Band Uniform at Contests

[sparkling_quavers]

Obviously we all know that the way the band presents itself reflects back to the band and that a uniform is smart and a clear indentifer to the band. I presume most bands wear the normal band jackets at concerts and contests but I was wondering, in your band, do the women wear skirts? and if so how much flexibility do you give to that? Also do you have walking-out jackets or a T-shirt with the band logo on that you wear when not on the stage at concerts?

Personally I think it is better if the girls wear skirts and preferably ones that are a similar length/style. As to walking-out jackets they are great if your band can afford them. I like the idea of t-shirts as they are a bit less formal but still identify you with the band.

Tommorrow we are all wearing similar length skirts and even the same type of tights. So I will give you my opinion after then whether these really strict uniform rules make a difference!

If anyone is at Burton tommorrow feel free to say hello. I am playing for Dronfield CMW Band. We will be the ones with pencil skirts below the knee and barely black tights! :shock:

 

[HBB]

I don't think that it matters whether or not ladies wear skirts or not, I'd much rather everyone feel comfortable in what they're wearing, instead of having to conform to standards they may not want to conform to! As long as the trousers they were are trouser trousers then it shouldn't matter - this is closely linked with - SHOULD WOMEN WEAR TIES?!

 

[flashbarry]

Hi

When I played with Wingates we wore trousers because it looked very smart and also because it was much easier using mutes. Lots of the top section bandswomen wear trousers ie Fodens and Dyke I also think it is much comfier and you don't have to worry about the lads in the front row of the audience peeking!!!! :lol:

flashbarry

 

[Keppler]

Ah... the endless argument of skirts vs not skirts..

Well, our uniform consists of a navy jacket and grey trousers, or a navy skirt for the women. The topic of "do I have to wear a skirt?" comes up quite often..

We have come up with skirts for indoors, and trousers are ok for outdoors. Our main problem is getting the same shade of navy or grey..

Also, there's no point getting jackets for people who are still growing (too expensive) so we have our younger members wear jumpers.

We have the band polo shirt for non-playing, or summer-playing wear - it's a great idea. We're also considering waistcoats for our percussion section.

Finally, our committee is all men, so we get to tell the women to quit compaining and wear the skirt.. the joys of absolute power...

 

[cornetgirl]

It's either or with us - but it's very rare you see the girls in skirts - for a start it makes mute management so much easier and it's smarter than varying skirt lengths from the belts to the floor length.

I would probably be more likely to wear a skirt if I wasn't playing cornet and juggling mutes all the time, but I think if one does, all should!

Rach x

 

[HBB]

It's either or with us - but it's very rare you see the girls in skirts - for a start it makes mute management so much easier and it's smarter than varying skirt lengths from the belts to the floor length.

and probably stops the wolf-whistling from the audience :lol:

I would probably be more likely to wear a skirt if I wasn't playing cornet and juggling mutes all the time, but I think if one does, all should!

Rach x

Doesn't stop some gals - though it looks mighty strange (!)(!) :lol:
So, what do people think on the tie front?

 

[picju96]

We wear trousers because it makes the band look uniform, everyone wearing trousers. Skirts can be more variable, as someone said different lengths, colours etc. About waistcoats etc, we thought about getting waistcoats for the percussion because they don't wear their jackets to play, and at one point we had to wear ties to go to and from a concert/contest, but that didn't really work coz noone did it, and the women complained about having to wear long ties. Bow ties are bad enough. Then the issue of different ties for women was introduced, the crevette ones - y'know, the triangle things around the neck. We looked into it but it would be too expensive, and not worn enough. We're still hoping to raise enough money to get walking out jackets, but it would mean not going to contests, which would defeat the whole object of the jackets so we haven't. At the moment we wear black rugby shirts with the name of the band on them in the pub etc. There we are!

Julia

 

[Matthew]

Personally, I'd rather look at the ladies in tight trousers than skirts anyday!

Sorry to drag the level of this thread dowwards though....! In Sellers, the ladies wear trousers. Looking at the physical viewpoint of female percussionists etc, it may be better for them to move around with trousers anyway.

I was saying only last weekend to a fellow player at Sellers, wouldn't it be great to go on for the area in just jeans/shirt rather than uniform?! Just to 1. Cause a ripple in the audience (lol) and 2. Feel more relaxed?

But, of course there is a valid argument that uniform's on stage add to the 'sense of occasion' to a performance and particularly at the moment with relevance to the area contests where you could argue "who cares what we look like, the adjudicator in the box can't see us anyway".

