It’s crazy to think about it, but bingo has now been around for about 500 hundred years. A staggering number that most of us can’t even begin to fathom. What’s even more interesting is thinking about all the fashion that bingo halls have seen and how it has evolved to the current bingo arteries people ware to halls today.
Since the early days of bingo, the game has been a fan favourite with elite classes that don’t mind throwing on a number or two. It has also gone through a few fashion revolutions during its time, and with the digital age upon us, it’s going through one right now.
This piece will look at how the bingo hall dress code has changed over the years and how digital bingo is stirring the waters. So if you’re ready to get your fashion on, put on your most sarcastic smile, and keep reading to learn more.
What’s the Traditional Bingo Hall Dress Code
As a disclaimer, bingo’s history goes too far back and is too wide to fairly try and tackle its fashion history in a piece like this. However, we will look at its history in its heyday in the 1960s and 70s and its fashion sensibilities. Most baby boomers would say this was the golden age of bingo, but they would also say the same about many different things. But because there was no internet during this period, how good could the 60s and 70s really have been?
Visiting bingo halls was a monumental occasion that boomers dressed up for. It was also a cherished time that many looked forward to because it gave them a chance to spend time with their friends as they did something fun. Bingo also became a crucial weekly affair that was essential to the boomer’s lifestyle.
A common thread you will see over the years is that players want to be comfortable in their outfits when it comes to bingo hall dress codes. Male baby boomers favoured shirts and pants or a more dressed-down version of what they wore to the office. Turtle necks were also common, paired with jeans or a nice pair of khakis. On the other hand, females were more liberal with their choices and had an easier time and more options. Most wore light blouses, short skirts, and stockings underneath.
Furthermore, the sixties were about having fun and freely expressing oneself with how one dressed, and bingo hall dress codes were no different. Wearing bright colours was also not uncommon in halls, and women had an excellent time experimenting.
How the Bingo Hall Dress Code Evolved
Once the 60s and 70s bubble bust, people had to adapt to more challenging times, and bingo hall dress codes were no different as you’d expect. Bingo players started to look at more casual wear, such as jeans or trousers, a t-shirt or blouse for females, a comfortable pair of shoes, and a nice jacket or sweater, depending on the weather.
Players who still wanted to keep things more formal wore a dress or skirt, a blouse, heels or dress shoes, and a jacket depending on the time and conditions.
One thing is for sure during all the different bingo periods, players had many options at their disposal, and it did not matter whether one wanted to dress down or up.
How Online Bingo has Affected the Bingo Dress Code
The experience of playing online bingo is different from playing in a bingo hall, to say the least. For a start, you don’t have to leave your house to access games and bingo operators like winkbingo. Instead, you use your computer or mobile device with an internet connection to access and play bingo games.
Secondly, while in your house, you’re not meeting or interacting personally with other bingo players and, as such, there is no need to dress up. You also have more freedom in game selection when you can choose to play and better jackpots and promotions.
But unlike bingo halls and most digitised services, the social aspect of bingo is not as essential as in previous times. Players today much prefer the convenience of instant access to games to sitting in stuffy bingo halls. They also like not having to think about bingo halls’ dress codes, getting ready to go out, or being forced to sit next to strangers they don’t like.
So you will be glad to learn nothing new here, but you can play online bingo in whatever outfit you want. It’s not even strange to see players playing live online bingo games in their pyjamas.
Where is the Future of Bingo Dress Code Going?
The simplest answer to this question is that there is no future for bingo dress codes. Everything is going virtual, VR, and pretty soon, the Metaverse. Bingo players will create avatars that best represent their identity and use them as their online personas. Clothes and dress codes will continue to play a lesser role in bingo players’ lives, and aspects such as players’ VR setup will play a more significant role.
Physical meetups like those seen in bingo halls will diminish, and online hangouts will take up more of bingo’s social aspect. What bingo players wear will also not be as vital as in the early days, and you will be freer to express yourself.
Conclusion
In no universe would we have ever thought that we’d be writing about an institution that’s 500 years old. But now that we are here, we can’t help but marvel at the game of bingo and try to analyse what aspect of the game has helped it survive all these years. As far as we can tell, it’s not the dress code because if there is anything online, bingo has shown us is that people will play naked if given a chance.
