Opera dress

A thread with many comments on this topic from two years ago:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/dress-code-for-vienna-opera-house

Sure, but then the "Little Black Dress" doesn't take up much space. A scarf would complete it.

I attended a ballet at the Vienna Opera House, and it was a special evening! I wore black pants with a black open-weave cardigan, red shell top and a colorful scarf. Everything I brought were items I wore throughout the trip with other items. Don’t bring a dress if it’s just for this event! My husband wore a lightweight wool sweater and nice pants. People were definitely dressed up at that event, but we saw a variety.

Thanks —very helpful...just trying to pack light!

I'll give two different points of view (both mine) which may seem contradictory.

I went to a ballet in Vienna last fall, same venue as the opera. I wore a pair of non-jean pants with a blouse, sweater and a dressy scarf. I felt perfectly comfortable - not the best or least-dressed patron. I had packed a long (not too fancy) dress, but decided it wasn't practical for the walk from my hotel to the opera house.

This trip, I'm going to a ballet in Dresden. I decided I'd like to dress up more. I'm bringing a much more practical, mid-length dress. It is extremely lightweight and doesn't wrinkle. I'll wear it with a scarf, flats and tights since I'm going in October - all of which I'm bringing anyway. I'll wear the dress to dinners in the evenings, as well as to performances in other cities on the trip, so it is well "worth" packing.

So my advice is to wear what you feel comfortable in, and what is practical for your trip. You can make a skirt or pants look dressy. A dress can serve multiple purposes on a trip. Either can be lightweight for packing. All would be fine at the Vienna opera.

There is no dress code for the Opera, but athletic wear is frowned upon. Wear what you like - you’ll see everything.

As always , I pack dress slacks , a dress shirt and a tie for performances . A number scheduled for Munich and Vienna so far this Autumn .

A few years ago we went to the Vienna opera. I wore black travel pants, but I took a nice wrap to wear with them. I also had comfortable black shoes (not the athletic shoes I wore to the Dresden opera house a year or so before). We saw all manner of attire from jeans to formal dress (which we saw mainly on patrons who sat on the main floor.

When I went to the opera in Vienna (Wiener Stastsoper), I packed a black skirt and black top which is what I typically wear when I go to the opera or ballet in NYC; the outfit worked perfectly along with one of my silk scarves. I find dresses for the opera to be high maintenance so I don’t bring them.

I wore khaki pants and a long sleeve button down shirt. Many people were dressed better than me as were many dressed less than me. Anything from tuxedos to t-shirts and jeans. Everyone was allowed in, no complaints.

I would not go so far as wearing jeans, really would you wear jeans for any special occasion? And this is a special occasion. Wear something nice, slacks are O.K. just dress them up with some elegant top or ... There are numerous write-ups on the net where you can explore dress codes for different occasions in Vienna. Remember ELEGANT is the code word.

What's important is that you are comfortable, and you feel good. After all, isn't that what it's all about? All that should matter is that you hit the basic mark that won't get you thrown out. After all it's your vacation and packing light is essential if you want to enjoy.