If your DD is in high school band or choir

[SandiH]

DS's orchestra checks out concert attire for both boys and girls. Boys are in tuxes (we provide the shirt, socks and shoes), girls are in long black skirts and black blouses. It's so nice that it's part of a uniformed, check out, just like any other "team". Good luck finding the skirt. They are pretty simple to make if you know someone who sews.

 

[disneymarie]

DS's orchestra checks out concert attire for both boys and girls. Boys are in tuxes (we provide the shirt, socks and shoes), girls are in long black skirts and black blouses. It's so nice that it's part of a uniformed, check out, just like any other "team". Good luck finding the skirt. They are pretty simple to make if you know someone who sews.

That made me think of something, how many parents are in the same boat?
Can you pull together and do a pain pattern, Take one of the skirts that fit the child, measure for hem and make an A line pattern news paper.

Start an assembly line to cut them, one to put together, one sewing, one heming.
Maybe get them done in a day or two...
I hope something works out, the holidays are so stressful anyway.
di

PS I happen to think about Etsy.com lots of ladies there do sewing to needs. You could post to someone that could do this, get a cost and send size maybe less $ and stress then shopping for it.

 

[Imzadi]

I was in choir in high school. I had to wear a long black skirt.

I found a cheapo polyester one that was great. It was all wash & wear, with no wrinkling. Get a basic tube shape if you can then just take up the sides a little and the hem.

Ditto the Salvation Army. I found plenty of costumes & outfits for plays there. Maybe try Chadwicks. They have a petite department. It's holiday season. With New Year's Eve coming, there should be black skirts all over the place, even for girls.

 

[mominwestlake]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I will check out all the websites and maybe even check out some thrift shops if I have time. I did send the band director an email about the trouble finding a long, black skirt. Maybe other parents are having the same problem. It would be so much easier if there was one company to order from then everyone shopping on their own.

There really isn't a way they can tell you in September what your attire will be- at least for the females. Our school has 2 bands- concert and symphonic- and you don't audition until the end of marching season. I don't think the placement was posted until November 9th. That said, dd has only been playing flute for a little over a year and I should have known she'd be in concert band. I just didn't know you had to provide your own uniform.

Thanks again for all the help. I will check it all out today.

 

[golfgal]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I will check out all the websites and maybe even check out some thrift shops if I have time. I did send the band director an email about the trouble finding a long, black skirt. Maybe other parents are having the same problem. It would be so much easier if there was one company to order from then everyone shopping on their own.

There really isn't a way they can tell you in September what your attire will be- at least for the females. Our school has 2 bands- concert and symphonic- and you don't audition until the end of marching season. I don't think the placement was posted until November 9th. That said, dd has only been playing flute for a little over a year and I should have known she'd be in concert band. I just didn't know you had to provide your own uniform.

Thanks again for all the help. I will check it all out today.

I would suggest that the band purchase uniforms for the kids and rent them out for the year. Our lower bands require the kids to wear black bottoms and a white top, but the girls can wear pants. For the top 2 bands, wind ensemble and chamber, the girls wear a long black dress and the boys wear tuxes that the school owns. They get fitted for the dress/tux and use that until they graduate. We had the same set up when I was in orchestra in high school.

I think one of the moms actually made the dresses and can make more if needed. I am not sure where they got the tuxedos.

 

[familyS]

In our school district concert dress is communicated during open house and in a letter sent home that must be signed by a parent.

The girls wear black slacks or a long black skirt for middle school and high school.

At the elementary school concerts we saw many girls wear short skirts and they really were too young to know how to sit properly in them. When they sat down the audience saw their underwear This happened when the chorus sat on the steps during solos and during bad and orchestra concerts. I never understood why we had "repeat offenders;" what were their parents thinking

 

[jfranklyn]

I don't know where you live, but in some areas long black skirts are easy to find because there are large orthodox Jewish communities (and a long black skirt would be a staple of the female wardrobe). Where we live, you can find long black skirts in alot of places because of that. And they aren't expensive, and come in all different types of materials. I would definately try online - especially if your daughter is an easy fit.

