<p>For those on the lookout for appropriate recital dresses, Nordstrom has a great sale going now. I think it is a challenge to find stylish, reasonably priced gowns, with the appropriate "coverage" for a recital. I've found Nordstrom Rack to be a good source, but the prices of some gowns on the website not rival Rack prices. It is even more of challenge to find appropriate shorter dresses - ones that fall below the knee.</p>
<p>Check out the Tadashi’s on sale at Nordstrom. He makes beautiful well made gowns. D has two and has just about “worn them out”. <a href=“http://www.tadashicollection.com/#[/url]”>www.tadashicollection.com/#</a></p>
<p>Also–we are going to hit a high end outlet center about an hours drive away. Yves St Laurent, Barneys, Dolce and Gabbana et al. Starting this upcoming Saturday most stores knock another 70% off of formal wear. D wants to see if she can get an audition dress at Diane Von Furstenberg. wooooooot</p>
<p>Agree - always on the lookout for Tadashi. Had some good luck with Aidan Mattox too. D’s senior recital is in March and she’s doing a mix of classical and MT so she’s looking for things that will be “classic” but not too frumpy for MT.</p>
<p>So, as the mom of a “soprano-in-training” how much is generally spent on recital gowns? My D will be starting as a mid-year sophomore at Walnut Hill in a few weeks and I know that it’s only a matter of time before she’ll need one! There will probably be some competitions in her near future and at least a Senior recital. I started telling my DH that it was just part of the package and I could see he was already starting to add up the cost… :)</p>
<p>How much you spend is based on how well you shop! D shops sales only and with one exception never pays over $250. Usually much less than that. Your student might want to consult with her teacher as to what sort of gowns are appropriate for her body type and there are all kinds of seemingly arbitrary rules depending on the recital time, location, music etc.
Take advantage of seasonal sales and good quality consignment shops.The most D has spent on a gown was around $500, but it was a big name designer gown from a consignment shop that was worn once and probably originally cost 3000-6000… Velvet and shot silk, all hand made. She has worn it in the last two years to a half dozen performances. Buy classic looks that will wear well into the next few years.</p>
<p>Thank god I’m a good shopper! It sounds like she’ll eventually need a few different gowns to switch off with. She’s also an easy fit with the body type that I could only dream that I ever had!</p>
<p>Right now I’m on the hunt for a black dress for her to wear for her NEC recitals. All of the vocal majors at WH are part of NEC’s Youth Chorale/Camarata since the music school is partnered with them. I looked at old videos and it looks like there is no dress code except that it’s black and a skirt/dress with some sort of sleeve (not sleeveless). It’s impossible to match blacks with a shirt and a skirt so we’re looking for a dress. If anyone knows of some place for me to search - it would be very much appreciated. Everything I’ve seen on line is just a touch too sexy LOL! Maybe now that the holidays are over…</p>
<p>[Tadashi</a> Shoji Asymmetrical Ruched Mesh Gown | Nordstrom](<a href=“http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/tadashi-shoji-asymmetrical-ruched-mesh-gown/3129719?origin=related-3129719-0-0-1-1]Tadashi”>http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/tadashi-shoji-asymmetrical-ruched-mesh-gown/3129719?origin=related-3129719-0-0-1-1)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bluefly.com/Tadashi-Shoji-black-stretch-jersey-self-belt-long-dress/SEARCH/317648301/detail.fly[/url]”>www.bluefly.com/Tadashi-Shoji-black-stretch-jersey-self-belt-long-dress/SEARCH/317648301/detail.fly</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/js-collections-illusion-bodice-dress/2843969?origin=related-2843969-0-0-1-1[/url]”>http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/js-collections-illusion-bodice-dress/2843969?origin=related-2843969-0-0-1-1</a></p>
<p>Great minds! That Nordstrom choice is the one I was going to link to - just looked at it a few minutes ago and wished it came in something other than black since D isn’t interested in black for her recital. </p>
<p>I found my D’s junior recital dress on Ebay - it was a older Jessica McClintock that was a cross between dark teal and emerald green with a beaded top and a full skirt. McClintock’s never were expensive so I got it for about $50. It photographed beautifully and looked great on stage. D is very fair and looks best in jewel tones.</p>
<p>While we’re at it - another recital challenge - shoes.</p>
<p>Edited to add - keep an eye on Rue la la for designer dresses and shoes too.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to look for the good basic black gown too. Needed for all kinds of concerts when in chorus or other performances when they requested black. She did not use black for recitals and most at her school used colors for recitals. . We have also found good ones on ideeli but our best deals have come from sales on Nordstrom’s web site.</p>
