LCHS Choral Wardrobe FAQs
2023-2024
Students will be fitted during class and issued wardrobe to take home. Fittings will start August 16 and end when all students have been issued their choir specific attire. They will receive their dress or suit with instructions and a garment bag.
We are requesting a $75.00 Wardrobe Donation for wardrobe rental, choir specific sweatshirt and a choir program T-shirt and jewelry, as needed. All payments can be made through our website. The order form will be made available after the All-Parent meeting on August 28.
Please read all instructions and website information to help your child be concert ready for our October Fall Concert. If there is a financial need, please contact Dr. Brookey directly.
(Last updated 08/28/2023)
1. How do I get my child fitted for his/her choral attire?
Most wardrobe fittings will take place during class. If necessary, we will announce a fitting day after school or on a Saturday. This will be communicated to parents via email and to students in class. Garment bags will be placed in alphabetical order and can be taken home as soon as they are issued. At the end of the school year, singers turn in their cleaned attire only if they are graduating, leaving the choir program, moving to a new choir with a different dress or vest, or needing a new size. A clothing rack will be available in the choir room on which students may hang their cleaned and labeled outfits.
2. How much does choir wardrobe cost?
We ask families to donate $75 per singer per year to the wardrobe fund. It is basically a rental program, but one where singers can update size as needed throughout the year. Used items are returned to the inventory. Make sure to clean all items and clearly label with student name and choir. The fund also pays for new clothing items needed for our inventory, buttons, dress pins, and any other wardrobe expense incurred over the course of the school year. This donation also includes a student designed sweatshirt and a T-shirt. These are worn on concert days to school as well as on field trips, for photos, for assemblies and in casual performances.
Families with financial concerns should speak to Dr. Brookey to discuss accommodations.
3. Will I need to alter the wardrobe?
You will likely need to hem the dress, pants legs and/or jacket sleeves. Do not cut the hem, but fold under and stitch it gently. Local dry cleaners will hem the clothing for a reasonable fee if you are not handy with needle and thread. If you feel more alterations are needed, please contact the wardrobe chair to see if better fitting attire can be found for your singer.
DRESSES should be hemmed 1.0 inch above the floor with shoes on.
PANTS should be hemmed 0.5-1.0 inches above the floor with shoes on.
4. How do I clean the choir wardrobe?
Please clean wardrobe after each use, and also before turning them in to be added to our inventory of used items.
All dresses can be machine washed and hung to dry. Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, remove pins before washing, then re-attach after.
Please have tux jackets, tux pants, vests, and ties dry cleaned.
5. What do i need to provide for my child’s wardrobe?
For Ladies, the Choral Department will provide a choir specific dress. Parents will need to provide Black Tights (these are mandatory) and Black Dress Shoes. These can be flats or pumps with a small heel, but must be leather or suede, black in color and close toed. No canvas shoes of any kind are allowed.
For Gentlemen, the Choir Department will provide a Jacket, Pants, a Vest and a Tie. Parents will provide Black Dress Socks (no ankle socks) and Black Dress Shoes. Shoes need to be leather dress shoes in clean condition with a black heel (no canvas or athletic shoes of any kind). Parents also need to provide a crisp, White long sleeved Dress Shirt (no oxford shirts) with a starched large collar for a tie.
6. How should my child’s hair be styled for concerts?
All singers’ hair must be up and away from their faces and up.
Ladies should put hair in a bun or top knot. If hair is long enough for a 3+ inch long pony tail, it’s enough for a bun. Please take time to practice in advance of a concert. Before you start, it’s best to have the following items:
comb/brush
ponytail band/holder
styling hair pins/”bun pins” (U-shaped, used to conceal edges of bun and connect it to the rest of your hair)
standard bobby pins, of a color close to your hair color (used to keep shorter, layered, or fly-away hair flat)
hair spray or hair gel, also to keep hair smooth and flat
One suggested technique is described in the video to the left. Note: you don’t need to use a hair net, since the girls won’t be dancing!
If pony tail is too short to twist, gather the ponytail lower on the back of the girl’s head. If it’s still too short, make a “fountain” by letting the hair in the pony tail fall evenly on all sides of the ponytail holder, then tuck the ends underneath and pin down – a hair net would help with this.
Gentlemen need to have neat and tidy hair. If it is long in front, use gel or mousse and bobby pins to keep it off face. If hair is long, pull back in a neat ponytail.
7. Should my daughter wear jewelry?
Concert Choir and Chamber Singers have custom earrings as part of their wardrobe. Women’s Ensemble and Honor’s Choir have a custom necklace. Jewelry costs are included in the wardrobe donation. Details will be available at the beginning of each school year. Ladies in other choirs may wear simple stud earrings if they choose. No other necklaces are to be worn.
8. Will my child need to bring wardrobe to an event, or will they always wear it to concerts?
There are times your child will need to CARRY all wardrobe items with him/her. This may be for a tour or a festival. Each singer must have a garment bag with his/her name on it, and ALL pieces of their wardrobe should fit well in that bag, INCLUDING SHOES and SOCKS/TIGHTS.
The CPA provides each singer with a garment bag with our choral department logo on it. This is a gift to each student, and he or she may keep the bag after they leave the program as a souvenir of their time singing at LCHS. If your child loses his or her bag, a replacement bag is available for $20. Each student will also be issued a color coded name tag to insert in their garment bag label slot for easy identification.
9. How do I make sure my child is concert ready?
When you have all your pieces together, check your child in their full attire with shoes, dress shirts, etc. and make necessary adjustments so they are ready for the October Fall Concert. Parents help your Girls arrive for concerts dressed and ready, with tights on, hair in a bun and jewelry on. For Gentlemen, ensure they have a well-fitting, crisp and clean white dress shirt, shoes clean and polished and hair neat and tidy.
10. any further questions?
Please contact the Wardrobe Chair. For financial assistance, please contact Dr. Brookey.