Costumes 2013

Very interesting review as always Hatlady. I did notice the overdose of pink too!

There weren't any stand-out costumes for me this week.  I didn't like Fiona's outfit at all, but I'm not sure why. Think it maybe looked a bit underwear-ish to me, which doesn't really fit with my image of Fiona.

I thought the volume around Susanna's dress was really effective when she did the spins, although it was so long that I was waiting for her to catch a heel in the hem.

Pity we didn't get to see Natalie in her Tina Turner outfit, I was looking forward to that

I liked the style of Susanna's dress but not keen on the colour. Not keen on the wishy washy pastels.
Iveta's gender-bender catsuit reminded me of an alien/android like something off Star Trek.
Seeing Kristina the vamp in Shirley Temple flat shoes and short socks with her cleavage still hanging out (made a change from Ben) made me howl with laughter. Ben's sailor suit was bizarre. A GI outfit would have looked better.
I thought Abby's shoes were brilliant although her asymmetrical fringe was driving me crazy. I just wanted to pull her wig straight although I thought the dark colour suited her.
Thought Karen's dress was stunning. Loved it. Shows you can have a classy outfit without all the flesh flowing. I don't recall tartan being used before? A clever twist on the tango black and red theme.

B4P, very glad to hear that someone else liked Karen's dress. I don't remember tartan being used before and the whole style of this dress felt new and fresh.

Another great review Hatlady!

Just a couple of points to add. Kristina was on ITT on Thurs or Fri and said that she had done something to her foot/ankle and would have to wear flat shoes instead of her normal skyscrapers. Just as well she wasn't doing something that would have looked totally wrong in flats!!

I also loved Karen's dress - amazing colours, patterns and straps on the front. However, as for Dave...... as a Scot I hate to see anyone other than a Scotsman in a kilt. it's just not right!!!! Having said that, I did like the tartan on his waistcoat and thought the tartan on Karen's dress was the same as Dave's kilt, although obviously a different material and size of check.

Lualen, who knows Dave may have Scots in his background. I have quite a bit of Scots myself.

Great review as always hatlady I thought Karen had the dress of the night too. Such an original idea and she looked fantastic.

Lualen, yes I was going to say Kristina mentioned on ITT that she wouldn't be able to wear her usual heels because she'd injured her foot.

I thought wardrobe did another good job this week. The only outfit I didn't like was Fiona's. It was kinda rough looking.

Thank you Sid. Yes, Fiona's dress rather looked like a mash-up.

I thought that Fiona's dress looked like she had put a bit of material over a cha cha dress and tied it round her waist to make a skirt. The dress would have worked much better IMO if the 'attachment' had been a proper skirt and the bodice left as it was - would have looked like a proper paso dress.

I too thought that Karen's dress was the dress of the night - the straps at the front were lovely - very unusual - and I liked the flair of the skirt - very stylish use of tartan! I bet it looked a strange design on paper!

I liked Susanna's dress and I thought that Sophie and Abby both suited the costumes that they wore.

I don't think I've liked any of Fiona's dresses yet. They look very frumpy to me.

B4p wrote:I don't think I've liked any of Fiona's dresses yet. They look very frumpy to me.

Ooh Fiona's Rhumba dress is one of my favourites this series. I quite liked her Cha Cha outfit too. The rest, meh.

I thought Fiona's rumba dress was a triumph, sexy, beautiful but also right on a mature woman.

I also loved Fiona's Rhumba dress - one of the best costumes of the series for me. I think she has had a mixed bag of costumes and I did feel that the dress and overall look that she had for the waltz (Grace Kelly - Love night - think it was week 3 or 4) didn't suit her and made her look dumpy as well as frumpy. Hope they go classic and elegant for her American Smooth, but with her hair looking modern.

Design Dis-aaasters Darlings

Fiona and A.nton: Her worst dress of the season. Someone in wardrobe appears to have raided Dame Edna’s cupboard. The sequins in the top had a bit of pink in them together with left over orange and black tulle from Halloween......It was particularly bad in that A.nton looked especially elegant in his pilot’s uniform backed by a sleek chorus of stewardesses

Susannah and Kevin: English man abroad in hot country ALWAYS gets the footwear wrong! Black business socks and clumpy black shoes on a MATADOR. If you are going to do matadors, they wear pink, red or white socks with flat black pumps. Now, of course, in a Paso one wants to do a bit of flamenco stamping which you can’t do in flat black pumps......So like in Not Strictly Ballroom, the standard solution is black latin trousers worn with the matador jacket. These work with the heeled shoes/boots needed for the stamping. (I note that Tangolero also picked up on the shoes and socks) I won’t go into the fact that the matador trousers were also too long. Altogether the concept for these two was too “white-bread” If you are going to use Carmen music the whole look should be rougher, sexier and wilder. (just so you know, I’ve designed this opera twice)

Wardrobe malfunction and near miss.

Patrick and Anya: Nice costumes, Patrick in black round neck tight top and sparkly over-shirt. Anya in classic carnival gold fringe bikini and pink tail. The worst thing about her heel catch was that it threw Patrick off. At every dress rehearsal there is a wardrobe person and/or the designer who is supposed to notice where something could go wrong. I don’t know how that pink feather tail was lined, but if it was done properly, her heel should not have caught.

