How To Wear Your Uniform!!

What To Do In Uniform:

• Walk in pairs (e.g. when going to the restroom)
• Double knot shoes
• Always wear full uniform (unless instructed by director)
• Gloves, gauntlets, shakos, and jacket must be put on or taken off when instructed to by directors

What Not To Do In Uniform:

• No running in uniform
• No eating in uniform (except 3rd quarter snack or where authorized by directors)
• No inappropriate language
• No jewelry (e.g. earings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, etc…)
• No bandanas or thick headbands
• No sunglasses (unless authorized by directors)

What Should Be In Hat Box:

• Shako
• Gloves
• Gauntlets
• Flip folder
• Lyre
• Nothing else is permitted in the hat box especially food of any kind.

Gloves/Gauntlets:

• When not being worn gloves should be in pants pocket.  Gloves should be put in hat box for transport.
• When not being worn gauntlets should be attached to suspenders on back.  Gauntlets should be ROLLED (never folded) and put in hat box for transport.

Shakos (band hat):

To wear your shako correctly,

• Place two fingers flat on your nose and pull the brim down until the brim touches your fingers.
• If you wear glasses, pull the brim down until the brim touches the top of your glasses.
• Adjust string inside so that the shako touches the top of your ears
• Adjust chin strap so that it fits securely underneath chin at all times while wearing shako.
• Forehead must not be visible.

When not wearing shako,

• Put in hat box.
• If hat box is not available then place shako in front of you, right side up, with brim facing forward, and chin strap pulled behind.
• Shako should never be upside down.
• When carrying shako, you must carry in the left hand with 3 fingers over brim and thumb and pinky underneath.
• Never carry shako upside down or use it as a bucket to carry other items.

Pants:

• Lightweight properly fitting athletic shorts are to be worn underneath the pants (not thick or oversized).
• Pants are either completely on or completely off as instructed by directors.
• Suspenders should be up over the shoulders.
• Pants should always be zipped
• Pants should fit with a tailored look (not baggy or loose)
• Suspenders should be tightened enough so that the crotch of the pants is in the correct position.
• Hem of pants should be adjusted so that the pants touch the top of the shoe without a break in the crease.
• Students should never ever under any circumstance take the suspenders off, unzip the pants, and roll down the top of the pants so that they are around the waist.
• When not worn, pants must be properly placed on a hanger (creases matching) and in the garment bag.

Jackets:

• Jackets are completely on or completely off as instructed by directors.
• Students should never walk around with their uniform unzipped.
• Jackets must be fully zipped.  The one exception is that jackets must be halfway unzipped during uniform inspection so that we can check to make sure students have the correct t-shirt on underneath their jacket.  Jackets must be zipped before students leave band hall.
• When not wearing jacket it must be on a hanger in garment bag or folded correctly and placed on top of the shako.
• Your uniform should never touch the ground.  The one exception will be that pit and tubas will turn their jackets inside out and then fold them and place on the ground.
• When carring shako and folded uniform, place folded uniform on left forearm underneath shako (use shako to hold jacket in place).

Hair:

• Long hair must be tied back when not wearing shakos.
• When wearing shakos, all hair must be up inside the shako.
• Hair must not extend below the top of the jacket’s collar.  Hair must not cover ears.  Bangs must not be visible under the brim.  This should be checked before game day.
• All students (male and female) whose hair is not short, must use thin black hair ties, thin black headband, bobby pins, and/or hair spray to keep their hair up inside their shako.  Alternatively, students can get a hair cut.
• No excessive makeup, extreme hairstyles as determined by the director, or any other decorations that may detract from uniformity are allowed.