Dress for the Met (Since They Don't Have a Dress Code)

Inspired by positive responses to an earlier post on this topic in which I lamented the lack of a dress code at the Met, I thought I would offer my tips on how to dress for a visit to the Metropolitan Opera. Most of these tips are addressed to men.

You don’t have to wear white tie, or black tie, or any tie at all, so long as you are neat and well dressed. I do think that if you are not going to do the business-suit look, you should wear at the very minimum a well tended sports jacket or blazer, pressed trousers, and a clean dress shirt. Having said all of that, I would definitely go for the tie. These days, with the tie-less look an office cliché, the right tie shows flair, not conformity.

If there is one thing to remember, it’s this: the Met is not a rodeo. So that means leather, jeans, sneakers, work boots, and so on, are out. And I mean it about the leather. Leather jackets are great if you want to look like an Eastern-European gangster. Leather pants, let’s face it, just don’t look good on anybody. So unless you are a recognizable rock star, leather should be left for your next “80s Night”-themed benefit.

Another thing to bear in mind: the 70s are dead, over, finished, done. So attend to your grooming. The bushy look just isn’t doing it any more. (This applies to the world outside the Met, too. Or it should.)

Try to keep in mind that it should be a special occasion. It is an excuse to get gussied up. So much of the world today has made accomodations to casual dress. Can’t there be some places, some occasions, for which some kind of formality is required?