Mark and Iveta: Given the Hairspray theme I liked the bright colour, both Mark’s orange suit and Iveta’s very sophisticated elegantly shaped 1950’s yellow dress together with the perfect hair. HOWEVER, Mark was given skinny inadequate elastic clip on braces. He started with slight ankle breakers (fabric bunching around the ankle). The braces were not strong enough, they either slipped or came undone on at least one side in back or just plain stretched out very early in the routine. It was a miracle that he didn’t trip over his trousers. Bad enough that his trousers ended up below his belly, instead of on his waist which is where it was designed to be.

Variations on a pattern

I think that Sophie’s, Kristina’s, and Abbey’s were all based on the same pattern with variations to serve the individual performers. The top from the front was a halter then gathered under the bust. From there down satin panels. Sophie’s bright blue was the most ‘covered up with a modest v in the back, Her skirt was a series of circles. Kristina’s was candy pink with the least volume in the skirt, a bare back and a whacking big thigh split. Abby’s was perhaps the prettiest, pink and yellow: She had a lace body and panels with flying godets. The three men? Brendan in white tie and tails, Ben in white shirt and black waistcoat and Aliash who was the most ‘designed: white and blue narrow stripe shirt, yellow ascot scarf, blue and white striped braces (much wider than poor Marks) and pale yellow trousers.

Most interesting conceptually:

Ashley and O.la: I liked this theme, it allowed for wild emotion. Cowboy boots have lovely heels for stamping. I do agree about the cape which looked “stuck-in”. If they hadn’t gone for the black and red satin it would have been better. Possible solution: A slippy fabric that would move, in Clint Eastwood poncho colours which would have gone much better with Ashley’s Brown waistcoat and neck scarf. O.la’s saloon pink and white dress with the 1880-1900 front hip drape was great.

Natalie and Artem: Somehow this seemed a bit safe to me..... fitted red flapper dress with splits and some sparkle plates. Pity the underslip strap fell out so early in the dance. The wig which gave her the Josephine Baker spit girl was an obvious direction. To all those who wanted to know where her hair went: The volume she has is largely air and wig people are expert in reducing things down. In part, given the movement of the dance, it may have partially been to stop Artem getting hit in the face. Artem looked very conservative in the grey suit, black waistcoat, yellow tie and white shirt.

Finally, I can quite understand why there was no costume spot on ITT this past week. The wardrobe department were obviously run off their legs with all those walking props to dress.

I hadn't noticed Kevin's faux paux regarding his black socks ( equivalent of white socks & Jesus sandals abroad) I looked at male matador costumes online so I could see the length/colours of the matador's trousers.Each week Hatlady I learn a new tip regarding costume styles/cuts/material/colours to use.Once I read your review then seek a photo online to view, your comments are spot on!
What are your comments/thoughts regarding Tess' dress last night & Darcey's? Also regarding make up especially Natalie's eye make up?

Thanks sax! Liked Tess's dress, covered but splits. Darcey's would have looked better if the gold (too pale for her) and the red should have been reversed. Natalie's make-up was a dramatic period look with painted eyelashes. I liked it.

Glad you nailed the black socks Hatlady. For one dreadful minutes I was looking for Jesus sandals and a knotted handkerchief.  

Excellent review and so informative Hatlady. I like your idea for Ashley, I did wonder whether the lasso we saw on the VT could have doubled for the cape, but maybe very hard to master!?

Thank you Allsewn. Lasso is indeed difficult.......

Thanks Hatady I liked Tess' dress last night even the OH commented nicer dress this week! I had my eye make up mixed up sorry I meant Sophie's eye make up! Regarding the capes I wonder if professional dancers have a "handle?" so they can grasp the cape more? I thought a female celeb once did cape work in the past? I could have dreamt this thou

TANGOLERO wrote:Glad you nailed the black socks Hatlady. For one dreadful minutes I was looking for Jesus sandals and a knotted handkerchief.  

Also missing the obligatory fight with the deckchair setting it up!

Can't normally contribute much to this thread . I would ask you Hatlady, however, what you think of the male
costumes? The ladies always look a treat but the men, especially in Latin, seem to be stuck in a scenario that's a sort of banana packer meets medallion man in a ladies boutique.... In tie and tails and even paso, they all cut a splendid dash, in latin you feel like asking them for a pina colada or a mojito with ice as they sail past......if you know what I mean.  

I quite agree Tangolero. In an earlier post, I said that it looks like Pasha had nothing designed for him this season. All of his stuff, in particular looked like it was pulled from the back of the cupboard.

Great review as always HL.

By and large I thought the costume department did an amazing job this weekend. The amount of work that must have gone into that lot beggars belief...

Thank you David. They did indeed have a great deal to do.

hatlady28 wrote:Thank you David. They did indeed have a great deal to do.

I read through some of your earlier comments Hatlady and one made me smile. I watched the Funny Face DVD last night with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire and her dresses caused the smile after your comments. Just as a complete aside, Fred does a mock paso scene in the film with a raincoat, umbrella and hat. Quite staggering in its skill but also a lesson in cape twirling some could benefit by. Apopogies for going off track.