Miscellaneous Dress Codes for Performing ?

[greenstripe]

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

I wasn't around when Beatles were still together, but I'm pretty sure the suits with no lapels or collars would have been fairly controversial at the time.

 

[skeller047]

Uniforms for bands was a thing in the 60’s. The band I was in, The Aztecs, had blue satin shirts with a brocade front, and blue trousers with a brocade stripe down the side. The singer had the same thing but in bronze.

I really don’t like the “dress down” approach that many young jazz players seem to embrace, I get that we are all artists and self-expression is important, but what the H. This seemed to coincide roughly with the rise of punk in rock music.

I’ve got a lot of respect for the great drummer Joe Farnsworth, I don’t care where he is, he has a nice suit and tie on. Straight out of GQ, and he plays his butt off. I wish I could look that good.

 

[stefank]

It tends to depend largely on context and genre, so I can be anywhere from jeans and t shirt to dinner suit, with a lot variation in between. One rule of thumb I've heard for less formal situations is one step classier than what the audience is likely to be wearing.

 

[rhysonsax]

I really don’t like the “dress down” approach that many young jazz players seem to embrace, I get that we are all artists and self-expression is important, but what the H. This seemed to coincide roughly with the rise of punk in rock music.

I expect codes and standards of dress vary with country, region and time period as well as the age of the performers and audience.

Does "dress down" in this context mean being less smart than the same people would be in an everyday (non-performing) situation ? Or does it mean less smart than their equivalents would have been some decades earlier ?

Codes and standards of dress have certainly become less formal and standardised for most activities over the years here. Wearing suits and ties for office work seemed to almost disappear over just a decade or two and that is fine by me.

Personally speaking I would always rather be over-dressed than under-dressed and think it's a shame if performers appear not to be bothered with how they look and act on stage.

Rhys

 

[skeller047]

By “dress down” I mean wearing the clothes you would use for Saturday afternoon yard work on stage. I wear jeans and tee shirts around the house, but when playing a gig I wear what we call “Silicon Valley Casual” - slacks and a nice shirt, maybe a sport coat. Unless there is a dress code, which is usually either “suit and tie” or “tux”.

I’m all for being comfortable, but I think we lost something when jeans and tee shirt became acceptable business attire. Of course I’m an old man shaking my fist at the clouds…

There does seem to be a trend in jazz circles toward snappier dress. I like it.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I wear whatever I think is appropriate.

Not what somebody else thinks is appropriate.

 

[Colin the Bear]

When a man gets to a certain age and shape he needs all the help he can get from his tailor.

Middle aged men in work clothes and skinny fit suits are a no no imo.

I like to look like I don't need the money, wherever I'm gigging.

 

[thomsax]

You play well dressed and trying to do your best.

How about dressing rooms? The food for musicians? Secure place for the instruments?

I had a boiled hot dog served in a frigolite box and dressed in a tux. My 50 000 :- sax was in my car while I was eating.

One big problem is to find good venue places and concert places that takes good care of the musicians.

Off topic.

 

[mrblackbat]

I’m all for being comfortable, but I think we lost something when jeans and tee shirt became acceptable business attire.

You play well dressed and trying to do your best.

I come across plenty of folk who believe this, so not saying it's wrong, but personally I think it's more a case of others perceive better standards of work when people are in smart/business attire.

A perfect example of this: a number of years back, I had the unfortunate job of having to make some of my team redundant (I work in IT in data, I had a team a BI developers, DBAs, analysts etc).

Collectively, the senior staff had to put forward the people that they wanted to 'save' from being considered for redundancy.

At the time, the office was dress down and it was a nice working environment, nice kitchen/breakout area and a fairly fluid approach to searing- you could just take your laptop on go off and work at standing desks or in the kitchen or wherever suited you. One member of my team liked to be more formal though, spending the day at his docking station and wearing a shirt etc. In terms of my team, he was actually the lowest performer and bottom of my list to be saved. Another liked to go off and sit on the floor in the corridor with the laptop on her knees from time to time, and also would be in the kitchen talking to people making coffees etc. Some of our best work got done in that kitchen discussing how to go about something or what new initiatives could be implemented to make an impact etc.

So when it came to hearing other opinions on who to save, I was quite surprised when the CEO of the company chimed in that they wanted the first guy to be saved and my best team member to be strongly considered for release.

From their perspective they saw someone smartly dressed, diligently working at their desk, versus someone messing about chatting in the kitchen. It actually took quite a lot on my side to demonstrate that the output from that guy wasn't great and he was even on a PIP (personal improvement plan). I was never able to convince them that my best staff member was worth keeping though. 🙁 Needless to say I don't work there any more....

 

[thomsax]

When my friend was coming over from USA for teaching and performing he always was well dressed. He was well dressed for me and other persons he met. I didn't book a place at a hostel or B&B for him ..... I booked a good room at a nice hotel for him.

Here is Andrew Clark demostrating how to practice at a Rock Sax workshop in Denmark. Shirt, tie and black trousers ...... . It was a Rock Sax workshop (learn to love to play in the keys of concert A and E). It was a Sunday afternoon in November and "Julebryg" was available. Lots of strong beer ..... but not for Andrew and me.

When I worked as a chef de cuisine I was always dressed in a white chef's coat. Professional dress code ... .

Off topic again.

View: https://youtu.be/Kk8r5U0weks?si=l8yPNhCPV2-Dv80D

 

[Pete Effamy]

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.

Unfortunately, I've not managed to avoid the striped waistcoats (usually very large) - probably due to Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band and British revivalist trad in the '60's. Tends to be at the nag racing, like Ascot.

Whilst jeans are everywhere, the Chino thing never really became a UK thing, and neither has the sports jacket that Skeller mentioned, so regional/international variation.

In fact, the only time when dress has been a problem is when an older bandleader called for "smart casual". It doesn't really mean a lot over here apart from no jeans, no tie maybe - but there again the (smart) jeans with a jacket thing came in ... categorising and matching for age group/venue/function is difficult.

 

[mrblackbat]

In fact, the only time when dress has been a problem is when an older bandleader called for "smart casual". It doesn't really mean a lot over here apart from no jeans, no tie maybe - but there again the (smart) jeans with a jacket thing came in ... categorising and matching for age group/venue/function is difficult.

Indeed, if someone told me smart casual I'll be wearing jeans. Just with a button up shirt and no trainers. Possibly a jacket, but I look stupid in them.

The trad scene is strong around here; I've had people get cross turning up to my jazz jam and gigs telling me that it's not jazz and not what they expected and no banjos in sight..... 😀.

 

[Ivan]

I play in an Americana band, 8-ish members, and the style ranges from 'none'... That'll be Rab on geetar in lasts week's t-shirt and jeans... To 'making an effort for the audience'... Not saying it's the sax player and the two female members, but it is

 

[Pete Effamy]

The trad scene is strong around here; I've had people get cross turning up to my jazz jam and gigs telling me that it's not jazz and not what they expected and no banjos in sight..... 😀.

Yes, the UK is an odd audience

 

[jazzdoh]

90% of gigs I play smart casual would mean jeans and a button up shirt.
If its a posh do or wedding then the men would dress in black trousers and white or black shirt and the female singer would be a nice dress, or is it the other way round................... only joking.

 

[Pete Effamy]

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[rhysonsax]

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[mrblackbat]

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[jazzdoh]

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[mrblackbat]

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