Kennedy Center attire

[Anonymous]

Women are now permitted to wear pants. Pantyhose have gone the way of the dinosaur. Many men don't wear jackets or ties to work. Jeans and clean sneaker are now acceptable in many places they were not 10 years ago.

The world has changed.

What makes you think dress code at the Kennedy Center has stood still?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I prefer shows at the Studio or the Woolly Mammoth. No old biddies judging what everyone is wearing.

Yes, but one would expect that the audience is in casual attire for the shows at these theaters.

[Anonymous]

No excuses for it. Puffer jacket at the theatre or opera is trashy.

[Anonymous]

I assumed this thread was from someone attending their first event at the KC requesting advice on how to dress.

Once it got to three pages I knew it was a fight and I wanted to see the carnage. I did learn something with the new knowledge that dressing down is now a reverse snob-ism to distinguish oneself from the tourists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assumed this thread was from someone attending their first event at the KC requesting advice on how to dress.

Once it got to three pages I knew it was a fight and I wanted to see the carnage. I did learn something with the new knowledge that dressing down is now a reverse snob-ism to distinguish oneself from the tourists.

That’s untrue. We are regulars and always dress nicely. It’s uncouth to do otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I saw all four operas in Wagner's Ring Cycle in May 2016 and everyone dressed nicely - tuxedos and long gowns. Opera capes. Just beautiful.

And this was 18 hours of opera in one week. And I wore a different gown for every performance, as did everyone else.

Are are still classy people out there, OP.

People who are sitting through 18 hours of opera in one week are hard core, not the average theater goer.

And one need not wear a tux to the opera these days. A suit is just fine.

[b]Bunch of phony try-hards around here.[b]

Sounds like the try-hards are the ones dressing like slobs so to appear as members of "the artistic community." I think it's nice that there are some places/events where people can wear a tux/nice suit or ball gown. Other than a charity gala or your own wedding, when does anyone really get a chance to dress like that anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I saw all four operas in Wagner's Ring Cycle in May 2016 and everyone dressed nicely - tuxedos and long gowns. Opera capes. Just beautiful.

And this was 18 hours of opera in one week. And I wore a different gown for every performance, as did everyone else.

Are are still classy people out there, OP.

People who are sitting through 18 hours of opera in one week are hard core, not the average theater goer.

And one need not wear a tux to the opera these days. A suit is just fine.

[b]Bunch of phony try-hards around here.[b]

Sounds like the try-hards are the ones dressing like slobs so to appear as members of "the artistic community." I think it's nice that there are some places/events where people can wear a tux/nice suit or ball gown. Other than a charity gala or your own wedding, when does anyone really get a chance to dress like that anymore?

Then wear a suit or ball gown. This thread isn't saying people should wear them; just that it's okay if you are wearing something less formal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I saw all four operas in Wagner's Ring Cycle in May 2016 and everyone dressed nicely - tuxedos and long gowns. Opera capes. Just beautiful.

And this was 18 hours of opera in one week. And I wore a different gown for every performance, as did everyone else.

Are are still classy people out there, OP.

People who are sitting through 18 hours of opera in one week are hard core, not the average theater goer.

And one need not wear a tux to the opera these days. A suit is just fine.

[b]Bunch of phony try-hards around here.[b]

Sounds like the try-hards are the ones dressing like slobs so to appear as members of "the artistic community." I think it's nice that there are some places/events where people can wear a tux/nice suit or ball gown. Other than a charity gala or your own wedding, when does anyone really get a chance to dress like that anymore?

Any time you want to do so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I won't wear jeans to the Kennedy Center but I sure as hell am going to wear my mountain parka with a fleece underneath on the way over. I take it off after I get there so why should anyone care what I wore to get there?

A European transplant here. European theaters have coatrooms so you can check your coat before the performance; I was pretty shocked when I realized that at the Kennedy Center you need to hold your coat on your lap during the show (or have it on, as an alternative ).

FWIW, I went to the Kennedy Center in late October for a ballet evening, and people were reasonably dressed up. No cut-off jeans, to my knowledge.

[Anonymous]

My son went to see a performance at the Kennedy Center on a school trip. (We live in DC BTW). I made sure he wore dress pants and a dress shirt. He is 8. Yes he pitched a fit but I explained to him that different occasions call for different attire. Most of the other kids came in sweat pants and t shirts. Ridicilous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I saw all four operas in Wagner's Ring Cycle in May 2016 and everyone dressed nicely - tuxedos and long gowns. Opera capes. Just beautiful.

And this was 18 hours of opera in one week. And I wore a different gown for every performance, as did everyone else.

Are are still classy people out there, OP.

People who are sitting through 18 hours of opera in one week are hard core, not the average theater goer.

And one need not wear a tux to the opera these days. A suit is just fine.

Bunch of phony try-hards around here.

Der Ring des Nibelungen has die hard fans who travel around the world to see Ring Cycles performed. Perhaps those in tuxedos were European? Or perhaps people simply dressed in the manner befitting this artistic masterpiece.

I wouldn't expect most people to dress for the Nutcracker, though. It's way too common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't wear jeans to the Kennedy Center but I sure as hell am going to wear my mountain parka with a fleece underneath on the way over. I take it off after I get there so why should anyone care what I wore to get there?

A European transplant here. European theaters have coatrooms so you can check your coat before the performance; I was pretty shocked when I realized that at the Kennedy Center you need to hold your coat on your lap during the show (or have it on, as an alternative ).

FWIW, I went to the Kennedy Center in late October for a ballet evening, and people were reasonably dressed up. No cut-off jeans, to my knowledge.

The KC has a coat check and it's free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't wear jeans to the Kennedy Center but I sure as hell am going to wear my mountain parka with a fleece underneath on the way over. I take it off after I get there so why should anyone care what I wore to get there?

A European transplant here. European theaters have coatrooms so you can check your coat before the performance; I was pretty shocked when I realized that at the Kennedy Center you need to hold your coat on your lap during the show (or have it on, as an alternative ).

FWIW, I went to the Kennedy Center in late October for a ballet evening, and people were reasonably dressed up. No cut-off jeans, to my knowledge.

The KC has a coat check and it's free.

Were you there for the Mariinsky Ballet? That draws a lot of international patrons. They know how to dress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't wear jeans to the Kennedy Center but I sure as hell am going to wear my mountain parka with a fleece underneath on the way over. I take it off after I get there so why should anyone care what I wore to get there?

A European transplant here. European theaters have coatrooms so you can check your coat before the performance; I was pretty shocked when I realized that at the Kennedy Center you need to hold your coat on your lap during the show (or have it on, as an alternative ).

FWIW, I went to the Kennedy Center in late October for a ballet evening, and people were reasonably dressed up. No cut-off jeans, to my knowledge.

The KC has a coat check and it's free.

The coat check is in the Hall of Nations. If you enter the KC at the Hall of States (where most taxis drop off and the gift shop is) you may not have seen the coat check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget that not everyone is there for a show (if you are talking about the attire you see in the lobby area). It's open for tourists who just want to look around, take pictures, visit the gift shop, etc.

Also, people don't dress up for the (daily) performances at the Millennium Stage, which is in the lobby area as well.

I've noticed a wide variety of dress, from suits and dresses to jeans. For a regular play, it tends to be more casual; for the opera, more formal.