An edit

What to Wear to the Ballet

Tailored blazers, silk shirts, pleated trousers, dresses, and leather shoes from independent boutiques for a night at the ballet or theatre.

Deciding what to wear to the ballet calls for tailored jackets, pleated trousers, dresses and leather shoes that feel considered without becoming stiff evening wear. The National Ballet of Canada in Toronto says there is no dress code at the ballet and that all looks are welcome. Dark shades of blue and black make a quiet base for sculptural folds and rich textures.

Homme Plisse Issey Miyake pleats its pieces after they are sewn, so they resist wrinkles through a long performance. Pleats Please Issey Miyake grew out of pleated costumes Issey Miyake made for Ballett Frankfurt in the early nineties. Sulvam, the Japanese label Teppei Fujita started in the mid twenty tens, reworks classic tailoring. Pair a suit or blazer with a crisp shirt, and add a fine wool coat for the walk between the theatre and the street.

WDLT117 in Toronto brings sculptural jackets, coats and pleated pieces. Due West in Toronto adds Mackage coats and jackets, and Utopia in Toronto adds Rick Owens, Louis Vuitton and Dior.

Pleats Please Issey Miyake Mellow Pleats Sleeveless High Neck Dress Charcoal at WDLT117 on within

Pleats Please Issey Miyake

Mellow Pleats Sleeveless High Neck Dress Charcoal

Pleats Please Issey Miyake Classic Pleated Midi-dress Greige at WDLT117 on within

Pleats Please Issey Miyake

Classic Pleated Midi-dress Greige

Undercover Wool Languid Jacket Black at WDLT117 on within

Wool Languid Jacket Black

NOK 17,822Last one

RUOHAN Skara Jacket Dune in Beige at WDLT117 on within

Skara Jacket Dune

Song for the Mute "Daisy" Pleated Skirt Navy worn by a model, at WDLT117 on within

Song for the Mute

"Daisy" Pleated Skirt Navy

NOK 5,248Last one

Song for the Mute Pleated Mini Skirt Beige at WDLT117 on within

Song for the Mute

Pleated Mini Skirt Beige

NOK 3,927Last one

Pleats Please Issey Miyake Pleated Midi-Dress Cool Grey at WDLT117 on within

Pleats Please Issey Miyake

Pleated Midi-Dress Cool Grey

Pleats Please Issey Miyake Playground Dress Purple at WDLT117 on within

Pleats Please Issey Miyake

Playground Dress Purple

RUOHAN Umber Raas Coat in Grey at WDLT117 on within

Umber Raas Coat

RUOHAN Cooperi Coat Taupe at WDLT117 on within

Cooperi Coat Taupe

NOK 14,521Last one

MM6 Maison Margiela Pinstripe Wool Wide-leg Trousers Black, front view, at WDLT117 on within

MM6 Maison Margiela

Pinstripe Wool Wide-leg Trousers Black

MM6 Maison Margiela Buttoned Patterned Straight Trousers Anthracite in Grey, front view, at WDLT117 on within

MM6 Maison Margiela

Buttoned Patterned Straight Trousers Anthracite

Litkovska Ruffled Midi Skirt Black at WDLT117 on within

Ruffled Midi Skirt Black

NOK 7,723Last one

UJOH Random Hem Flare Skirt Navy at WDLT117 on within

Random Hem Flare Skirt Navy

NOK 7,558Last one

MM6 Maison Margiela Folded Wool Dress Dk. Grey, front view, at WDLT117 on within

MM6 Maison Margiela

Folded Wool Dress Dk. Grey

RUOHAN Bouvet Dress Bark at WDLT117 on within

Bouvet Dress Bark

NOK 6,568Last one

UJOH Random Hem Flare Skirt Olive Grey at WDLT117 on within

Random Hem Flare Skirt Olive Grey

UJOH Work Flare Skirt Black at WDLT117 on within

Work Flare Skirt Black

NOK 6,271Last one

Ottolinger Liberated Double Jacket Green, front view, at WDLT117 on within

Liberated Double Jacket Green

NOK 9,373Last one

Undercover Shawl-lapel Bomber jacket Black at WDLT117 on within

Shawl-lapel Bomber jacket Black

NOK 7,254~~NOK 10,528~~Last one

Nina Ricci Bow-detail Flared Trousers Black, front view, at WDLT117 on within

Bow-detail Flared Trousers Black

NOK 10,429Last one

UJOH Belted Wide Pants Sand at WDLT117 on within

Belted Wide Pants Sand

MM6 Maison Margiela Two-tone Mini Skirt Beige, front view, at WDLT117 on within

MM6 Maison Margiela

Two-tone Mini Skirt Beige

Y/Project Banana Slim Pants L.Blue, front view, at WDLT117 on within

Banana Slim Pants L.Blue

NOK 2,634~~NOK 7,228~~Last one

Looks in this edit

First snow in Yorkville. Flat lay of a dark chocolate RUOHAN coat, a grey Nina Ricci sweater and dark anthracite MM6 trousers.

First snow in Yorkville

Blue fold lines in Kiyosumi. An adult woman wears cream and blue Pleats Please layers, black cocoon trousers and pale blue Guidi shoes in a Tokyo courtyard.

Blue fold lines in Kiyosumi

The pieces of A Patou camel jacket on a Paris morning

A Patou camel jacket on a Paris morning

Silk after hours. Flat lay of a black Nina Ricci blouse, black MM6 trousers, black Coperni flats and Tom Wood hoop earrings.

Silk after hours

Blue hour on the Corniche. Flat lay of a dark navy Undercover shirt, a camel skirt, dark brown Guidi boots and a white Louis Vuitton bag.

Blue hour on the Corniche

A flight to Paris. Flat lay of a grey Issey Miyake dress, a black cardigan, black MM6 ballet flats and a yellow Louis Vuitton bag.

A flight to Paris

Common questions

What is the dress code for attending an evening ballet performance?

The National Ballet of Canada says there is no dress code at the ballet and that all looks are welcome. For an evening show, a tailored jacket with pressed trousers or a midi skirt is a simple choice.

Which fabrics work best for sitting through a long performance?

Permanent pleats and fine wool resist wrinkles through a long sitting. Stiff cottons and heavy brocades can bind while seated, so soft knits are a practical choice. The National Ballet of Canada notes that most ballets have at least one intermission.

Which designers specialize in comfortable tailoring for evening arts events?

Homme Plisse Issey Miyake makes pleated separates that are light, quick to dry and easy to wear. Sulvam, a Japanese label started by Teppei Fujita, reworks classic tailoring in a modern way.