Dress code/etiquette for Paris Opera
 

My daughter & I will be attending a ballet at the Palais Garnier (Old Paris opera house), and I was wondering if anyone that has been there fairly recently could give me any tips on dress/etiquette. In Southern California things have gotten a bit casual. People wear very casual outfits to shows/performances. Our Greek friends were surprised how casual everything was in CA. They said in Europe people still get quite dressed up for a night out. That's what I figured, but I was wondering if I could get a confirmation from someone who has actually been to the ballet in Paris recently. Styles & mores do evolve after all.

Well - there's casual and then there's casual.

I wouldn;t go in jeans and sneakers. But you don;t need to wear evening dress. As long as you're business casual or better you should be fine. If you want to do a little nicer that will fit in too.

Australians have this great term "neat casual" - that applies here: not jeans, not tennis shoes or other sports attire, but not evening dress either.

Besides, as tourists you are totally excused - you see people in their colorful windcheaters (because they didn't bring along any other jacket) and nobody gives them a hard time.

Young folks also come in all sorts of non-traditional garb, so don't sweat it.

But make sure you wear no perfume, that is seriously frowned upon. (Although there is always somebody who stinks up the neighborhood).

And one more thing that Americans should learn:
If you have to cough, have a hanky handy and smother your mouth. Seriously - listen to live recordings done in France in concert halls, like those wonderful ones at www.medici.tv - you simply don't hear people coughing because they are brought up to suppress and smother; then compare to your average American concert where people cough their loudest full-throat coughs, even during the softest passages... Bad!

What we wore to Opera Garnier (this was in winter):

Me - cashmere sweater, dark wool pants, black loafers, wool coat

Husband - button down shirt, sweater, dark wool pants, leather shoes, wool coat

We did not stick out like a sore thumb. :))

I know its not the ballet in Paris, but I saw "La Traviata" at the Staatsoper in Vienna in October and was astounded by the array of attire. I saw people wearing everything from jeans (not a good idea in my opinion), to regular casual or business attire, to a couple of women in somewhat skimpy, very sparkly dresses.

Where you are sitting can also influence what you wear. Generally, balcony would be more casual. I was sitting in front center orchestra and wore a black skirt suit, definitely on the dressy side, with black patent leather pumps and small matching bag. I would opt for something middle of the road, perhaps dark and slightly elegant; that should fit in anywhere. Unless you are attending an opening night gala, cocktail or black tie attire should not be necessary.

I wonder where your Greek friends have been going out, perhaps not Paris. I didn't go to anything like that in Greece, so don't know their custom, but I have been to the ballet, theatre, etc., in many other cities, and nowadays one does not have to get "dressed up" (barring special events). Paris inh particular is not that dressy any more, and anything goes. I certainly try to look nice enough (usually skirt, but if not, nice slacks and blouse/top), but you will actually see people who are real slobs at the ballet in Paris. Tourists are some of the worst offenders; I've seen a lot of very sloppily dressed Italian tourists there, for example (eg, jeans, and not very nice looking ones).

It may not be quite as casual as Claifornia, but you don't say where in Calif. you were comparing to. I used to live in LA, and people can be casual there more than some other places, but it's not that big a difference for something like a ballet or concert in a big concert hall or opera.

I've been to the ballet in Paris many times over a couple decades. You can literally wear anything if theat is your goal, they won't kick you out. Why not wear what you think is nice and appropriate.

When I attend the theater or opera/ballet at home, I tend to wear nice slack, nice shoes and a sweater and wool coat. However, when I travel, I do not carry "neat casual" (I love that term) clothes -- they take up too much room, and I'm not that interested in wearing them. So I make do with what I have, which is usually a travel skirt/dress and top, and a pair of sandals. I'm simply not going to bring clothes with me that I won't wear at least three or four times on a trip, and I understand that goes the same for tourists attending the theater in my hometown, too. I personally think anything that isn't slobby is okay.

Just make sure it's comfortable. The seats in the Opera Garnier are not!!

>>>If you have to cough, have a hanky handy and smother your mouth. <<<

My advice: ALWAYS have some cough drops - unwrapped - in your pocket. I mean this very seriously.

This is where the classic black pants or skirt plus top is a nice travel combination. You can add a scarf or colorful beads in the spring or summer, and you have a 4-season, never-fail outfit for cultural events or restaurants.

By the way, it works here at home, too. We attended a night at the symphony on New Years Eve. People were dressed in everything from fairly casual to very dressy, and I felt just right in black slacks and top.
Barb

What I've worn to the Garnier in winter for an afternoon performance:

cashmere sweater with silk scarf, black wool pants, my dressiest Mephisto loafers, black wool coat and long black wool scarf.

It was fine-splurged for center orchestra, and there I saw quite an array of dress-some folks wearing jeans (designer), but it was not at all as dressy as one might expect.

I dressed for warmth, since it can be extremely chilly in Paris in Jan.-Feb.

If you want to see what people there actually wear, look at the classical concert videos from France at www.medici.tv - the cameras pan endlessly around the audience at the end, that's empirical evidence as in eyewitness material for you.

Thanks for all the great input~much appreciated! I think I've got a good idea now. BTW, I was talking about Los Angeles (I grew up in Southern California)... I personally believe in comfort, but I definitely like to dress at least what we call "Business casual" or "Casual eleagant". I just think it feels right. I've noticed over the past couple of decades things here have definitely gotten more casual....meaning to say the % of people choosing to go casual seems to be ever slowly growing and few people get "Dressed up". We usually shoot for the middle.

Please do not eat frites during the performance as is the habit of many Californians.

She can't eat frites at the Opera, they don't sell them. Only champagne at the break.

Sloplugs- Things have gotten quite casual in a lot of places in the world these days. One of my close, Parisian, male friends (his whole life in Paris) visited me here in L.A. in the fall. He was with me for two weeks and only packed two pairs of very light-colored, faded jeans, T-shirts, and 1 shirt. He also dresses like that in Paris when I'm there.
I don't dress anywhere as dressed down as he does. He even went to work with me, for two days, dressed like that.

I remember the days in Paris when folks really dressed up. I'm one who, for decades, both in Paris, and here in L.A., has dressed up as have my friends. Happy Travels!

Also, don't be late - you can assume it will start on time and they will be very huffy if you are not in your seat and still before the start of the performance. I saw a matinee at the Opera Comique and didn't get the impression what people were wearing was a big deal, but he comments concerning coughing, or any noise or excess movement, for that matter, are spot on.

From a Monday evening last December:
http://images43.fotki.com/v1437/phot...1B5193e-vi.jpg

Let the setting, not the audience, determine what you wear.

re: <<I dressed for warmth, since it can be extremely chilly in Paris in Jan.-Feb.>>

But keep in mind that the Opera Garnier gets way overheated in winter! I was about to pass out from the heat.

The higher up, the cheaper the seats, the narrower the seats (!), and the hotter the air.