What I wore, Tech week – NaBloPoMo #14

I thought I’d continue my posts on what I wore, since it’s fun to see how that changes depending on what I’m doing. Also – I thought it might be interesting to walk through how tech week unfolds for me. In addition to rehearsals in the evening (or with Piano Tech Day, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening) tech week usually involves spending the morning cleaning up the messy notations in my book from the night before, then the afternoon is spent in the theatre at the tech table setting light cues and placements with the director and designers. Throughout it all, I’ll be double checking schedules for the next day, and following up on any other notes that have come up. Because I have to drop the kids at the bus, I rarely get to the theatre before 10:15am, but from then, it’s non-stop til midnight. I usually plan out all my outfits for tech week so that I don’t have to think about it in the morning – also I only have five pairs of pants so I pretty much wear the same-ish outfit rotation during tech.

Anyhow, on to the sartorial….

Sunday – Sitzprobe day. Sitzprobe, for folks who don’t know, is the first rehearsal where the singers get to sing with the orchestra. (German for sit + rehearsal because we don’t do any staging. We actually usually wandelprobe – which means we are onstage and the singers can wander – wandel – as they sing, but we don’t move scenery or have costumes or lights or anything.) Traditionally singers will dress more nicely for Sitzprobe since it’s the first time meeting the orchestra. This outfit passes for dressing nicely in my world. I wore: my linen shirt dress (Uniqlo – which you can see in my summer post – I bought this when pregnant with the second? third? not sure. It is nice and loose), black leggings (from Jockey – I know it’s not fashionable to wear leggings and dresses, but I can’t stand wearing tights.), sweater (from a nursing line called Teat and Cosset, which I believe is no longer in business. It’s a nursing sweater, with buttons on the side. I love this sweater because it is so light and slouchy since it was made to transition from maternity to nursing, yet it also has balloon sleeves, which make a nice detail. It’s also cotton wool blend, so holds up well without being too hot.), ubiquitous puffer vest (Uniqlo), and blue boots from Reiker. I bought those boots last year as a possibility for travelling, but they aren’t all that practical for travelling because they are not waterproof. But I love the way they look, so I kept them anyway.

Monday – Final Room Run Day. The Room Run is the last rehearsal in the rehearsal room before we move onstage. It’s where we go through the whole show one last time in the rehearsal room. I try to dress a little more nicely for Final Room Run because there are a lot of guests in rehearsal that day. Blue dress (Wool& workhorse dress that I wear at least twice a week), Black leggings (Again the Jockey leggings. I think I have four pairs of them – I like that they are cotton/spandex and have the tech pocket for my phone), butterfly sweater (I LOVE this sweater. I got it at Nordstrom Rack, I think. I’m always scared to wear it because it is cream colour and I don’t want to get it dirty, but it makes me so happy when I do wear it. Another cotton/wool blend.), boots from Sorel (these are the boots I ended up ordering and wearing when we travelled last year. I love them. They are waterproof and easy to put on and I’ve walked five miles in them and my feel didn’t hurt.) Hat from my sister in law.

Tuesday: Set Looks. Set Looks is when, after the set is loaded into the theatre and assembled, the crew puts each different scenic look onstage so the director and designers can see and adjust and tweak. It’s also the chance for stage management to get a sense of what the pathways are like backstage. It’s a very exciting day. There are 11 different scenic looks in the show I’m currently working on, so set looks took two hours.
My friend calls this look my “Hallmark movie apple picking look.” Pants are Duluth Trading Company’s Cotton Noga Pants. They are super stretchy and comfy and in the dark could pass for khaki pants. The pants don’t have belt loops which makes them not quite perfect for backstage, but I’m wearing a scarf for a belt so I can have my flashlight on me. Black t-shirt, I think is from JP Penny. Plaid shirt is also from Duluth. And Allbirds on my feet.

Wednesday – Piano Tech Rehearsals, two in one day. This is the first rehearsal onstage with performers – we have sets and lighting, but no costumes or orchestra. It’s a long long long day. This is my tech outfit – I wear this for every piano tech because I like to wear a colourful top that will stand out so people can find me onstage and backstage easily if they need to, and also so if I have to go out onstage, it’s obvious that it’s me and not a performer being somewhere they shouldn’t be. Floral print t-shirt (Uniqlo), pants are the same Noga Pants from Duluth that I wore yesterday, but in a different colour, and on my feet my Altra running shoes.

