SCD 2019 Costumes - Glamour, Glitz & Ritz

Oh  Fred and Rita....yes please, and Dean Martin to boot.....Well, Fred has flat shoes....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYiO51peVc

TANGOLERO wrote:Oh  Fred and Rita....yes please, and Dean Martin to boot.....Well, Fred has flat shoes....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYiO51peVc

Already watched this twice this evening as it came on automatically after the other one! Utterly fabulous

PS I want to see a Cha Cha Cha done to THIS version (as opposed to old Bubbles... He's a lovely chap, would love to have him round for tea and a bit of Grasmere Gingerbread, but he can't touch the tipsy smoothness of Dean Martin)

diamondsandpearls wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYiO51peVc

Already watched this twice this evening as it came on automatically after the other one! Utterly fabulous

PS I want to see a Cha Cha Cha done to THIS version (as opposed to old Bubbles... He's a lovely chap, would love to have him round for tea and a bit of Grasmere Gingerbread, but he can't touch the tipsy smoothness of Dean Martin)[/quote]

I also like the Pussy Cat Dolls version although it could do with slowing down just a tad
https://youtu.be/Ccvln5k0pZI

I saw this when Johannes and Catherine were dancing to 'Single Ladies' and it made me smile
https://youtu.be/1ENQWfteQZ0

Is this on the right thread now? As D+P said, I answered a few posts and a new thread appeared when I had gone nowhere near the 'new topic' button - spooky

mauveangel09 wrote:Is this on the right thread now?    As D+P said, I answered a few posts and a new thread appeared when I had gone nowhere near the 'new topic' button - spooky

I think we're back on the real thread and not the spooky thread!! No idea what's going on!!

Phew!!! Parallel Universe

Fantastic costumes this week. A nice change to have some concepts that don't have everyone dressed up as mummies or witches.
I thought An ton King of Spades and  Emma's Queen of Hearts costumes looked great. I worried for the Tango 'head-flicks'. I though An ton might end up with that 'admiral hat' wig in one of his eyes.
Chris & Karen dressed as Venetians seemed odd for a Samba choice to Back St Boys but that probably sums up Strictly at the moment!
I thought Saffron looked like Katya's younger sister with Katya's blonde wig.
I was worried that Mike would be put into a full rabbit suit, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his outfit. I loved Katya's stripy tights too, they reminded me of The Wizard of Oz, when Aunty Em's house landed on the wicked witch.
I couldn't look at Karim in that wig without thinking of the character called Br uno in the Film 'Fame'. He looked like a 10 year old and very weird
Michelle was the epitomy of Morticia. I loved her outfit and make-up.
I liked Kelvin's 'Terminator' style long black waistcoat
The boiler suits for Ghostbusters were expected, but those backpacks must have been a pain.

B4p wrote:Fantastic costumes this week. A nice change to have some concepts that don't have everyone dressed up as mummies or witches.
I thought An ton King of Spades and  Emma's Queen of Hearts costumes looked great. I worried for the Tango 'head-flicks'. I though An ton might end up with that 'admiral hat' wig in one of his eyes.
Chris & Karen dressed as Venetians seemed odd for a Samba choice to Back St Boys but that probably sums up Strictly at the moment!
I thought Saffron looked like Katya's younger sister with Katya's blonde wig.
I was worried that Mike would be put into a full rabbit suit, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his outfit. I loved Katya's stripy tights too, they remind me of The Wizard of Oz, when Aunt Em's house laned on the wcked witch.
I couldn't look at Karim in that wig without thinking of the character called Silver tongued Italian Stallion in the Film 'Fame'. He looked like a 10 year old and very weird
Michelle was the epitomy of Morticia. I loved her outfit and make-up.
I liked Kelvin's 'Terminator' style long black waistcoat
The boiler suits for Ghostbusters were expected, but those backpacks must have been a pain.

Oh B4p... I really don't like disagreeing but... I HATED the fact that they are now just pulling random costumes out of the dressing up box. If you are going to have a theme then you should stick with it. Halloween is all about dead people and evil (which is precisely why I don't like it) and so gohsts, ghouls, zombies and witches is what it is all about.

If they want to have a general dressing up week, by all means have one, but don't call it Halloween and then change the goalposts. Otherwise they will start doing Corrie, Eastenders and Newsnight for Movies Week...

