Going sockless is banned in Lord’s sartorial crackdown
BASED at Lord’s, the spiritual home of cricket, and with members such as David Cameron, Marylebone Cricket Club should have no need to tell spectators how to dress.
But the MCC this week felt the need to send an extraordinary letter to members, telling them what not to wear and showing examples of sartorial outrages — including, horror of horrors, shoes worn without socks.
‘Members and their guests are expected to maintain an acceptable standard of dress while in the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures,’ warns the letter, which was sent to all MCC members.
Anyone sporting such crimes against fashion will be refused entry. It continues: ‘To avoid any embarrassment . . . members must ensure that their attire, and that of their guests, is appropriate. The minimum standard to enter the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures is “smart casual” for both sexes.
‘Jackets are not required, but gentlemen must wear collared shirts at all times in the stands.
‘Shorts and trousers must be tailored, although denim is acceptable.’ Illustrating what will get you thrown out, the letter includes a series of photographs marked with ominous red crosses. In one, a man wears brogues and a blue suit, his trouser leg hitched up to reveal a sockless, pale ankle. ‘In the Pavilion, fulllength socks must be worn,’ it says.
Another is of camouflage combat shorts, banned from both the Pavilion and Members’ Friends’ Enclosures, while the final picture shows cargostyle trousers, which are not allowed in the Pavilion. The MCC, which owns Lord’s cricket ground, singles out items of clothing it deems unacceptable for men and for women — the latter were allowed to join in 1999.
For men, the prohibited items are: shirts that do not have a collar; Tshirts; ‘torn, ripped or unclean clothing’; football shorts or shorts worn for playing sport; tracksuits; garments in military camouflage colours; beachwear; and flipflops. The women’s list includes bikini tops, and tops and dresses showing bare midriff.
The letter makes clear that yet more styles are forbidden in the Pavilion on match days — leggings or jodhpurstyle trousers, fleeces and bodywarmers, and strapless tops or dresses (unless worn under a cardigan or jacket). As for ‘denim clothing’, never in the Pavilion.
One member tells me he is pleased the club is cracking down: ‘It is good to know the trend for going sockless will not be tolerated in the Lord’s Pavilion.’
This is not the first time the MCC has warned members not to let standards slip. Five years ago, it issued clothing guidelines following a similar move by Ascot.
But the racecourse had to apologise after it attached orange stickers to the clothes of people it felt had transgressed its stringent dress code, prompting complaints the stickers were ‘patronising’.