[caption id="attachment_2953" align="alignleft" width="300"] Opera Formal Wear[/caption] Are you planning to go to the opera soon? Attending an opera is often one of the most formal social events. While it’s true that people no longer dress up quite as much to attend the opera as they used to, it’s still by no means a jeans and t-shirt event. Here are five different formal looks for men and women who are planning a night at the opera.

Women

Women have two options: a dress/skirt or a nice pair of pants.

1. Many women wear a nice dress or skirt. This should be at least knee-length or longer. If wearing a skirt, you should pick a nice dressy top to go with it. Sneakers are out, obviously, but if you don’t like wearing heels, you can wear ballet flats or a pair of nice boots or dressy shoes. If it’s cold, wear a warm jacket or a wrap. If you really want to go formal, select a long gown and wear heels and matching elbow length gloves.

2. If you’d rather wear pants, select a nice pair of dress pants. Pantsuits are also a good option—basically think of what you might wear to a formal wedding or work event. Add a few pieces of jewelry to add a little extra. If you’re wearing a pantsuit or jacket, for example, you could add a nice broach to it. For shoes, again avoid sneakers, but anything else is usually fine.

Men

At first glance, it may seem like men have fewer options than women, but they actually don’t. There are a number of different things men could wear to the opera.

1. For the most formal events, you could go with a full designer tuxedo such as a Calvin Klein modern fit tux. A classic tuxedo paired with a black bowtie is one of the most formal looks for a man. If you don’t own a bowtie, you can add a standard or slim tie. This look isn’t quite as formal, but it’s still perfect for the opera.

2. For a slightly less formal look, you can wear a pair of nice dress pants and a jacket. There are many different jackets available, and anything that looks nice will work. One of the nice things about going with this look is that you can mix and match colors. You can wear a pair of dark pants with a red tuxedo jacket, for example, if you don’t like the all-black look. This particular red tuxedo jacket by Kent & Park is definitely dressy enough for the opera and its black lapels coordinate perfectly with black pants.

3. A jacket isn’t always necessary for the opera, especially if you’re attending an afternoon performance. However, you certainly need to wear a nice pair of dress pants, a button down shirt, and a tie. One good option for your shirt is a slim fit tuxedo shirt. Cardi makes a clean, crisp shirt that will go with any color pants and any tie. It’s nondescript yet formal enough for any occasion.

Hopefully these tips will help you decide what to wear to the opera. For this type of event, it’s often better to be overdressed than underdressed, so if you’re uncertain what to wear, go with the more formal option.