<p>Hello, I am a female high school junior hoping to pursue a classical piano performance major, and I am visiting my top schools (all in the midwest) for college visits. I've already scheduled sample lessons with professors, and I'll be leaving next week!</p>
<p>What should I wear to these sample lessons? I have no idea of the level of formality - are these like auditions? Or would nice jeans and a sweater be appropriate?</p>
<p>I don’t think you need to dress like you would for an audition and you should wear something comfortable. But I would recommend wearing something nicer than jeans. Imagine you are going to work in a nice office environment with either slacks or a work appropriate skirt with a nice top.</p>
<p>I think nice jeans and a sweater would be fine. </p>
<p>My D wore pants and a sweater to a voice lesson. Nothing too dressy.</p>
<p>My son wore khakis and shirt. Not too dressy. It was fine. I’d just avoid sloppy athletic wear that’s so popular these days.</p>
<p>I’d stay away from jeans. A nice pair of pants or a skirt and sweater would be fine. Something between what you’'d wear to classes and an audition outfit.</p>
<p>“Jeans” can mean many things, ranging from intentionally shredded and distressed, to jeggings, to farmer dungarees, to respectable-looking pants with pocket configuration that makes them slightly less formal than business-style pants. “Jeans” are not necessarily denim and the right denim is not necessarily too informal for a trial lesson. The right jeans will be fine. I would say audition attire needs to be slightly more formal, but for a trial lesson you want to be “casual elegant” as my daughter’s childhood violin teacher used to call it. </p>
<p>Not okay: <a href=“http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-denim/4122261189194.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-4122261189194-_-Large_9”>http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-denim/4122261189194.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-4122261189194-_-Large_9</a></p>
<p>Okay: <a href=“http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-denim/4122267194447.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-4122267194447-_-Large_69”>http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-denim/4122267194447.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-4122267194447-_-Large_69</a></p>
<p>I would go for casual, but I’d probably say a step up from jeans. My son wore khakis and a polo to his trial lessons. </p>
<p>As the mom of 4 girls, I’d say it’s a little different for women than men. A female like the OP could not show up in khakis and a polo, but she could show up in the Anthropologie jeans, above, or similar, and a tasteful sweater. </p>
<p>Dittos to @glassharmonica and I would add that we were often traveling on a tight schedule this year, sometimes coming in to the lesson and then headed to the hotel, etc…or even driving on to another school, so about half the time my daughter wore a Gap sweater dress- no wrinkles, tasteful but not over dressed and comfortable. The other half of the time she wore nice jeans, top and sweater ( winter, lots of snow, COLD!)…best wishes on your college search and lessons- we found them to be invaluable and worth all the time and investment.</p>
<p>Hmmm…we are travelling with S to a couple of schools next week where he is attending classes as well as having lessons. We were thinking jeans and a sweater–whatever you would see the college kids in. Maybe I am thinking too casually? This is a kid who wouldn’t be caught dead in khakis (!), but even docker’s black pants seem way too formal for this…</p>
<p>My D wore nice jeans and a nice top/sweater to most of her lessons as they were often first thing in the AM or late afternoon - before/after a full day of tours, info sessions, etc. as part of our campus visit. The professors were almost always also in jeans, save the one in biking shorts who arrived on bike just in time for the lesson!</p>
<p>My S wore nice jeans (darker) and a long sleeve button up casual shirt (not dress shirt) to all of his lessons. </p>
<p>@momsings It sounds like you are on the right track- the professors realize it is a lesson and not an audition - @bcviolinmom sums it up well too and that was almost 100% what we saw for the guys - the main thing is to get as much as he can out of the lesson, enjoy the visit and tour and, if possible, get a voucher for lunch in the cafeteria!</p>