Dance Clothing

Now that the dancing bug has bit you, what do you wear? Well, it all depends on what kind of dancing you plan to do. Now, remember, these are just suggestions. Every community has its own cultural trends and every individual has their own style and preferences. These are general guidelines to help people who would like some guidance, taken from a U.S. perspective. Let's take this in order.

You can also wear clothing that is similar to the type of clothing that you plan to dance in when you dance in public. This is actually quite helpful. Something that all performers learn one way or another, is that if you don't ever dance in the clothing you'll be wearing when it counts, you could experience a "wardrobe malfunction".

You will move differently in circle skirts vs. pencil skirts. Some of the moves may feel different in pants vs. dresses. Long skirts add an extra difficulty level for trip hazards, but short skirts might reveal more than you were intending. Jeans may be more constricting than slacks. Suit jackets restrict arm movements more than t-shirts. Different fabrics move differently and might also be warmer or more restrictive or may show sweat more than other fabrics. And so on, and so on.

If you are taking lessons just to be able to dance "someday" or in general, with no particular event in mind, then you don't need to worry about wearing any particular outfit. Think about the types of events that you anticipate dancing at, and then think about the types of clothing you anticipate wearing to those events. Then you can pick out casual versions of those outfits to practice in.

So, for example, if you would like to get into the ballroom dance scene, then you might want to study the style of outfits that are common for the types of dances you plan to learn (we'll get into that later). The first time I did a spin in a full skirt with a petticoat (I was dressed in a 1950s poodle skirt for a swing dance performance) was surprising enough to nearly make me lose my balance because the skirt moved so much slower than I did and was so much heavier than I was used to. If you like wearing long dresses, especially, you will want to find a simple, inexpensive, comfortable practice skirt for your lessons.

Let's say that you'd like to get into swing dancing, and you're hoping to go to some rockabilly parties dressed in cute 1950s-inspired outfits. You may want to wear blue jeans (if you're going for the greaser look) or find a practice circle skirt that's about knee-length (if you're going for the poodle-skirt or cherry-blossom dress look) or even a casual pencil skirt (if you're going for the chic Marilyn Monroe or Jackie Kennedy look) to wear to lessons. We'll get more into the different options further down, but find yourself a comfortable, easy-to-care-for workout outfit or two that is similar to the style of clothing you expect to be dancing in most often and that should be fine, especially to start out with.

Also, definitely check out the article on shoes. The proper shoes are very important, even (especially) for lessons and practicing, so make sure you read all about shoes.

Non-Ballroom Social Dancing

There are lots of occasions to show off your ballroom dance moves that aren't ballroom dance venues. Weddings, company holiday parties, out-of-town corporate conventions (the after-party for awards ceremonies have some great dance opportunities!), formal events, bar & bat mitzvahs, and even regular nightclubs and many restaurants have music where you can spontaneously break into dance! So you might not be prepared to dance if the occasion just happens to pop up, or you may be dressed with some other activity in mind as the primary focus of the event. Maybe you've seen Dancing With The Stars, and you certainly don't want to go to every event in sequins and carrying around your dance shoe bag, right? Never fear, there are still some tips for finding appropriate dance attire in your wardrobe, or converting your wardrobe into one that can double as both dance attire and regular social attire!

Hopefully, you have already read the article on shoes, so you already know that you can get shoes with leather or hard rubber or plastic (resin) soles that can be worn anywhere that are also suitable for dancing. What you don't want is to find yourself wearing rubber-soled shoes when a dance opportunity happens, especially if the only floor available is carpeted or a polished wood floor that scuffs! You also don't want to have to go barefoot to dance in public spaces - some places won't let you and, generally, it's kind of a dangerous thing to do because you never know what's on the floor that you could step on while barefoot.

Many dress shoes already come with leather or resin soles, so if you have dress shoes already, you might be good. Other shoes can be converted by a shoe repair store, also mentioned in the article on shoes, so if you have some favorite pairs that you don't want to give up, you can still dance in them with a small investment. Some people keep a pair of practice shoes in their vehicles or Dance Socks in their purse or pockets, just to have dance shoes in case of a "dancing emergency" - they might not match the outfit, but they'll have a safer sole for dancing in. Character shoes are good for this purpose, as are leather-soled Keds for swing dancers and hip hop sneakers with "dance spots" on the sole.

