CITY centre drinking has taken on a whole new

meaning.

If you are not wearing the right gear you won't get into a

pub or bar.

Bouncers on door duty at Leeds pubs and clubs are fast

becoming "fashion pickers", according to new research.

Certain brands of shoes, coats, and sportswear are not

acceptable in some venues. New bars opening up, often

owned by multi-million pound chains, are geared

towards affluent city types.

Research carried out by academics at Newcastle

University pinpointed Leeds as being one such city where

a "style revolution" was taking place.

Dr Paul Chatterton, of the centre for Urban and Regional

Development Studies at Newcastle University, said:

"Leeds's expanse of style bars and cafes reflects recent

rises in female employment and the boom in city centre

living and office development."

He said the style revolution in cities was being led by big

national chains taking over traditional pubs rather than

local entrepreneurs.

A new £3m bar Tiger Tiger set to open on November 9

at the Light, on the Headrow, is for over 25s only. Its

dress code says customers must be smart, casually

dressed and not wearing sportswear or scruffy clothing.

At trendy bar Oslo, on Lower Briggate, door hosts as well

as bouncers check out people coming in.

Manager Chris Green said: "We have a smart casual

dress code. There are certain degrees of scruffiness and

an "in" scruffy, and now the unfashionably fashionable,

so it can be difficult."

Outrageous

At £7m Creation nightclub, one punter was turned away

recently for wearing £100-plus Rockport shoes, deemed

to be too "casual".

Speed Queen, for the extremely fashionable only, is

held at Warehouse club on a Saturday night. The more

outrageous your dress the better but anyone not

deemed appropriate does not get in.

The research found that Leeds, which has experimented

with later and staggered licensing hours, has granted

special licences to 46 pubs/ bars with hours beyond

11pm.

The researchers took part of a two-year £117,000

national study funded by the Government's Economic

and Social research Council which looked at changes in

Leeds, Newcastle and Bristol.

Researchers found that new style rules dictates that OUT

are: cheesy party anthems, luminous shirts, lager and

kebabs. IN are: house and garage, foreign vodkas,

Dolce& Gabbana clothes and Mediterranean mezes.

alison.bellamy@ypn.co.uk