Do Collegiate A Cappella Groups Have Uniforms?

In the fall of 2010, The A Cappella Blog invited every collegiate a cappella group we could find to participate in a survey. Our objective was to develop a better understanding of current trends in a cappella—what groups are or are not doing and to what degree.

Over 300 groups from across the US and abroad responded to the survey. Throughout our 2010 publication season, we will review results from this survey and talk about what our findings mean. We welcome and encourage groups to look over the information to learn, to benchmark and to satisfy their own curiosity.

This edition’s question: Does your group have a set uniform or set of outfits it typically wears on stage?

Of the groups surveyed, 68 percent indicated that they do have a uniform of some sort that the group wears on stage. This figure suggests that groups are quite conscious of appearance, and whether they strive to be more professional, or more visibly casual, groups are recognizing a certain merit in presenting united front, at least from a visual perspective.

A group’s attire can go a long way toward establishing its identity. Again, the decision to wear evening gowns or blazers is quite different the statement groups make when they take the stage in baseball jerseys or funny hats. In either case, though, the group is setting up expectations and distinguishing itself from the crowd. It not only creates cohesion on the stage, but can also be effective off of it. If someone sees a guy in black collared shirt, colorful tie, jeans, and Converse All-Stars on the Syracuse University campus, they know he’s a part of Orange Appeal—or if they don’t, there’s surely someone around who can tell them. In this way, a uniform helps group members stand out, and works as a very informal promotional tool.

Despite the benefits of developing a uniform, 32 percent of the surveyed groups indicated that they do not have a standard dress code. A part of this result may be a consequence of ambiguity in the way the question was worded—if everyone dresses in black, does that count as a uniform? Otherwise, there are surely groups that seek to preserve member individuality, and consciously choose not to assign attire.

Overall, over two-thirds of the surveyed groups indicated that they do dress alike on stage, though, confirming that many groups do find a certain level of visual uniformity important.