Women and people who dance in more feminine fashions have a much wider variety of the types of clothing they prefer to dance in. Some also prefer to dance in slacks, for many of the same reasons that men like slacks - comfort, modesty, flexibility, etc.

Slacks can be traditional dressy slacks with straight legs, or they can be fitted with flares at the bottom like bell-bottoms, or they can be loose and flowing like the kind that sort of emulates a floor-length skirt when standing skill, or they can be narrow cut with fringe that look great during a spin ... really, the possibilities for feminine-style slacks are pretty wide.

Some prefer to dance in short, flirty, twirly skirts like skater skirts. These are especially popular with women who like the dances that include lots of spins and they are comfortable showing off their legs. If you are interested in short and twirly, it is strongly recommended to invest in dance bloomers.

These are briefs or "boy shorts" that are worn over the dancer's own preferred undergarments and also worn over tights, nylons, or fishnets if the dancer is wearing those. Dance bloomers are made out of Lycra or Spandex or other similar fabrics that are thicker and more durable than regular undergarment fabrics like nylon and thin cotton or lace. That also makes them better for hiding pantylines of the real underwear (or lack thereof), as well as modestly masking body contours.

You can get them in a variety of colors, patterns, sparkles, and metallics, but basic black goes with almost everything so if you just want one pair to start out with, that's a safe option. Swimsuit bikini & briefs bottoms also make good dance bloomers. You may find more variety in color, cut, or style to match your outfits if you expand your potential bloomer options to the swimsuit section of your local clothing stores, especially if dance stores are not very common near you and you don't have the opportunity to try any on from a local dance store.

The most popular fabrics for social dancing are cotton "t-shirt" like materials, synthetic silks, satin-finished polyester blends, linens, and chiffons. These fabrics are light and airy, which help to keep dancers cool as well as move flatteringly with the dancer's movements.

Most dancers prefer easy-to-care materials that can be washed in regular washing machines and dryers because sweating can be problematic for laundry. If you are attending a special event with a special outfit, say, a wedding, and your outfit is dry-clean only, you can still dance in it. But you might want to consider lining any potential problem areas with dress shields to prevent damage from sweat stains. Dress shields can still be found in fabric stores and in many grocery stores and drug stores.

Ballroom-Specific Social Dancing

If you plan to dance at venues that are specifically intended for some kind of ballroom dancing, you may want to consider investing in some dance clothing. There are lots of options for dance clothing that still don't require quite the same level of sparkly sequins as competition or performance costumes, so you can still find outfits that can also be worn to non-ballroom events, possibly even clothing in your existing wardrobe!

• • Swing Dancing - The swing dance era actually encompasses several decades, so there is a lot of variety here. You can go the historical route and choose an era that meets your aesthetic sense, or you can choose a swing dance style that meets your preferences. The '30s and '40s had longer-length dresses and skirts for feminine styles and pleated slacks with button-up, collared shirts for masculine styles.

  • You can go all out with costumes from that era, or you can find clothing that just sort of evokes the general feel. Suspenders and driving caps or "newsie" caps for men and masculine styles are great accessories for setting the mood of the era, as are flowers in the hair for feminine styles. For skirts, you'll want below the knee but you can do either a circle skirt, an A-line skirt, or a skirt that is somewhat fitted most of the way down with a flare out at the bottom. For women's or feminine styles, button-up and collared shirts for women are also popular here, especially with shoulder pads or square shoulder cuts, as are sailor collars.

  • In the '50s, you have the poodle skirt-and-saddle shoes options, the "greaser" working-class rebel look with blue jeans for both masculine and feminine looks or tight pedal-pusher pants & pencil skirts for feminine styles, or the "square" or preppy look with the full skirts and petticoats (like the popular cherry blossom retro dresses) and the slacks and button-up shirts with or without letterman sweaters or pullover sweaters.

  • Halter tops, sweetheart necklines, and sweaters are great tops for '50s feminine styles. Rockabilly also borrows heavily from this option. It's sort of a punk take on the '50s look. Rockabilly masculine styles tend to go for the greaser look with cuffed blue jeans and t-shirts or bowling shirts, while feminine styles tend to favor the full circle skirt dress but with Betty Page style hair and heavy punk makeup. There are lots of examples of rockabilly on Google and several stores that cater to that style of clothing.

