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 Costume
Solutions
Goldrush
appreciates the thoughtful input of the following costume
companies in helping to answer these teacher questions: A.
Chatila, Designworks, Satin Stitches, Star Styled, and
Weissman’s Designs for Dance.
I am a teacher in a small town in Arizona who orders most of
my costumes from the catalogs, however it’s difficult finding
male costumes to match the girls. How do you come up with
matching boys’ costumes that are masculine? I’m willing to
have a dressmaker work on them here, but how do I match the
materials? I have 41 boys at my school. I wish there were
more options out there.
– Karen
Stick to
basic pieces for your boys, especially if budget is a major
issue. Purchase or have made some basic black pants – don’t
try to duplicate design details on the girls’ costumes. Stick
to basic “camp” style shirts or long or short sleeved
t-shirts. Maybe a jacket-style top will work well. There are a
few important ways to keep boys costumes masculine looking:
Color
– Work with bright jewel tones such as red, green, blue,
purple, turquoise and orange, or darker colors such as brown,
navy and black. Avoid pastels.
Cut/Fit
– Avoid too-tight looking costumes. Baggy pants and tops, or
at the very least, not skin-tight will help the costume pieces
look more like street clothes.
Fabric
– Work with medium to heavy weight spandex and knits and avoid
thin or seethrough
fabrics.
Workmanship
– Costumes that are a higher quality in design, patternmaking,
construction, and fit will look more masculine than poorer
quality. Structure in boys’ costumes also helps to create a
more masculine look.
Don’t worry
about “matching” the fabrics. If you cannot exactly match a
fabric, consider using a coordinating fabric color. You are
not trying to have the boys look exactly like the girls, so
don’t worry if you need to dress your boys in a different
color. But then remember to take this into account when
placing your boys during your choreography – so that the
performance looks balanced, visually.
--Deborah
J. Nelson, Head Designer and President, Satin Stitches Ltd.
We offer “A
Boy For Every Girl” costume in our catalog. We take four basic
silhouettes, one for each dance style (jazz, tap, character,
and ballet) and match the girls costume using the same fabrics
& color to coordinate. The teacher need only place the order
for the girl style number and write “BOY” on the end, and we
do the rest. Color computer generated drawings are sent upon
request.
--Nan
Hurlburt, Head Designer/Owner, DesignWorks
Any time
you order costumes from us for your girls, you can order
matching fabric by the yard for your boys. We’ll help you
decide what fabric would go well with the costumes you
ordered. We do have boys’ shirts and pants that come in a full
range of sizes besides coordinating with the costumes
illustrated. Boy costumes [throughout the catalog], in many
cases, will match other costumes that are made out of the same
fabrics and/or colors thereby allowing for a greater
selection.
--Dee
Deringer Piquette, Design Coordinator, Star Styled
Several
costume companies mentioned talking to their customer service
representatives about your specific needs for boys, as well as
options to buy additional fabric that matches the girl
costumes. Be sure to talk to the individual companies whose
costumes you are interested in, and see what options they have
available for your boys before making any assumptions about
availability.
– Editor
I had
my first recital last season, however I had one BIG problem –
I placed my costume order in January, and by the time of the
show, my students had grown and there were some very
tight-fitting costumes! Obviously, I now realize that I need
to leave room for growth. Is there a certain formula that
costume companies recommend?
-- Paula
Costume
companies seem to agree on the important points of this
answer. Namely, they are: • Yes, you need to leave room
for growth. Most experts recommend half to a full size bigger
than the student measures in January.
• Costumes
that contain stretch fabrics are, of course, going to be more
accommodating to a growing child than those that use fabrics
that don’t stretch as much. Take this into account when
choosing the sizes for each individual costume style.
• The girth
is the most important measurement for determining the size you
order. “Always measure the girth with student in a leotard,
feet together, breathing normally. Measure from right shoulder
over chest through crotch and up back to same shoulder,”
recommends Nan Hurlburt, Head Designer/Owner of Designworks.
• Have the
students try on costumes as soon as they arrive rather than
waiting until the performance approaches, so that if you need
to talk to the costume company about exchanges, you have the
time to do it.
• It’s
always easier to alter a costume that’s too big than a costume
that’s too small, so be generous in your sizing decisions.
Remember that each costume company has its own sizing chart,
so use the appropriate chart for each costume company you’re
ordering from.
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