I generally don't like the Halloween costumes because they are so ugly and for me a huge part of the appeal of Strictly is the glamour and glitz. So in theory I should agree that the Alice costume was quite nice, but Katya looked ill in that blonde wig. Of all of them I thought Oti looked the best - she seemd to be wearing a black version of something her sister would sashay to the judges desk in....

And yes, Michelle channelled Morticia very well. But I don't see that as a good thing!

I thought Tess looked very nice last night, but was back to a proper, vile Tess Dress tonight...

Motsi looked lovely tonight and her makeup last night was the best thing by far of that evening.

Ok. Halloween over, I shall put my Bah Humbag grumpiness away for another year and try to find my sweet, sunny demeanour for future shows (I may have to search quite hard...)

I also liked the opening 'Night at the Museum' group dance. Yes it was bonkers, but I think it went with the supernatural theme. I got a bit tired of seeing groups of male pros doing Paso's every Halloween.
I never liked the Alice in Wonderland story, it just smacked of Lewis Caroll smoking the funny stuff to me, and I found a lot of the characters quite oppressive. I'm not sure what Emma & An tons theme had to do with Halloween but I liked their costumes.

I don't mind a difference in view. I can see your point, but there's only so many ghost themes, rattling skeletons, and Harry Potters that I can tolerate, and most have been done to death (pardon the pun) over the previous years. I think some new theme nights need bringing in

[quote="B4p"]I also liked the opening 'Night at the Museum' group dance. Yes it was bonkers, but I think it went with the supernatural theme. I got a bit tired of seeing groups of male pros doing Paso's every Halloween.
I never liked the Alice in Wonderland story, it just smacked of Lewis Caroll smoking the funny stuff to me, and I found a lot of the characters quite oppressive. I'm not sure what Emma & An tons theme had to do with Halloween but I liked their costumes.

I don't mind a difference in view. I can see your point, but there's only so many ghost themes, rattling skeletons, and Harry Potters that I can tolerate, and most have been done to death (pardon the pun) over the previous years. I think some new theme nights need bringing in[/quote]

Absolutely agree! I think Sax said this too.

Though I am a purist about what constitutes a Halloween theme, there is a finite amount of songs around that reflect the theme and which can be successfully used for a ballroom or latin dance ans so inevitably we will run out. Occasionally there is a new one out there - I thought Bad Guy worked well for the tango in Oti's capable choreography hands (though it's about a bad guy, not an evil dead guy..), but you can't count on new apporpriate songs coming out every year. So basically all the ok halloween songs have been used at least 3 times before... done to death, as you say!

So yes, very much time for a new theme.

I don't care what it is as long as everyone has a chance of looking gorgeous and their absolute glamorous best. I thought all the pros looked utterly fabulous in the Fashion dance last week, so I wouldn't say no to Fashion as a theme one year. I think it best to change the theme every year so it doesn't get tired and all used up like halloween has been.

So far we have had a very sorry show for Fabulous, floaty frocks. Shimmering shirts and elegant tails.

New Theme Nights

Big Band Blackpool

It cries out for a Band. Have the space, the acoustics, spinney springy fab dance floor. Let's jazz it up and make it special.

Forties Homage/Memorial for all those brave souls who fought...

Military Uniforms ( Gethin so loved his iconic dance and uniform) A real old fashioned feel to show,
Tunes from this era only

Tribute to Fred & Ginger

Let's re create a bit of magic and razzamatazz




Purely magical Wish from me but if a Contemporary week for all couples then,

Pride & Prejudice Evening ( Regency Dancing )

Love this era, the dresses, the stiff upper lip, candlelight, the heaving bosoms in dainty dresses, dandy Gentlemen, the disdain,the longing, the long lingering looks.. mmm guess wet fluffy White Shirts be banned

saxonsiren wrote:So far we have had a very sorry show for Fabulous, floaty frocks. Shimmering shirts and elegant tails.

New Theme Nights

Big Band Blackpool

It cries out for a Band. Have the space, the acoustics, spinney springy fab dance floor. Let's jazz it up and make it special.

Forties Homage/Memorial for all those brave souls who fought...

Military Uniforms ( Gethin so loved his iconic dance and uniform) A real old fashioned feel to show,
Tunes from this era only

Tribute to Fred & Ginger

Let's re create a bit of magic and razzamatazz




Purely magical Wish from me but if a Contemporary week for all couples then,

Pride & Prejudice Evening ( Regency Dancing )

Love this era, the dresses,  the stiff upper lip, candlelight, the heaving bosoms in dainty dresses,  dandy Gentlemen, the disdain,the longing, the long lingering looks.. mmm guess wet fluffy White Shirts be banned

Loving you choices Sax, particularly Jane Austen/Regency night...it'll never happen though, gavotte a chance...

