Marching Band Uniforms (Fall Semester)

Each Marching Band student will be issued a uniform at the beginning of the season. Dates will be announced and typically occur around the time of band camp. Click here to see the contract students will sign, acknowledging their responsibility to care for their uniform. Ms. Snead encourages students to be in charge of their uniforms, though parents may certainly help support the student in caring for the uniform during the first year (or subsequent years) of marching band, as necessary (see below for ideas).

Parents are not expected to stay during uniform fitting as students are assisted throughout the checkout process by a series of parent volunteers.

Each student will receive several uniform pieces:

-        Jacket (approximate replacement cost $250, each is custom made for SMNW)

-        Overlay (approximate replacement cost $150, each is custom made for SMNW)

-        Bib pants (approximate replacement cost $120)

-        Garment bag

-        Hanger (designed to support the weight of the uniform and hold the pants snugly)

Please note that all uniform items are individually numbered; students are responsible for turning in each item that was checked out to them at the beginning of the season.

All students (except those who play percussion in the ‘pit’ or who play tuba) also get a hat (officially called a ‘shako’), a hat storage box, and a hat plume. Refer to the student contract for replacement prices for each item.  

Drum majors also receive a cape, gloves, and special buttons for the overlay. 

Please keep in mind that uniforms are only altered for length (we use uniforms for students of various sizes over the years) and that we make every effort to ensure sufficient freedom of movement is allowed so that students can play their instruments (many brass and woodwind players need to lift their arms 90° or more to hold their instruments as they play).

Marching Shoes: The only item that students must purchase is a pair of marching shoes; these shoes are ordered through Marching Band and, once purchased, belong to the student. If new shoes are necessary (shoes were lost, outgrown, etc.) they can be replaced. Students may choose to purchase shoes at any point in the Marching Band season; they typically arrive within a few days, depending on the Marching Band uniform rep stock availability.

If students are willing to purchase a used pair, a variety of sizes are available on a first-come basis at a significantly reduced rate. If students choose to trade in shoes, they are available on a ‘pair-for-pair’ basis.

Cleaning Marching Band Uniforms During the Season

Band Boosters sends all uniforms to be professionally cleaned at the end of the season. If the uniform is stained during the season, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:

-        If the stain is relatively small, try a "Shout" wipe to see if it helps remove the stain. Ms. Snead has a small supply of them that have been purchased for the kids to use when they get small stains on their uniforms. They are kept in a special "band uniform box" (kept in the band office) used for emergency repairs and during fittings.

-        If a uniform needs to be sent to the drycleaner during the season, please contact the Uniform Committee to let them know. Student(s)/parent(s) are responsible for taking and picking up the uniform, as well as the cleaning cost (as of the time of writing, it is $8.50 per uniform). If they must be cleaned, they must be taken to the Star Cleaners at 75^th @ Nieman; it typically takes just a couple of days to clean, but please consider the band schedule as students must have their uniform to perform.

On rare occasions, it may rain while students are wearing their uniforms. If this happens, the Uniform Committee will collect any damp uniforms and make every effort to dry the uniforms, then return them to the students. If necessary, uniforms may be sent out to the cleaners (at the discretion of Band Boosters) to be cleaned during the season. If this decision is made, the Marching Band schedule is taken into consideration and we ensure uniforms are returned to students in time for the next performance.

What can families do to help?

For the most part, students are capable of managing their uniforms. A few things families can do to help first-year marchers:

-        Ensure students know how to use the uniform hanger. Ms. Snead demonstrates in class how to use it, but it never hurts to make sure your student knows how to hang up their bib pants. Depending on the uniform size, it may be necessary to adjust the point at which the pants are hung over the hanger; it is best if it at a point where the pants are narrow enough that they fit within the hanger-area (i.e., larger size pants may need to be adjusted more toward the bottom of the pants, smaller sizes may need to be more toward the top of the pants). If there is excess material forced into the hanger, it can break the hanger and students will be charged for a replacement hanger.

-        Pants go on the hanger first, then the jacket, followed by the overlay. The jacket/overlay should be buttoned, zipped, and snapped so that they are secure on the hanger. The ‘hook’ of the hanger is threaded through the hole in the garment bag stored until the next performance.

-        If they have gotten damp, uniforms must be completely dry before they are stored in the garment bag - mildew will ruin a uniform.

-        Make sure students understand that the only items that go in the garment bag are the pants, jacket, and overlay, hung on the hanger. If shoes, other clothing, or the hat box are put in the garment bag, it can cause the zipper to break and students will be charged for a replacement garment bag.

Turning in Uniforms

Uniforms are typically turned in before winter break; the dates will be announced in class and also communicated with parents (web site, emails, etc.). The one exception to this is a ‘trip year,’ when students will return them after winter break. Any items not returned will be added to the students’ school fees which must be paid before graduation.

Parent Volunteers

As with many activities, maintaining Marching Band uniforms takes the support of several parents. If you are able to help, please contact the Band Boosters Executive Board or the Uniform Committee.

If you ever have questions about Marching Band or uniforms, please contact Band Boosters for help - contact information is available at www.smnwband.com or through SMNW.