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All Dressed Up – Wearing What?


One of the stuffiest aspects of going to the symphony is the costume worn by the musicians. Big city orchestras have all the male players in the classic "monkey suit" tails and white tie. Cartoons make fun of this outfit whenever snobby and stuffy insults are needed.

Volunteer Community Orchestras almost always ask players to dress in a basic tuxedo for men and a black dress for women. You know the basic tux - black pants with the satin stripe down the side, white shirt usually with pleats, black bow tie, and a black jacket with satin accents. And usually there's a cummerbund wadded up around where the belt would go if tuxes had belts.

This outfit is timeless, and says either prom (where the tuxes are every color except black) or nice restaurant where the waiters and sometimes even the bussers are wearing a tux. When I go to one of those places, I always notice the waiters have a better tux than I do.

So what should I wear? The conductor that was relieved last year wore the monkey suit, but he has dreams of being a "real" conductor far away from the VCO in our little suburb. I don't think he'll make it, but that's a story for another blog.

The interim conductor wore a basic tux but with a black satin tie hanging down rather than a bow tie. Little hipper and younger looking than a monkey suit, and still separates him from the players in the orchestra.

If I had my choice I'd wear a Hawaiian shirt, but that's a little too unstuffy (maybe for a kid's concert if I get the gig). But I don't have a monkey suit aka white tie and tails, and I don't want to buy one. I've played violin for money on a part-time basis for 40 years and never needed one, and don't want one now.

Long tie? Bow tie and cummerbund but in non-black? I have both of those, but I believe I'll wear my normal tux. Yes, I'll look exactly like all the players in the orchestra. After all, I do play in the orchestra, so why not? I want to give the feeling I'm one of them, not above them, and dressing like them helps make that statement.


Do you consider that unstuffy and friendly, or inappropriate? Let me know what your conductor wears, and maybe I'll find a better outfit. But I like being just like the players, except I don't make any noise during the concert.

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