unwritten dress code? (Portland, Phoenix: wedding, buy, theater)

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

thanks everyone

I really didn't need to add the cost of a new suit just to see a performance of an opera.

I take it that one of my old sport jackets (provided I still fit into it) and a new pair of slacks will be good to go.

Thanks again.
Phil

PS- this is of course subject to change depending on the "dress up" level of the lady I hope to be escorting. If she holds out for me to be in rented tux---- ah, well........ {sigh}

I can't say I have EVER seen a tux in Portland. Except maybe at a wedding. I would imagine that if you had a tux on, the lady in question would be mortified. Shower, shave (maybe not the beard), put on a nice pair of pants and a good shirt and you're good to go. And stop worrying! Be charming and all will go well! Tell her she looks great and smells good.

[Nell Plotts]

If she holds out for a tux you had better look long and hard about the event or the lady!!

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by sayulita

Be charming and all will go well! Tell her she looks great and smells good.

...and whatever you do, don't talk politics!!

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by karlsch

...and whatever you do, don't talk politics!!

NO POLITICS???
Moi?

Wouldn't that be almost like, ah,...going cold turkey?

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by sayulita

What a ko-inkydink! I saw "Wicked" last week in San Francisco as well and observed the same casual attire. It was an evening performance and one of the last three days of the show. The audience looked the same as it would here. Nobody looked out of place though. I wonder if New York has higher standards.

New Yorkers (Natives and Transplants, alike) make frequent comments about the hideous attire of tourists at matinee Broadway performances. Tourists in S.F. are about the same. Going to the opera in these cities is an entirely different matter. I would hope that a suit or nice slacks, button down shirt or sweater would be perfectly normal for the typical male opera, symphony, or theater goer in PDX. I am sure my expectations are too high, though.

[TiredofPHX]

Originally Posted by BillInScottsdale

If you were in Phoenix during the planning and unveiling of the Dodge Theatre you no doubt remember how it was to be "a venue to attract 1st Tier entertainment including Opera, Concerts, off Broadway Plays, Dance Troupes, etc etc." The missing link to the Downtown Cultural Scene.
So what did we get within the first opening dates?
Mexico vs Central America Welterweight boxing and beer in paper cups. From there it has digressed to all the different Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting blood sports. Only in Phoenix can you see Norah Jones Friday night and a bunch of drunks cheering on fat, toothless, steroided up "rasslers" on Saturday, --all in the same house.
(I'm sure that comment will get me in deeper trouble with all the AZ Realtors who double as board monitors here)
Portland or almost anywhere in the NorthWest will be a breath of fresh air. Happy Travels.

Pathetic, isn't it?

It proves even more what I have posted about PHX. The whole city is a cesspool of lowlifes. People would rather go to a venue to see midget wrestling, Larry the Cable guy, or NASCAR than a good concert, play, or symphony orchestra.

America's 5th biggest city is high-ranking in population statistics only. There is hardly anything high-class about PHX unless you look long and hard to find something in Scottsdale or the Biltmore area.

Even in the nicer areas you see slobs in baggy clothes, flip-flops, and ballcaps; and they will claim the heat makes them dress that way.

All the more reason I want to leave PHX ASAP.

[Minervah]

Some years ago I was a frequent attendee of the Portland Opera. Although I saw some women dressed up beautifully in evening clothes I never saw men dressed in anything more classy than a business suit.

On the whole, most people just dressed in nice clothes they would wear to an office. I think some of the way people dressed was determined by whether or not they were doing a night on the town which included a fancy restaurant along with their opera attendance.

[PNW-type-gal]

The only difference between Phoenix casual and PDX casual will be: frequency of wearing sunglasses, frequency of wearing shorts, amount of tan.

Portland is a very casually-dressed city. At the very nice places you will generally see business suits (men and woman) and maybe a cocktail dress (most likely on a woman). There is really only "weddings and funerals" formal past that. A tux will molder away in your closet here.

Even at some of the very fancy places you will see men in "engineering casual" (chinos and a button-up shirt with a sport coat, sweater or Gortex/fleece jacket). You may even see a few people in jeans, you will likely see many people in "vintage" wear.

I THINK the only place that requires a tie is El Gaucho, the vastly over-priced steak house by the Benson. Although I believe they've changed that policy in the last decade or so.

[Leisesturm]

I am glad I read some follow-up posts before responding directly to the original post. Due to the sensitive nature of the evening in question I would submit that matters of a PDX 'dress code' unwritten or not, go out the window in absolute deference to the tastes of the lady in question. As it has been observed that, in general, Portland's women tend to dress an order of magnitude better than most of the men, it is an almost certainty that a female opera lover in mixed company will be leaning towards style and sophistication.

Target sells amazingly cheap dress slacks that look awesome. I have worn a pair in concert, they look that good, ~$10.00, I'm not kidding, and it wasn't a sale. Rold Gold or something like that. They do khaki's as well, same president, have about five pairs of the khaki colored ones and three of the black. I would check that jacket for fit now so you can do something about it if the years have been kinder to you than you thought. Even if it fits you might want to check the width of the lapels against current styles to see if they're back in or not.

Not much to add, you've gotten great advice already, to wit: "Tell her she looks great and smells good." Can't argue with that but I'd suggest a bit of an upgrade. If you feel silly telling her she looks 'divine', try switching to French. Tres suave. I would also second karlsch's advice about conversation subjects but I usually let the lady lead. She may want to find out whether she has a live one on the end of her hook and what better way than to 'go there'. But, please, tell me that this isn't a first date... ...

H

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

'. But, please, tell me that this isn't a first date... ...

1st date? We're both well over 60 yrs old, so I don't think so...

But thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments. I'm going with my pre-retirement office business casual, but with maybe a new tie. Forgo the sport coat.

It may be a moot point, Pagliacci (pah-LYATCH-ee?) is basically sold out.

Although I do qualify for the "Rush" seating for over 62 or college student, stand in line for hours and one hour before show time, any unsold single seats are offered at $20.00 ($10.00 for students) on a 1st come, 1st served basis. However, I cannot imagine any seats will go unsold for these performances by this production. And, obviously, I would be attending without an escort if I did Rush Tickets.