Thursday: Piano Dress Rehearsal- our first rehearsal in full costume, wigs, and make-up. This show has a lot of costume changes, some of them only a minute long. The first rehearsal in costume, we very rarely make all the costume changes on time so it kind of feels like jumping on a runaway train that periodically stops so you can put your pants on. And also the train looks completely different than the train from the night before because someone painted it a different colour. I didn’t get a picture of myself in this outfit. The shirt is the same Uniqlo shirt as Wednesday, just in a different colour. Linen pants, also from Uniqlo.

Friday: Orchestra Tech Rehearsal. We now add orchestra. This rehearsal is pretty much the conductor’s rehearsal- we work at their pace, so they will stop and give notes and fix musical issues if needed. Hopefully the conductor constantly moves the rehearsal forward. Usually we give a conductor a list of places that it would be helpful if he didn’t stop because we have a costume change or a scene shift that we have to do in real time. I wore the wide leg linen pants I got this summer from Old Navy and a blue striped top.
I’ve had this top for over twenty years. I hadn’t thought about it being that old, but I was looking through some college pictures lately and there it was. I think I bought it at a thrift store one summer during college. I find myself reaching for this when I need something that’s one step above a t-shirt. It’s probably the thing that’s been in my closet the longest. Well, I do have a night shirt from high school. I also have a pair of boots that are probably just as old, but I don’t wear those as much because my feet have gone up a size since college. I should just get rid of those, but they were the first pair of real boots that I ever bought- or rather my mom bought them for me as a present. This t-shirt was out of my rotation for a little while when I was in my mid-low rise pants phase since it is a little on the shorter side for a shirt on me. But now that I’m back into high rise pants this shirt has fit right back into my wardrobe.

Saturday: Orchestra Tech #2. Same kind of rehearsal as the night before. I’m wearing a top from Uniqlo, Duluth Trading plaid shirt, and linen joggers from Gap. You can’t really see it in this picture, but I’ve had to patch those pants because they were getting holes. I work in the dark, so I figured it’s okay to wear patched clothes to work. I don’t often wear these pants for tech because there aren’t belt loops and if I’m the Assistant Stage Manager on a show, I need to wear a belt or sash for my headset and belt pack and flashlight. But as the calling stage manager, like I was for this show, I don’t have a wireless headset; I’m tethered to my console so I don’t need to clip anything to my waist. Also that concludes my work appropriate pants. After this night I start repeating pants or just wear black pants.

And back to Sunday, which was a day off. Yay! In the spirit of keeping it real, here is what I wore on Sunday for running the kids to skating lessons and an afternoon nap and a late afternoon walk. Sweatpants- they’re light blue tie dye, inspired by a pair of cloud joggers that I saw a character wear on Ted Lasso. (I think I found these ones on Backcountry.com and they were definitely more expensive that I would pay for a pair of sweat pants, but they are really thick and comfy and 100% cotton and I wear them almost every day off during the winter.). Tunic length hoodie. I’m sure I’m also wearing a shirt there too, just can’t remember what.

Welp that was my sartorial tech week life.

What item in your closet have you had the longest?

I’m writing this post as part of NaBloPoMo – click on the icon below to see who else if participating. You can also leave me questions for an upcoming “Ask me Anything” post via this link. Happy reading and writing everyone!

What I wore, one week in fall. NaBloPoMo 2024 Day #5

First of all – Happy Election Day for folks in the U.S. I’m excited for possibilities, but also worried about the realities. This week is a big week at work, so I’m just going to bury myself in my show and focus on what I can do, which is tech a show, breathe the fall air, and hug my family. (And maybe post here.) I voted early the first day I could here. There were also some local school board elections and an important Senate race in Maryland, so voting did feel weighty despite living in a blue county in a blue state. All the same, there is a sense of helplessness as I watch things unfurl across the country. I’m not one to talk aloud, but I tell you, more than once while listening to the radio, I’ve exclaimed “What the f***!!?!?” at one sound bite or another. Listen – I’m clearly left leaning, and you can lean whichever way you want. But I hope ever American (well, every American who can, which is a whole other issue) understands what’s at stake here and goes to vote.

On to the topic at hand….

I did a “week of outfits” post this summer. Now we are in fall so I thought it would be fun to see what I wore one week in fall. I love dressing for fall. The layers! The cozy hats and scarves! Warm colours! It was unseasonably warm last week, so a lot of my outfits were an exercise in interstitial dressing- in fact aa lot of these weeks outfits have something that I also wore that week in summer. Most of these photos were taken in the dressing room at work.

