Costumes and showmanship

[pygmalion]

So here's the thing. I've been googling again, and have come across some photos of old ballroom competitions, here and there. While costume styles have changed quite a bit, the costumes, at least in the photos I've seen, have all contributed to completing the picture for dance competitors -- creating an impression. Incidentally, that's true for C&W and other competitors, too, not just ballroom.

And who of us hasn't seen video of a smooth or standard competitor female who "works her skirt," just right or a Latin competitor who gyrates the fringes on her skirt in just the perfect timing?

So here's a question for you. What role does costuming play in creating the perfect impression for a dance competitor? How can costuming add to or detract from the impression made on a dance floor? Is it just icing on the cake? Or has it become a part of the cake? HOw can one pick costuming to accentuate one's strengths while minimizing weaknesses? What role does the designer play, if any?

Thoughts?

[johnnywalker]

That's very interesting Pygmalion.
However, not knowing what criteria the judges are using would not allow me to answer the question completely.
Personally, I think in Dancesport the costumes in the latin styles can be a tad gaudy (hope i'm not sounding too old fashioned :oops: ). I recall seeing one couple at a competition wearing an all white costume. The male looked like Elvis and they were competing in Jive. The female had one of those wonderfully orange 'fake' tans applied and as they were sweating the tan started to run off her arms and down her partners back. I stopped focusing on their dancing and was just mesmerised by the wonderful patterns forming on the back of his shirt.
Anyway, I think costuming is important to get the 'right look.' I guess everyone will have a different interpretation of what that might be though. I recall watching Burn the Floor several years ago and was impressed by the 'Industrial Cha Cha.' The dancers wore black leather pants or ripped denim, mesh shirts and bits of frayed ribbon hung from different parts of the body. I thought it really worked well.
I guess the competitors could always ask friends, family or (for a truly unbiased opinion) a spectator what their thoughts are on the costumes they are wearing.
Failing that they could always go on one of those shows like 'What not to wear' or 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' and get some opinions. :D

[Laura]

It's definitely part of the cake, but how big a part depends on what level you are dancing at. If you are a beginner, or even on any of the syllabus levels or Novice, costuming is a much smaller part of the picture. The judges expect you to look clean and neat, but because there is so much variation in people's dancing there are a lot of other technnical factors to judge people on before getting down to nits like costuming. At these levels, costuming is important for first impressions, and to give the judges something positive and pleasant to remember you by, but it won't really make or break you.

When you get up to the Professional levels it's a whole 'nother story. A female pro I know once told me that a judge told her he didn't mark her higher because he didn't like the way she used bobby pins in her hair, and another time it was because of how her partner's dance suits were tailored. The top pros are all so technically good that it's tiny little things that make the difference between winning and losing: a difference in choreography, a difference in musical interpretation, a difference in costuming.

A good designer will play a cooperative role in the costuming. I've been making costumes for friends for a few years, and while I'm hardly a pro I have seen bits of that side of things. When I plan a dress for someone I take into account their body shape and how they dance. The idea is to costume the person to emphasise their assets and draw the eye away from weaknesses. Obviously a good judge won't be fooled by such tricks -- especially since they probably used them themselves whe they were competitors -- but because first impressions and overall look can get to be so important these details need to be paid attention to.

If you're male, there's not much variation in costuming. In the Latin and Rhythm sections there is some leeway, and men who have less than perfect figures can take advantage of the same kinds of clothing tricks that women can.

If you're female, it helps to really understand body types. If you've ever watched "What Not to Wear" you'll know what I mean -- women get wardrobe makeovers that make them look taller, thinner, and more stylish overnight. These "rules" for dressing apply to ballgowns and latin dresses as well. There are several books out there that give advice for dressing one's figure type, my favorites are the one by the "What Not To Wear" women and the one that came out recently from "InStyle" magazine.