Theme shows that reflect a particular decade and the music that came from it - 1950s night, 1960s night etc

'Round the World' Night - Vienese waltz from Vienna, Paso from Spain, - you know, logical things like that

mauveangel09 wrote:Theme shows that reflect a particular decade and the music that came from it -  1950s night,   1960s night etc

'Round the World' Night -  Vienese waltz from Vienna, Paso from Spain,  - you know, logical things like that

Logical? How dare you madam. Impossibe...This cannot be bourne, will not be bourne. You will have Take That and Snoop Dog, hip-hop and contemporary dance and like it. 1950s indeed, what is Strictly coming to?

Snoop Dog & Take That combination is that Dog That or Take Snoop!
Nothing makes sense currently re SCD and Musicality Directors let's crank up a tune from Car Crash Juke Box!

Feel SCD should look back at previous series and see the Magic, Elegance, Skill, Fun and Music choices that complement and enhance the dance. I'm sure Mr Blobby song will be performed as a Rhumba soon enough .

TANGOLERO wrote:

Logical? How dare you madam. Impossibe...This cannot be bourne, will not be bourne. You will have Take That and Snoop Dog, hip-hop and contemporary dance and like it. 1950s indeed, what is Strictly coming to?  

I thought that the celeb girls had the better end of the costumes last night unusually - all except Saffron's shocking costume of course. Even the skirt looked poor quality and as though is was an off cut. I think the others did pretty well - Emma W, Emma B and Alex all looked lovely. I think the jury's out for me on how well Michelle's costume worked. I get what they were trying to do but the skirt made it look bulky and then once that had gone I felt that the trousers detracted from the steps she was doing a bit - shame as it was a nice routine.

I liked Karim's suit and thought it enhanced the excellent Quickstep.
I can't make my mind up about the Paso twins. It was a bit of a formal ying/yang look for me
Emma W's outfit was ok but a bit safe and polite. I kept thinking of Barry Manilow's 'Copacabanna' song 'with feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there'.
Kelvin - grey and boring
Saffron - the big black pants strike again. Why couldn't she have had silver ones or a slightly longer fringed dress. Last weeks outfit she looked like Thelma from Scooby Doo with a short skirt and those big pants. Lets hope she's back in ballroom next week.
Alex - I liked the floaty red creation
Chris - another tracksuit. Might have made it a bit more 'street' but hey-ho.
Emma B - I loved the colour of her dress. That purple/blue looked stunning and I liked the long dark wig. For once I didnt get the wild-eyed stare.
Mike - Kooky suit appropriate to the theme. I liked it, although it must have been hot for an energetic dance like a Charleston.

Well I think we all agree that Alex in red and Emma B in blue looked gorgeous -one beautiful ballroom floatiness, the other sensual latin sparkliness (plus fringe! I demand Emma B grows a fringe forthwith [or keep the wig]- she looked spectactular).

And we are equally ageed that Saffron is now getting the offcuts. She started out so well, costume-wise, reaching her pinnacle in the Foxtrot, but it's all gone downhill from there. Vicky showed us lovely sparkly pants butSaff turned up wearing big black gym knickers underneatha skirt that was cut at the exact length to make her legs look a little stumpy and for maximum fly-up around her waist (same as last week...) She needs a slightly longer length to get her proportions looking more flattering. And if she is going to show her knickers then at least be thessame colour as the skirt, even if Saffy has peed off the Vickster so much that she 's too peeved to stick sequins all over them.

Felt he Quickstep duo wer too red. Liked the fact that the pinstripewasn;tboring navy, but if Karim was in red then Amy needed another colour and vice versa/ Purple would have worked for either I think. And I would have liked Amy in a more formal frock - it was a bit bobby soxer. And I didn't like her fuzzed up frizzy hair (I spend HOURS and vats of serum trying to de frizz and de fuzz my hair and Lisa Lisa go and spend hours and vats putting it in Amy's hair...)