  • Modern swing dancing is just as casual as it ever was, only with current clothing. It's such an aerobic dance that dancers tend to wear whatever is the most comfortable that their current society allows them to get away with. So you can wear jeans, slacks, t-shirts, dress shirts, whatever you want. Skater skirts came out in the '90s with the skateboarding crowd, but they're basically just short, above-the-knee circle skirts. These are a favorite among swing dancers who wear modern feminine attire, as are denim shorts, workout clothing, and hip hop gear.

  • In fact, here's a great video showing clothing throughout the ages while a couple dances in them! This may give you some ideas if you're going for a historically-inspired outfit. This video is from the perspective of the history of fashion in London:

• • Latin Dancing - Salsa, bachata, merengue, and other Latin dances tend to be very flirty and fun, so the clothing tends to reflect the personality of the dances. Many feminine dancers like to wear short skirts with ruffles or fringe that swing when they spin or shake their hips. Many masculine dancers like to wear very similar clothing to that of the swing dancers - slacks and button-up shirts with the sleeves rolled up or with short sleeves, or jeans and t-shirts.

Some feminine dancers prefer longer skirts and dresses, but they will often be cut narrow with a slit or two up the side for ease of movement. Others prefer boot-cut yoga pants, fringe pants, belly dancing-style bell bottoms, or other comfortable, stretchy pants, especially with snug, low waists and wide or loose bottoms like boot-cuts and bell-bottoms. These sorts of pants really highlight the hip movements that are characteristic of Latin dances and the sharp foot movements. Many masculine dancers also prefer their pants to fit more snugly rather than loosely, for the same reason - to show off the hip movement and sharp foot movements.

• • Smooth Ballroom Dancing - Even though all of these dances are taught in ballroom classes, the dances most people think of when they hear the word "ballroom" are the smooth dances like waltz and foxtrot. These dances are graceful with long movements, so many dancers like to wear clothing that will show off these elements.

Chiffon and silks and satin-finished fabrics flutter about during turns and while gliding across the floor, and dresses with long, full skirts show off the spins and the hesitations. Men and people who prefer masculine fashions generally prefer slacks and dress shirts over more casual clothing. and their pants are likely to be somewhat looser in fit than the Latin styles, but they don't tend to go for "baggy" or really loose fits like some swing dancers do.

Basically, the clothing preferred for non-performance and non-competition social ballroom dancing of the smooth styles tends to be very similar to the types of clothing you might expect to see worn to a wedding or other dressy event from business dressy-casual all the way to formal. But any comfortable pants and shirt that allows you to hold your arms up in the closed hold or skirt / dress that allows you to take the necessary long strides will work just fine.

Performance or Competition Dancing

Certain styles of clothing have evolved along with the dance styles. You can often tell which dance a couple or a team is about to do just by looking at their outfits. If you have a favorite style of dance, you may find your wardrobe beginning to fill up with clothing that is most suitable to that favorite dance style. As you dance more socially and in public venues, you may be interested to know what the professional, performance, or competition costumes look like so that you can find street clothes in similar styles. The benefit to wearing clothing actually designed for ballroom dancing is that it's designed with dancing in mind.

So, for example, many masculine shirts are actually more like body suits - they look like traditional suit shirts from the waist up, but they have briefs attached to them below the waist so that they can never come untucked. Dresses often come with their own bloomers already attached, so that they match the outfit and there is no chance that the dancer's real undergarments will be seen, as well as "invisible" straps to hold tops in place that create the illusion of being strapless or defying gravity, and sand-toned mesh to give the illusion of showing skin without showing skin.

There is no hard-and-fast rule to ballroom costumes - you can wear whatever you want to do whatever dance style you want. Especially with the Latin outfits, there's no limitation to, say, fringe only for cha cha and never for salsa or something. There are just certain traditional conventions that professional dancers have tended towards simply because that style of outfit accentuates the movements of that style of dance very well. So if you like a particular style of dance over the others, you may want to consider wearing clothing that utilizes the elements that are most popular for that style.

Here is just a sample of representative costumes and outfits for feminine and masculine attire, organized by dance style.

So remember, the key is to be comfortable first, and then to find the style of clothing that shows off the aspects of the dancing that you want to show off second. Everything else is optional.

Have fun with your wardrobe and play around with different styles! When in doubt, contact the host of the event to ask about the established dress code or typical preferences of the attendees.