How to Rock Horrible Concert Attire

I'm sure we've all had to wear something unflattering in a concert setting at one time or another. For example, I had to wear plain black separates (9782AA and 509AA on Formal Fashions) with an awkward slit in the back of the skirt. They were drab and many of my friends said they looked like nuns whilst in them. Not only that, they were tight in the shoulder area. I hated these clothes as did many of the other female ensemble members. However, I had a few tricks up my sleeve for dealing with it.

1. Commiserate with other ensemble members. Chances are it's not only you who hates the overall drabness, tightness in the wrong places, unflattering cut, or whatever you hate about the chosen attire. Venting your frustrations to your peers will most likely prevent you from taking them out on the director.
2. Accessorize--within reason. A pretty headband or an elegant necklace can make all the difference. Just make sure you check with your director on rules regarding accessories and don't go overboard.
3. Consider different sizes. If you can fit different sizes equally comfortably, pick the size that you feel looks best on you. You may like getting the skirt a size larger for the swishy feel it has with the extra fabric or getting the top smaller to define your figure a little more if you can get separates.
4. Remember your role as an ensemble member. You are not the director. Do well with what you have and, if you don't like it, deal with it. You do not have to like it, but you must comply with the director's rules. If you don't like them, leave the ensemble and find another one.
5. If there is a real problem, address it. There are issues that override the director's authority such as the health and safety of the ensemble and yourself. For instance, if multiple musicians are getting heat sick at an outdoor summer concert from performing in long-sleeved dresses and/or full tuxedos, voice your concerns to the director. Work out a compromise and, if your director is unwilling to do so, leave the ensemble and warn others about the director. 
6. Display confidence. Good posture, eye contact, and a smile are your go-to accessories for every outfit. They can elevate every look--and I mean every look. 

How to Wear Jewelry for Concerts

First off, make sure you are allowed to do so in your ensemble(s). If so, here are guidelines for jewelry in a concert setting.

Make sure that it is not an impedance to your playing. I do not recommend wearing rings or bracelets as a flutist, but go ahead if you find that they are not problematic for you personally.

If you are a guest soloist, go for it with a statement piece like a large necklace. However, it is best to keep things elegant. Go for golds and silvers rather than colorful pieces if you are in concert clothes and, if you are wearing something special that is not traditionally concertable, wear something that coordinates with your outfit. Do not wear anything so heavy or restricting that it impedes your playing.

If you are an ensemble soloist, set yourself apart with a little more jewelry than you would normally wear at a concert. Pearl and metallic jewelry tend to go well with concert attire. As a rule, a long necklace should be thin with simple embellishments. Try not to be too ostentatious, but allow yourself to stand out a little if you want the audience to know who the soloist is.

If you are an ensemble member, either wear just earrings, a very plain necklace, or no jewelry at all. As a rule of thumb, do not try to stand out more than any soloists. If you wear a small piece that carries a great deal of personal significance, you can tuck it under your clothes so that only you know about it.

Concertable Adaptive Clothing

As hard as it is to find concertable clothing, adaptive clothing in concertable styles is even harder to find. Disabled musicians should look as fluteiful and professional as the rest of the ensemble, but that is very difficult with the limited availability of concertable adaptive clothing. I have never seen any adaptive concert attire, so I figured I'd do a quick scour for concertable adaptive clothing. After a quick scour of IZ, I have only found one concertable dress shirt for men and one concertable dress shirt for women. Some of the pants appear to be concertable as well. There are no concertable skirts for women. Tommy Hilfiger's line of adaptive youth clothing includes one concertable piece, which is good for elementary and middle school boys. None of the girls' clothing was even remotely concertable.

I searched "adaptive concert attire" and I did not see the three words together in any of the results. Both concert attire and adaptive clothing are niche markets, but not as much as lolita would be. I am surprised that no one has brought up any access issues regarding concert attire. The concert dress I have is absolutely lovely. However, it zips in the back with a tiny zipper. This poses no impedance to me personally, but it poses impedances to even other able-bodied girls. Therefore, someone with fine motor skill difficulties or no friend to zip their dress may have to settle for something less attractive and that disheartens me. Professional appearance is a big part of being a musician, so, if anyone is forced to be less fluteiful, that is detrimental to their musicianship and to the group's appearance as a whole.

