Latin Costumes after 35

[ChaChaMama]

Is there an age after which you would not want to see a female competitor wearing a 2-piece latin costume?

Are there styles that you think look best on dancers over 35, or do you think it is a function of body shape, level of dancing, complexion, etc?

CCM


P.S. Responses that do not make all people over 35 sound like they are bowed over from osteoporosis and have to dance holding on to a walker will be especially appreciated. ;)

[fascination]

I think this greatly depends upon the woman, her weight, body type, the elasticity of her skin etc.....I know of a few women with excellent bodies who just simply are getting a bit too old to be showing alot of skin but have enough excellent muscle tone that if they wore something tight but covered they would look twice as awesome as they already do for their age...it depends...I think a good designer will be candid if you ask them to be

[Ithink]

If you look like Dara Torres does at 41, then you can wear anything you want. If not, then discretion should be taken along similar parameters, I would think, as for younger women using the categories fasc. mentions above! Plenty of women over 35 look better than women who are 25. It all depends on what your body looks like and how well you can pull it off. Bottom line: wear what looks good and tasteful.

As an aside, I have seen plenty pretty thin women who happen to develop some back rolls/folds when they shape into lines or when a man's hand is on their back wear backless ballgowns that probably should have used a bit more discretion or at least should have thought about what their backs might look like when they are actually dancing as opposed to standing still... So, similarly to that, even if you're pretty thin, think about what your stomach or back would look like when you're doing jive kicks and doing a shape in rhumba and go from there:) A pretty good thing to ponder, I think!

[Standarddancer]

If you watch Blackpool over 35, you will see a lot of fabulous, fit looking ladies that you won't even believe they are over 35, some of them do wear 2 pieces and they look great!!!

[wooh]

It's tasteful if it looks tasteful on the body wearing it, whatever age they are.

[Standarddancer]

It's tasteful if it looks tasteful on the body wearing it, whatever age they are.

100% agree. Also certain tasteful 2 pieces looks better than certain not so tasteful one piece...

[JANATHOME]

Equally important, is if a 35 something is going to wear a more revealing dress, she really needs to be comfortable with it. I made a costly mistake with the latin dress I bought. I bought a Randall that I just loved at the nationals, open back and quite short in the front..... It looks fine on me, I can puill it off, but I am just so uncomfortable in wearing it that it has an effect on my dancing and confidence.... I have worn it twice and now will put it up for sale in which I am sure I will take a good size loss.

Hard lesson for me... Last week-end I competed in a $180.00 skirt, while the $2,600. Randalll stayed in the closet.

[danceronice]

It's tasteful if it looks tasteful on the body wearing it, whatever age they are.

IAWTC. I know someone who is significantly older than me and can wear dresses I would NEVER get away with in a million years, at least without plastic surgery. I'm not built to wear two-pieces--they just don't flatter my shape. It's a proportion thing, largely--even at my thinnest they don't look right and never will. On her shape, they look fantastic. Age is a number.

[chocolatchica]

If you look like Dara Torres does at 41, then you can wear anything you want. If not, then discretion should be taken along similar parameters, I would think, as for younger women using the categories fasc. mentions above! Plenty of women over 35 look better than women who are 25. It all depends on what your body looks like and how well you can pull it off. Bottom line: wear what looks good and tasteful.

As an aside, I have seen plenty pretty thin women who happen to develop some back rolls/folds when they shape into lines or when a man's hand is on their back wear backless ballgowns that probably should have used a bit more discretion or at least should have thought about what their backs might look like when they are actually dancing as opposed to standing still... So, similarly to that, even if you're pretty thin, think about what your stomach or back would look like when you're doing jive kicks and doing a shape in rhumba and go from there:) A pretty good thing to ponder, I think!
Funny I was just thinking that. There is one latin couple that comes to mind. They are amazing dancers but for the last 2 comps I saw the Young lady wearing a dress that was open all along the side and showed her back. While she was dancing, especially samba, you could see some rolls on her back. Don't get me wrong! I am one to be talking about this. Lol. I have my own body issues to deal with...but I would not wear something that does not compliment what have. At least I would try not to. It's not that she looked ugly because she by no means looked ugly. It just distracted me from her dancing and, like you mentioned, her lines. It cuts the lines that she was so elegantly creating off right there.
I agree that it has a lot to do with ones body. There are some older women that look way hotter than some 20 something year old I've seen. Makes me say, "Wow! I hope I look like that at her age....shoot I wish I looked like that now!"
I would bring along some trusted friends to give honest opinions of how you look in the dresses and have a great dress maker who knows how to work with every body type to make it look great in a dress!