Costuming can also help to soften technical issues. Longer skirts help to disguise footwork faults. If your frame and posture aren't fabulous, then it's a good idea to avoid the large floats that are coming back into fashion. If you and your partner have differing body types that looks unbalanced, the costumes can help resolve this. One of my friends has very narrow shoulders, and her partner his very broad. They look unbalanced together, so I put him in a shirt with a very deep V to make him look narrower, and her in a dress with a boat neckline to make her look wider.

Well, I could go on about this forever....

[pygmalion]

Oh! Then do go on. Your post is great and informative, and I'd love to know more. I have the "What Not to Wear" book. It's really good at pointing out stuff that should be obvious but isn't, at least to me. :?

Wow! Thank for sharing your expertise. 8) (I bet tasche will have a thing or two to add, won't you? :wink: 8) )

What about colors? Necklines? Cleavage or lack thereof? Cutouts in the back? Whether to use nude illusion or actual bare skin? Anybody? How long or short should Latin skirts be? What if you're doing Latin but have fat legs? You know. Tell me more! :wink: :D

[Laura]

Tasche is definitely a real pro at this!

If you like the "What Not To Wear" book, do check out the "InStyle Secrets of Style." It's more detailed and uses people other than just Trinny and Susannah as examples. The two books together really give a ton of good advice.

I'll write more later...I have to finish my homework and I'm procrastinating like crazy!!!

I don't know if he's talked about it or not, but DF'er Chris Stratton designs and makes costumes too, especiall for men. He'd be able to provide some insight as to the men's side of things on this question.

[Chris Stratton]

I think that appropriate clothing (and personal grooming) plays a very important role, even in newcomer competitions. Long before "costumes" become advisable or legal, wearing something that shares their basic characteristcs can get many of the same benefits. To that end, I think two things are really important: One, whatever you wear it must look like you made real effort to dress up for the comp. And two, clothing should be chosen to complement the dance form. This latter one is mostly about the length and fullness of ladie's skirts, and a warning against socially tailored jackets for the men.

Speaking specifically of guy stuff, while I've done a fair amount of work on male dancesport costumes, most of my attention has gone into functional details of a sort that the client probably would be only minimally aware of when working with a professional dance tailor. Actual judgement calls where you have stylistic choices are a different matter.

Short of a tailsuit, most guys end up wearing something related to daytime business or black-tie evening dress. In most cases, the clothing itself is social stuff, and social rules apply. So if a guy wants to get a book that talks about collar & tie choices vs. face width he's welcome to do so. A strong personal opinion of mine is that just wearing a shirt and tie looks unfinished - I'd really like to see a vest (waistcoat) from the beginning. I'm also a little against the lining fabric backed vests designed to be worn only under a suit jacket - though you see so many of them that it's almost a style of its own.

The choice between daytime and evening varients of dress is an interesting one. I've personally tended to opt for a ruffled tuxedo shirt, black tie, tundown collar to cover the tie band, and black vest. But lately I've been starting to feel that those who opt for a clean daytime business look may appear sharper. Choosing a normal button down shirt and a long tie is certainly an option worthy of consideration - and this way the shirt doesn't have to be a boring white.

Just as a final word, I think the hip-length dance tailored tuxedo jacket is probably on its way out. While a roomy social tux can cover a lot of flaws, one made for dancing probably has to fit in a less forgiving way.
The tailsuit design seems to work better on a wider range of body types, so the recent trend of waiting until one is ready for tails seems to make aesthetic in addition to economic sense in many cases. But people who can wear a black tie dance jacket well and prefer to dress on the formal side for socials may still get quite a bit of enjoyment out of it. One creative idea now seen sometimes in restricted competitions is a custom tailored black vest, worn over a black-bodied tails-style shirt with white collar and cuffs. From many angles it is quite easy to mistake this for a tailsuit.

[mamboqueen]

Interesting topic!

I'd say if you have chunky legs, you shouldn't wear a really short skirt. And draw the attention upwards via the neckline or backline. I have a small top, so I'm not wearing anything low-cut, but my back is in pretty good shape, so I'm having a low back with a "cowl" type drape on it. I also have a small waist relative to my hips, so I'm wearing a belt that is asymetric with the hemline. I have to say, the dress I had made is quite stunning. I hope I can do it some justice *LOL* I'll try to post a picture after this weekend.

