WWYW to tango?

poirot0153

I'm looking for some ideas and/or inspiration. I will be performing my first tango next month at a showcase my ballroom dance studio. It's not a competition so I don't think anyone will be wearing ballroom gowns, per se.

I am trying to think of what to wear that will fit the character and spirit of both the dance as well as the song we have chosen. I chose an edgy, dramatic, over-the-top, non-traditional tango song...."My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" by Fallout Boy. That song is totally bad@ss. I love it!

Obviously, I need freedom of movement, etc., so I am definitely going the dress route. Don't worry about functionality in your suggestions. I will figure that out. If you were me, what would you wear?...e.g., colors, accessories, etc.

12 years ago

Dressing

9 replies

Latest reply was from Ornella

Aquamarine

Veteran

We have several dancers on this forum and hopefully one of them will chime in.

12 years ago

Louise

Veteran

How about something with a high low hem? I've thinking of my own wardrobe and have a dress and skirt with this sort of hem and even just walking they swish and swirl so I'd love to dance in them x

ETA- love your screen name, he's my favourite tv detective x

12 years ago

Jules

Veteran

Can you edit your title to include the word tango? Forum member Mochi is also a tango student. If you do a search you'll see some of her tango dress searches as well I believe (and they are not full-on ballroom either).

12 years ago

Peri

Veteran

Ballroom or Argentine?

If Argentine, there is a website tangoleva.com that has many great dress options for a really low price. They are definitely dance floor only, you wouldn't be able to reuse for a social situation in the same way my competition gown could never be mistaken for a regular dress. I hope the website is still up...I haven't been on it for ages because I don't really do Argentine.

Also, Mo posted a dress picture the other day that would be great. You can search for the post...something about the wisdom of buying similar. I thought at the time...wow, Argentine dress.

If ballroom, I have done this trick. Buy an affordable long dress with a full skirt, someplace like a department store. Even though the skirt is full, it is very likely the lining will be straight. Take it to a tailor and have them replace the lining with matching material in the same fullness of the dress.

Good luck, have fun!

12 years ago

Peri

Veteran

Oh PS, you would have to get the dress hemmed to ankle length for safe dancing. That would sort of limit it's reuse for non dancing, just a warning!

12 years ago

poirot0153

Active Member

Thanks for the great advice everyone! My routine is ballroom tango with a dash of argentine here and there. I am nervous and excited at the same time. My ballroom journey is just beginning. After this showcase debut in February, my dance teacher wants me to do a competition in May. That dance will be a rumba.

@Louise - I love mysteries and detective stories. I have read everything written by Agatha Christie. Hercule Poirot is my favorite detective. Too bad my "little gray cells" can't help me bring fire on the dance floor in this tango. LOL.

12 years ago

Mochi

Veteran

Hi, Poirot. It's been a really long time since you posted this so maybe not relevant anymore. Plus, I suspect ballroom is an entirely different ballgame than the Argentine Tango scene. I find that it's eclectic and though plenty of women do dress up, no one wears formal gowns. The main thing is definitely flexibility in movement, and you can accomplish this with any dress or skirt that's not confining (ie, a pencil skirt would be a bad idea, even with a slit). A lot of women wear pants as well--they are sometimes long, flared trousers, but often are cropped. And I see a lot of leggings or bicycle shorts-type of pieces under pretty tunics or short dresses.

I still have a very limited tango wardrobe, but I plan on growing it out this year. I bought two very nice dresses, with links below. And recently a third dress that was inexpensive and stretchy and I wear it with black jeans or leggings also. In the future, some pretty tops and skirts should do it for me, and a few more flirty dresses when they go on sale.

The green one is Tadashi Shoji from Nordstrom and it is my fantasy of how a tanguera would have looked in the 1940's. : )

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-out-tango

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....o-part-two

This one is a Classiques Entier, also from Nordstrom:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....s-ka-ching

Poirot, I also take photos at my teachers' monthly dances, so if you're curious about how women dress in an informal social tango context, have a look. (Ignore the belly dancer pic--she was giving a performance!)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47758673@N03/

11 years ago

poirot0153

Active Member

Thanks Mochi! I will check these out. I'll be adding Bolero (which is basically a very slow rumba) to my list of dance styles and these maybe helpful for that as well when social dancing. My dance instructor wants me to learn mambo as well so we can participate in the 5 dance challenges in competitions.

I also want to learn Argentine Tango too. We'll see if I can handle learning that in my quite full dance curriculum. Lol

11 years ago

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Ooooh, this IS SOOOOO exciting.

No advice here, but I so look forward to see what you'll wear. I'm sure you'll look divine.

On separate note, this is my all time favourite dance from the SCD. It's from 2005 but I still get goosebumps every single time I watch it! Wardrobe wise, I've always loved the piece she wore around the neck.

Enjoy It begins at 1:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg8neixzZtU

11 years ago

Category