Students banned from wearing chinos at top UK university as a 'safety measure'
Chinos and blue shirts have been banned by a university students' union after being linked with a violent incident at a nightclub
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Chinos and blue shirts have been banned by a university students' union after being linked with a violent incident at a nightclub.
A memo was sent around to all members of Cardiff’s athletic union - the body representing sporting clubs on campus - announcing the ban.
The chinos and blue, button-down shirt combination had become an unofficial uniform of many male students who participated in athletic union’s clubs, according to local residents.
The clothing ban was “not aimed at a specific group” but in relation to incidents at its weekly “Yolo” clubbing night, the union said.
The chinos and blue, button-down shirt combination had become an unofficial uniform of many male students who participated in athletic union’s clubs, according to local residents
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An email from the students’ union, seen by The Tab, read: “Due to the dangerous behaviour portrayed by groups of individuals wearing chinos and blue shirts in the Yolo queue on 4 October, a decision has been made to temporarily prevent similar attire to be worn to future events.
“The behaviour displayed by the group in question can only be described as reckless, dangerous and incredibly irresponsible.”
A big group of “rugby freshers” – first-year male undergraduates – had reportedly started pushing each other in a queue, which meant security staff took action.
The students’ union said its security was “able to intervene and safely disperse the crowd” but added that the situation could have turned into a “major incident”.
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A spokesperson for the students’ union said: “It is our established practice to proactively respond to behaviour concerns so we can ensure that our events are safe, accessible and comfortable, and we thank the student body for their support in achieving this.
“The current clothing restrictions are temporary, not aimed at a specific group and is in direct response to a specific recent incident.”
The signature look is promoted by US brands such as J Crew and has long been associated with the elite of the East Coast in the 1950s.
In Cardiff, the students’ union insist that after enforcing the ban on chinos and shirts “we saw a marked improvement in behaviour in the queue”.
In Cardiff, the students’ union insist that after enforcing the ban on chinos and shirts 'we saw a marked improvement in behaviour in the queue'
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The spokesperson for the students’ union said it “proactively communicates any changes in safety measures to students to ensure they know of the initiatives in place”.
It added: “We regularly review the effectiveness of our safety measures in line with best practice in the sector.”
The ban applies only to students’ union premises.