STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

dangergirl · Kate Spade

dress code for the ballet

Kelly · Hermes

I'm guessing that you're going in the evening?

I've seen everything from jeans and a T-shirt to a ball gown. I usually wear a subdued cocktail dress, or a nice top with a black skirt and pumps.

ETA something like this:

or this:

-- Edited by ttara123 at 14:06, 2008-01-08

Suasoria · Chanel

I think if you want to be fancy, ballets, operas and symphonies are good times to do it, especially during holiday seasons (is it still?). Summers are generally more casual. Weekdays and matinees are more casual than weekend evenings.

If your seats are good, I think you'll want to be chic-er and more elegantly attired than in the nosebleed section.

The days of gowns are over, except perhaps on gala opening nights, but business dresswear should be fine. You can always contact the company/venue web site to see if there's a dress code.

I did some work for theater companies when I was in my 20s, and honestly, our biggest challenge was getting butts in the seats. You want people to think of it as something worth dressing appropriately for (no shorts/t-shirts) but on balance I'm okay that the trend has moved toward dressing down. In order to survive, these forms of entertainment have to appeal to a mass audience without being perceived as stuffy or elitist.