About to head out shopping with my musician son for various formal items this afternoon. He has a standard black tux already (maybe two?) But as he has been playing in higher level professional orchestras the requirements have gotten fancier and more specific.
So today we are seeking:
a black tux coat with tails
a white tux jacket/dinner jacket
formal black vest
formal white vest
white bow tie
Hoping to hit a rental place and purchase jackets that have previously been rented out and are now for sale.
He has been borrowing from random musician friends but his buddies are much smaller. The most recent concert he said he was thinking some buttons might just fly off when he took a deep breath.
Youâre smart to try rental place(s). Thatâs where my BIL & brothers bought nice enough tuxes at good prices. They may be âlast yearâsâ styles but still nice and at a great discount. Iâd try calling ahead to find the places that may have some of the things you are looking for at rental places to save yourself some driving & aggravation.
I noticed last night how nice the women in the Boston Pops looked. The main outfits were white, and it looked like they could add red and blue accents. It must be hard to pick a white outfit that will work when it is 65 or 95 degrees, if you are sweating or shivering, that donât restrict your arms, and that look stunning when the camera zooms in on you.
Honestly the women have it easier. I feel for my son when the dress code is formal, as that means basically 4 layers of clothing. (Tshirt, tux shirt, vest and jacket) Even indoors, that is really hot under stage lights.
But the worst offense is a bow tie. My sonâs neck expands about 4 inches in diameter when he plays. This is true of many wind/brass players. So itâs very hard to accommodate a dress shirt buttoned at the top (many men leave it unbuttoned) and a bow tie.
But he doesnât complain. He is just so happy to get good gigs and play with other great musicians.
