Artwork by Ruben Toledo
For Christmas 2010, my boss at the bookstore I used to work at, knowing my love of both art and fashion, gave me this hilarious book: Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear For Every Occasion. It is literally an event by event guide to how to dress: what to wear to a wedding, or to work, or for gardening, or for a blind date...or the opera. I love this section, because Garcia is so flamboyant (she's a judge for Project Runway, and other fashionable things), and her advice is both informative and deeply hilarious. She is clearly one of those people who advocates both Being Seen and old school glamour. To whit:
"In our increasingly casual society, there is no longer a hard and fast dress code for the opera*. Audience attire runs the gamut from jeans and skirts to evening dresses and furs. Your options are limitless. But if you are going to a beautiful theatre to see a beautiful performance, why not dress for it? ... Semiformal dressing is always more fun than formal, so that's my recommendation for the evening. Opera is about romance and excess-excess emotion, ornate costumes, insanely talented singers, tragic love stories, and all things gilt and red and jewel-encrusted. Onstage there will be corseted bodices, voluminous velvet skirts, and gold braids. Offstage, take those theatrics down a few notches to create a look that's wearable and fierce.
Put a contemporary twist on old-school opera attire. Wear a gorgeous velvet (but not crushed-velvet!) dress; adorn yourself with a few bright baubles and with gold shoes that have just a hint of metallic sheen. Or try a brocade opera coat over a long, narrow, beautifully tailored silk dress. Or mix vintage with cutting edge to evoke your favorite operatic heroine, such as Mimi, Violetta, Carmen, Isolde; take your pick and roll your look in her direction.
Just like at the theatre and the art opening, people-watching at the opera can be as riveting as the actual performance, so arrive early to enjoy the spectacle. You'll get two costume dramas for the price of one. And remember, you're part of the pre-show cast. Make a regal entrance, look around with a Mona Lisa smile, and glide slowly to your seat as you carefully remove your gloves.
Make sure you're filthy rich enough not to make this posing hilarious when you end up in the balcony, or in standing room.
*She's clearly never been to Bayreuth. But then, neither have I.
4 comments:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes the idea of themed dressing! (Well, Sarah of Prima La Musica does too; anyway, it's always good to have more company.)
Also, the higher up your seats are, the more room you have to glide before getting there. ;)
@Lucy: I admit, if I had the money, I'd totally channel Violetta. I can't imagine NOT dressing up for the opera.
Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes!
What a fun post. Last year I found the most gorgeous dresses for Violettas and did a post about them. I really like the artwork you shared, too. And when I go to the Met the outfits in the audience are as fun to gawk at as those on stage.
Am I the only one who dresses differently depending on where I'm sitting? If I'm sitting in the Orchestra (where my subscription seat is) I'll wear a silk jacket and a bowtie but, honestly, I'd feel a bit of a prat dressed like that in Ring 5. For the cheap seats it's black trousers and a black shirt and try to look inconspicuous!
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