Agreed that the cape over trousers gave a bunched-up bulky look to Michelle, but really liked the two contrasting Matador-esque outfits. Having said that, I feel slightly short-changed that we didn't get La Visage in full-on scowly, haughty flamenco mode with ruffly skirtage - she would have carried that off to perfection... https://pixels.com/featured/carmen-amaya--queen-of-the-flamenco-is-dying-retro-images-archive.html

I wanted to love Oti's dress - there was much about it to love. But the a-symmetric skirt didn't work when she moved - more bunching up. I know why it did it, but I can't really be botherd to type it all out because I'm going to have an early night... (allegedy - I'll probably still be up at 1am, knowing I have to get up in 5 hours, when I am a 9 hours a night girl, but still not turning the light off...)

I agree Kelvin looked a bit dull in that shade of grey.

Sparkly bucket hats and tracksuits are beneath my comment.

I really liked Katya's shorts - a very clever blend of 19th century bustle with 20th century shorts. Though what that had to do with the Magnificent Men in their flying machines (late Edwardian) or the Charleston (1920s) only Katya and possibly Vicky know...

Still, over all much better.

Normally avoid this topic from lack of frock knowledge, but I thought Claudia really showed Tess how to dress last night. Simple with a touch of class and less need for skin exposure. Might be an old-fashioned view I admit.

TANGOLERO wrote:Normally avoid this topic from lack of frock knowledge, but I thought Claudia really showed Tess how to dress last night. Simple with a touch of class and less need for skin exposure. Might be an old-fashioned view I admit.

Very pleased you are giving your opinion on here Tango - even if I am going to (mainly) disagree with you! (And don't let that put you off - it's just an opinion, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all that...)

But I thought both their dresses on both nights were ugly as heck - particularly the sludge-coloured sack belted around the hips that they shoved poor Clauds in. Tess fared a little better on results night with the Victoria Beckham Quality Street one-sleeved concoction, but otherwise they were stitched up on the frock front.

Tess always looks amazing on other programmes she presents, as does Clauds (mostly). It is the people on Strictly (not Vicky and her team who make the clothes from scratch) who choose the designers that Tess and Claud have to wear that are to blame. Darcey and Shirley used to get lovely dresses, but I notice that Shirley is being fed some right frump-monsters and Motsi just raids a cupboard that used to belong to a 70s disco diva and neatly swerves the monstrosities that the others have to wear. Basically they are wearing dresses that cost a fortune, but look atrocious. But they don't choose them themselves, the stylists do. And they are very near the top of my little black book list for a dank room in the Tower.

I take your point about classiness and covered-up-ness (not old-fashioned at all - timeless), but though old Claud was covered up I found it anything but classy. My Mum's dressing gown has more glamour and sophistication to be honest....

diamondsandpearls wrote:

Very pleased you are giving your opinion on here Tango - even if I am going to (mainly) disagree with you! (And don't let that put you off - it's just an opinion, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all that...) I take your point about classiness and covered-up-ness (not old-fashioned at all - timeless), but though old Claud was covered up I found it anything but classy. My Mum's dressing gown has more glamour and sophistication to be honest....

I knew all that Jane Austen stuff would get me in lumber one day. I bow to your sartorial knowledge D&P, as a youth I was thrust somewhat unwillingly into an era of lime-green, white pink and yellow socks, horrendous footwear and teddy boy drainpipes. Anything else might well have got you a hiding at the Palais. It got much better when John Steed and Jason King arrived... Funnily enough, it was dance that made me a bit of a hero as part of a rock and roll team back then. Blokes I didn't know from Danny Kaye were all suddenly nodding, smiling asking how I was doing all around the town. Jim the dancer had arrived...

Realise I have been neglecting this topic...

I can't really remember the dresses from Blackpool. That probably tells you all you need to know.. Oh yes - to be fair I DO remember Saffron' QS dress. many godets and beading and... maybe feathers? Perfect. I think some of the others might have worn dresses. Maybe. *wrinkles brow in an effort to remember* But I expect Karen wore braces. She always wears braces now. It's practically her uniform. Oh - Emma! She wore a red dress for the AS - which somehow looked a bit look a bit parroty with the fading of red to white and ending in white feathers. It could have been so very right, but missed the mark.

The stand-out outfit at Blackpool was Oti's high-waisted flared shorts with the Breton stripey tee-shirt and the heels. She killed it. Not a dress at all. But fabulous. I saw some shorts very similar to those in a charity shop in Keswick last Thursday, and toyed with the idea of wearing them to the work's Christmas party with a lacy top and my heeled ankle boots (not unlike Oti's...) Sadly I don't have Oti's length of leg and I reluctantly returned them to the rail, a solitary tear of regret escaping from my left eye.