If you have experienced any clothing impedances as a musician, let me know. If you manufacture concert attire, consider releasing an adaptive concert attire line.

Concertable Women's Clothing and Appearance

 

I am the one in the front with the twin braids.

Song: Fanfare for the Third Planet:

Composer: Richard Saucedo

Ensemble: LVYO Symphonic Band 

Open-ended concert attire can leave the women looking sloppy and at a loss for what to wear as stated by this cellist's blog post. However, there are few guidelines for women as to what makes clothing concertable.

As a rule, as pointed out in the original post, sweatshirts, jeans , and T-shirts are not concertable. However, cotton can be concertable as long as it is done well. I own a long, black skirt made of cotton that I use for concerts with open-ended dress codes. Even with open-ended dress codes, men have to adhere to strict guidelines as to what is concertable.

Generally, when I look for concertable clothing, I look for white, collared shirts and long, black skirts. When it comes to shirts, I look for a symmetrical collar and some degree of arm covering. Short sleeves are generally acceptable to me, but they might not be to your director. Longer sleeves give a more professional appearance, but they tend to be an issue in a concert hall that tends to be too hot. I feel faint and short of breath if I am too hot, which is an impedance to my flute-playing ability.

For skirts, I look for long, black, and relatively plain skirts that fit at the waist. Concertable skirts are neither voluminous nor body-conscious and fall at the ankles or to the floor. However, there should be no excess fabric dragging as this poses a tripping hazard. (Use hemming tape, some sort of sewing method or the services of a seamstress to remedy this problem.) They should ideally have only one or two layers, but some three-layered skirts are concertable.

As for makeup, I don't think ensemble musicians should all wear makeup. Some musicians are concerned about make up rubbing off on their instrument and others are allergic to makeup, don't know how to apply it well if at all, find wearing something on their face to be an impedance to their playing, and some just don't like it. These are all valid reasons not to wear makeup in an ensemble setting. The same goes for hair. Different people have different types of hair and not everyone wants to straighten it out to where it is stick-straight with absolutely no strays and then put it up in an immaculate bun. Wearing a bun can also impede playing by giving the musician a headache, which is distracting from the primary focus (the music).

Women in ensembles deserve to look as fluteiful as the men. I wear a specific uniform in my band. It is a black empire waisted dress with a sweetheart neckline, lace-ish cap sleeves, and sparkly details on the bodice. It is an absolutely beautiful dress and it is very flattering. (It's this one.) However, I have been in ensembles with open-ended dress codes and have not had a problem with the way females dress yet. 

What do you think makes clothing concertable? Do you agree or disagree with what I have said or have any new points to bring up? Have I addressed your concerns or brought up new ones? Let me know when you comment.

Concertable: Clothing that resembles concert attire, but is not marketed as such, like "loliable" in lolita

 

How to Deal With Open-Ended Concert Attire

1. Go to Target, Macy's and other common stores. They will sell concertable clothing at low prices and a decent quality. Their clothing items are more often than not comfortable, easy to maintain, and look good. 
2. Look in department stores. If you want to make a larger investment, go to a department store. Their clothing items look better, but are more expensive and harder to maintain. However, your increase in professionalism may very well be worth the cost.
3. Go to Ross, Stein Mart, and other overstock or wholesale stores. Overstock and wholesale stores sell designer and department store clothes, but without the brand name. These stores will occasionally sell concertable items and tend to be very hit-or-miss. In my experience, I have not found concertable clothing at these stores.
4. Look online. If you do not like what is locally available and you have the time, look online for whatever you need. Double-check the sizing and read the reviews so you do not end up getting ripped off. I found my American Rag blouse online and love it. 
• If you are a lolita, you're in luck. Lolita blouses are generally very concertable.
5. Piece together your outfit. Just because you have two good pieces does not mean they will look good together. Coordinate your outfit to flatter your body type and personality. One of the benefits of open-ended concert attire is the ability to individualize your appearance to a greater extent than a specific uniform allows.

Concertable: Resembling what is typically worn as concert attire without being marketed as such, much like "loliable" among lolitas.