<p>thumper1....we love the thrift stores at our house too!! I am hoping the tux we bought will last several years. I think we gave $89 for it. We even made a tie and cumberbund ourselves.</p>
<p>The Goodwilll stores for tuxes are great, but you have to be in the right place at the right time. One other source to consider is buying a "used" tux from the local formalwear rental store. Son got a Christian Dior for $150; they threw in the tie, cumbersomebund, and a wing collarshirt and alterations inclusive. 5 years and umpteen performances later, it looks as good now as the day he got it, and it looked never worn from the get-go. One minor seam repair is all the maintenance it has seen.</p>
<p>According to the "Lifebook" from BUTI that I downloaded off the website, nobody wears a tux at Tanglewood. Black suit, yes, but nothing about a tux. It certainly seems "formal", i.e. black suit, black pants, black socks and dress shoes, but not tux formal. It does say white dress shirt and/or short-sleeve white dress shirt. My son is attending the YAVP program and could bring either a black dress suit or a black tux, but I would really rather he not bring both unless it's necessary.</p>
<p>I checked the photos of the instrumentalists (i.e. my son), and they definitely wore tuxes. That was 2003 and 2002. We went to Tanglewood on Parade in 2002 and the chorus sang. They also wore tuxes. Perhaps someone with more "current" news could respond. Oh...my recollection was we sent both suit and tux. But we live pretty closeby.</p>
<p>Thumper, we couldn't find any wool suit that said "pure white." They all said "off white" or "ivory." The dress code specifically said it had to be pure white. We ordered his online, and looked at many companies. We also visited a couple tux shops in the area. Mens Wearhouse is the one who told us we would have to buy polyester in order to get pure white, and they don't carry polyester.</p>
<p>We got this one:
<a href="http://www.premiertuxedos.com/DinnerJackets/pages/NAdjshawl.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.premiertuxedos.com/DinnerJackets/pages/NAdjshawl.htm</a></p>
<p>The Tanglewood brochure looks like the guys are wearing tuxes. Either way, I am sure it will be fine.</p>
<p>yes, they aren't too stringent at tanglewood about clothing choices. as long as you're close to the requirements, you'll be fine. for example, last year i wore a slightly off-white top instead of pure white and it was fine. </p>
<p>just do your best. it's all about the music anyway.</p>
<p>Sorry for the confusion, caused by discussing off-topic tuxes! My kid will not be attending Tanglewood - the pure white tux requirement is for another program, Music Academy of the West.</p>
<p>My kids also won't be at T'Wood this summer. His white dinner jacket is for Aspen. Binx...I have to say...I'm glad DS was able to get the lightweight wool. I got it at Syms and with my 20% off card it cost me a whopping $79.99. A deal. Of course, I'll be kicking myself if in a year he ends up somewhere and I have to buy him a poly one.</p>
<p>Re: Goodwill...the BEST stuff I've gotten there has been "misfiled". DS's gorgeous tux and tails both were filed with the women's suits. I found an Eddie Bauer leather jacket (womens) in the mens rack ($36 was what I paid for it...tags on it $250). So...if you're looking for men's clothes, don't ignore the women's section. </p>
<p>Now back to the topic.</p>
<p>OK...another question. Is there closet space? I wanted to send some hangers and clothes pins to hang towels on...and the other things that won't dry in the humidity.</p>
<p>We just had to by son a white dinner jacket. We got a used one from a tux rental place and still had to pay $139. However, if we had gotten a new one, it was $350! He better not spill anything on it....</p>
<p>Yeah, I sent my S with a Tide stain stick, and told him to keep it in his horn case!</p>
<p>There is closet space at Tanglewood but it is not very big. There is room to hang the clothes the kids need. I personally would NOT recommend hanging wet clothes in the closet with the tuxes, and other dress clothes.</p>
<p>Oh Shennie, next time, send your guy to me. We have become very "thrifty" buying concert clothes. I don't own stock in Syms, but I can hardily recommend it. There is one in the greater NYC area. I know my BIL (an investment banker) bought all of his suits there. The prices can't be beat, and they will order sizes they do not have in stock. We looked at a bunch of places for that dinner jacket. To be honest, the one we got was nicer than the $350 one I saw at the men's clothing store (and almost bought). DS likes it too.</p>
<p>for girls, there's closet space on the 2nd floor of stockbridge, and wardrobe space on the 1st floor. in copley, there's closet space.</p>
<p>Just remembered another..</p>
<p>Lawn blanket or even better, a small, easily portable lawn chair-because whatever blanket or towel they sit on gets soaked! And they are hanging out on the lawn, listening to concerts, almost every night!</p>
<p>oh, and by they way, my D tells me a music stand doubles as a towel rack-except during chamber music rehearsals!</p>
<p>Bump - for any last minute ideas!</p>
<p>Rain jacket. DS said it has been raining a lot and I am sending one out to him.</p>
<p>Thanks, we have been having a bit of a battle about taking some kind of raingear. Has it put much of a damper on the concerts?</p>
<p>I don't think so. We don't get to talk too much. I listened to "Prairie Home Companion" live from Tanglewood today on the radio. I am going out on July 14 for the concert. What instrument does your DS/DD play?</p>
<p>Voice. It's 3:15 a.m. and we are leaving in about 15 minutes so he can catch the beginning of a 6:00 a.m. flight East. He is going solo and our only concern is the layover in Dulles, but he assures us that he will be okay. He's probably right. Hopefully his "instrument" doesn't get lost on the flight. We won't go out until the concert on the 11th of August.</p>