number as your first costume, then definitely, go A word to the wise: don’t ever buy a new or
for it! You need to be dancing in something that used costume that is too small for you. You can
makes you feel lovely and special, because that often make larger costumes smaller by alter-
will enhance your performance! ing them, but a too-tight costume will have a
belt that always sit too high on your hips, and
If you are going to be working at a restaurant your cups will runneth over! Sometimes you
or dancing primarily at festivals and haflas, go can move the hooks on a too-large hip-belt to
for brilliant jewel tones that will get you noticed. make it fit you more snugly, but make sure this
For close-up work, pastels and muted colors doesn’t affect the design by putting it off-center.
will also look fine, like pearl gray, baby blue, ol- Also avoid belts that are too wide vertically, they
ive green, or buff. can make you appear chunky. Many costumes
these days have a belt made in two pices, so
If you are going to be performing on a theat- that when taken in of let out, the embellishments
rical stage, know that strong bright colors are or designs on the costume will still remain cen-
your best bet. On stage, metallics, true reds tered, where they were meant to be.
and medium blues look fantastic on everybody,
while white may make you look washed out and yOUR BUDget
black may blend in with stage curtains or the
theater wall. Try to take lighting and the theater Determine your costume budget, and stick to
itself into consideration when making your cos- it. This being said, it will behoove you to buy
tume purchase. the best-looking and most well-made costume
FIT you can get your hands on. Remember that as a
dancer, your costume advertises your product,
A costume should fit you well, and look flattering and that product is YOU!
on you. Today there are so many costumes on
the market that you will never have to “settle”. My first professional costume purchase was
Shop for one that both makes you feel like a the Madame Abla costume I mentioned earlier
queen, and fits your unique body type. Don’t in this story. At the time, I had to buy it on lay-
ever wear anything too tight or too loose- if the away, and I thought I was nuts for spending that
alterations are minor and you do not sew, pay much money on my first costume. It cost more
a professional to make any adjustments you than my rent! But I was turning pro, it fit like
need. If alterations are major, you should just a dream, it was constructed perfectly, and be-
pass and wait for one that will hug your body, cause I bought quality, I wore it -to death- for
not too loose, not too tight. over twelve years. Yes, really! When I finally sold
it, it was missing, like, two pieces of fringe….
Know your bra size, for the both the band and and I sold it for almost what I paid for it. It was
cup, and also your hip-size, and the length mea- worth every penny.
surement from your lower hip to just below the
ankle. Many costumes are made to fit multiple MAKiNg yOUR OwN cOStUMeS
sizes, and adjustments can be as easy as taking
up a hem, moving a few hooks, adding or sub- In the old days, before costumes were read-
tracting padding from the bra. If you are small- ily available, dancers routinely made their own
busted, a costume with too-large cups will look stage wear. And I was one of them. Nowadays,
odd. If the costume is one cup-size larger than I still enjoy making my own costumes, but only
you are, padding can and will work- but don’t be if I want to spend a lot of time lovingly construct-
tempted to buy a costume with huge cups just ing something that nobody else owns. You could
because you like the costume’s style or color. conceiveably spend more money than you would
The bra will always look too big on you, gapping save by making your own dance outfits. If you
or bulging or just seeming out of proportion. sew well, and are creative, by all means, make
Ditto for too-small costumes- in general, they your own costumes. If you are a little less than
will not look flattering on a gal who is larger than talented in that department, the good news is
the costume itself! that you could spend the same amount of mon-
ey or even spend less ( rhinestones and Kuchi
29
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