Can we talk dresses?

[fascination]

A friend who is also over 55 did her first competition in a black long-sleeved leotard, black swirly skirt, and a bright shiny wide sequined belt that she bought at one of those stores in the mall that has such things. She placed very well. IIRC, she didn't buy a purpose-made gown until she had already done a couple of competitions.

For my first comp, I bought a used gown.

Back in the day...I saw this regularly from most of the new students of a very well known pro and I thought they all looked exquisite and classy

 

[HappyLilac]

Suggestions for adding stones to my smooth dress? The random lighter stones are preciosa Sapphire AB I held up to see how they look, although I realized afterward the stones on the dress are Cobalt, not Sapphire. My concern was that only having one color on the entire dress is too flat and not sparky enough.

 

[fatherdowling]

I find varying the size of the stones in the same color adds some dimension if you don’t want to use different colors

 

[j_alexandra]

I'd be totally good with the sapphire AB.

 

[Tracy]

Vary the colors (I think Sapphire ab is fine to add) and vary the sizes. I might look for a color mid way between the two you have to add in also.

 

[MarM]

you have a lovely lace pattern - you might try tracing some it with a smaller stone with the darker color to give it depth. From watching other dancers - no matter what, they sparkle. We obsess over our own dresses but once you are in the floor and moving anything you decide to do will look fine.

 

[flying_backwards]

To me, I see the random-placement as "sparkle". Less another pattern and more "sparks". Though I also like the suggestion of a second, smaller, contrasting stone to outline to give depth. And I love that blue color of the fabric. I also agree do whatever makes you feel fabulous. Thank you for asking us @HappyLilac . I love to talk gowns

 

[fatherdowling]

So I lost my mind and went crazy heavily stoning my dress. I love it.

 

[Pryn]

So I lost my mind and went crazy heavily stoning my dress. I love it.


View attachment 6437

It's gorgeous!!!

 

[ProgressNotPerfection]

So I lost my mind and went crazy heavily stoning my dress. I love it.


View attachment 6437

No such thing as “too much” in ballroom! Great work!

 

[flying_backwards]

I noticed a new hemline in standard gowns, in particular the gold gown in Blackpool Amateur Ballroom Finals has an angular (like VVVVV) tailored hem. I wonder if the poof-hem is going out of fashion. Gosh I sure hope not because I love the hemlines that billow out with horsehair or feathers or just volume of fluffy ruffles.

Their dancing is just so awesome that it makes even that hemline look good. Beautiful foxtrot.

In the same final there is a white gown has the torn-to-shreds looking hem that I have seen often in smooth gowns. But this is the first I've noticed that in ballroom (standard). In smooth I would call it sleek; in ballroom, slack.

Perhaps it is just my insecurity about my dancing that I need a square yard of fluff to make my foxtrot watchable. Or my investment of days hemming the near infinite length of fishing-line rollover seams. I can imagine that if you have to bring your gown in carry-on luggage I can see an advantage to the skirt as limp as a wet shower curtain. But to me it looks like practice wear.

 

[fatherdowling]

I’ve seen some of those, to me it seems like personal preference. I personally love the big fluffy.

I noticed when one dancer changed dress designers they switch to more of those hemlines but I think the designer does a lot more business with Latin and smooth dresses. Maybe that has an influence.

 

[Cerinthe]

I h

I noticed a new hemline in standard gowns, in particular the gold gown in Blackpool Amateur Ballroom Finals has an angular (like VVVVV) tailored hem. I wonder if the poof-hem is going out of fashion. Gosh I sure hope not because I love the hemlines that billow out with horsehair or feathers or just volume of fluffy ruffles.

Their dancing is just so awesome that it makes even that hemline look good. Beautiful foxtrot.

In the same final there is a white gown has the torn-to-shreds looking hem that I have seen often in smooth gowns. But this is the first I've noticed that in ballroom (standard). In smooth I would call it sleek; in ballroom, slack.

Perhaps it is just my insecurity about my dancing that I need a square yard of fluff to make my foxtrot watchable. Or my investment of days hemming the near infinite length of fishing-line rollover seams. I can imagine that if you have to bring your gown in carry-on luggage I can see an advantage to the skirt as limp as a wet shower curtain. But to me it looks like practice wear.

I haven’t watched the finals, but do you think it could be described as a “handkerchief” hem? I had my eye on a colorful practice dress like this and I was wondering if it was acceptable to wear on the comp floor…

 

[flying_backwards]

I think of "handkerchief hem" as one big square with only four points, or corners, in the whole hem line.

The jagged-edged hem is many points/corners.

 

[HappyLilac]

Not quite as many stones added as some of the other posts, but I added about a gross of 16ss sapphire stones to my dress and about half a gross of sapphire AB.

Also, in case it helps anyone, the preciosa stone colors in the other photo are left to right:
- Cobalt (cheap amazon brand, only used a few of these)
- sapphire
- sapphire AB
- cobalt ab
- dark indigo

I also didn’t end up using them, but the Micheal’s Beadsland Austrian crystals are very nice, surprisingly. They’re the same cut as the Swarovski Sirius stones.