Stoning a dress (part 384)...

fire_dancer

fire_dancer

New Member
I have a comp coming up in a month or so, and I realized that I really need a decent latin dress. Thanks to the fact that I am *not* rich beyond belief, I was thinking about getting a regular dress from a store and then just buying Swarovski crystals and stoning the heck out of it.

I've read the past forums, and it looks like there's two schools of thought on that: one side that thinks it's a great idea, and one side that thinks it's a waste of stones to put it on anything but dance-type fabric/dresses.

My main questions would be: has anyone stoned a regular dress before? Is it a good idea? Does it hold up, and look like a real latin dress? (Rather than a cute dress that someone threw stones on).

Any thoughts, advice, or general comments would be appreciated!
 
it should look fine for latin.
forever 21 is a store that has clothes particularly suited for being latin costumes. but other stores as well...

I know latin pros that made costumes out of regular store clothing and some stones.

for standard this wouldn't wrk because tere are more requirements and less variety about the cut.
 
I agree with Kitty. You should be able to find something suitable to wear and then sparkle it up with stones.

Following simple geometric patterns works best or scattering them all over is good too.

Also, if you decide later that you don't want to wear the dress anymore you can always remove the stones. It's tough to do but it is possible.

I know there is a thread around here somewher on removing stones.

Pls. post pics when you finish.

(There is also the dress rental option.)
 
It depends on what you mean by a "regular dress". A latin dress has a certain look to it. If you find a dress in a store that has that look, go for it. You can also use a combination of a top and skirt, especially if the top allows the midriff to show (and that depends on your body type and whether you want to allow that).
The dress should have at least:
1- A stretchy material. Lycra is best. Because ....
2- The hip area must be totally form-fitting. The top may be worn a bit loose, depending on the style. But the hip area can't be.
Try to find a dress with some swing in the skirt. If it doesn't, you can create some interest in the skirt by slashing the fabric around or adding fringe. Look at as many pics as you can find of Latin dresses, to get ideas.
Also try to avoid dresses where the "swing" runs throughout the skirt, i.e. starts at the waist. As you spin, the dress will fly up to your waist and that's a bad idea. It should fly up to your upper thighs only. So, avoid dresses with bias cut skirts where the bias starts at the waist.

Edit - And I strongly support Michelle's idea about the rentals. You will get a really, really quality dress for a very reasonable cost, and you won't be stuck with the dress when you're done. For your next comp, you will have another, different, dress, and so on.
 
Excellent advice here all around. If you find something that looks great on you and has the right look, then buy it and stone it. There's a pro around where I live who has a talent and reputation for buying off-the-rack stuff, cutting it up if needed, stoning it, and creating something great out of it.
 
Thanks for all of the great advice! If I find a cute dress to stone, is there a resale market for it as well? (obviously at a much lower price than professional dresses)

And is there a good place that people know of for pictures of latin dresses, or neat stencils, so I can get an idea of what to look for if I did stone a design on?
 
I did that. Bought off the rack at Forever 21, lowered the back, raised the slits, and stoned the heck out of it. It didn't look like a professionally made costume, but it was a great dress that I felt great competing in.

Make sure to stone the bottom of the skirt enough that it will move and swoosh, if it's the type of skirt that should do that. The weight of the stones will make the dress move more.
 
Is there anything else that I should look for when finding a latin dress?

So far I have: Stretchy fabric (Lycra, perhaps), fitted through hips, swishy skirt for movement.

Thanks for all the great tips... it really helps a newbie like me get through the first few comps!
 
I would say to ideally look for an eye-catching color that is flattering to your figure. Black can be OK, but especially if there will be a lot of couples on the floor, you want a color that will catch the eyes of the judges. I personally like open back, but that's something that can pretty easily be altered on most dresses.

Priority #1 -- find something that makes you feel beautiful. :)

Oh! And read the costume rules of the competition. Make sure that you aren't violating any rules about revealing things that should be revealed. For example, USA Dance has rules about showing any part that would normally be consealed by a strapless bikini. So make sure it doesn't go so high in the leg or low in the neckline so as to violate any rules for whichever comp you are entering.
 
If you have boobs that need to be supported, make sure that the dress either provides the support, can be worn over a bra, or that you can add bra cups to it (you can buy them in sewing stores).
 
good idea! Can't forget to support the 'ladies'. :)

Is there a particular way to sew the bra in? Just on the sides? I'd hate to have the stitching show through the front in a nice 'bra-shaped' outline!
 
I don't know much about sewing, but I managed to do my own with little trouble. Definitely make sure they are EVEN. I just tacked them in, and they stayed in fine. A little stitching in 4 separate spots on the top, bottom, and both sides of each cup. That's exactly why I tacked them instead of sewing all the way around. Didn't want that bra-shaped outline. And it worked fine.
 
Rentals

Does anyone know any sources for rentals besides Rhythmic Rentals and Dee's Creations? I didn't have much luck with either of these.
 
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