quot and a menu that includes way too much starch and greasy meat.

As I said, if we were talking about heavy linen tablecloths and waiters in soup and fish I could completely see a point, but this is a lousy pizza place with delusions of grandeur, within stumbling distance of two major sports venues, that gets all frou - frou over "sports jerseys." In this guy's case, he had on (oh, the horror!) a "baseball cap." And anyone who mistakes wool trousers for "sweat pants" but allows the cargo pants and shorts and yoga pants on through without a gripe is a poor haberdasher and should not be gate-keeping the menswear at the door.

Something stanks up in there....and it ain't the anchovies. Inconsistent application of vague rules opens them up--and rightfully so--to charges of discrimination.

[npk]

49. It's to combat those people that show up in pregnant mom jeans.

This causes certain men to flip out.

It's the yuppie vs. baby boomer vs. millennial. The baby boomer swears they never wore cutoff jeans and ugly ass sandals with exposed toes. Then you have the urban yuppies who complain about every fucking thing like the sidewalks being clogged with tourists or the mom taking up two park benches because she dares to let her two kids play with the stroller while she sits across from them and watches the other kids play in the park. But the worse are the god damn white millennials, who think nothing of showing up to dinner in their fucking pajamas at 6 o'clock in the evening smelling like a mix of weed & alcohol.

It's tough to try and make it in this world. Even getting a slice of pizza can be a daunting task.

But yes when you are black it can be a real fucking nightmare.

[gollygee]

57. Pregnant mom jeans?

Huh? Are those worse than other jeans? I hope pregnant moms can wear whatever everyone else wears anyway.

[npk]

58. LOL I don't know where that came from

[Iggo]

15. I'm not sure they know what "discrimination" means.

Of course it was discrimination. That's what a dress code is.

[oberliner]

24. They probably meant "racial discrimination"

It would be nice to see the full statement.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Who Wears Wool In Chicago In June. . .

. . .when it's been in the mid to high 80's?

Making a fashion statement by being uncomfortable?

[MADem]

32. Not all wool is thick.

Merino wool is just the thing for summer wear!! It does not wrinkle like cotton or linen....

http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a22767/wool-in-summer-052813/

...There's some solid reasoning behind wool as a warm-weather go-to. First, it absorbs and evaporates moisture more effectively than most other textiles, making it a damn good temperature regulator. On a cold day, sure, it'll keep you warm. But on a hot day? The right wool will cool you right down.

The right wool? That'd be a lightweight one. Wool is able to be woven less densely than, say, cotton, and still look professional. You get a fabric that's very thin, very breathable, and still presentable. So whereas a cotton suit may block that blessed midday breeze, my wools won't — so long as they're unlined. (Mine are. Yours should be, too).

So it's comfortable. And that's crucial. But beyond that, it's just plain easier to wear wool in the summer. It doesn't hold wrinkles like cotton or linen — especially linen — and the speed with which it evaporates odor-causing moisture (read: sweat) means it doesn't hold smells, either. All of which equates to less time ironing, dry cleaning, and generally fussing over the look of my clothing, and more time, you know, actually enjoying the summer.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. I Suppose That's Right

But, it's been pretty hot here lately. I've had some nice suits in the past that were that sort of soft wool. I did not find them comfortable in hot weather.

Besides, i was just sort of kidding around.

[MADem]

38. I know!

I was being a bit didactic! LOL!

Seriously, though, sometimes, wool works better than cotton--gotta make sure the wool is open weave and UNLINED!

Where's Harry Truman when we need him?

[lpbk2713]

19. Fair exchange IMO.

Reminds me of Groucho Marx --- "Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member".

[leeroysphitz]

20. Those sound like some really nice pants. n/t

[oberliner]

21. Vince Herringbone Jogger Pants

With a classic herringbone pattern, these Vince jogger pants combine the look of handsome trousers with the silhouette of athletic joggers.

