PERTH bars and clubs risk flouting Equal Opportunity laws by implementing bizarre dress rules such as a ban on "metrosexual" attire.

Engineering student Benjamin Chalk is offended by a banner at the front of Library nightclub in Northbridge that reads "Strictly No Metrosexual Attire".

The banner is displayed every second Friday, during the Library's Dorcia Fridays event.

The Sunday Times recently saw Dorcia staff turn away confused male punters in collared shirts and dress shoes, explaining they were "too dressed-up", while women were welcomed in formal dress.

Men wearing shorts and trainers were also allowed in.

But Dorcia promoter Scott Mellor said he was not discriminating.

"Girls can get in with jeans and trainers, too," he said. "There is no differentiation between men and women."

Mr Mellor said he introduced the dress code after noticing there were fewer places to go to and feel comfortable.

"A lot of nightclubs in Perth negate personal style," he said. "I've taken the exact dress codes of Subiaco clubs and inverted them."

Mr Mellor also forbids low-cut, V-neck T-shirts, skinny jeans, tight T-shirts, shirts with numbers on them, pointed white shoes and visible neck chains.

"A short chain and tight T-shirt is an aggressive style," Mr Mellor said.

WA Equal Opportunity Commissioner Yvonne Henderson, who did not want to comment on specific venues, said because "metrosexual" was used to describe males, it could be classified as discriminatory.

"Any venue policies that treat one sex less favourably than another in similar circumstances would almost certainly be breaching the Equal Opportunity Act," Ms Henderson said.

"This may include stricter dress codes where women are allowed to wear certain attire and men are not, given that community standards accepts that attire on both men and women.

"The Equal Opportunity Act requires that comparable community standards in relation to dress are applied to men and women. This does not mean identical clothes, but substantial difference in standard would be a breach of the Act."

Another event at the Library, called Sneaky, has specific bans for men only.

"Males are not allowed to enter with thick gold and silver neck chains, Ed Hardy and Tapout brand clothing, as well as gold and silver print T-shirts," a Sneaky promoter said.

Mullet hairstyles and rats tails are also banned, as are "large groups of guys".

Sneaky gives priority entry to women, with a promoter stating: "All girls can enter Sneaky via the VIP queue to receive priority entry."

Devilles Pad in East Perth and Malt Supper Club in Mt Lawley promote themselves as over-25s venues.

According to its website, Devilles allows "select" under-25s if they are "well dressed and display a respectful, mature-minded attitude".

Ms Henderson said the equal Opportunity Act outlawed age discrimination against people who were eligible to enter a bar or club.

"Giving preference to people over a certain legal drinking age could be breaching the Act," Ms Henderson said.

A doorman at Northbridge bar Ezra Pound recently asked an employee of The Sunday Times to remove his tie to gain entry.

Once inside, a barman allegedly said the policy was in place to deter "salary slaves and pretentious types", terms that Ezra Pound manager Jan Kulski said he did not endorse.

"If there are a large proportion of customers on a Friday, he (our doorman) will encourage patrons to remove or loosen ties so they are dressed more casually," he said. "This avoids the risk of alienating other customers who are trying to avoid venues like The George."

Ms Henderson said a man could argue that a ban on ties could be regarded as sex discrimination as women generally do not wear ties.

"This argument could be successful if women dressed to a level of formality similar to a tie (but) were not asked to dress down," Ms Henderson said.

Ae'lkemi designer and director Alvin Fernandez, whose "stylish European menswear" brand includes skinny leg jeans, said any ban on metrosexual attire was bizarre.

"Metrosexual style is a more trendy way of dressing and I think it's better to be overdressed than underdressed," he said.

It was a case of brains over brawn recently when lawyer John Hammond fronted burly door staff at Gold Nightclub accompanied by a mate wearing white sneakers.

Denied entry due to the dress code, the legal eagle took his buddy around the corner, he removed his own socks and gave them to his mate to slip over the sneakers.

The pair strolled back to the front door, where a confused bouncer eyed the updated shoes and let the smug pair into the club, to enjoy the Wednesday night frivolities.

Mr Hammond was last seen heading home to air out his Italian designer footwear.

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