[chocolatchica]

IAWTC. I know someone who is significantly older than me and can wear dresses I would NEVER get away with in a million years, at least without plastic surgery. I'm not built to wear two-pieces--they just don't flatter my shape. It's a proportion thing, largely--even at my thinnest they don't look right and never will. On her shape, they look fantastic. Age is a number.
So true. I have a shorter torso (well I'm just short in general) so two pieces make me look shorter and stubby. They don't work for me and I was never fond of them for myself. Maybe if I looked like Karin Smirnoff or Edyta I would be wearing those but I am about $7,000 from looking like that. Lol

[tanya_the_dancer]

Well, if you had kids and it shows on your stomach, anything that opens up that part is probably something to avoid. With that in mind, nothing 2-piece or open in the front for me.

[Standarddancer]

I think 2 pieces costume is very "demending" on body type, it requires a much more perfect body than a one piece; it doesn't really have too much to do with age, it's the body type itself; 2 pieces tend to make the dancer look shorter versus most of one piece creates a longer line, so if the dancer wants to look taller or creates an illusion of longer torso, longer body, longer line, safer and usually more flattering with 1 piece.

[tanya_the_dancer]

On a side note, I usually take my son along when I compete, because I don't have anyone I could leave him with for a few days and he is not old enough to stay by himself for a few days (yet). But at the hotel, he is old enough to go around as he pleases. So, he decided he wants to go watch rhythm and latin sessions. I asked why not watch standard or smooth and cheer for his mom (that's me), and the answer was because "they're more interesting because all girls wear short dresses and spin". Teenagers... :)

[chocolatchica]

On a side note, I usually take my son along when I compete, because I don't have anyone I could leave him with for a few days and he is not old enough to stay by himself for a few days (yet). But at the hotel, he is old enough to go around as he pleases. So, he decided he wants to go watch rhythm and latin sessions. I asked why not watch standard or smooth and cheer for his mom (that's me), and the answer was because "they're more interesting because all girls wear short dresses and spin". Teenagers... :)
Lol! I usually take my little one to a comp here and there because its hard to find a babysitter as well. He also loves latin and occasionally the ballroom dances depending on how well his day has gone thus far. But then again he is only three.;)

[Christel M.]

Yes, laughing here too. I took my 2 year old son to VA State to watch. Every tall man that was dancing (Standard) he yelled "DADDY", and at the end of every dance he yelled, "Yeay!!!" He also did this when we danced a show, waiting for the music to begin, and the room was completely quiet when he yelled "Daddy"....everyone started laughing;-))

Back to body types and dresses, yes after having a little one it is easy to become acutely aware of what not to wear. The infamous little bit of tummy that hasn't gone back is fun to work around;-) Still, dancing really helps to get a figure and work the abs.

[tanya_the_dancer]

Kids are usually so cute. However, when I thought about my teenage son's comment I wondered how all the ladies down in the ballroom would feel if they knew he wanted to go watch rhythm because of short and revealing dresses.

[Indiana_Jay]

On a side note, I usually take my son along when I compete, because I don't have anyone I could leave him with for a few days and he is not old enough to stay by himself for a few days (yet). But at the hotel, he is old enough to go around as he pleases. So, he decided he wants to go watch rhythm and latin sessions. I asked why not watch standard or smooth and cheer for his mom (that's me), and the answer was because "they're more interesting because all girls wear short dresses and spin". Teenagers... :)

Be grateful he's willing to tell you something like that! When I was his age, there's no way in heck I'd admit something like that to my mom!

And by the way, I hope your reaction helped him feel that interest was normal. There are plenty of mature adult men who like watching Latin for the same reason but would probably not volunteer that information!

[Indiana_Jay]

... I wondered how all the ladies down in the ballroom would feel if they knew he wanted to go watch rhythm because of short and revealing dresses.

Probably depends on the woman (if you get my drift) :raisebro:

[cornutt]

Is there an age after which you would not want to see a female competitor wearing a 2-piece latin costume?


