I have been talked into my first competition and my instructor wants me to try both smooth and rhythm.

What should I wear?! I can't justify a $1,200+ gown and that still doesn't help me get clothing for the rhythm section.

I am thinking a nice ballet long-sleeve leotard with a black and red flowered skirt for rhythm and a longer solid color skirt for smooth.

Has anyone had experience with applying thier own austrian crystals? I am fairly crafty, but if there are do's and don't's for applying beads to "sportswear" I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks very much -- I'm having lots of fun learning!

I do not know which level you are in age-wise.... but.. smart not to get heavily invested at this stage.

There are several people who do rent both smooth and latin dresses.

However, if you are going to continue on a comp. path, you need to consider making an investment on a used one ( some good bargains out there )

Pro/am, I take it.

If you had to be "talked into" competing then you probably have no business doing so.

Dancing can be plenty of fun without competition.

jj

Hi Elana (-:
First and hopefully - your instructor "pro" that your competing with needs to read the "rules" on costumes for newcomers in the competition your participating in. Some do not allow any rhinestones, jewerly or decorations. Other organizations will allow decor of some sort - although no costumes. Make sure you understand the rule for costumes for newcomers before you put work into applying stones to anything. Also, dresses that allow for flowing dress movement (swish factor) especially in smooth - can be found at department stores and on the internet - they are not costumes but rather "off-the-rack" some already come with rhinestones. OR - better yet - can you borrow or rent an evening dress from someone? If your ok with applying your own stones and it will work for the competition your participating in there are several craft glues available. Your local craft store or fabric store can be of assistance. Using a style of craft syringe is easier and let the glue get tacky before pressing the stone into it. Test your process on a swatch of similiar fabric before you take to your dress(es). Where you place your stones/beads is up to you.
Have fun!

There is no need to buy or even rent expensive costumes. I found both my dresses for latin and smooth off the rack at a discount store. I find that the more flashy dresses with sequins or beads tend to be discounted because women can't figure out where they'll wear them so don't buy them. My friend made her own latin costume. She bought a short dance skirt (with panties attached). She glued her own crystals on a black bra and then put a long sleeved black top that tied up under the bust over it just revealing the part of the bra with the crystals.. It is time consuming but not difficult to glue on your own crystals. It doesn't take alot of finesse because the glue dries clear. She just put a daub of glue on the fabric and stuck the crystal in the glue. Looked nice and they stayed on. She wore tan coloured fishnet stockings because the skirt was quite short.
What you have planned sounds good to me, Competeing pro-am is expensive, don't get sucked into buying a dress until you're sure this is what you want to do.

Hello,

Congratulations on trying your first competition. It can be lots of fun and a bit overwhelming the first time. You will see so many beautiful gowns it will take your breath away!

I have been dancing for over a year now and have tried many different ways to dress....hope my experience can help you....

First, for a first competition... I'm sure your teacher has told you to dress simply. That is good advice. For my first comp, I wore a black full circle skirt with a bodysuit, no stones, black "gauntlet" type gloves and lots of rhinestone jewelry. I used a long skirt for smooth and a short skirt for rhythm, both very full with lots of movement. I recieved many compliments on my outfits because they were simple and elegant. If you want to apply stones it will give the dresses lots of sparkle...but it is kind of tricky...it takes some practice. If you have plenty of time before the comp, then you might want to try stoning the dresses, but I personally would wait. Here are some tips about stoning a dress. I would use swarovski stones, they give the best shine. Korean crystals do not give as much shine and I don't like them...they looks kind of cheap. I use a glue called gem tac (from craft store)...some people use E6000 (Wal Mart) but I find it too stringy and difficult to keep clean and neat. The trick to applying stones is to put only enough glue on the back in the middle of the stone to grab the edges when you place the stone onto the fabric. Use tweezers to place the stone on the fabric, or put your dot of glue on the fabric in the design you want. Use a toothpick to do this. BE very careful about stone placement because once the glue is on the fabric, it will darken the fabric. For the first time stoning a dress, it might be easier to just do a scattered stone pattern. When choosing stones, I personally like to choose stones the same color of the dress,,,rather than clear crystal, which can look to polka-dotty.

If you have the time and a small budget you can try a website called rainbowshiu to possibly purchase an entry level dress. she has some dress on an ebay site, but I would order one from her custom made. The ebay dresses are samples and have only Korean crystals. I don't care for the Korean stone. It will cost between 200 to 300 dollars to have a dress custom made and it can be rushed (you could have it in about 2 weeks) I have had two dresses made by her and they are very pretty. I ordered them with no stones and did the stones myself. I find that the dresses are well sewn. I had my husband measure me following the directions on the web site. If you order a custom dress you can choose color and styles. She also has skirts. It is a good way to get a nice dance wardrobe for not too much money.

When you go to the comp there will be dress vendors there. The dresses are very beautiful and very expensive. You can look at and try on some of the dresses to find what styles work for your body.

I hope some of this info helps you and best wishes at your first comp!

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. This really helped me get perspective. My jaw just dropped when I saw the price tags of some of the dresses! I'm really having a lot of fun learning, so I will keep my clothing "fun" and low-stress, just comfy for dancing and I like the ideas you have all given me.

I have also been studying pictures on line and the wilder the color, it seems, the easier it is to go "wrong" with fit and highlighting the wrong body parts. I think simple black is probably the safest at this level!!

Hi Elana! I'm excited for you! Lots of good advice here. Check with your instructor for the rules. You might be able to find a nice enough practice skirt on line (try the dancesportuk web site or just google ballroom dancewear) for your first comp. (Then you can wear it for your lessons and practice after that).