Dressing for Social Dances/Parties

[DancePoet]

Dance clothes. For me, the search for dance clothes starts with the fabric. I have a real "textile fetish" (blush, blush), and silk is my hands down favorite. It's light, it's cool, it breathes, it drapes beautifully against the curves of my body, and it feels good in my partner's hands.

Sounds sexy.

I have a figure more like Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor than Gweneth Paltrow, so I have to have a waist.

Nothing against Gwenyth, but Marilyn and Elizabeth work for me.

I cannot wear chemise style dresses. My favorite combo is a little silk camisole, a pair of tap pants, and a fringed shawl pinned around my waist to form a skirt. The triangular cut of the shawl looks pretty neat, and the fringe swings out nicely when I dance. I ususally bring a sweater or woolen shawl to wear when I'm sitting, as I get too cold when I'm not moving. I like a skirt that swings and flows when I dance, and it has to be pretty roomy. I've nearly ripped several of my dresses because they were too narrow and when I'd do a high carisia or a low corte I could feel the seams being pulled.

Sounds practicle.

My favorite dress I found on the sale rack at Penney's. The color literally leapt into my hand, a soft cream and pink print. As soon as I touched it, I knew I had to have it and hang the price. It was 100% silk crepe, with a 100% silk charmeuse lining. It had a layered, fluttery skirt, and was cut completely on the bias so it draped and skimmed over every curve.

Oooh!

The first time I wore it, my best friend exclaimed, "You look SO 'Blanche DuBois!'" and christened me, "La Mariposa," the butterfly. Coincidently, there is also a really famous, standard tango number called La Mariposa. I got SO MANY compliments when I first wore that dress. My teacher, my friends, my partners, even the chefs at my favorite sushi bar couldn't stop complimenting me. HEAVEN for a girl who grew up thinking she wasn't pretty or sexy.

Uh boy ... maybe a dinner & dancing with ReneeJoan is in order.

The best thing, is that in this dress I FEEL so soft and pretty and feminine. I think it helps me express those qualities when I dance.

What more can I say.

 

[motardmom]

I prefer pants, and a stretchy/dressy short-sleeved or 3/4 length sleeved shirt. My very favorite pants are black with a full leg. The fabric has some lycra in them, a very nice drape, and they are very feminine. I bought them on clearance at Target, of all places, and I thought I'd hate them! LOL I had them tailored when I lost weight, and I'm thinking I'll have to have them tailored again before too long. I wonder how far she can cut them down before they just look terrible? :lol: I have an assortment of blouses, none are my favorites, tho. I have a hard time finding clothes here. I'm too tall, too curvy, too long thru my body, I'm just too much "woman". I'm pretty average for an American, but the local ladies are very petite. So when we go back to the States for a visit, I'll be shopping for some dance clothes!

As of yet, I've never worn a dress. (I know the clothing police at the ballroom last week who told me I could no longer wear my green cords would just love it if I bought at least one article of clothing that had a sequin on it. :roll: ) Aside from not being able to find *any* dresses (suitable for dance or otherwise), I'm afraid I'd feel a little bit too sexy in them. *adjusts wedding ring*

 

[dancin_feet]

Have I replied to this thread yet? Bugger it I'm too lazy to go back and check. It's Friday afternoon and I'm tired and cranky. :evil: :lol:

For class I wear pants and a comfortable pull on top, sleeveless if it's hot. In winter I live in my jeans anyway so wearing them to class is a natural thing for me. Fortunately for me (and others around me) I don't tend to sweat that much, unless the air conditioning is playing up.

To parties, I generally dress up a bit, though not usually overboard. I still want to feel comfortable so again it's pants or 3/4 pants quite often. Though lately I have been wearing a lot of skirts. I wear the flarey ones when I want to do lots of spins. Nothing like encouraging the leads to do what I feel like!! :lol: I'm just going through an unusual girly phase at the moment.

I generally save my dresses for exams and mini-comp days, not that I have that many, probably only two or three, but I just feel like I need to dress up a bit more for these occasions.

