Miscellaneous Dress Codes for Performing ?

[rhysonsax]

Inspired by a photo of @Tenor Viol very smartly dressed while performing on cello, I thought I would start a discussion about what performers should and shouldn't wear when playing in public.

I'm particularly interested in amateur and semi-professional groups, but for all musical genres and any types of performance.

What works, what doesn't work, any good stories (with pictures and video if you like) ?

Rhys

 

[Tenor Viol]

I'll try to dig some photos out of different options used over the years with various groups.

The majority of my public outings have been with a choir or an orchestra, which tends towards more formal. Dress code for larger groups tend to have to be consistent and simple. For mixed sex groups you have the added challenge of two dress-codes... The commonest that I encounter is penguin suits/black tie (i.e. dinner suit (tux if you're the other side of the pond) for men and all black for ladies.

The all black is easier to pull off for ladies than black and white (i.e white tops, black skirt/trousers) because of the sheer variation in shades of white).

A common option when jackets might be too much is all black for everyone.

Black with a splash of colour is an option. The 'splash' can be anything, any colour, or a specified colour.

One that did NOT work for a spring concert one year was black with solid colour shirts in pastel colours (programme had a floral theme). The colours just looked washed out.

One wind band I played with had a 'uniform' which was black tie, but wearing the band's specific dark red bow tie for the men and a scarf for the ladies.

Orchestra black with rainbow bow tie for men, colour for ladies.

Chamber choir: solid colour top/shirts

Choral society: black tie / all black

 

[thomsax]

I try to avoid jeans, Bermuda shorts, sneakers, ..... . I don't dress down and I don't dress up .....

I think it's important to have functional clothes when I'm playing. No too long sleeves, clothes that I could move around in .... . I'm using harness, so a shirt, harness and a waistcoat is good. The harness is under the waistcoat. A t-shirt, harness and a shirt is also working. I used some kind of hat and sometimes sunglasses as well.

 

[Ivan]

For mixed sex groups you have the added challenge of two dress-codes...

Clothes on

Clothes off

 

[Targa]

The all black is easier to pull off for ladies

I have a sudden urge to take an interest in orchestral music.

 

[rhysonsax]

Clothes on

Clothes off

Naughty, naughty.

Rhys

 

[Sue]

It depends on the occasion, for a more formal event we tend to dress in black and white as it's easy to find something agreeable for everyone. For 40's events we try and wear clothing of the times, tea dresses/farm worker for the ladies and the gents all usually try to be a 'spiv' or a soldier/officer. For general village hall type events we dress smart casual as dictated by the type of event. This is all swing band.

I occasionally play in a concert band where it's black trousers and a ghastly tartan waistcoat with a red bow tie. I look like Macdonalds staff member of the month 😂

 

[rhysonsax]

Some people really don't like to be told what to wear.

And some people don't like to be left to decide.

I saw an amateur group performing in a summer outdoor concert and they had band polo shirts with the band logo on them. I thought they looked good for that sort of relaxed performance and so suggested that our 17 piece big band could do something similar. I reckon that the responses were about:

• One third strongly in favour
• One third not bothered
• One third adamantly opposed

The reasons given for opposition were various, including cost, style, and practical (e.g. what to do about deps and lost shirts, at which concerts to use/not use them). But some felt very negative about wearing "uniform" at all, on any occasion.

Then there is the issue of individual fashion accessories such as flamboyant hats.

Rhys

 

[Tenor Viol]

Oh concert dress is an utter nightmare - a complete minefield. I realised years ago this is not an area for democratic debate... Yes, ask for initial opinion and thoughts as to options, but it has to be imposed because you will never get a larger group to agree on anything.

 

[Pete Effamy]

You’d be surprised at just how rigid some of the older pro rockers are too - all black is mostly de riguer, but the type of clothing isn’t so rigid.

Scandi classical wear seems to have gone a cool black suit with roll neck sweater. Women look cool and smart too, which is often not the case with the British orchestras over the last few decades. A black cardigan is not smart enough next to a guy in a monkey suit.

Funny, I sort of feel that total conformity is akin to a school band, but when you see total freestyling it can often look a mess.

 

[turf3]

Depends, of course, on the situation. In my case it's pretty much always one of these:

Tuxedo
Tux with red bow tie
Blue blazer with white shirt, dark tie, and either grey or tan pants.

Women who are part of an ensemble almost always have an analogous dress to the men's. Getting them to wear the modest version of it sometimes is a challenge - no, ladies, you do NOT wear the same thing for the orchestra concert as a member of the violin section, that you do for a night out on a hot date.

Despite putting a decade in on the trad scene, I have so far avoided the red vests and straw boater hats.

 

[dexdex]

A very common practice in small jazz groups playing for parties in this part of the world is:
black trousers, formal, chino or good looking jeans (not stone washed)
white or plain color shirt
optional dark or black blazer jacket
You can’t go wrong like this. You’ll look slightly formal in relaxed parties, and « reasonably underdressed » in very formal parties.
On stage, many bands have their own dress code, not to mention uniforms. In our big band, we have light ivory jackets over black shirts and trousers, and a selection of neckties.

 

[Vetinari]

Even the Beatles wore identical suits early in their careers.

 

[Saxlicker]

How about P.J's? 😳

This was a gig in the 90's at Southampton Mayflower Theatre. Doing a Ska set, the idea of a suit for looks was obviously a favourite but our full on energy meant we'd melt so.....Dr Martins and P.J's was the substitute. 😛
We still melted but in a £10 pair of P.J's we didn't care so much.

BTW
it was a 9 pice band so actually was quite a striking look.

 

[Targa]

Even the Beatles wore identical suits early in their careers.
View attachment 25745

Early in their career it was more black with leather trousers, (and a better drummer):

 

[Vetinari]

Early in their career it was more black with leather trousers, (and a better drummer):
View attachment 25747

Yes, but they all appear to be dressed the same.

 

[mrblackbat]

Unless you have a summer residency at a nudist colony, clothes are usually a good choice.

 

[ESJohn]

Performances of the band and orchestra indoors finds us wearing these, along with black slacks for the guys and the same or black skirts for the ladies. This style of shirt is popular everywhere here. Before my retirement, our sales force wore this type of shirt at our markets.

In colder temperatures and outdoors, we wear these. The visor cap is optional, either with or without logo.

When I performed a solo at church, I just wore my "Sunday go-to-meetin" clothes, as I was only representing myself.

 

[rhysonsax]

Unless you have a summer residency at a nudist colony, clothes are usually a good choice.

Ah, that reminds me of this guitarist.

View: https://youtu.be/xYfxboRtKJE?si=70dVl-9jAa9Ykj6R


Rhys

 

[jonf]

Stage suits are still a popular option with this Swedish outfit......