Appropriate Attire?

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 6/12/05 at 11:37pm

What is considered appropriate attire at a broadway show? I've never been to one, and will be attending my first (Spamalot) in July.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 6/12/05 at 11:38pm

Nothing too formal. No...tuxes or anything. Just...casual formal. I wore a black blouse and some kakhis.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 6/12/05 at 11:47pm

I wore my black and lacy long sleeved shirt to Les Miserables.

[Jimmyojimmy]

Posted: 6/12/05 at 11:50pm

For the love of god dont wear blue jeans, you dont wanna be too casual. I wear whatever i would wear to church. But then again, i love dressing up.

[filmgirl325]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:00am

The whole thing with blue jeans...I am all about dressing nicely for a show...but as long as those jeans are paired with a nice top I think they are ok...when I was at a spelling bee matinee I was so worried because I had just rushed there from a class, and was in jeans and a polo shirt...but then when I sat down, two seats away from me was Joel Grey who was also wearing jeans...now of course it's Joel Grey so he can wear whatever he wants...but I think that jeans are not completely inappropriate.

Updated On: 6/13/05 at 12:00 AM

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:08am

If I'm not mistaken, it is alright to dress more casual for a matinee. To a matinee I usually wear something like a button down shirt and khakis or a blazer with dark jeans (I'm not opposed to dressy jeans). To an evening show I usually get a little more dressed up, like a shirt and tie.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:12am

My tour guides for my upcoming NY trip told us that girls should wear dresses/skirts on weekends, and wear nice pants/shirt for performances during the week or matinees. Is this true? They've gone to many many shows. I mean, I know there are not any "real" guidelines but yeah...

I like dressing up too. It's fun. I really can't stand when people wear jeans to theatre. Maybe some people WILL be respectful even though they're dressed casually, but in general casual clothes tend to make people think they can act casually. Especially for first-timers. If they don't think they need to get dressed up at all, they dress just as they would as if they were going to a movie, and then they tend to treat it like a movie theatre - i.e. putting feet up, talking, eating, getting up during the show. They don't realize that broadway (or any theatre for that matter) is special and deserves more respect. There are always exceptions of course, but I think in general, good dress promotes good behavior.

My opinion is, just as long as you're not wearing jeans or sweats, and you don't look like you just rolled out of bed, then you're fine!

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:13am

I wear jeans and a shirt - like at school.

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:14am

Look put together and you'll be fine. The dress at New York theatre is far more diverse than in other towns across the fruited plain where a trip to the theatre means dressing up.

[filmgirl325]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:16am

I always get a little bit more dressed up for an evening performance...not to say that it's okay to dress like a slob to a matinee...honestly as long as you're not covered in mud...wearing ripped jeans...or something so wildly inappropriate that it disturbs other people...there are far worse things people can do when going to the theatre, then dressing down a little. Of course it's more respectful to dress nicely, but you can still be a good audience member, without busting out your fanciest attire. Just like someone who is dressed up could talk during the show...or crinkle candy wrappers.

Updated On: 6/13/05 at 12:16 AM

[Loppy]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:36am

To quote Joanna Gleason..."ya know what? WE NEED PEOPLE NOT TO COME TO BROADWAY SHOWS WEARING SHORTS AND FLIP-FLOPS. We are working hard up here, folks."

Looking messy at the theatre is tacky. I'm not a fan of jeans in a Broadway house. I don't know what's so hard about putting together a decent outfit.

[ProducersFan]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:52am

I personally hate seeing people wearing shorts, but that's just me. I understand that not everyone is coming straight from their closet to the show, but still, at least look like you tried to look nice for the show. You're paying a good sum of money, I would think people would want to get a little bit fancier.

Last July, I was so worried about looking bad for a matinee of The Frogs that I wore khaki pants when it was 90 degrees out. We walked all the way up from Times Square and I was dying by the time we got to the Vivian Beaumont, but gosh darn it I looked nice!

~Jessica

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 1:04am

My Mom told me to wear jeans once to a matinee, I wouldn't do it.

I always try and look nice. Usually with grey/pinstripe/black trousers, a nice dressy shirt (one with beading and print and such... just to stand out a bit) and a nice jacket. Whether it be a trenchcoat (a peach one from the Gap, when paired a printed sleevless top and black trousers, it looks great) or just a regular black blazer, or even a jean jacket it looks nice.