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/vince-herringbone-jogger-pants?ID=1399846

[Initech]

22. Evening wear at a pizza joint? Does not compute.

[Shankapotomus]

25. Easy way to confirm racism

Just return wearing the proper attire and see if they still reject you.

[MADem]

34. Have a friend not of your ethnicity try to get through in the same outfit.

It's not like bouncers don't remember faces.

[Ace Rothstein]

26. Reading through the Yelp page, they just sound like a bunch of assholes.

A lot of poor reviews based on bad service pre-dating this.

[melman]

28. Notice how he says he wouldn't do anything athletic in them

That's not the same as saying they're not athletic wear. Which they clearly are.

[MADem]

33. Really? With that zipper and button front?

And those side pockets? And the herringbone material?

Those don't look like "athletic wear" to me--even with the affected cuffs at the ankle.

[UMTerp01]

30. The mental gymnastics people engage in to justify racism and bias is ridiculous

If that was a White guy it wouldn't have been a problem. Given what I see others wearing in the still photo from security footage were those White people asked to leave too?

[IronLionZion]

35. The yelp reviews had multiple white couples turned away for wearing cubs jerseys

so it looks like they just have the idiotic dress code, in Chicago, for pizza, rather than discriminating against a very sizable portion of the local pizza eating population. People like pizza and there lots of places to get it in Chicago. So it sounds like a poor business decision or a gimmick, especially since the place tries to look like an upscale sports bar with tvs for the games.

Look at the multi-ethnic people here wearing casual attire that apparently was not in violation of their idiotic dress code. from their yelp page



I guess pink shorts and hoodie are ok for this dude? Or did the 2 white women make him look less "gangsta"?

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

41. Dress code becomes effective at 5 pm

according to their business website.

See post 40.

[Lee-Lee]

37. They do look like jogging pants to me.

I worked at a place that had a dress code -and cover charge after 6:00 and the biggest hassle was that they didn't run people out who were already in before 6, so people would get mad being turned away when people inside who had come in before 6 could be seen wearing something against the code.

Usually they did a sweep about 8:00 for anyone not wearing a wristband indicating they had paid the cover charge but between 6-8 you had a mix as they let people who had come in earlier finish their meals, so it could easily look like someone was being discriminated against when others were inside dressed the same or worse.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

40. Here's the dress code at their website

Parlor Pizza Bar Guest Dress Code enforced daily at 5 pm

Business Casual attire is required
No athletic wear or sweat pants/shirts are allowed.
Sports Jerseys & apparel are only allowed during Chicago sporting events being shown in the restaurant.
No Pajama or lounge wear

[IronLionZion]

44. That can easily cause confusion

[lumberjack_jeff]

42. Why does the value of the pants matter?

I shop at the local Goodwill. Had I been kicked out would that have been a relevant bit of info?

"How dare you kick me out! These pants are worth more than your weekly salary!"

I reject the idea that our worth is measured in dollars. This includes the defense that I've earned a place at a pizza parlor because I spent a lot of money on clothing that violates their rules.

If he feels singled out because his baseball cap and (to all appearances) sweatpants got him denied service while a woman or white person was accepted while wearing similar clothing, then make that argument.

That said, dress codes and HOA rules are for fascists.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

45. Dress codes are not "fascist"

Just...sometimes...it's nice to go out where everyone isn't wearing flip flops and shorts - which is typical attire in hot and humid Houston. I get it. I hate the heat, too, but "business casual" isn't being snobby. No suit, no tie - just some minimum standards set for a "date" atmosphere.

[Ken Burch]

51. The point of referencing the price of the trousers is that the price clearly indicates

they were not "sweat pants".

[lumberjack_jeff]

55. I can buy a $300 pair of tennis shoes. Not for tennis apparently. n/t

Last edited Mon Jun 20, 2016, 11:47 PM - Edit history (1)

[Ken Burch]

52. Why would a pizza joint even HAVE a dress code?

I agree that this was racist treatment but still...it's not like they're serving fresh Beluga in there.