Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wardrobe Malfunctions

It is something we are all afraid of. Getting out there and something pops, snaps or falls.
Well, I have been victim of every wardrobe malfunction out there. So let's take a look at my disasters and what we can do to prevent them from happening.

1. Hip scarf falls down
Thanks to my apple shape, my hip scarf gets tied at the biggest part of my waist. This means it can easily slide down. How to stop it? Pin it with safety pins. I recommend one on each side of the tie and one in the center back.
At a recent show, even though my hip scarf was pinned, it was sagging on the side. Since I was doing improv I took a moment to untie it as I turned and made a big deal of tightening it to the music. At a previous performance when a scarf was falling and it wasn't pinned and I was over trying to keep it on, I stopped and shimmied it off making a show of using my "jedi" powers to make it fall. I then kicked it clear of the dance floor.
Moral: Pins are your friends

2. Other layers falling/riding up
I once heard that Jillina didn't allow BDSS to use any kind of pins and they all had to sew snaps into their costumes. I don't know if this is true but it is brilliant!
I have started buying the large size snaps - quarter size, and sewing them into my various costumes. I do them all the same direction, i.e. the male side always points out. I sew the on the 4 compass points of the top. If you wear pants, skirt and belt it does make for an extra inch all around but it is worth for peace of mind and a much faster costume change.
I performed a few weeks ago and even though my harem pants already had snaps, I was worried the delicate fabric of my dress would show the snaps. MISTAKE! Even though I wear those pants all the time, I was wearing a bike shorts style undergarment. My pants started to slide down during the dance. They didn't ever fall enough to be seen in the slits of my dress but I felt them and it broke my vibe and ruined my dance.
The moral, snaps or pins, attach every layer together.

3. Bra malfunction
Twice I have had bra hooks pop. Once there was a back-up and I kept dancing. The second time, I had to retreat and change. Luckily, most bras fit so that if the hook pops you realize before anything gets exposed.
Moral: Always used heavy duty thread to reinforced hooks. Make sure you have at least two hooks. Check all your hooks for signs of wear before every performance.

4. A missing piece
You can check as many times as you want but something usually gets left behind. I always try to pack back up pieces - a matching tie top in case the something wrong with my bra, extra harem pants or even dance pants in case it is cold or I have trouble with my skirt, and an emergency back up costume. I do a lot of performances out of town and if something gets forgotten then there is no going back. I have one of Hanan Saidi dresses that are so popular. It is soft and stretchy and packs easily. I can also wear it with my everyday undergarments. When traveling out of town I always through it in my bag so if something is wrong with my costume, that one piece can be my back-up.
Moral: Always have plan B

If you have a story of a wardrobe malfunction or a solution leave it in the comments.

1 comment:

Najla said...

Great post! I too have fallen in love with the big snaps, especially on really heavy beaded belts and bras. You can place the snap over the beading without damaging the design and you are much less likely to snag your beads like you do with hooks. In 13 years I have had my bra hooks break on three separate occasions. In each case it was at the very end of the set, and I was doing the same move. What did I learn (besides triple-checking my hooks...)? Not to do that move at the end ;-)

The only other time I really had a malfunction was when my two piece (brand new!) belt came apart on one side. I didn't reinforce anything because I thought it would be in great shape, and when I inspected the costume everything looked good. Luckily I was at a pretty low-key show, so I got to practice dancing literally with one hand on my belt! Moral of that story...be prepared to improv under all sorts of circumstances :-)