<p>Shoes are surprisingly tough. Five years ago D found a pair of black closed toe pumps that are now her “lucky” shoes. I think she tried on several dozen pairs, since the shoe height changes the way your torso and diaphragm are positioned…eerrrrrr sumthin like that(??) That’s yet another thing to consider when buying a dress----can she breath properly? More than one sales lady has been treated to an impromptu concert in the dressing room
Thanks for starting this thread, I LOVE pretending to spend other peoples money.</p>
<p>Wow! So much to consider. It was easier with my S. He swam through college and all I needed to worry about was a tiny suit (although some of those were $300) 
I’m hoping whatever dress I get her for NEC choir/WH will take her through the next 2 1/2 years since there are only a few concerts each year. Most of the kids aren’t in long dresses either. It’s a real mishmash which to me makes it harder. I want her to look good - but not stand out either. I was thinking of some sort of wrap dress that came right above the knee. I can’t wait to buy her a gown or two. I know I’ll have more fun doing that than her!</p>
<p>yes…it’s like one long prom</p>
<p>jandsmom - I recommend going with right below the knee. She will get more use from it. No matter how pretty the legs, knees are not the most attractive part of the body and the views during auditions and recitals can focus the eye on too much knee. My D sings with a relaxed slightly bent knee so a below the knee dress is much more flattering. </p>
<p>I an concerned that the shoes D has chosen for her senior recital are too high. She will have to practice in them quite a bit. One fallback for a economical conservative shoe is the dyeable bridal shoe.</p>
<p>My daughter adores Tadashi and has made some awesome finds at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls but it is strictly hit or miss so we stockpile them for the future. This year a new website called <a href=“http://www.myhabit.com%5B/url%5D”>www.myhabit.com</a> came out from Amazon and it is filled with all designer stuff. I ended up finding a fabulous gown from Sue Wong on there for 25% of it’s original value. Only problem is the website opens at noon EST and if you get on there at 12:05 pm your chances of finding your choice diminishes drastically since there may be only one or two of each size per item. I did quite a bit of Christmas shopping on that site - especially when they had a 20% off coupon for awhile there as well. If you sign up for their e-mail notification, it comes 15 minutes before the site displays their new items for the day. Free shipping :)</p>
<p>That is how Rue la la works. You have to go on at 11am to get the best deals. I’ll have to sign up for myhabit too. Thanks.</p>
<p>I have to check out myhabit and Rue la la. We have, however, bought an excellent Valentino on Gilt.com… Mid calf silk dress for auditions. List price $750 and bought on Gilt for $170 with free shipping. Gilt used to have rather rigid return requirements, but they have loosened up recently.</p>
<p>Since you folks are clearly expert shoppers, do you have any suggestions of stores for my daughters? Both are quite petite, 4’9 and 4’11. Although slim, they have matured out of the children’s section but have not quite grown to the smallest womens sizes. They need performance clothes, instrumentalist recital clothing, and job interview clothing.</p>
<p>I would think that at under 5 feet tall, alterations will be difficult to avoid. All of my formal and business attire has been altered to fit me (5 foot 2 and fairly slim). We’ve found that our local dry cleaner does a perfect job with all of my alterations, and for a reasonable price. Stores like Macy’s are great for business attire, and they have petite sections. I’d look for sizes 0P-4P, and then get them hemmed and taken in. Nordstrom and the Rack will also do a pretty good job. The prices are lower if you’ve purchased your clothing at their store, but they normally will still alter anything. Be careful for long dresses with lots of layers at the bottom, because they may prove more difficult for seamstresses to hem. Same with embellishments at the bottom. I’ve found that my altered clothing looks a lot better than clothing that I bought and already fits me anyways, because then your clothing is really made to fit you. The one time I found a formal dress that I barely had to hem was at Cache, but even then, I needed quite a bit of a heel. I’d also google your area for specialty prom and bridal shops. They normally have huge selections, and are pretty knowledgable with designers. I’ve been involved in pageantry several years, so I’ve done lots of business and formal shopping and altering! </p>
<p>Singer shoe question: How high is too high? I’ve normally just gone with flats because I always practice barefoot. However, I’ve noticed most girls opt for a heel, and I’ve been in a masterclass (with faculty from a fairly conservative school, however), where the presenter said he found it inappropriate for a female to wear flats in performance. I have a high heel that is fine for choral performances, but I’m not quite sure what the standard is for solo performance? My teacher is male, and normally only comments on my wardrobe after I (oh wait… my lovely mother) makes the purchase!</p>
<p>Never heard of Rue la la…thanks! ALWAYS looking for great deals.</p>