 

[barkley]

when dd was in choir last year i did a google search for 'choir skirts' and found a few different companies. the prices were around the same-maybe $30. i ended up getting her 2 skirts-one that was a straight cut and one that was fuller. when i received them i appreciated the fact that they were made of fabrics that did'nt necessitate a long slip (keep in mind that with stage lights what might look fine in the way of being 'street clothes' can become translucent).

the reason i went with 2 skirts is because i did years of choir from 7th grade through college, and long black skirts were the most commonly requested by directors-and since we went to competitions and did performances that could be back to back, for several days running, it's nice to have one skirt to wear while the other is getting laundered (unless you want to be washing one the minute she gets home to be ready for morning).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That stinks. When my dd was in band they had to wear a concert dress, which was a black dress.
However we could order it from them.

Good Luck searching!

 

[jen0610]

I am sooo glad our school is very easy on the parents.

For band, the kids have to wear black pants with an orange polo shirt what we buy from the school. For jazz band, same black pants, with white button down shirt and orange tie, that we buy from the school.

For choir, the choirs all wear matching robes. Each level has a different style of robe. The swing choirs, wear their dresses and tuxs for all performances and those are picked out and paid for over the summer.

 

[Rora]

When I was in Choir we had to wear full length black dresses but they were supplied for us.

I have found long black skirts at GoodWill and I'm sure you could find any easy pattern to make one. OR, ask a seamstress!

Good luck OP!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was just wondering if your band had a "band boosters" club? They coordinated with the school, getting marching uniforms and the concert dresses.

In fact if you were done with your dress you donate it to the club and that was a fundraiser for them and a help to the students to buy a discounted outfit.

 

[dillydilly]

Last year I wanted a long black skirt to wear to dh's company Christmas party. I ended up finding one at JC Penney. I was surprised because they actually had 3 different kinds. They had 2 A line style black skirts (one with a slit and one without)and one with a ruffled bottom that was very very formal looking. They also carried the 2 A line styles in petites as well.

 

[mominwestlake]

Yes, we have a very active band boosters. I will definitely bring this up at our December meeting. I emailed the director last night. Today in band he asked the girls if they were having a harder time than usual finding a long, black skirt. They told him they always had a hard time and dd said he looked surprised. All he said was if they found one to let the others know where.

I did go to Penneys and found a beautiful skirt in the petite department. The smallest there was a 12 and the lady looked and the smallest she could find in area stores was a 4- still too big for dd.

I did order a skirt online today and I'm hoping it will fit and we'll like the material.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Yes, we have a very active band boosters. I will definitely bring this up at our December meeting. I emailed the director last night. Today in band he asked the girls if they were having a harder time than usual finding a long, black skirt. They told him they always had a hard time and dd said he looked surprised. All he said was if they found one to let the others know where.

What do kids in the other band have to wear? (the one your dd didn't get into?)

 

[Ppufi]

Same here. Skirts aren't long anymore; I'm having a real tough time.

 

[Minniemama350]

I used to teach HS chorus. The black and white attire is supposed to be a low budget alternative to a uniform. However, I have never found that to be the case, which is why I changed my kids to a uniform that we fundraised for. (I spent too much money over my chorus years with this supposedly low-budget fix.)My parents had the option to fundraise for or pay for or do a combination of the two for a standard uniform that we fit the kids for. In my experience, you will do best online finding what you need. Good luck. You may want to suggest uniforms at the next booster meeting.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

Yeah, thats what I had to wear for choir, and I hated it!! Long black skirt, white shirt. And they ALWAYS made us tuck it in. For a chubby girl with a body complex.... I almost quit because of that!!!

 

[mominwestlake]

Symphonic band wears long, black dresses. You are assigned one at the beginning of 2nd quarter and wear it to all performances throughout the year. At the end of the school year, you must have it dry cleaned and turn it back in. The boys all get tuxedos for the year. I think they buy their shirts.

 

[tiggger1]

what size is she usually? There are some skirts on ebay for super cheap!
http://cgi.ebay.com/FLIRTY-Black-WH...ItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Skirts?hash=item5ad50b5511

http://cgi.ebay.com/Misses-Notation...ItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Skirts?hash=item4a9c32f757

http://cgi.ebay.com/CLASSY-Long-Bla...ItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Skirts?hash=item5ad5113900