Let's draw a veil over Blackpool and move onto this weekend:

Saffron channelled her inner Emu (that puppet one with the very irritating man who used to operate it) and gave a very fair impression of one bouncing around in search of it's feed. I felt there was just far too much of it for the Samba. I don't mean she should be in a bikini like Aliona used to favour, but it looked too heavy and bulky for the Samba and gave the dance a lumbering feel (well that and the music tempo - but that's for another thread...) And it was an eye-jarring combo of yellew and orange. I was definitely not a fan (even though it resembed several outsized ones pinned to Saffron's body).

Next up was Amy doing her best anguished Virgin Mary in blue impression. Overall it was quite fetching, though I longed for Amy to cheer up and stop looking quite so heartbroken.

There was nothing wrong with Alex's dress per se, and she looked gorgeous in it, but it smacked more of cha cha cha than AT. I wasn;t convinced by the go-faster black stripe down the side of it, despite Vicky's explanation on ITT (basically she just wanted to differentiate between ALex and Karenm who was also in red. Red braces and a long flamenco skirt v a short red dress with tasselling/fringeing. Yes, we really couldn't tell the difference without that helpful black stripe. On one side only... Thanks Vicks.

If Oti killed it last week, this week she (and Kelvin) had outfits SO bad (those colours!!!) that my eyes hurt and the glamour and glitz part of my psyche has got PTSD.

Emma's Marilyn dress was a missed opportunity. The pink was wrong (the original slightly paler and more forgiving pink that Vicky showed on ITT was MUCH nicer) and the neckline was positively ugly. It could have been a beautiful Fifties-esque halter but just looked frumpy and mumsy. The Marilyn wig was also a miss, and Emma's glassy-eyed china doll expression didn't really say Fifties Siren to me - more 'Help! I am being held hostage by a mad ballroom dancer who is holding a gun to my head to make me dance - I am just his puppet'.

Karen's red dress (not to be confused with Alex's red dress - that had a black stripe people - keep up!) was full on paso/agressive flamenco from the (high) waist down, and Peaky Blinders from the (high) waist up. Ever since Karen got her fabulous hair she seems to have been demanding some masculine elements to her costume - some of which work and some, like this, most certainly don't.

I must also give a massive and grateful thank you to all that is glamorous, glittery and downright kitsch - yes, the pro dance which accompanied B runo's singing (which seemed to replace the annual Rig-athon and which I for one am eternally grateful for). It was a pink explosion of feathers and frou frou and I LOVED it.

The End.

TANGOLERO wrote:

I knew all that Jane Austen stuff would get me in lumber one day.

Not at all Tango - If Claud and/or Tess had been dressed in a nice demure* Regency style I would have loved it. But Claud's low-waisted sack was the complete opposite of Georgian high-waisted elegance!

*The saucy little misses were actually not always that demure as they dampened their thin muslin frocks making them somewhat transparent and thus leaving not all that much to the imagination after all... (and giving them chills into the bargain)

I am also trying to imagine you in lime green and pink socks, rocking around the clock...

diamondsandpearls wrote:The stand-out outfit at Blackpool was Oti's high-waisted flared shorts with the Breton stripey tee-shirt and the heels. She killed it. Not a dress at all. But fabulous.

Saffron channelled her inner Emu (that puppet one with the very irritating man who used to operate it) and gave a very fair impression of one bouncing around in search of it's feed.

Next up was Amy doing her best anguished Virgin Mary in blue impression. Overall it was quite fetching, though I longed for Amy to cheer up and stop looking quite so heartbroken.

There was nothing wrong with Alex's dress per se.  I wasn;t convinced by the go-faster black stripe down the side of it, despite Vicky's explanation on ITT (basically she just wanted to differentiate between ALex and Karenm who was also in red. Red braces and a long flamenco skirt v a short red dress with tasselling/fringeing. Yes, we really couldn't tell the difference without that helpful black stripe. On one side only... Thanks Vicks.

Made me smile diamonds.  

I also thought Oti's shorts looked smart and practical. Luba was wearing the same on ITT last week to demo a dance with Graziano, (it may have been the Charleston) and I thought then how something so simple could look good without the need for razzamatazz.