I would say one thing, and keeping in mind I'm not a dress designer, but age needs to play a factor, as well. I can't get away with a dress at 40 that I could wear at 25 without looking like I'm trying too hard to look young again. I've seen much older women wearing dresses that just looked completely silly on them. So, while you're in your 20's and 30's, I would suggest living it up. Accentuate the positive!

[pygmalion]

I agree. Age must play a role in the costuming. I saw an older woman at a comp recently in a stunning Latin costume -- brilliant white, deeply low cut front and back. It would have been gorgeous on someone with firm skin. The problem is that this woman, while she had a lovely figure, had the very saggy skin that sometimes comes with age. She was really awful to look at. Some nude illusion would have done her good, I think.

[pygmalion]

and a warning against socially tailored jackets for the men.

I'm totally ignorant of this, although I vaguely remember reading an article about this a couple years ago. What's the difference between social tailroing and dance-specific tailoring for men's jackets?

[/quote]

[tasche]

This topic has so much information that could be said but I'd be ehre for months :D

One point I've very opinionated when it comes to clothing and some things I just "know" by looking at them. I've learn to trust my eye and my sense for picking trends. Usually I fall in to the plight of wanting a particular item 2 years before they start to make it. *sigh*

When it comes dressing well on the dance floor I think the same rules apply as to dressing well in street clothes. You want to be different but not too different. Follow the trends but not to boring/safe.

I think that watching whats going on in general in fashion. Yes I know ballroom is different but peoples eyes are very attuned to what they see in the street and in the stores. If you think about you'll see the same color palette and themes and design details trickled through every not just in clothes but in furniture and other things.

If I was to show you color forcast for 6 months from now and tell you to remember those colors I think you'd find in 6 months you'd see them everywhere and like them regardless of whether you did before you get trained.

For example I'm in love with melon and cantalope right now even though when shown the forecast a year ago I was ambivalant.

Color is so important not just how it will show on the floor but how it flatters your complexion and hair color. Beware of changing your hair color before a comp if you've never been that color before as it will effec t how you look in your dress. I'm lucky I have a fairly neutral undertones to my skin meaning I can wear all seasons sucessfully but certain colors make my complexion look flawless depending on whether my hairs a firey red or a cool brunette.

One thing in men I dont like is in smooth when they wear white shirt black vest nd black bow tie. It always makes them look underdressed. Men if you wear a white shirt make sure its opaque i.e you cant see the color of your arms through it.

[Chris Stratton]

and a warning against socially tailored jackets for the men.

I'm totally ignorant of this, although I vaguely remember reading an article about this a couple years ago. What's the difference between social tailroing and dance-specific tailoring for men's jackets?



There are some minor ones, but the major difference is that dance jackets have the shoulder openings and sleeve heads shaped so that the shoulders don't ride up in dance position. A normal social jacket starts to distort when you get your elbows above an old-style compact social hold. This will also make a social tailcoat flop open in dance position and make the guy look tripple wide. Unfourtunately, every year you see a few guys show up at college comps proud of their new purchases, only to find that it gives them a look of horribly distorted posture - scrunched shoulders, being swallowed by the jacket, etc.

[twodance]

In competitions your selection of dress is 50 % of your score. You have to look the part as well as dance the part. If you play any sport you have to have the right equipment. The same is true in Dancesport. The idea is to catch the judges eye in order for them to score you. The color and style is up to the individual. This is where the dress designer and/or teacher comes into play. Age appropreate clothes are always the rule. Covering the arms and back give older dancers a better look. Weight also plays a part. Darker colors are more trimming. The differance in dance costumes from street clothes is the cut. Most dresses fit around the waist and fall over the hips. This hides the latin motion and swing action. Dance dresses are cut around the hip and accent the latin motion. The arms have no gussets which gives a solid line from body to fingertip. This is the same for mens coats and shirts. You can't take a tux from the store and get the same look as a tailored competition tux.