Face control refers to the policy of upscale nightclubs, casinos, restaurants and similar establishments to strictly restrict entry based on a bouncer's snap judgment of the suitability of a person's looks/attractiveness, money, style or attitude/personality, especially in Greece, Russia and other former Soviet countries such as Ukraine.[ citation needed ] The term "face control" comes from the fact that establishments are attempting to use exclusivity to preserve their public "face"[ citation needed ].
Although a similar "velvet rope" policy exists in other countries, aiming to admit the right mix of "beautiful people"， and keep out boring or unattractive would-be patrons, the Russian version is considered particularly harsh and unforgiving by Western standards. [1]
The rare occasional use of this term in English can be considered a linguistic reborrowing via the Russian pseudo-anglicism фейсконтроль (feiskontrol).
Some establishments only practice face control on Fridays and Saturdays, so customers unable to meet the bouncer's standards can come at other times. [2] In Moscow, stricter face control tends to be implemented as the evening progresses, so people can also avoid it by coming early for dinner, before the bouncers are posted. [3] As foreigners are sometimes preferred, speaking English has also been noted as helpful in getting through face control. [4] Author of Lonely Planet Russia, Simon Richmond advises to "arrive in a small group, preferably with more men than women" and to smile to "show the bouncer that you are going to enhance the atmosphere inside". [5]