September 16, 2021

3 Must Wears When Going to a Theatre

If you are going to the theatre and thinking you should dress up, you've come to the right place. Here is what you should wear to a theatre.

Discover a collection of limited edition silk fashion accessories with artwork.

When do You Dress Up for the Theatre?

What to Wear to a Broadway Show in Winter | Fashion Designer Nathon Kong

Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash

Once upon a time, men would wear a suit whenever they went to the movie theatre. Back then, it was considered something of a special occasion to be going to the movie theatre, and men and women would dress up for it.

This is not the case these days.

Today, going to the movie theatre is considered much more informal. You'll usually see people wearing more casual clothing here.

So, when would you dress up for the theatre?

Live shows.

Musicals, orchestras, and some performance plays are considered more formal than nights at the movies. For these theatre occasions, it may be appropriate to wear a suit or a dress. Maybe if you are going to an exclusive premiere of a movie, you would also want to wear a formal outfit, too.

Should you wear a suit or dress to every one of these outings?

Probably not.

Certain production, like a play performed in the park, might be more on the informal side. Wearing a suit to a production like this might be over doing it.

So, how do you know when you should dress up for a theatre outing?

Here is when you should dress up for an outing for the theatre

Consider the kind of people who might go to a theatre like this. Will they be dressing up? If yes, then you should, too.

How expensive were the tickets? The more they cost, the more you should wear formal clothing to the theatre.

Wear a suit to fancy theatre nights

What time is the show? If you are going to the theatre in the evening or later, then you may want to wear more formal clothing.

Finally, think about how much are you going to be moving during the occasion. Are you bringing out a folding chair and carrying it away with you, as you would for a theatre in the park event? Then skip the suit. Are you sitting down, applauding, then leaving? Then you should probably wear something formal.

Should you dress up for your night at the theatre?

Alright. If you have decided you are going to wear something formal when you go to your next theatre engagement, here are some ideas for what you can wear.

1. Suit, Sweater, or Jacket

I eluded to this above, as a suit is an excellent outfit to wear to a theatre. Suits are elegant and inoffensive. You can't usually go wrong by choosing to wear a suit.

Wearing a suit to a theatre is one way to dress for the occasion.

You won't have to wear a custom or bespoke suit to most of these outings unless it is a really rare and special occasion. Of course, if you already have a bespoke suit, then you of can wear it to any formal outing like a night at the theatre.

When the situation calls for it, like an especially formal outings at the theatre, you may want to consider wearing a high end pocket square with your suit.

Pocket squares, maybe even a luxury pocket square, might be appropriate for certain formal theatre events

If you aren't wearing a suit, you may want to consider wearing some kind of fashionable sweater or jacket to a theatre for two reasons.

First of all, a lot of theatre events happen in the evening. It may be warm when you enter the theatre, but you might find it a lot colder when you come out. Having an extra layer to wear when you leave can be helpful.

Second of all, theatres tend to be cold themselves. The strong lights used in performances can make the building hot, so the air conditioning is turned on high to counteract the heat.

If you feel a bit chilly while watching the performance in the theatre, it would be good to have something to wear over your shoulders.

2. Comfortable Shoes

What to Wear in the Theatre | Fashion Designer Nathon Kong

Photo by Alex Hudson on Unsplash

You may have to do a bit of walking to get to the theatre if it's in the city. You may also have to wait in lines and navigate tight rows of seats.

If you can foresee these challenges before going to the theatre, then you may want to opt for wearing comfortable rather than fashionable shoes.

3. Neckwear

You should always wear neckwear, like a necktie, to a theatre

Whether you decide to wear a suit or just a dress shirt to the theatre, a piece of neckwear takes the extra step in making an outfit casual-formal to formal.

The most common form of neckwear you would wear to a theatre might be a necktie if you are a man. Neckties have been worn with dress shirts or suits for ages and make a classic choice of outfit today.

If you wanted to be a bit more formal at a theatre, you can wear a bow tie instead of a necktie.

Unique bow ties are more formal than neckties

Silk scarves are also an excellent choice of neckwear. They are especially good for and artistic outing like going to a theatre.

Silk scarves go well with a theatre setting

Silk scarves go great with men's suits. They are also accessories women can wear to a theatre with a dress.

You can add to the artistic flair of these accessories by wearing a necktie, bow tie, silk scarf, or even a pocket square with an art piece telling the story of a person's journey to mental health recovery.

Nathon Kong works closely with Les Impatients, a nonprofit organization that supports people with mental health difficulties through therapeutic art programs. We take the art created during these classes and put them on clothing articles to communicate the creator's story.

Every art piece tells the story of a person's journey to recovery

Each of these limited edition silk fashion accessories come in a unique gift box with a certificate of authenticity detailing article's edition number and the story of the artist that created each piece.

Discover a collection of limited edition silk fashion accessories with artwork here.