V.com weekend vote: How do you feel about your concert-wear?
I've often said that I like my concert-wear to "look amazing, but feel like pajamas."
Playing a concert is a physically taxing endeavor, and so an outfit that causes physical discomfort can affect your performance. Here are a few such problems: a snug shirt, jacket or top can restrain arm motions. Tight clothing can restrict breathing. Clothing that is too thick or made from certain materials can cause you to feel hot and make you sweat under the stagelights. A pencil skirt can limit leg movement, making it harder to play. (A female stand partner once said to me, "No tight skirts, I have to sit like a cowboy to play!")
But there is also another consideration, and this also plays into how we feel: How fashionable is your concert-wear? Does it make you feel like singing "I feel pretty!" or does it make you feel dumpy? Does it look snappy, or is it old, frayed, ill-fitting, and/or faded? This is where the "pajama" thing possibly falls apart - one wants to feel comfortable, but also feel snazzy in the spotlight. If you truly feel like you are in your pajamas - you might be going a little too casual.
One of my orchestra colleagues, Julie Rogers, is also a fashion designer and has been making concert clothes that really go "outside the box." (Check out her designs here.) Not everyone can (or wants to) pull off the same kind of "couture" - but I love what she is doing. She is pushing people to think about upping their game when it comes to "concert black." Like it or not, how we look and feel on stage does affect how our performance comes off.
So let's take an assessment, how are you feeling these days, about your concert-wear? Is it comfortable? Do you feel fashionable in it? Do you feel like it's needing an update? Is there something uncomfortable about your concert-wear that you wish you could fix? How do you feel generally, about the way orchestra members dress? How do you feel about how soloists dress? Please participate in the vote and then share your thoughts.
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- Violinist Kevin Yu Invents a High-Tech Tux Shirt
- Vote: Should men have to wear tuxedos for symphony concerts?
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Replies
I live in Florida and women's dresses or tops are required to have long sleeves. Finding a black, long sleeve comfortable top in Florida is near impossible due to our hot weather. I asked why long sleeves? The answer I got was because they're afraid younger female players will show up with bare shoulders, spaghetti straps, etc. So, instead of telling women what they shouldn't wear, they make us wear long sleeves. Ridiculous.
I suspect this vote should have two subsections, one for person-without-Y-Chromosomes, and one for persons-with-Y-chromosomes (Let's put a stop once and for all to this discrimination between male and female).
I couldn't vote. Most orchestras I play with specify simply "all black" - For them I would vote "comfortable, and who jolly cares about jolly fashion!". For those that specify dinner jackets I would vote "Uncomfortable, but if I were prepared to throw money at it, could be more comfortable; and who j---- cares about j---- fashion!".I suspect the Y-deprived (perhaps they'd prefer to call themselves Y-free) might vote differently.
I voted “I feel comfortable and fashionable.” I’d had the childhood ambition to become a symphony player; but I realized, near the end of my degree program, that small chamber playing suited my personality and temperament far better. So, with no orchestra playing for a while, I haven’t lately had to wear an outfit I didn’t like.
One big plus with chamber playing is that my fellow players and I get to set the terms regarding outfits. Can’t speak for the ladies - the “Y-deprived” or “Y-free,” as John put it; but, as an X/Y, I prefer something classic and simple - with quiet tones like gray, white, tan - WITHOUT the jacket and tie.
I was 20 y/o and doing some small chamber playing in Michigan’s lower peninsula, USA, late spring, during a heat wave - afternoon highs around 95 F. - no air conditioning, although we did have some fans, as I recall. To survive the heat and humidity, we set aside the jackets and ties. Our audiences liked us just fine that way. We had a great time. Without the jacket and tie, I felt much freer and had closer, more secure contact with the instrument. For me, that decided the matter. You won’t find me going back to the old way.
For ensembles like symphony orchestras, I favor a uniform color scheme, like the one I touched on above - but, again, without the jackets and ties. There needs to be more consideration of practicality, comfort, and functionality.
For evening concerts, I like to wear more luxe fabrics. For matinees, something more tailored. All my concert attire is comfortable and wrinkle-free so I'm always good to go. Unless it's unbearably hot, my shirts are long-sleeve because a director once told me that bare bowing arms moving back and forth are distracting from an audience viewpoint. I like to wear high heels because it's not that far to walk on stage, and then you're sitting down. As with congresswomen, the heels signify you mean business.
I never felt "fashionable" in my life.
Best concert-wear I have ever seen was the extra cellist for Schubert's Quintet in C, only a couple of years ago: no shoes, long black socks and a black jogging suit.
