What to Wear for a Ballet Performance?

Ballet is a type of classical European dance and also an elegant art that can bring the ultimate sensory enjoyment to the audience. After a week’s hard work, watching a ballet performance on the weekend would be a great way to relax! However, there are some theater dressing etiquette and codes that we need to know in advance.

Generally speaking, ballet dancers have a relatively fixed look, usually consisting of a black or white tight top, a pair of leggings, and a lace tutu. But as an audience watching the show, we have many different types of outfits to choose from. If you would like to know what to wear for a ballet performance to show both your fashion taste and the respect to the performers, keep reading!

Dressing Codes for a Ballet Performance

Ballet performance is a very elegant art, so when watching a ballet performance, your outfit needs be both formal and aesthetic. Too casual or too fancy outfits are not appropriate. Especially during evening performances, the audience is required to dress more formally. Specifically, the clothing that needs to be avoided are:

🪶Sporty styled clothing: Although sportswear can be convenient for you when you are exercising, it is undoubtedly unacceptable on formal occasions. Sportswear generally looks loose and therefore not very formal. What also to be avoided are sneakers.

🪶Overly revealing clothing: Excessively revealing clothing also looks inconsistent with the theater environment and the elegant performance style. In addition, overly revealing clothing will show disrespect for the actors and actresses. So, when you go to the theater to watch a ballet performance, remember not to wear low-cut clothes, see-through clothes, miniskirts, etc.

🪶Pajamas. Needless to say, pajamas are only suitable for wearing at home, or for just going out for a short time to pick up a package, and should not appear on any social or even formal occasions. Wearing pajamas to a formal occasion will really look extremely out of place and give people a very sloppy feeling.

🪶Overly eye-catching clothing. You need to remember that you are here to watch the performance, but not to perform, so your dress should be modest while being appropriate. Exaggerated clothing with shiny sequins, lots of jingling hoops, countless ribbons, etc. may attract the attention of other audience members, so they need to be avoided to a large extent.

On the contrary, the suitable and generally safe attire for watching a ballet performance includes:

🪶The combination of a shirt and a maxi dress. Especially in more traditional theaters, you need to dress more formally. However, it doesn't have to be as formal as attending a business occasion. Therefore, for the top, a solid-colored shirt is a good choice. And for the bottom, a maxi skirt is both decent and elegant.

🪶A slim-fitted dress and a shawl. If you want to recreate the look that some aristocratic women wore hundreds of years ago when they watched performances, choose a silk dress and pair it with a shawl. No other combinations will look more elegant than this.

Outfit Tips for Ballet Performance Audiences in Summer

In the summer, when you dress for a ballet performance, you need to not only be formal and stylish, but also overcome the high temperatures to a certain extent. Although most theaters now have air conditioning, it is still difficult to avoid the heat when sitting for a long time, so try to choose some fabrics with good breathability:

🪶Silk. If your budget is sufficient, the fabric we recommend most is silk. This is because silk is not only skin-friendly and breathable, but also has a glossy feel and a certain drape, making it look high-end and elegant.

🪶Linen. Although linen is rougher and not as soft and smooth as silk, it is very absorbent and has a high cost-effectiveness. However, it should be noted that it is best to iron linen clothing before wearing it, because linen clothing is very easy to wrinkle.

In addition, in terms of the colors of the clothes, we recommend some clothes in light colors, especially light cool colors, such as:

🪶White. White easily reminds people of snow.

Therefore, it can bring you a cool feeling in the hot summer. You will find that a white shirt will look more refreshing than a red one in the same style.

🪶Light blue. Like white, light blue reminds people of clear lake water. So it also provides the cool feeling to people. If you think white clothes are too formal and lack the sense of fashion and design, then try a light blue shirt or a pair of light blue pants.

🪶Mint green. Mint green will make you feel as if you are in the jungle, enjoying the rain, dew, birdsong and flowers. And mint green is exactly the main color of the mint mambo style which is very popular recently. If you also want to try out the mint mambo style outfits, then choose a mint green dress!

Outfit Tips for Ballet Performance Audiences in Winter

Contrary to your outfit in summer, what you need to do when watching the ballet performance in winter except keeping decent is maintaining warmth. So in winter, you need to choose some clothes made of thick fabrics with good warmth retaining effect. You may choose the fabrics like following:

Tweed. If you want to choose a fabric that combines warmth and formality, tweed is undoubtedly one of the most suitable choices. Due to its thick texture, tweed clothing generally gives people a very stable impression. Also because of this thick texture, tweed clothing has a better warmth-keeping effect.

Cashmere. In contrast to tweed, cashmere is lighter and has a better warmth-retaining effect than tweed. You can choose a cashmere sweater as a top and a pair of cashmere trousers. Finally, don't forget a long wool coat.

Velvet or corduroy. If tweed is a fabric with a calm temperament, then velvet is a fabric with a noble feeling. It also has a first-class touch and brings you meticulous warmth. If you are looking for a higher cost-effectiveness, you can also choose corduroy. Although corduroy may not feel as fine as velvet, it is much more durable.

As for colors, we recommend bright colors that make you feel warm or some earth tones that show a gentle feel, such as:

Burgundy. Burgundy is a bright and deep color that makes people feel passionate. Although it is gray and white everywhere in winter, we can incorporate a touch of bright color into our outfits.

Caramel. As a shade between camel and brown, caramel has a warm tone that can quickly convey a gentle and comfortable atmosphere, especially suitable for autumn and winter, to relieve the alienation brought by the cold. As a member of the earth color system, caramel is neither as serious as black nor as cold as white, but can highlight a gentle and romantic temperament to a great extent.

Turmeric. Compared to burgundy and caramel, turmeric is brighter and fresher. Turmeric's warm undertone brightens your complexion easily and add a sense of statement to your look. What’s more, turmeric goes well with both warm and cool colors, making it one of the best color choices for your winter look.

Tips for Accessories and Makeup

To create a more perfect outfit when watching a ballet performance, you will also need some accessories and a suitable makeup. The general principle when choosing accessories and makeup is to go simple and elegant rather than fancy and luxurious. To be more specific, you can choose the following accessories:

🪶Pearl necklace and earrings. Pearls always bring a gentle and delicate atmosphere, which is highly consistent with the elegance of ballet. Therefore, pearl jewelry is the first choice when watching ballet performances. Whether you choose a pearl necklace or a pair of pearl earrings, it will help to show your elegant temperament.

🪶A pair of high heeled ankle boots or a pair of Mary Janes. A pair of high-heeled ankle boots is perfect for pairing with a long skirt or trousers to show a sense of formality and elegance. But if you care a lot about comfort, a pair of Mary Janes can also be versatile.

🪶A pair of lace gloves. A pair of lace gloves can not only keep your hands warm in autumn and winter, but also help you create a retro and elegant look. If your top or coat also has lace as decoration, your overall look will be more harmonious and unified.

In terms of makeup, we recommend the classic and elegant makeup. To achieve such an effect, you need a clear and natural foundation can cover facial blemishes while retaining the original texture of the skin. You can choose a natural nude pink or bean paste color for lipstick. It is better to choose earth tones for eyeshadow, light brown for the large area of the eye socket, while dark brown for the root of the eyelashes and the end of the eye. As for the eyeliner, draw an inner eyeliner close to the root of the eyelashes and slightly extend the end of the eye. There is no need for an eyeliner that is too long or too exaggerated.