Pro's and con's for that one anyway I think.

Any Scottish bands here that all wear Kilts out of interest?!

 

[groovy]

Any Scottish bands here that all wear Kilts out of interest?!

Well, no, because they are expensive to hire as well as buy, but it would be quite good if it happened!

We'd have to get jackets etc to go with the kilts though and I think cold knees would be a problem with the male band members!

:wink: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink: :wink:

As for skirts/ties, well we mostly wear skirts and everyone wears ties. There has never been any kind of issue with it.

 

[sparkling_quavers]

Any Scottish bands here that all wear Kilts out of interest?!

Well that really would be interesting juggling the mutes in the cornet section (especially if worn in the traditional way!!! :shock: :shock: )

 

[HBB]

Any Scottish bands here that all wear Kilts out of interest?!

Well that really would be interesting juggling the mutes in the cornet section (especially if worn in the traditional way!!! :shock: :shock: )

You girls all have one-track minds! :shock::shock:!!!

I'd feel sorry for the horn players - they sit directly in front of the audience to. :roll:

and Mute Jugling would be pretty impressive at an entertainment contest ........

Ben

 

[cornetgirl]

We may have one-track minds but I agree Rach - men in kilts!!!!! :lol: mmmm......nice......and I'd definitely watch an entertainments contest to see the mute juggling!

(hope Mr CG is taking note...!)

Rach x

 

[BoozyBTrom]

Ahhh the age old argument. The one that has plagued ( or is that prauged ) bandswomen since the dawn of time.

However. If everone wore the smae it would look very smart. But some laydees are not happy to wear trousers.

So i say wear what you feel comfortable in

 

[satchmo shaz]

hear hear! although I think bands should be smart, it doesn't really matter if the lasses wear skirts or trousers, It's how they play that matters :wink:

 

[sparkling_quavers]

Ahhh the age old argument. The one that has plagued ( or is that prauged ) bandswomen since the dawn of time.

However. If everone wore the smae it would look very smart. But some laydees are not happy to wear trousers.

So i say wear what you feel comfortable in

we were all wearing the same yesterday and I think it did look smart, although my feet were killing me by the end of the day in those stupid shoes!!

Re: men and kilts OT I know but lovely..... although I like men in band uniform as well *strange i know* LOL 8)

To get back OT....If girls where trousers they need to be similar also. We got in a situation once where some of the younger members of the band turned up in hipsters! At Dronfield they are specifing a uniform trouser and skirt for the girls and then they get the choice.

 

[geordiecolin]

I thought that we all looked very smart yesterday. the skirts looked good (aye!) as did the black suit jackets as walking out jackets. its a pity that some members on the band still felt that they were exempt from this.

As for ties, there is no reason why women shouldn't wear them.

 

[Pythagoras]

Hi

When I played with Wingates we wore trousers because it looked very smart and also because it was much easier using mutes. Lots of the top section bandswomen wear trousers ie Fodens and Dyke I also think it is much comfier and you don't have to worry about the lads in the front row of the audience peeking!!!! :lol:

flashbarry

Isn't this a good idea if the the lads in the front row are area officials/timekeepers?

 

[Owen]

In my band the ladies are required to wear trousers with both their walking out and stage uniforms. The decision was actually left to the female contingent at the time who all reached the same conclusion because of mute management, and because of the numebr of pairs of tights that went for a burton whilst moving percussion gear / setting up stages etc. From the "looking up skirts from off stage" perspective, we are lucky that the women in our band had the good sense to sit with their knees together anyway....

I did once help out a band where the women all wore long straight skirts (ankle length) with their concert jackets. It looked great on stage, but we went on from the back of the hall with a walk of about 100m from the entrance to the stage. The practicalities of walking in a long skirt meant that the cornets (all men) had opened up a considerable distance over the horns (all women) with the rest of the band all bunched up by the time we got to the stage. That did not look quite so great!

 

[hornblower]

I wear trousers, and personally think the bands who all wear trousers look a damn sight smarter... it is bad for your breathing to sit with your knees tight together as it makes you bend forwards slighty, and the same goes for clossing legs or ankles. :roll:

As for ties....it is a UNIFORM... every girl wears a tie with their school uniform, so what is the difference? :!:

I can't vote as it does matter and I think trousers...can you add that as an option in the vote? :wink:

 

[picju96]

Our school doesn't have ties... Primary did though.