DC dress code
 

I will be in DC april 6-9 and will be going to a play one night. What is appropriate for one to wear. Thank you!

where is the play?

I was at the Kennedy Center for a play Sunday night and I saw people wearing everything from slightly dressy to jeans. I wore black slacks, black walking shoes and dressy sweater and felt like I fit right in.

This past year I have attended performances at the Kennedy Center, Warner Theater, and the National Theater. Every time I wore black pants, a nice top, nothing fancy. Husband wore a suit to the Nat'l Theater and felt overdresed. For the other shows he wore slacks and a nice cashmere sweater.

New policy - strictly black tie these days.

Thanks to you all! I think it's Big River at Fords Theater.

Since DC is ultimately a tourist town, you will see almost everything at cultural events. Wear what you feel is comfortable, but appropriate given how much you are paying for the tickets.

LOL, ultimately a tourist town! Spoken like a tourist.

Actually, SoBE, I have lived in DC for 11 years. Much of the economy--especially culturual institutions--are driven by tourist dollars and tourism, thus my comment.

Whether you go to the Smithsonian, the theatre, the Kennedy Center, or the museums, you will be surrounded by tourists. This our restaurants and cultural institutions often are more tolerant of the clothes and interests of tourists.

Except for a tiny number of very upscale eateries, there is no dress code. A night at Ford's Theater suggests casual/dressy...but that's a personal preference.

I saw "Movin' Out" at the National last December, and wore a cocktail dress, high-heels, dangling earrings and had my hair in an updo. My husband wore a dark suit and tie. We were definitely the exception, not the rule.

Bear in mind that this was a hot ticket during the holiday season and one of the few times we went out for a night-on-the-town w/o our toddler son, so I wanted to dress up for the occasion. I also prefer to be over-dressed than under-dressed.

There were a few others who decided to go dressy, but the overwhelming majority were in "business casual" attire at best. Because the play drew a younger crowd (under 30), I saw people in jeans. And not necessarily of the fashionable kind either. I'm guessing that the Fords Theater would be the same.

Over the last decade, there's definitely been a trend towards casual attire here, even at upscale restaurants like Maestro and Galileo. I don't attribute this to tourism (which I agree is important to D.C.), as much as the high tech/internet industry that came to the D.C. area during that period. Before then, it was lawyers and politicians who dominated the cultural scene -- a group not known for being laid back in their attire.

But with the young and wealthy dot com crowd frequenting D.C.'s finer establishments more and more, businesses had to relax their dress codes. It's not to say that people won't still get dressed up to go to these places, just that it's also acceptable to be more casual. Anyway, just my take on things.

Thanks to you all! Any opinions about favorite day spas? Most romantic restaurants?

Check out Washingtonian magazine. They have done features on both day spas and restaurants.

For a grand dining experience, try Galileo's Laboratoria. But be prepared to lay out the dough, maybe $ 400 for dinner for two, wine included.

To Shane
Thanks-i've see that mentioned many times in my research. seems all the most highly rated places are $$$$, but that is to be expected. Also, Citronelle keeps popping up, as does Inn at Little Wash. but not goin to leave city.

Some things never change. I believe when Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln went to the Ford's Theatre they were both wearing black also.