Male of the species here:--
I have never liked my black coat, and the violin pushes the bow-tie sideways.
I prefer a black vest with a black shirt, when permitted.
I strongly dislike it. Reason is the dickie bow tie, it pushes the violin away from the body making it even more difficult to play, I take it off when no one is looking.
I think "fashionable" in this context should mean "doesn't stand out in any particular way and is not offensive to anyone."
I hate getting dressed for concerts. I don't like getting dressed up for anything, basically.
Depends what you mean by concertwear. I enjoyed playing the oboe in 'black and white' in the Seventies, and i'd prefer to wear that now, but suspect i'd be hella uncomfortable playing the fiddle in it.
The more professionals and amateurs get away from the old fashioned dress code (black tux, white shirt and bow tie for men and black gowns/dresses for women) the better. For me, such formal outfits (tuxedos or formal black suit) are uncomfortable to play in because I can barely move and breathe, and they even look uncomfortable to me when I am in the audience watching performers dressed in that fashion. I really appreciate just wearing a black, long sleeve dress shirt and black dress pants to perform. It is much more comfortable and allows for freedom in playing. And when dressing in a black dress shirt and pants, I believe the performers look professional and "fashionable" (however one defines "fashionable").
Ditto Jim Hastings. When I play chamber music, I pick something more stylish and more comfortable than the orchestra get-up. I prefer playing with either a mandarin collar or no collar.
But I remember when previn had the whole lso in mustard-coloured turtlenecks. I wouldn't even want be cremated in one of those.
I remember that, Gordon! They looked like nylon or polyester fabrics. We are probably ingesting them now in the form of microplastics.
Funnily enough, Richard, I was going to write nylon, but decided it was unlikely. But it sure looked like it.
Coincidentally, I've just read Nigel Kennedy's 1991 autobiog. He complains that men were/are expected to conform, whereas women were allowed to wear anything.
I've always been a little suspicious and disapproving of the sexualisation of some female performers' advertising.
I don't share Vengerov's taste in blue pinstripe suits.
And then there's André Rieu.
Yeah, I can see myself in one of those dresses.
I have dinner jacket/tuxedo rigs that are well-cut and quite comfortable when playing. I also purchased a black suit for a handful of weird academic occasions that require those. I also wouldn't mind being successful enough to require white tie and tails. But that seems not to be a problem right now.
More often in the UK, dress code for men is all-black, including shirt. Whether that means a polo under a v-neck sweater or a black suit with black shirt and tie, or something in between, is usually up for negotiation.
The three attributes I prefer when it's not a solo gig-- uniformity, anonymity, and comfort. The all-black (dress shirt and trousers) is actually a good solution for orchestra pit work. But fit and quality trump details on all parts of the spectrum.
For recitals or chamber music, I get a little fussier about what I'd wear. When there isn't open resistance from colleagues, I am more likely to wear a very dark grey suit with a white shirt and tie than the black alternative. Not that the latter is bad, but I do look better in the former.
I'm glad things have been changing in the "right" direction. Most gigs and concerts I play now are "all black" although a few are still Tux or Dinner Jacket. Bow ties are not fun for upper string players, and extra layers end up being hot. Although I love the "pomp and ceremony" of a formal symphony concert, I do think that less stuffy (in both ways) dress can help narrow the gap between audience and performers.
The thing I hate most is breast pockets (in the USA they are probably called something different) either on jackets or on shirts. There's always a big risk my shoulder rest will get caught in it and my violin will go flying.
I haven't noticed that! One thing I regret though is having a double-breasted dinner jacket (tuxedo). It conceals middle-aged spread, looks more elegant and is OK for choir, BUT it means there's too much heavy cloth in front of you for orchestra.
Btw, Gordon, do you remember pastel-coloured shapeless concert gowns for the ladies of UK symphony choruses? Can't say I miss those! I think they were a form of sponsorship from a well-known clothing retailer.
I don't remember, Richard, but I can picture the sort of thing you mean.
Yep, for us people who need to hold our instruments under our chin, the bow tie was a MENACE - Sometimes I'd succeed in tucking the other side of it under my collar so that at least it didn't tickle my neck (Maybe the "bow tie" that is worn by ministers of the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland isn't such a menace? It seems to stay under the collar the whole time).
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June 30, 2024 at 08:01 PM · I think it’s important to keep in mind that outfits that are too fashion forward can draw attention to the individual, which is fine if you’re the soloist and not so fine if you’re a member of the orchestra.