Sunday- (Chorus Rehearsal Day – I like to up my game a little for chorus rehearsals) my first time wearing this new top. This top had gnomes and toadstools on it! Perfect in keeping with my three words (Colorful, effortles, and playful). Vest is Uniqlo, dress is Wool&, leggings are Jockey, boots are Sorels. I never thought I’d be a puffer vest wearing person. Or wear leggings. I was never going to be that iconic suburban mom. But now I wear them all the time. Practicality and comfort wins out.

Monday – (Another chorus rehearsal day) Someone said this outfit was very autumnal. This plaid skirt has an elastic waistband and pockets. What’s not to love. Hat from San Diego Hat Company, a gift from a friend. Sweater from Uniqlo. Can’t remember where I got the skirt- maybe from Nordstrom Rack? I’ve had it for at least 1o years Orange pocket leggings from Toad & Co. Boots are Reiker via Zappos. The boots really need a polish.

Tuesday – (Just rehearsals with Principal Singers today, so a little more casual) I love this sweatshirt/ hoodie dress- it’s so comfy and the sleeves have thumbholes. The pockets are kind of useless, though, so I don’t wear it as much as I like. I think I got the dress at Kohl’s when I was pregnant. It is cotton spandex and very stretchy. Hat- gift from my sister in law. Sweater hand me down from my cousin. Not my usual thing because it is acrylic, but I love the slouchy shape. Leggings from Duluth Trading Company. Same boots as yesterday.

Wednesday – (Another Chorus Rehearsal Day). This outfit was definitely interseasonal dressing. The pants are wide legged linen pants that I got from Old Navy this summer (you can see them in the post from last summer). It was an impulse purchase one day while I was there looking for pjs for the kids. They are so comfy and easy to wear. I love them so much and regret not getting more. elastic waistband and pockets. The sweater belonged to my late father-in-law. I love the over-sized coziness of it. Boots- same Sorels that I wore on Sunday. Honestly it was too hot for this outfit, but I was only wearing a tank top underneath, so I couldn’t take the sweater off.

Thursday – No rehearsal this day, so I biked to work. Shorts are Uniqlo. Shirt is a tie back top from Old Navy from the days when I was nursing. It’s open in the back so it’s kind of like wearing a nursing cover disguised as a shirt. You can also tie the shirt at the back for a more fitted look. When I was nursing, I wore these shirts all. The. Time. Running shoes are Altrecs. I don’t wear them to run because my insoles don’t fit, but they are comfy for walking and running around doing errands. I did change into a dress when I got to work. (It’s the green linen dress from the summer post). When I bike to work, dresses are an easy thing to pack and throw on for the day.

Friday – Free day. I went on a walk and to dinner with friends. The weather was almost in the 80s this day. This tank top from Duluth Trading Company is my latest go-to for a day off. It has a built in bra! The plaid flannel is also Duluth. I love that it’s nice an thick so I can wear it as a light jacket if I need that layer. Shorts from Uniqlo. Same Altrecs as the day before.

Saturday – (Double Chorus rehearsal day). Another interseasonal outfit. The cotton poplin skirt was another a new purchase this summer. (Also can be seen in the summer post) It was on the sale rack at JC Penny- there was a whole rack of these super cute blue striped skirts. Why would anyone not like this skirt? Elasric waistband and pockets! Sweater DKNY probably from Nordstrom Rack, twenty years ago. Plain blue top under. I don’t remember where I got that top – maybe Marshall’s? It’s been in my wardrobe for over ten years, I think. I definitely remember wearing it when pregnant. Shoes are Allbirds. I’m sad Allbirds don’t come in bright cute colours anymore. These are almost falling apart, but I’m not excited enough by the current colours that I’m rushing to get another pair. Same black knit hat as Sunday and Tuesday. Also my ginormous lunch box is at my feet, since I had to pack two meals for work that day. Photo taken by the 12 year old. (Who said this outfit was “not frumpy”. She tells me when my outfits are frumpy.)

Maybe I’ll do another what I wore post next week? It gets a little boring once I move to stage because I wear a lot of black. 🙂

What is your favorite thing to wear in the fall? Anything that you swore you’d never incorporate into your wardrobe but have since changed your mind?

I’m writing this post as part of NaBloPoMo – click on the icon below to see who else if participating. You can also leave me questions for an upcoming “Ask me Anything” post via this link. Happy reading and writing everyone!