The default dress for chaps playing the organ is, of course, suit and tie. Women have more options, and to cope with the bone-numbing cold of winter rehearsal and services, the temptation is to opt for layers of miscellaneous garments from the jumper drawer, accessorised perhaps with leg warmers and woolly hat. You will be warm, but will look like Mrs Santa with a fashion crisis, especially if your church also requires you to be robed.
This lack of sartorial elegance may not matter if you lurk behind a screen when playing, as many of us do. But I am not robed in any of my churches, and I am also very much on show, and I do I like to appear Professional and Smart (if only in the fond hope that the congregation will then assume I am also Competent).
Girls, can I recommend a dress item which has fallen off the fashion radar but is immensely practical and that is petticoats, for insulation and warmth? Proper petticoats such as from House Of Olivier – as featured in Vogue. If you have any dressmaking skills you could make something yourself. They are very cosy and make your skirts look nice. (I am not a trouser person.)
Look on ebay for boiled wool jackets. Preferably by Hobbs – although these still cost real money by ebay standards, they are a fraction of the eye-watering prices in the shops. I have two, and they are really nothing more than a comfy thick cardy, but they look tailored and are easier to play in than a proper jacket.
I see M&S are doing 140 denier thermal fleece tights, as well as 100 denier with wool – time to stock up!
Any one else play in fingerless gloves in the winter? I’ve found it feels awkward at first, but you get used to it. My cheapo multi-coloured gloves from Accessorize are now a bit tatty so I have just replaced them with I like to think are a slightly more chic pair from Barbour in black.
I used to play with fingerless gloves like the ones you have in your photo, but have started using handknitted wristlets which are large enough to cover the hand fully but leave the fingers free. I like that more than using the fingerless gloves, and I find that the fingers stay warm enough and having the wrists covered nicely also makes a difference.
One problem I haven’t yet solved is how to keep my feet warm. I have one pair of handknitted socks that fit in my organ shoes, but I still get cold feet after one hour of playing, even if I do a lot of pedalling.
Thanks for your tips, I really like your blog!
Perhaps we should revive leg warmers, as worn by Jane Fonda etc in the 80s!
Hooray, a new knitting project 🙂
It’s an idea worth trying. I think if I dig really deep in my wardrobe, I might find some.
Will let you know if it worked.
Send me a picture! Definitely worthy of a mention on the blog
Photos will take some time as I haven’t found my old leg warmers yet. Might have given them away, or might find them at a place where they shouldn’t be kept 😉
But will keep the idea in mind.
I’ve found that really thick silk half-Johns and ditto vest (Patra – I originally got them to go well north of the Arctic circle in January, but a country church is much the same), under an Austrian Tracht skirt (really heavy-duty, but soft, wool tweed, with multiple pleats) and layers of jersey, works pretty well. Even better though – I now have a proper muff, which I can flick under my arm when playing, and zap my hands straight back into between times.
I want an Austrian Tracht skirt! Heading for ebay now…..
Dear Lady Organist, I have my first formal concert recital coming up in spring, what should I wear? When I played piano concerts I had a beautiful satin and lace black fishtail skirt/dress combo, as required by the music college, but that won’t work on the organ, I am not a trouser person either and feel silly asking my male tutor, Any Suggestions? PS my Organmaster shoes are Gold, Because I thought they were super cute