Dress code in danger of extinction after Bondi backpacker asked to leave restaurant

One stroll down Bondi Beach and it’s almost guaranteed you will spot someone wearing this attire, but it appears it’s not for everyone.

COMMENT

They are at it again.

The fashion police have had the audacity to remove a young woman, Martina Corradi, from a Bondi restaurant after she was wearing exactly what the restaurant dress code is – casual attire. I know. Weird, huh?

As if the last year hasn’t been crapola enough, a young woman dressed in totally appropriate ‘casual’ attire was barred (aka thrown out) from eating at the Bondi munchery with an existing dress code of casual attire.

Seriously, have people found double/triple/quadruple madness this year?

Has some kind of self anointed fashion police person been employed to uphold the standards of a ‘casual’ Bondi eatery?

The outfit that the Italian backpacker was wearing went a little bit like this: white linen flowing pants, high heels and a stretch lace bralet top, all of which she wore to North Bondi Fish when she visited on Thursday.

We are talking Bondi here – the shoe-off beachside suburb where to wear less is definitely more.

RELATED: Backpacker’s outfit deemed ‘not acceptable’

Martina Corradi (pictured) was asked to leave a Bondi restaurant because of her outfit. Picture: Facebook

Bondi, where ‘influencers’ saunter about the place with Brazilian butts, enhanced breasts, puffer fish size lips, sometimes getting paid to flog some kind of product for a few bucks with the backdrop of white sand, blue water and the iconic Icebergs pool.

It seems that while we are struggling with a tragic health pandemic in COVID-19, we are also in a working from home (WFH) fashion epidemic.

Let’s face it, we are all about wanting much more relaxed clothing, and by saying that I don’t mean dirty, filthy, ripped stuff, but just clothes that are a little more easy.

Also, we are craving stuff that will hide COVID-kilos.

(Not that our dress offender looks to have any of those issues).

COVID-kilo hiding wardrobe staples have been our rock this year and it is certainly following through as we start hopping right through summer.

The thought of getting seriously dressed up for most people is the least of our issues or problems at the moment.

I cannot imagine what the rationale was to turn away this young woman, who was showing less skin than most do on the beach.

All she wanted to do was to head off to have something to eat at one of the many Bondi eateries and to spend money at the hospo business – one of many that need as much business as they can get.

WHAT IF SHE WAS AN INFLUENCER?

I did wonder, if she was a faaarshun influencer, would she have been treated differently? Somehow, I think so.

I’ve seen that happen.

Not at this restaurant but others where the staff gleefully allow barely dressed people in just because of the potential of a backdrop photo or a #foodporn picture opportunity.

Times are sad when how (allegedly) pretty you are and how well you wear clothes can determine your client/customer currency.

I’ve been in this pop culture observation game for many years and I’ve seen the ebbs and flows of who’s out and who’s in when it comes to dressing.

At the moment, the relaxed mode and athleisure-wear will be sticking around for quite some time yet.

As I keep referring back to what Ms Colladi was wearing – and while it’s not everyone’s cup of tea – it damn sure wasn’t bad or offensive.

I just cannot for the life of me understand what the problem was. Was she not blonde enough?

Didn’t she have enough Instagram followers? Was she, hush my mouth, of international origin? God spare us.

These fashion security episodes along with the hospo staff who suddenly think they are wearing a style cops badge are becoming more and more akin to so many of us.

Hands up if you have seen that brilliant Black Mirror episode, Nosedive, where every single movement, motion and interaction you make with other people is rated via an app placed on your corneas and on your phone – very similar to an Uber rating.

In the episode – depending on your personal rating – above 4.5 is tops.

Life choices, socialising and partying can only be made with the ‘right’ people – that’s if your rating is high enough.

Yup. I kid you not!

APOLOGY AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH

Fortunately the very popular Bondi restaurant – where you actually look more out-of-place if you DO wear some kind of grand cocktail party dress – went on to apologise to Ms Corradi. Especially after some mega social media backlash. And I say, good on them.

But this time I am totally with the backlash! I think every single one of us has a million more things to be worried about at the moment let alone being told to remove yourself when you are, indeed, wearing exactly what the eatery’s dress code requires.

The relaxed, often just-from-the-beach venue says that by “embarrassing and offending” the woman, over her choice of outfit, she has earned herself a free meal.

While North Bondi Fish was slammed on social media after refusing to serve Ms Corradi, she also posted about her outfit choice on Facebook.

Let’s face it, Thursday was the most exquisite, blue Sydney summer day, so why not show a bit of skin.

I was really pleased to see the restaurant has since backflipped, rather spectacularly, issuing a public apology to Ms Corradi.

On Saturday, North Bondi Fish general manager Gemma Swanson said the restaurant had apologised to Ms Corradi over the “error of judgment” and offered her a free meal, according to Daily Mail Australia.

Martina posted about her experience on Facebook. Picture: Facebook

“We have reviewed the incident and acknowledge that it was an error of judgment to ask Martina and her partner to leave the restaurant,” Ms Swanson told the publication.

“We have since contacted Martina, apologised for the error in judgment and invited her and her partner back to enjoy lunch or dinner on us.

“We uphold a casual dress code and it is clear that Martina should not have been asked to leave.”

As a result of what was a total unnecessary incident, North Bondi Fish confirmed it would be retraining restaurant staff and management, particularly when it comes to dressing protocols.

Considering it is summer and most of us haven’t got used to this ‘getting dressed up’ palaver again, cases like this should really fall by the way side.

I never like to throw stones and have in the past written many pieces on ‘appropriate’ dressing attire, particularly when travelling on planes.

I still don’t and will never think gymwear, butt-crack shorts and thongs make for the best plane attire. But that’s just me.

I like to bring a bit of refinement to the art of sitting in 68J.

As for our Bondi girl, it was a casual and informal Bondi Beach eatery, and unquestionably, when it comes to clothes, anything does go.