 

[angelbaby]

dresses, skirts, trousers, jeans - i'll wear any and all depending on how i feel. usually wear the heels but sometimes just want to wear my bloch sneakers and then its got to be trousers/jeans.

dressing up (or down) is a big part of the fun of going dancing. my partner and i realised some time back that we were getting caught up in the dress up and perform schema at salsa and made deliberate choices to dress down and put less pressure on ourselves. it worked we also decided to come up with different faces for each style of dance to remind ourselves to just relax and stay connected. there were some very strange faces we pulled while dancing (and still do from time to time when we remember and want a laugh )

longish skirts with hangy bits can be a trap with dips ie catching your 3" heel in the hem and trying to not fall over & stay cool while partner is trying to bring you up out of dip and has no idea what on earth you are doing!

have this gorgeous little dress. found in it rockmans (ie not expensive). a (non-dancing) friend tried it on and didnt buy it (cos she never spends money on anything) and it didnt really catch my eye. i was there the following wk and it was on special and i thought i would try it on and if it fitted i could buy it and share it with my friend. it fitted. i love it. i've never shared it with her yet! is close fitting, stretchy to move in but not skin tight, is black with big red roses, just simple with straps, covered all over with clear sequins. (partner calls it my fish scale dress). had it a few years now. it fits whatever size i am. always but always gets great comments. is so easy to dance in. was almost "mugged" by a very sweet tranny the last time i wore it out to dinner. just entered the restaurant and heard a falsetto loudly just behind me "oh my god! i just love that dress!" he told me that there were two girls in the kitchen as well as him fighting over how to dispose of me and claim the dress :wink:

 

[dancin_feet]

Hey angelbaby, just realised you are from my corner of the world!! Yeeha!! Nice to know there are other people from sunny Qld who have discovered this site.

:cheers:

 

[Swingolder]

We are in the midst of a winter cold spell. Hate to have to overdress to get to a dance location. I spend the first half hour, shedding layers until I am left with a light weight knit top and slacks. Then to go back out in it, brrr! Put all those layers back on! No skirts until spring or unless I get dropped off at the door.

 

[Sagitta]

We are in the midst of a winter cold spell. Hate to have to overdress to get to a dance location. I spend the first half hour, shedding layers until I am left with a light weight knit top and slacks. Then to go back out in it, brrr! Put all those layers back on! No skirts until spring or unless I get dropped off at the door.

You come to my neck of the woods and I'll drop you off at the door. :wink:

 

[angelbaby]

hey there dancin_feet. anyone else from this beautiful part of the world? there are a couple of ppl from other parts of oz. i'm sunshine coast (about an hour from bris). you?

 

[dancin_feet]

hey there dancin_feet. anyone else from this beautiful part of the world? there are a couple of ppl from other parts of oz. i'm sunshine coast (about an hour from bris). you?

I'm a big city girl. Well as "big city" as Brisbane gets. :lol:

 

[angelbaby]

cool we really are close....you never know.....at least after this link we will recognise each other from what we are wearing

 

[angelbaby]

hey again dancin_feet wondered if you could provide some good hints for good places for shoe shopping in the big smoke of bris? (latin & tango)
cheers

 

[dancin_feet]

hey again dancin_feet wondered if you could provide some good hints for good places for shoe shopping in the big smoke of bris? (latin & tango)
cheers

I'll pm you so as to not highjack this thread any further!! :wink:

 

[DancePoet]

hey again dancin_feet wondered if you could provide some good hints for good places for shoe shopping in the big smoke of bris? (latin & tango)
cheers

I'll pm you so as to not highjack this thread any further!! :wink:

Oh come on ... where's the fun in that? :lol:

 

[angelbaby]

mmm lots and lots of fun... for us :wink: thanks for that d_f - i ws going to pm you but just thought what the heck why dont i hijack - like i am doing right now. so back to the topic ....

 

[DancePoet]

mmm lots and lots of fun... for us :wink: thanks for that d_f - i ws going to pm you but just thought what the heck why dont i hijack - like i am doing right now. so back to the topic ....

:lol: