Dressing for the theater - Page 3

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 9:19am

"Because it was the only show where I paid 500 bucks for a ticket. In comparison, I only paid 230 for Hamilton."

Wow, I paid under $100 for Hamilton (Labor day weekend 2015) and well under $200 for Hello Dolly. I am going to assume you got much better seats than me - lol. I am going to take this as you are more likely to dress up if you spend a lot of money on the ticket and it is the hot show in NYC.

[hork]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 12:25pm

They do dress up more in London than in NY. I wore what I wear pretty much anywhere (T-shirt and pants, but like a nice, solid-color T-shirt) and I felt out of place. When I see a show, I want to be comfortable. I don't want to sit there fidgeting with my collar or sweltering in my suit jacket. Dressing up is pointless and adds nothing to the experience except discomfort and the illusion of sophistication, so that guy in the article can go to hell.

Updated On: 5/28/17 at 12:25 PM

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 2:04pm

I always wear slacks and a button down shirt, easy enough because it's my business casual 9-5 "uniform." I notice those who are in my opinion underdressed, but I care much more for their manners than their dress. Some have mentioned dressing up shows respect for the actors. I'd bet if you polled actors they'd say they want to see seats filled regardless of what people wear. 

For those of you who usher, have you seen a correlation between more casual dress and a rise in bad manners, such as talking, getting up and down to use the restroom, texting and cell phone use, not following the no recording rule, etc.? When people consistently dressed better, were they more polite and respectful? 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 7:35pm

Cargo shorts are great for wearing on vacation, plenty of pockets for phone, camera wallet etc.

Precisely why I have worn cargo shorts to a Broadway show before (I guess I should head to the gallows now LOL), because when vacationing in NYC that is what's comfortable to walk around the city in for up to 12 hours in 80 degree weather and keep track of my belongings.

[TheThreadMaster]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 7:46pm

If you are showered and at least look presentable as in you took some time in picking out what you are going to wear, you should be good. I have yet to see someone at a broadway show with dirty clothes.

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 8:13pm

I have seen people in dirty clothes at a show. I have also seen peop!e in flips flops take them off and walk around without them on in the theater.

I feel that in a lot of cases when people dress down, it also affects their behavior in a theater. They tend to act as if they are in their den or at a stadium game. I always see dressed down people with feet up on backs of chairs in front of them or their shoes off with feet in their chairs and also with their legs resting on the arm of an aisle seat in front of them.

I have finally gotten used to dressing down because there are times I can't get home to dress up. It took me forever to get used to wearing jeans, which I started doing 6 years ago. I too want to be comfortable but I want to look nice. I wear shoes or nice boots with jeans and a nice shirt. Dockers are my go to pants for the theater. 

 As far as sweltering in a jacket or fidgeting with a collar.....take the jacket off and buy the right sized shirt! I feel the whole "comfortable" thing falls under laziness and entitlement. JMO Now scream at me!

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 11:53pm

I don't know. I saw a show where a guy had a front row seat (and I'm guessing it wasn't rush) and was wearing a suit jacket. But when he took it off he had sweat stains and intense body odor that was a persistent distraction from the show. So... there's a balance? I think effort is good. I think it's more important to be conscious of other (I never wear perfume) rather than to try and avoid offending someone's delicate sensibilities by wearing sneakers. 

[hork]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 12:26am

uncageg said:

 As far as sweltering in a jacket or fidgeting with a collar.....take the jacket off and buy the right sized shirt! I feel the whole "comfortable" thing falls under laziness and entitlement. JMO Now scream at me!

Then what's the point of wearing a jacket? It's not laziness to want to be comfortable (And even if it was, so what? Do I need to put in some sort of effort at an entertainment event that I paid to see? Am I working for the theater?). I find pretty much all clothing uncomfortable except T-shirts and shorts, regardless of what size they are (but I don't wear shorts to the theater). And yes, I am entitled to wear what I want, thank you very much.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 9:46am

This topic comes up quite a bit. I love to dress up. Among my group of friends, I am the one who is always the most dressed. They even tease me about it. I just like clothes. I do NOT dress to go to th theatre. It's just not practical. I ride MetroNorth into the city. I always make a day of it... lots of walking around. There is no way I could wear heels. There is also no way I'm going to lug an extra pair of shoes in my bag all day.  When I saw Evan Hansen it was snowing, I had on jeans and my big clunky snow boots. In the summer, I might wear a sundress and sandals, but most of the time I wear jeans. Sometimes even distressed jeans! Theatre is for everyone-no matter what they're wearing. Our culture has become more casual overall, so of course that includes theatre. And I'm glad for it. I would not want to walk around Manhattan all day in heels and a dress. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 9:59am

PatrickDC said: "For those of you who usher, have you seen a correlation between more casual dress and a rise in bad manners, such as talking, getting up and down to use the restroom, texting and cell phone use, not following the no recording rule, etc.? When people consistently dressed better, were they more polite and respectful? "

Some of the worst behavior I've ever seen at the theater came from patrons who outwardly looked the most well-heeled. I've also seen casually dressed people behave poorly. I don't think there is any inherent correlation between how one dresses and how one behaves.

