Wed Matinee Dress Code- Page 2

[Shirley Hemphill]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 11:43am

i'll dress up for the theater again when they put in comfortable seating with legroom & stop trying to cram us all in to a tiny little space that may have felt roomy & comfy back in the 1930's when people had smaller frames.

and no, i am not fat -- but i am short (5'5) & I cannot believe the trouble I have with legroom, I cannot imagine what it's like for normal height & taller folks...

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:20pm

I rarely wear jeans to the theatre. And if I do..I will have a nice sweater or collared shirt to go with it.

I do hate when guys shows up in jeans with their tight muscle tanks/shirts. People are there to see a show - not your damn muscles.

[Nonfreak]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:23pm

it's funny..;I wouldn't have posted on this subject again, but the thread was right towards the top. I still stick by my last post...believing that people SHOULD dress up for theater. As to comment on the person asking about shorts being fine for a show (mat or eve)...my answer is NO. Shorts are not fine.....I know, people feel it's fine to be "casual"...but where do we draw the line? I have friends who work at 6 different shows....and not as ushers...they are all performers....when I'm coming back from a dinner break with them...we look at the lines either in front of the theaters or at TKTS....we ALWAYS comment when we see people in jeans or shorts......we all agree....it's almost disrespectful....what happened to special occasions...and we're not old timers either......we're ALL under the age of 40......when we see people dressed up....(or at least in nice pants....NOT jeans...a button down shirt and a jacket, you don't always need a tie)......it makes you feel that people actually still respect theater as a "special night out" . What's next...wearing jeans at a wedding? NO...shorts are NOT OK for the theater......remember 2 things.......#1 dressing up for a show should be treated the same as dressing up for a nice restaurant.....show SOME class. #2 It may be summer and hot out...but the Theaters have air conditioning....you will not feel warm in the show...believe me...this is coming from someone who breaks a sweat in anything over 60 degrees...i am always hot....but I am never hot in the audience. I know some people will still not agree with me.....but see it like this....maybe if we ALL START dressing nicer to shows......maybe....just maybe.....we'll set a good example...and maybe......it'll catch on. You dont have to do what everyone else is doing......you can stand out ......in a Positive way.....show that you have class......

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:43pm

I have to agree with Nonfreak. I was at a show recently and the woman next to me was wearing a ratty old ebay t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts (shorts one would wear to work out) with sneakers. Is this an outfit to clean your house in? Yes. Work out? Yes. Go to the theatre? No.

I was so incredibly embarrassed for her. I would NEVER show up at a theatre dressed like this. Personally, when dressing for the theatre, I try to wear things I would deem "work appropriate".

As a whole, yes, I understand that most people going to the theatre are there on vacation, spending the entire day walking around (as I frequently do), but there's no reason to look like a complete slob when going to the theatre. Believe it or not, there IS a way to be comfortable and casual (yet looking presentable) at the same time.

[yankees1253]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:40pm

i go casual either way.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:11pm

Nonfreak, I disagree with you there. Many of us theatregoers who live in the city and see shows frequently don't spend their days visiting the sites and then coming back to their apartments to get dressed. We may have errands to do before the show. Now, I'd never say to go to the theater in a baggy t-shirt, but as long as you think you look presentable, it should be fine. Why should you have to dress to the nines to go see every show you go to?

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:53pm

While I agree with Nonfreak in theory, I disagree in practice. I almost always rush or TKTS my tickets, so I never know what I'm going to see, and I always plan on running from theatre to theatre, so I dress accordingly. I am also a perspirer, and I have been hot in numerous audiences. When I'm running around in 80 degree weather, I sweat A LOT. I cannot wear anything "nice", because I would ruin it. However, I do make sure to always look presentable (usually a high-end T-shirt and long pants), as I never know when I'll end up in the front row.

[misschung]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 11:38pm

I love the topic of theater attire. I have to say that the past few times that I've attended shows, the majority of people were dressed, IMO, very appropriately, whether it's a matinée or an evening show. I've seen very few people who were dressed horribly - maybe I've just been lucky. Others dress like it's opening night at the Met, which I think is a little much. I think it's fun to get dressed up, and that dressing appropriately reflects respect for the show and performers.

BUT, I think that corners need to be cut in certain situations. When I go to a show in NY, it's usually not an impromptu affair - I know that I'm going to a show, and I dress for it. But, I also travel a lot, and I have been in the situation where I've been walking around since 8 am before a show at 8pm in 85 degree weather. Yes, I was wearing something presentable, but I didn't look as nice as I would have liked, you know?

My rule of thumb is this: if you watch the actor's come out of the stagedoor, they are usually dressed comfortably, but still nicely - you know? If they can do it, so can we!

I sat behind a woman on a Saturday evening performance of DRS and she was wearing an apalling blue jogging outfit - sweatpants, sweatshirt and sneakers. Nice.
Maybe she was going to hit up the Bada Bing after the show

[logan0215]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 12:00am

I actually posted a pretty scathing response to a thread on here ages ago (in my understudy days LOL) about theater attire.

Having since moved to New York, discovered the marathon of lotteries/rushes and having an apt. near the theater district where I normally have to run to and fro in order to get to the theater on time, I've found myself dressing down much more often.

I always try to look presentable while wearing my tasteful dark denim shorts, and it gets cold in the theater so I wear a sweater most shows.

As I find myself normally sprinting to the show to be on time, I try my best to look composed while sitting there like a fat southern woman fanning myself with a moist paper-towel saying "my my my my my my" before curtain.
Updated On: 7/23/07 at 12:00 AM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 12:05am

I think jeans with a nice shirt (think polo or something like that) is appropriate for any show.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 7/23/07 at 12:07am

I do not wear jeans to shows,, but I really do not care what anyone else wears. My son chooses his own clothes and almost picks khakis and a collared shirt.