Marching Band – Uniform / Accessory Care All You Ever Wanted To Know About Uniforms Uniforms – Students are issued two uniforms.   The traditional uniform will be worn at concerts only and the competition uniform will be worn at contests, football games, and parades. Uniforms are kept at school. Each student is assigned a unique number. This number is displayed inside each piece of the uniform. Uniform Fittings – Uniform fittings take place each year in mid to late July. While some fittings will take place during band camp, others may occur on a Saturday in order to get all students fitted. Students will be contacted if a Saturday appointment is necessary. Fittings can take anywhere from 20 – 45 minutes. Lafayette Band polo shirts as well as white basketball type shorts are ordered for all new students, free of charge, during their fitting session. All new and returning students will be issued camp T-shirts free of charge. White shorts and band camp T-shirts are to be worn under the uniform during performances. Extra shorts and /or camp T-shirts can be purchased for $10 each. Contact Cathy Greene at 223-6739 to purchase extras. Your student may wish to change his or her shirt in between performances on days where multiple performances take place. Shoes – RRR Band Accessories is on campus every year during band camp (usually the 1st Wednesday of full band camp) to fit students for white marching or color guard, and black concert shoes. Payment is required at the time of ordering. New students will need to order shoes their 1st year, however, new shoes are not required every year unless they are worn out, too small or lost. Shoes are to be kept at home until needed for a performance. Shoes should be allowed to dry out after each performance.  Placing newspaper inside the shoes will help to absorb moisture and neutralize odor. The student’s name should be written with permanent marker on the inside of the tongue of BOTH shoes. One or both the shoes have a tendency to grow legs and jump in someone else’s bag or get left behind on the band room floor. Shoes marked with a name can easily be returned to their rightful owner. Shoes must be cleaned before arriving to dress for each performance (See cleaning instructions). Dressing in Uniform – All students dress in uniform together. Student should arrive in their band camp T-shirt and white shorts. These items may be worn under street clothes if necessary. Due to limited facilities and time allotted for dressing, students should not count on having enough time to change into these items once they arrive for a performance. After each performance, students are required to properly hang their uniform on their hanger and return the uniform to its designated spot. Personal items should not be kept in the pockets of the uniform. Uniforms are sent for cleaning after some of the performances. Items left behind could be ruined and / or the item such as gum or mints could ruin the uniform. Gloves – Gloves are worn at all performances and can be purchased from the Uniform Crew before each performance. Non-grip gloves sell for $5 and Grip gloves sell for $6. Students are not required to purchase gloves each time. Gloves can be washed and worn several times. Students may want to purchase two pair of gloves – just to have a spare pair. Hair – Hair cannot touch the collar of the uniform. Students (both male and female) can place their hair in ONE ponytail which needs to be under their hat. No multiple ponytails allowed. Students may choose to wear a wig cap which can be purchased from the Uniform Crew. Wig caps are 2 for $1 and can be worn multiple times. Bobby pins can also be used to tuck hair under the hat. Jewelry – Visible jewelry cannot be worn. This includes ear rings, necklaces, watches, and facial jewelry. Finger nail polish must also be removed before performances. Socks – Students are to wear plain long white socks for all performances. No footies or bobby socks are allowed (no skin showing). Students may want to keep an extra pair of socks with them for emergencies. Hygiene – The uniforms are hot, especially during the first part of the marching season when the weather is hot. Students will perspire. Contrary to the belief of some, cologne and /or perfume does not eliminate body odor – it just makes a not so pleasant smelling creation of its own. Purchasing some wet wipes and extra deodorant to be kept with them is a much better solution. Accessory Bag –Students may purchase a red bag to keep or they are issued a red accessories bag to keep all personal items as well as extra supplies (deodorant, wet wipes, shoes, extra socks, etc). The red bag is for the student’s use during marching season. Bags will be returned at the end of marching season. Failure to return the bag could result in a charge of $25. Last but not least – Things happen. Items get lost or forgotten. If your student forgets an item, they will first be asked to call someone to have it brought to them. If this is not possible, we have an extra supply (but not unlimited) of everything and will loan it to your student. Keep in mind; extra shoes are limited in sizes. If your student arrives without shoes, they may have to wear a size smaller or larger. CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS ITEM WASH BLEACH DRY COMMENTS Gloves Machine Yes Dry Flat Will shrink in dryer Shoes Mr. Clean Magic Easers or damp soap cloth can be used to clean shoes. Wipe dry. Scuffs can be removed with shaving cream or finger nail polish remover. Paste type tooth paste and an old tooth brush can be used to clean the outer edge of the soles. White shoe polish may be used after cleaning if necessary.

As Lafayette Band “fans-in-the-stands,” we are ambassadors for the PRIDE OF THE BLUEGRASS®, the Lafayette Band. Our actions in the stands are directly related to the hard work and PRIDE of each of our students marching on the field. When attending performances and competitions as ambassadors of the Lafayette Band, we have an opportunity to set the standard for fan behavior, just as our students have worked to set the example for performance. Being an ambassador of the PRIDE OF THE BLUEGRASS® includes consideration and respect for the hard work and performance of others. When attending a performance, let’s keep a few key points in mind: Save conversations for the times between performances. Others want to hear the music. Being careful what you say about the performance of other bands while you are at a competition, can prevent hurting the feelings of other parents whose child has worked as hard as yours. Being appreciative of the performance of other bands will leave a lasting positive impression of the Lafayette Band. Always applaud a band’s performance. The students work long and hard to perfect a performance and enjoy your appreciation of their efforts. When attending a performance outdoors, be prepared for inclement weather with a poncho or raincoat. Umbrellas block the view of those behind you and may even be dangerous to others in the close quarters of stadium seating. Our students thrive on our support and look to the stands for the waving Lafayette Flags. Distribution of flags to Lafayette fans will occur at contests just before Lafayette performs. Wait to raise Lafayette flags and cheer for Lafayette until the previous band has completely left the field. When the band is set to perform, refrain from yelling a name or cheering during a quiet segment of the performance. Our students are in performance mode and are concentrating on delivering an excellent performance. After the performance begins, lower your flag so that everyone can see the show. When the performance ends, raise your flag until Lafayette leaves the field. After the Lafayette performance, flags will be collected for distribution at the next Lafayette Band performance. When photographing or video taping a performance, be mindful not to block the view of others. (Reminder, BOA does not permit video cameras.) Finally, and most importantly, attend as many performances as possible to support our students and to enjoy the show!