Is going to the opera the same as going to the beach?

The attire and accessory rules applied to the male audience seemed to have no equivalent for the female audience. The result? His soirée at the opera had been sabotaged by the protruding accessory that a woman in his line of sight, a few rows ahead, was wearing over her left ear.

In 2025, and without letters published in newspapers, but with the same acuity, La Scala in Milan announced a couple of days ago that the dress code at the opera house had changed. From now on, shorts, tank tops (men and women), and flip-flops will not be permitted. Kimonos, however, are acceptable. The initiative follows several complaints about some spectators' attire, more appropriate for a day at the beach than an opera performance.

Anyone attending La Scala will see a sign at the entrance listing the theater's "rules of conduct"—which are now also featured on tickets and the institution's website. "The public is requested to dress in accordance with theater decorum, out of respect for the theater and other spectators. No one wearing shorts or sleeveless t-shirts will be permitted into the auditorium; in this case, tickets will not be refunded."

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