 

Updated On: 5/29/17 at 09:59 AM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 2:36pm

"Precisely why I have worn cargo shorts to a Broadway show before (I guess I should head to the gallows now LOL), because when vacationing in NYC that is what's comfortable to walk around the city in for up to 12 hours in 80 degree weather and keep track of my belongings."

I wear cargo shorts on trips to NYC for most of the day in the summer, I just shower and change before going to a show. It is just what I feel comfortable with doing. 

Updated On: 5/29/17 at 02:36 PM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 11:23pm

"I am simply remembering the sense that something very special was happening that permeated the air when people treated going to the theater like an event. "

Just curious if anybody knows if people dress very casual going to the ballet or opera in NYC?

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 5/29/17 at 11:45pm

I wear cargo shorts and a t-shirt/Hoodie almost every time I go to the theatre unless I'm going to an opening night show. I go and see way too many shows to sit there and be uncomfortable. I find that I'm almost always hot inside the theatres and a lot of the times seats have horrible leg room so add that to being uncomfortably hot and I'd rather stay home. 

My phone is always shut off and I never annoy anyone around me with all the normal complaints from here. If they are annoyed with how I'm dressed then that is their problem. 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 2:05am

I commented on here before but I coudnt care less how people dress as long as you are bathed, not drenched in perfume or cologne and well behaved. I typically wear jeans and a t-shirt or button down shirt unless it's ungodly hot out. Then I wear shorts. In winter I'm in jeans and a hoodie. I only ever dress up(which is black dress pants and a dress shirt) when I attend a first preview,opening or closing of a show.

In other words I dress for comfort and if people have issues with that it's their problem.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 4:46am

yankeefan7 said: ""I am simply remembering the sense that something very special was happening that permeated the air when people treated going to the theater like an event. "

Just curious if anybody knows if people dress very casual going to the ballet or opera in NYC?

I can't comment on the ballet but there are all types at the opera. Some people take it as an excuse to break out the ballgowns, others wear what's fancy for them, and others dress casually. You can get variety regardless of the section, though of course things are more lax in the Family Circle than the Orchestra. But all you need to do is watch a Met Live in HD broadcast (at the beginning when they spy on the audience) to see that there's no uniformity. I've never really gone in the summer so I haven't noticed shorts or sandals. I have noticed... simple attire. Sneakers, sweaters... stuff that doesn't look that expensive or attractive but is still presentable more or less. 

[djoko84]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 6:48am

There's no more "dressing up" for the theatre. People can come wearing anything they want (within reason of course). Most shows are just happy to fill the seats.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 7:42am

"I've never really gone in the summer so I haven't noticed shorts or sandals. I have noticed... simple attire. Sneakers, sweaters... stuff that doesn't look that expensive or attractive but is still presentable more or less. "

Thanks for the information, I was wondering since the ballet and opera used to have some people really dress fancy.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 7:44am

And we'd all be happier if we stopped judging others.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 7:46am

Quick question. Did the dress at shows start to become more casual once they started allowing food and drink into the show?

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 8:22am

yankeefan7 said: "Quick question. Did the dress at shows start to become more casual once they started allowing food and drink into the show?

 

"

No. Being allowed to take food/drink to your seats is a fairly new phenomenon. It started within the last 5-10 years. People have been wearing more casual attire to the theater far longer than that.

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 8:24am

VintageSnarker said: "yankeefan7 said: ""I am simply remembering the sense that something very special was happening that permeated the air when people treated going to the theater like an event. "

Just curious if anybody knows if people dress very casual going to the ballet or opera in NYC?

I can't comment on the ballet but there are all types at the opera. Some people take it as an excuse to break out the ballgowns, others wear what's fancy for them, and others dress casually. You can get variety regardless of the section, though of course things are more lax in the Family Circle than the Orchestra. But all you need to do is watch a Met Live in HD broadcast (at the beginning when they spy on the audience) to see that there's no uniformity. I've never really gone in the summer so I haven't noticed shorts or sandals. I have noticed... simple attire. Sneakers, sweaters... stuff that doesn't look that expensive or attractive but is still presentable more or less. 

 

"

I go to the opera fairly regularly. People do tend to dress a bit more formally/conservatively. But you do see people in casual dress. 

[Olivia11]

Posted: 5/30/17 at 12:00pm

Just curious if anybody knows if people dress very casual going to the ballet or opera in NYC?

 

"

I attended both NYCB and ABT two weeks ago, in addition to several Broadway shows.  I saw a lot of variety, when it came to dress. I didn't see as many jeans and no tee shirts or shorts at the ballet performances  (in fairness, it wasn't hot either). I would say the ballet was one step above the Broadway shows, but still much more casual than 20 years ago and a very mixed bag.