Always look put together, it's just common sense

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 1:08am

I appreciate this thread as I was convinced that I was the last person left in New York who still dressed nicely for the theatre. I went to a matinee yesterday and it seemed half the audience was in t-shirts and shorts, including the rather, uh, ample person next to me whose bare arms kept oozing over the armrest. it's bad enough having to sit or stand next to sweaty people on the subway but one shouldn't have to put up with that in the theatre. I know the days of suits and ties are long gone but it's not too much to ask for men to wear long pants (not jeans)and collared shirts, is it?

[Blair]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 1:19am

And with the Jeans issue - to me, the kind of jeans really make a difference. In my opinion, dark, nicely fitting jeans are fine for the theatre when paired with a nice top. But, baggy, light colored jeans with holes in them are not.

I usually wear nice pants with a nice blouse. I never wear t-shirts, especially with writing on them.

But, also it depends on the show. For a show like RENT I wouldn't get as dressed up as I would for say, The Light in the Piazza.

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 1:43am

Updated On: 2/7/06 at 01:43 AM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 7:36am

You will get an infinite number of answers to this question. Everyone has their own opinion. Personally, I say no jeans. Black pants or khakis and a nice shirt look good. Or even a skirt if you are a girl. But that's just me.

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 8:29am

If you have time to plan your outfit ahead, for the love of god, DO look nice. One time I was in New York seeing "Assassins" with my college group and we'd spent so much of the day running around New York that by the time we finally got to the show I was so worn out that, yep, I was wearing my college t-shirt and jeans. I felt pretty badly out of place, though, and wouldn't do that again.

I'm seeing "Spamalot" in two weeks and am definately atoning for past clothing gaffes by wearing something NICE.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 8:46am

When I was on spring break, I dressed in jeans because there were so many kids there it would have been ridiculous to wear my fancy khakis and a nice shirt. Also, I saw Hairspray and Rent. You don't want to dress up all fancy for Rent, you'll look ridiculous.

[hyperchet]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 9:31am

Last year we went to tavern on the green right before we went to "wicked". as you probably now, you have to dress NICE for Tavern. Well I had to go to Wicked in one of those tuxedo-ish jackets and I was really miserable wearing a tie and all.

But to the rest of the shows I saw I wore khakis and a nice button down longsleve shirt from abercrombie or such. like this:


click here for example

[Madame X]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 9:38am

Like people have said, you'll get an infinite number of answers and you'll see people at the theatre dressed in various ways. I'd go by that Joanna Gleason quote. Personally, I'd feel appropriate in "business casual." I cringe when I see people in shorts (of any kind) and run at the sight of thong flip flops.

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 10:55am

Avoid leg warmers.

[grizzabella]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 10:56am

Have a great time, Judas! Hope you first experience is everything you're hoping for! I agree entirely with MadamX. Office casual is a pretty good bet not to be out of place. I've always found, as most folks have, that evenings are a little dressier than matinees, but it never hurts to look nice. I'm old-fashioned that way. I think it shows respect for the people who are working so hard to make the production happen.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 11:00am

I'm more for casual clothing than both. I mean, I'm from the suburb so usually when I go to a show let's say at night, I'll go down to the city early and spend the whole day there, whether it means going to softball, hanging out or whatever, and I really don't want to spend the whole day too dressed up. Also, the argument you paid so much, you should dress nice, I usually pay $25 for rush, etc. so it's not that much...and being such a broadway freak, I am an excellent audience member, being in jeans is not going to make me act at all inappropriate. I mean some people like even dressing a little nice, but I personally just like being comfortable, and I don't think there's anything wrong if I go in a T-shirt and jeans.

To the original poster, my advice would be to go with what you're comfortable with. If you have no problem dressing a little nice, or even like it, do that by all means. If you're a lot more comfortable more casual, just do it, don't worry about appropriateness, you certainly won't be the only one dressed casually.

[Di2]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 11:03am

jeans, shorts, tank tops, flip flops, baseball caps are all inappropriate for the theatre. What happened to the days where people looked beautiful when going to the theatre. Give it the respect it deserves.

If you are paying $100.00 for a ticket, the least you can do is dress appropriately.