Concert Black Performance Guidelines

Students in Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, and Beginner Percussion are required to wear a “Concert Black” uniform to all performances unless otherwise specified. If obtaining appropriate concert attire is a hardship for you, please consult your music teacher.

If you have any questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate concert attire, please contact your music teacher directly.

Why “Concert Black?”

Standard concert dress provides a formal, uniform look for the ensemble that does not detract from the performance of the music or draw attention to the individual. The audience’s focus should be on the music, not the clothes one individual is wearing.

Concert attire at EHHS follows the established standard in use by many professional, semi-professional, and amateur ensembles from across the world. This dress code is known as “Concert Black“. While these guidelines may seem overly modest, there are time tested reasons for all of it. This isn’t just something we made up, it’s the industry standard.

As the name suggests, the defining feature of this dress code is that it is all black, without adornment of any kind. Regardless of personal style, gender, religious expression, or other factors, attire is expected to be formal, classy, elegant, modest, and above all, allow for comfort and freedom of movement to allow for the best possible performance.

East Haven’s definition of Concert Black allows students a wide degree of freedom to choose clothing that they can feel good about wearing which, in turn, allows them to focus on their musical performance.

What is Concert Black attire?

Students are free to choose the components of their concert blacks within the following guidelines:

  • Black dress pants, slacks, skirt, or dress (skirt length is at the knee or longer)
  • If appropriate, wear a black belt with your pants/slacks, etc.
  • Black dress shirt, blouse, or dress (shoulders must be covered and avoid particularly low necklines)
  • Black socks or black opaque stockings/tights
  • Closed toed black dress shoes (heels are not recommended, particularly for performers who stand to perform or move large equipment)
  • Jewelry is permitted, but should should only be metallic (no colors) and should NOT be prominent
  • Good hygiene is expected, but avoid using fragrances

What is NOT Concert Black attire?

The following things are never part of “Concert Black”, even if they happen to be black:

  • Jeans, sweats, warm-up pants, yoga pants, miniskirts, or shorts
  • Anything with rips or holes
  • Leggings worn as pants (it’s ok to use solid black leggings under a skirt or dress instead of tights)
  • t-shirts, tank tops, spaghetti straps, halter tops, or crop tops
  • Any undershirts should be either black or v-neck so they’re invisible. A white crew neck shirt under a black dress shirt makes you look like a priest
  • Flip-flops, slippers, crocs, sports shoes, sneakers, black shoes with colored stripes or logos
  • White socks, colored socks, bare legs, or bare feet
  • Any jewelry or accessories that are large, distracting, or overly reflective
  • Any bare shoulders or bare skin showing below the neckline (if wearing a skirt or dress, you need black tights/socks/etc)
  • Avoid the use of any fragrances

Some tips on putting together your Concert Black attire

Use these tips when assembling your concert attire:

  • Because students are growing, borrowing from older siblings, parents, or even aunts, uncles, and cousins is a great idea (especially for shoes!)
  • If you decide to buy, allow room for growing (not quite a clown suit big, but enough for a year or two)
  • Thrift stores can be a great place to find more dressy clothing in good shape (and to donate clothes that no longer fit!). I’ve put together entire concert black outfits for less than $20 at Goodwill.
  • Although we want to look nice, high school concerts are not black tie events and truly formal attire is not expected
  • A good thing to keep in mind is that the goal of concert attire is to allow students to blend in with the ensemble when viewed from a distance of 30-100 feet. Imperfections in clothing or fit that are visible up close may not be an issue at a distance.
  • While many fancier dress shoes have leather soles, rubber soles are recommended for performers, particularly those who stand to perform (e.g. choir)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are heels allowed?

Heels are permitted, but discouraged for most performers. For choir, in particular, we recommend flats because standing on risers for long periods of time in heels creates a fainting hazard. If your heels are comfortable for you to stand in for extended periods, go for it.

Does it matter what we do with our hair?

Not really. Hair comes in all types and colors (even that funky color you dyed it last week). It’s your hair. Style it the way you want. If you’re going to accessorize, avoid bright colors (wear black if possible). Just be aware that in the professional performance world, it’s usually expected that your hair will be primarily a natural human color (not neon green, etc).

Are ties or sport coats/jackets allowed?

Ties are not required, but if you have a black tie that you’d like to wear we won’t stop you. The same applies to sport coats and jackets, but we generally do not recommend them due to the heat of the stage lights and the discomfort that can cause.

Can I wear my Drillmasters from marching band?

Yup.