<p>I’m a Texas mom who hasn’t been to NY in about 30 years.</p>
<p>My S’s school group is going to NYC in June for a performance at Carnegie Hall. They will also spend several days sight seeing. A show, restaurants and museums.</p>
<p>Sponsors keep mentioning that “New Yorkers don’t dress as casual as we do.” He has the tux for the concert, but will he be ok if he brings only jeans for the rest of the visit? Non-ripped jeans and new hi tops with collared shirt? </p>
<p>Or does he need slacks, dress shirt and tie ? </p>
<p>Actually, NYC is much more casual than Texas in a lot of ways. NYers tend to be much more fashion conscious, but this does not mean more formal by any means. Your son will be fine with jeans and a collared shirt. Even the fanciest restaurants do not require a jacket in NY, and I can’t imagine your son’s school group will going to those places anyway ($$$).
If he were to dress in slacks, dress shirt and tie, he might be mistaken for a missionary!</p>
<p>It depends on where you’re going, and in what parts. I’ve seen some horrendous things worn by people, but have also seen very trendy things.</p>
<p>Jeans would be fine, however for restaurants and shows, and the such, slacks are more appropriate, with maybe a polo shirt. </p>
<p>When going to shows/to eat I usually wear a dress or skirt. Walking around I wear some jeans and a shirt with a cardigan and don’t feel out of place, though I do admire the trendy. ;P</p>
<p>So if a guy went to a show in jeans, would it be out of line - i.e. would it be very unusual? What about jeans and a non-collared shirt (i.e. t-shirt)? I guess I probably shouldn’t ask about my flip-flops but…</p>
<p>If you wear a nice black blazer over your aforementioned outfit it would be perfectly okay for Broadway. The flip flops might cross off a few restaurants but not many.</p>
<p>Not unusual at all. Jeans, collared shirt (even a pull over type of shirt but with a collar) or a sweater in cold weather, comfortable shoes. T-shirt, nah. I spend most of my work week in a jacket and tie or a suit. On weekends, I won’t even wear a sports jacket (blazer) except at more formal affairs and functions. I have never been turned away from a restaurant based on attire although by choice I avoid those few restaurants that require jackets on men.</p>
<p>I personally think it depends upon the jeans. Dark wash would be fine, but a light wash/bleached jean would be odd. I think it would depend on the t-shirt (though I would not wear one). I’ve seen people wear baggy jeans and a tee to the show, but they were usually in the minority…</p>
<p>Most shows I’ve been to, people tend to dress up slightly more than if they were just out walking around the streets. But I suppose many of these people also go out to a fairly nice restaurant before or after the show.</p>
<p>I’d throw in a pair of khaki pants and a couple of nice polo shirts. There’s a huge range of dress at the shows including jeans, but if they are going to any nice restaurants he’d probably be more comfortable in khakis.</p>
<p>He might be NY dressed to impress but don’t think the others in the group will be as fashion forward so by association it will be a big group fashion don’t. Let him wear what he wants.</p>
<p>In this case it’s more important that he fit in with his peers but if I were taking my son to a Broadway show I’d expect that he put on a pair of khakis. This is a lost cause with my 16yo though who considers anything above jeans and tshirt “fancy.” Even a polo!</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I think you and I have the same son! But yes, I second the khaki pants and polo or dress shirt for the show, or if he must, dark wash jeans and a polo. But no t-shirts. I remember the days when we actually dressed up for the theater…</p>
<p>Well, my boys have gone to the theatre in everything from jacket and tie to jeans and t-shirts. You will see the gamut of dress during any given performance. Remember, sometimes young adults just happen by the 1/2 price ticket booth (and even not so young adults!), get tickets at the last minute and go in whatever they are wearing for the day. Trust me, the producers want the house full, they don’t care what people are wearing.</p>
<p>No one needs to wear a blazer to a Broadway show. I see just about every Broadway show every year and it just isn’t necessary. In fact, if it’s a summer trip, you will roast in most of those old theatres if you’re wearing a jacket. Attire at Broadway shows runs the gamut. You will see everything from shorts and t-shirts to occasional formal attire. There isn’t any specific dress code for seeing a show. If he’s in nice jeans with a nice golf type shirt, or a collared shirt, he will be just fine. If he wants to dress up a big with khakis, that’s fine, too. The more important issue is how the kids behave IN the theatre, rather than what they’re wearing. A lesson in theatre etiquette is always a good idea for high school groups, and hopefully the chaperones will do that prior to the shows.</p>
<p>Agreed. The times I have been to NYC it wasn’t what we were wearing, it was the colors.</p>
<p>NYC color pallate was the beginning of the Wizard of Oz when it was black and white (grays, blacks, white, sepia, navy) and we were Munchkinland.</p>
<p>My kids always wear just jeans or even shorts plus a tee-shirt to Broadway shows. If we were also going out to a really fancy restaurant before or after the show, I would suggest that they wear khakis and a polo shirt, but . . . we can’t afford both the show and a fancy restaurant, so that is not an issue for us! </p>
<p>No one has mentioned the plan to wear a tux for the Carnegie Hall performance. eggmon, are they actually performing there as a group, or will they be attending a performance as part of the audience? If the latter, it would never occur to me to have my kids wear a tux (although I would have them wear slacks and a polo shirt, or something similar). But I could be out-of-touch on that – it’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Carnegie Hall.</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters who say that New York is very informal. Depending on the part of town you’re in, you will of course see people who are dressed very fashionably. But I would say that jeans and tees are the norm, especially for teens. Also agree about the dark colors; I kind of assume that people wearing bright colors are tourists. (My younger teenage son recently said he is tired of wearing black tees all the time, but his solution was to switch to white tees!)</p>