Watch a symphony today and you’ll see something that would have been rare not long ago: women playing in black pants. Here’s how that happened.
It started with a uniform
Orchestra dress has always been about fitting in, not standing out. More than two hundred years ago, Haydn’s musicians wore the livery of the Esterházy family they served. Over time that became white tie and tails for men and long black gowns for women, a look designed to make the orchestra read as one instrument.
Rules written for another era
The gowns stayed long after women filled the string, wind and brass sections. As recently as 2018, the New York Philharmonic, founded in 1842, still required women to wear floor-length black skirts or dresses at formal evening concerts. Trousers were allowed only at matinees, outdoor concerts and a few other events. At the time, it was the only major U.S. orchestra with that rule for its main ticketed concerts.
The players spoke up
Musicians pointed out what anyone who has held a cello already knows: a floor-length skirt is not built for playing. “It’s a little bit strange,” New York Philharmonic horn player Leelanee Sterrett told reporters in 2018. “I think we would like to see it changed, and soon.”
Then the codes changed
In October 2021, the Philadelphia Orchestra introduced a new onstage dress code. Women could wear full-length black dresses, skirts or pants, and men traded white tie and tails for black suits. President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky said the new look was “about strengthening the connection between the audience and the music and the musicians.” The San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic also moved to give women the option of pants.
What “concert black” means now
For most professional, community and school ensembles, women can choose full-length black pants with a black top that meets the sleeve rule. Details still vary, so read your own group’s written policy. Many still ask for full-length hems, three-quarter or longer sleeves, and matte fabric with no shine.
Pants made for the podium
This is the world DuetteNYC was built for. We designed pull-on black pants that look tailored, move with you and wash at home. The Essex and Carmine are full length. The Wall is a dressy drape-neck top you can wear as a tunic or tucked in.
For the full guide, read Modern Concert Black: What Women Musicians Told Us They Want.
Sources
- Classic FM, “Women could finally be allowed to wear trousers in the oldest US orchestra” (June 18, 2018)
- The Violin Channel, “Philadelphia Orchestra Announces New Onstage Dress Code” (Oct. 12, 2021)
- Institute for Music Leadership, “What Are You Wearing? Dress Codes Considered” (2007)
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