No particular age. I hope that we've progressed enough as a society so that older people no longer get hammered with "act your age" as in "you're not allowed to do anything that's fun anymore".

CCM, judging from your avatar, you have nothing to worry about. :raisebro:

[ChaChaMama]

;) Thanks. You're too sweet!

[nucat78]

Depends on the person - body type, muscle tone, posture, weight distribution, etc.

There's a 30-something runner who wears kneelength spandex shorts and a sports bra who I see often at lunch. Pretty, great shape and a great tan right now, but she's obviously had a couple kids as her belly looks like a Sharpei dog. Nothing against "unperfect" bodies but I don't think you'd want to expose that in a competittion.

Conversely I know a 53 year old who looks great in a skimpy bikini.

[loverhythm]

Have to agree that it depends on the person. I'm over 40, I own and compete in a two-piece (rhythm), and know several women about my age that easily could do so should they so choose. (And CCM, I don't think you have anything to worry about). Fit, comfort, and how you feel in the costume are what I personally look for. And, I've seen plenty of outfits that have made me ask myself "what was he/she thinking?" no matter how many square inches were covered/exposed.

I will say, I've never had the priveledge of having children, so at 40+ my abs are probably not "of the norm" for my age.

[dbk]

If you have the body to make a dress look good, wear it. If you don't have the body to make it look good, don't. Find something more flattering.

Age shouldn't really come into the picture - I've seen several young dancers looking bad in dresses that they can't pull off, and a few older dancers (I'm collegiate, so not many older dancers period) who were rocking a little risque dress.

[nucat78]

I will say, I've never had the priveledge of having children, so at 40+ my abs are probably not "of the norm" for my age.

Same goes for 40+ guys. I'm not overweight but I'm not sure I'd look that great in a Latin shirt. Some guys my age do look good though.

<BOT!>

[fascination]

FP is 45 and his abs are killer

[nucat78]

FP is 45 and his abs are killer

Never married and never had kids, I bet.

[ChaChaMama]

Lest kids seem like the kiss of death to any twenty-somethings who might have drifted over here, one or two kids don't necessarily leave the belly area worse for wear. I have one kid and no stretch marks on my belly, despite having gained (cough, cough) fifty pounds during my pregnancy. (Yeah, I know, but they came off again afterwards!)

And some pro women who've had kids seem to have remarkably toned centers. It barely seems possible that such bodies have ever actually been pregnant, and yet there's the kid....

Raising kid(s) probably will give you sleepless nights, bloodshot eyes, and well-earned worry lines (lol--kind of!), but depending on your skin tone and elasticity, the pregnancy part as such does not necessarily take a toll.

[danceronice]

Lest kids seem like the kiss of death to any twenty-somethings who might have drifted over here, one or two kids don't necessarily leave the belly area worse for wear. I have one kid and no stretch marks on my belly, despite having gained (cough, cough) fifty pounds during my pregnancy. (Yeah, I know, but they came off again afterwards!)

And some pro women who've had kids seem to have remarkably toned centers. It barely seems possible that such bodies have ever actually been pregnant, and yet there's the kid....

Raising kid(s) probably will give you sleepless nights, bloodshot eyes, and well-earned worry lines (lol--kind of!), but depending on your skin tone and elasticity, the pregnancy part as such does not necessarily take a toll.

Yes, but (as someone who's a twenty-something for another four weeks, anyway) some of us know from looking at our parents and grandparents what it's likely to do to us. I have enough trouble keeping weight off without getting pregnant, thanks. If I ever have kids I'll be ruined forever unless I can afford surgery to fix everything that would have to be fixed. And I definitely would not have time or the inclination to actually do much child rearing. (Given my feelings about infants, this is probably a good thing.)

[ChaChaMama]

Hey, I'm definitely not trying to talk anyone into kids! They are a lot of work. And I certainly don't think people need to have kids. I seriously thought about not having any. (I'm glad I decided to have one, but it is a very personal choice!)

[tanya_the_dancer]

It's not the weight gain, it's the stretch marks. Once you got them, you got them, and they don't go away on their own (mine are still there after 13 years, and I don't remember how much I gained, but definitely less than 40 lbs)

[Joe]

LOL, some people definitely should not have kids! ;)