As a professional flutist with the Utah Symphony, I play over a hundred concerts a year, and after almost every performance, the same conversation unfolds in the dressing room: "It was even hotter on stage tonight than last night!" We all rush to change out of our concert attire, which, despite owning a dozen long-sleeve black blouses, we’ve grown tired of wearing—only 2 or 3 of them ever really make the cut.

I had been toying with the idea of solving this problem for years. Maybe start a blog or a social media page about where to find the best black formalwear. Somehow, the problem seemed both simple and insurmountable at the same time.

Black Concert Clothing Challenge

One evening, backstage before a concert, I sat down near two of my fellow musicians. I caught the middle of their conversation, just hearing snippets like, "I measured twice" and "it didn't fit, there was still a gap" and "had to return it for the next size and I still had to buy another item to make it work."

For some reason I assumed they were discussing home improvement woes—we’ve all been there with a new faucet that ends up not being compatible with the existing hardware, leading to multiple trips to the store.

But no, they weren’t talking about kitchen renovation.

They were discussing the difficulty of finding black concert attire that met our orchestra’s dress code and was also comfortable enough to perform in.

My friend had purchased what seemed like the perfect tuxedo-style jumpsuit online, sure she had the right size, but when it arrived, the front was cut just a bit too low, leaving a gap at the bust. She added a cami underneath for coverage, which worked but disrupted the sleek look she was going for.

Another colleague lamented that all the best dresses were sleeveless, forcing her to add a blazer (too hot) or a shrug (everyone has the same one) or to wear a long-sleeve sheer crop top underneath, which often bunches up in the wrong places.

Meanwhile, I was sitting there in mismatched pants, a top, and a jacket—each a different fabric and shade of black.

As I walked onstage, I looked around at the best-dressed women and realized something: almost all of them were wearing dresses or black pantsuits that looked like they came from the Mother-of-the-Bride section. They looked fabulous, but most of these women were in their 30s and 40s—decades younger than the target age for that attire. How did we get here?

The men go to their closets, grab a matching suit or tux, a shirt, and a tie, and they’re done. Meanwhile, I’m still searching for a cami that isn’t in the dirty laundry, in a fabric that matches my dress, in a shade of black that’s at least close enough.

"I couldn’t find anything to meet my standards, so I met them myself."

That was the turning point. Enough with the endless scrolling for the ‘perfect’ black concert dress. I decided to create a clothing line of concert black attire that actually works.

So much black attire on the market has some kind of issue. The main design challenges I knew I had to tackle were:

• Plunging necklines
• Plunging backs
• Cutouts
• High slits
• Low slits that show the top of your knee-high hosiery
• Missing sleeves
• Constrictive shoulders, sleeves, and chest
• Mismatched sets
• Skirts that aren’t long enough to be formal
• Fabrics that are too hot
• Fabrics that are too casual
• Matronly designs
• Overly conservative styles

For the past six months, I’ve been working on designing a line of black concert clothing that addresses these issues. The goal of the brand has been to create a modern aesthetic, balancing formality with ease of movement. Each piece would be created with a fresh perspective and wearability in mind.

I’ve also committed to using sustainable materials made from renewable and recycled sources and to ensuring that packaging is minimized and biodegradable whenever possible. The fashion industry has a bad rap for its wastefulness, so this was non-negotiable goal for me. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve loved every moment of learning about design, fabric, and manufacturing.

Where We Are Now

I’m incredibly excited to share some big news: our first garment is going into production the week of September 15th, and just eight short weeks later, we’ll start fulfilling pre-orders!

Curious about our line? Sign up to get on the waitlist. Everyone who signs up before we launch will get 20% off their first order.

Listen to the full story below on YouTube.

Share Your Style

Next time you step on stage, remember—it’s not just about the music. It’s about feeling your best and letting that confidence shine through every note and every move. And don’t forget to share your favorite concert black looks by tagging us @Black.Strad for a chance to be featured and inspire others.