Make Your Concert Dress Code Work for Your Musical Ensemble

The final weeks leading up to a festival are a stressful and complex sprint to the finish line. One of the dozens of items to address is the ensemble dress code. Many music teachers come from a classically trained background, where the expectations for dressing are often very strict. Dress codes can also bring about questions of equity, gender, freedom of expression, and cultural norms. How can a music educator comply with festival rules while also respecting the needs of their students?

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Why have a dress code?

Students have to choose something to wear for competition; that much we can all agree upon. The competition dress code allows a teacher or director to set expectations for the event. Between the lines of the dress code, however, exists coded messages about the purpose of the festival and the ensemble’s core values. Festival dress codes typically have three main purposes:

Visual uniformity: A uniform dress code (for example, classic black-on-bottom, white-on-top) provides visual uniformity for the audience. The idea is that a “blank slate” will allow the audience and/or judges to focus more on the music. However, each student cannot completely hide their individuality—faces, hair, and musicianship will all shine individually no matter what everyone wears.

Reverence for the performing experience: Many dress codes specify formal dress expectations, either through banning specific types of clothing (ex: jeans or sneakers) and/or modesty expectations (ex: knee-length skirts, covered shoulders). Some of the impetus for these specifications might come from the desire for our students to take the performance experience seriously. The act of putting on a special outfit signifies the care and attention we feel for an event.

It is also true that we, as humans, have a bias toward people we perceive as well-dressed (not “sloppy”) and well-behaved (not showing “too much” skin). There have been several studies that show that an audience’s or adjudicator’s perception of how a performer is dressed directly correlates to how they perceive the quality of their performance, even in younger performers.

Traditions and rituals: There is something to be said about the ritual of getting dressed in special event clothes. It sets one in a performance mindset. Moreover, when we teach music within its cultural context, clothing is often a key aspect (gospel choirs wearing ropes, for example). Getting into a special outfit can be a sign of cultural respect.

The many pitfalls of concert dress codes

Even though there are plenty of good reasons to have a specific dress code, there are also several issues of access and bias to examine. When designing or redesigning your concert dress code, first consider what you believe the purpose of your dress code is for your particular ensemble. How formal do you intend the event to be, and why? Is there a particular ritual, tradition, or expectation that you feel you need to incorporate? What do you want your students and your audience to feel about how they look/what they see? You could also involve your students in a discussion about these same issues, and they can also share what special clothes they wear for events in their family, community, and culture.

Our students carry many identities and values that impact how they dress and how they desire to be seen by others:

Gender Identity: Separate dress codes for boys and girls leave out non-binary students, transitioning students, and genderqueer students. It also perpetuates gender stereotypes. To put it simply, your students know what they are comfortable wearing. There is no need to specify what girls or boys wear—and doing so forces gender-nonconforming students to ask for permission or suffer in silence.

Modesty: What are we really telling students when we say to “cover up?” Many dress codes seem to imply that girls are both incapable of making basic decisions (like how to dress their own body) and responsible for masterminding the collapse of society by showing any amount of skin. When it comes to the issue of showing “too much,” consider how to balance having a student come to the concert feeling her best with avoiding over-sexualization.

Race: Be conscious of how your dress code centers on white European beauty standards. This often comes up in issues surrounding hair. Rules prohibiting certain hairstyles—including locs, braids, and hair extensions—disproportionately target Black students and other students of color.

Ability: Dresses, skirts, or robes may make walking or moving with a mobility aid difficult, and adaptive formal wear, in general, can be difficult or impossible to find. For ensembles that have a set uniform, such as a marching band, students with disabilities may struggle with restrictive or overstimulating clothing.

Religion: Students from certain faiths may wear head coverings, specific items of clothing, or have modesty requirements for their clothing. To ask students not to adhere to these beliefs and practices is discriminatory.

Financial accessibility: Incredibly specific or unusual dress codes can require a purchase for families that is not within their means. This is particularly true for shoes and formal clothes for younger children who outgrow their clothing quickly. Families without financial resources to purchase new clothing (or without community resources to borrow) will be forced to decide between attending the festival without the dress code or not attending at all. Uniforms that require purchase from a specific supplier, such as tuxedos or gowns, can create the same issues.

Culture & recruitment: As mentioned previously, we as humans make a lot of assumptions about other people based on what we see. What do other students who might be interested in joining your ensemble think of how your students look in performance? Does it entice them to join? Or turn them off to the idea?

Best Dress Code Practices

While it may be tempting to set out an incredibly simple dress code such as “all black”, it is best to be as clear as possible. Asking for exceptions, clarifications, or support is exhausting for you and the students. (“I can wear my hijab, right?” “I’m transitioning so, ... can I wear a dress?” “Is there any way I can borrow black pants?”) Let your concert be the place where students can bring their whole selves without having to ask permission.

That can be achieved through a simple, clear policy that aims to keep students safe and able to perform and to create a sense of belonging to a common ensemble culture; ask yourself what is “over the line” for you. What exactly is the issue, and how can you clearly articulate that to families? It is better to be clear and upfront about expectations than to have to deal with a surprise at the concert.

Keeping in mind that the main concern about an ensemble dress code is safety and the ability to perform, consider what to do if a student arrives out of dress code. Depending on what the expectations are, you may be able to offer a standard alternative, ask for a family member to bring another option, or—only in the event that a student’s safety is at risk– not allow them to perform.

A model concert or festival dress code should include:

• Expectations for formality and/or style . Ex: “Your concert is a special event—wear what feels special to you.”
• Specifics surrounding safety or logistics. Ex: “Stiletto heels are prohibited on choir risers for the safety of our singers.” or “As this is an outdoor concert, dress appropriately for the cool weather.”
• Clarity surrounding exceptions. Ex: “Students may wear religious garments/head coverings, or adhere to religious modesty practices without requesting exceptions.” and/or “Adaptive clothing for sensory or mobility needs are welcome.”
• Options for additional support as needed. Ex: “Students may request financial support for their uniform from the SuchandSuch Band Booster Club by contacting …”
• Basic, gender-neutral expectations. Ex: “Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, and nipples are covered with opaque material.”
• Information about what happens if a student arrives out of dress code. “Students who arrive to the concert out of dress code will either be asked to wear a SuchAndSuch School shirt or have another outfit brought to the concert. If neither is possible and it would be unsafe for the student to perform as dressed, they may not be able to perform.”

Dress codes for festivals do not need to be another source of stress for music teachers. The ritual, traditions, and sense of belonging that comes with donning a special outfit lend to the emotional connection that we want our students to have with performing. With some self-reflection and careful wording, music teachers can make access not just possible but easy for everyone—and no one will have to ask in order to receive equal opportunities.

References

1. Wapnick, J., Mazza, J. K. & Darrow, A. A. (2000) Effects of Performer Attractiveness, Stage Behaviour and Dress on Evaluations of Children’s Piano Performances, JRME, 48(4), 323-336