Help: my regular outfits do not work anymore!

I thought I have my dressing all sorted out and stress free now...until I have added dancing as a new activity to my life! Now I have a dilemma: all my tried and true outfit formulae just do not work for dancing!
 
First of all shoes: I cannot rely on footwear as a strong outfit building block here. Dancing requires special shoes so nothing trendy works here. I am using my old Fidji pumps now which I dyed from nude color to platinum (and this made them much dressier  IMO).
If shoes are out then clothing itself plays bigger role, right? I really like flared skirts for dancing as they twirl and make it more fun. Right now I have 3 flared skirts.
Now tops. Sweaters are OUT as dancing is a very warm activity. My tops need to be light and sleeveless or with short sleeves. Apparently I am very short on those - especially the ones that play well with flared midi skirts! 
Tucking is mostly out of question. First of all my skirts sit a bit below my waist so tucked in shirts do not stay tucked well. Also dancing involves a lot of arm lifting and movements which makes tucked in tops even more problematic!

This Friday we are going to a musical performance with dancing and I face a dilemma what to wear. I would like to wear one of my flared skirts and want it to be festive but not overly formal.
Below are the options I have. All 3 tops have some sparkle to them - silver lurex thread in ##1 and 3, sparkly beading in ##2,4,5 and sequins in #6. Sequin top is tunic length so I had to tuck it in.
I would add a brown leather blazer on top for when I am not dancing and need more warmth.
I definitely need to work on my dancing capsule but so far was not successful. I tried this lace top from BR but it was too short on me - did not even cover the skirt waistband so it was no go.
So for this Friday - any of these is less failure than the others? Or should I just go with my cranberry dress and forget the whole skirt thing?
I need to do more shopping after all - and I thought I was done until the spring!
Thanks in advance for your help!

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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35 Comments

  • Debbie replied 9 years ago

    I love 1, 4 and 6. I think any of them will work great. I will say that the cranberry dress has more of a holiday feel.i don't think you can go wrong with any of these picks.

  • Neel replied 9 years ago

    I vote 3. I love how the stripes of the top play with the polka dotted skirt and the top color and shoes bookend well. The black tops look a bit too dark overall for me.

    Did you try the top in #3 with the halogen skirt?

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

    I was thinking a dress would be ideal, and then I came to the part where you suggest the cranberry dress! I love that one on you. So pretty, and how easy is that--just one piece! It looks great with the belt and shoes.
    The others I favor here are 2, 3, 4, and 5. I think 6 is pretty, but a tucked top seems hard to keep in place while dancing, as you point out. And I like the top in 2 better than the top in 1 with that first skirt, personally.
    Looks like you have plenty of nice options here, Sveta! Of course, it's good to have an excuse to go dress shopping, too. . . .

  • janni replied 9 years ago

    4 is my favorite, as I think that the polka dots lighten the look of the black top. I also think the dress is rather festive.

  • Runcarla replied 9 years ago

    Sveta, treat your new passion like a sport, and invest in gear! Do some research, and visit some dance specific supply stores to find some dance basics for your dance capsule. Once you know how great dance gear looks and feels, you can mix and match some 'close' but not true dance gear items into your capsule.

  • Sal replied 9 years ago

    I think they all work, but I love 4.  To me this is perfect for the occasion.  
    Have fun:)

  • Deborah replied 9 years ago

    The only skirt I don't see working is the one in 5/6.  It's a lovely skirt but doesn't look like it has the movement required.  All the other outfits look fantastic.

  • Marley replied 9 years ago

    Wow Sveta!  #4 is blowing me away!  So beautiful!  I MUCH prefer the black sleeveless top to the light striped top or the short-sleeved black top - and I like both the skirt in #2 and #4.  I know that Halogen skirt is not as swishy as I would want it to be for dancing so I would eliminate that one.  The cranberry dress looks great on you but I just like the top with the swishy skirt the best!
    What kind of dancing are you doing???

  • replied 9 years ago

    Your new hobby sounds such fun! I'm loving the look of #2 and #4 the best and of course the cranberry dress.

  • Deb replied 9 years ago

    I agree with Deborah. The skirt in 5/6 looks a bit stiff for dancing. The red dress is perfect for dancing with ease but the rest still look good for a fun night of Rumba and Samba and whatever else you enjoy. Whether the separates are comfortable to dance freely is another matter. Generally speaking ballroom dancers wear dresses, so this may be something you can work on in time.

  • Staysfit replied 9 years ago

    Sveta, good for you for dancing! What fun! I did ballroom dancing for a while and it was fun fun fun! I only stopped because my kids take up so much time but someday I will go back! It looks like all of these would be suitable and provide suitable flare and swish. There are special shoes for dancing that slide more easily on the floor. Sometimes the bottom of street shoes are too sticky for dancing.

  • missvee replied 9 years ago

    My favourite is #4. It looks fun and festive.

  • Suz replied 9 years ago

    (Pssst....happy birthday!!!!) 

    So exciting...I sense a shopping expedition coming up.....  :)

    For this event, I love the cranberry dress with a bit of bling and your newly dyed shoes (which are much dressier looking for sure). It is the holiday season and the red is so festive. 

    For future ones, I really like #4. It is also lovely on you! 

  • Aubergine replied 9 years ago

    I think the sleeveless black top is a winner with any of the skirts! #2 seems especially striking. Maybe because the stripes of the skirt subtly echo the vertical lines of the beading? The cranberry dress also seems like a great option.

  • Joy replied 9 years ago

    Sveta, all of these look great on you. My favorites are 2, 4, & 5. Have a ball :)

  • Jaime replied 9 years ago

    #2 and 4 look great for dancing and I like the dress too - fun!

  • Neelie replied 9 years ago

    My favourite is the dress, love the colour on you! 
    Have you looked into body suits (or leotards, not sure what they are called) that snap between your legs?  That will provide a very clean line tucked into skirts and guaranteed to stay tucked!  And they look very dancery (not sure if that is even a word!)

  • gryffin replied 9 years ago

    Sveta - feel free to hate this idea.  What if you replaced your top with a body suit/leotard.  Now you could take that BR lace top or the Joie Elvia lace top and make a but two piece dress.  You would add a little bolero or crop sweater (which you could take off if you got hot.  More like modified 'ballet" garb with your founcy skirt and your dance instructor will have an easier time seeing your top line and arm position.  Also one piece jersey dresses with fitted tops and a line skirts same reason.  Just a thought - but if you're going to dance nothing wrong with looking like a dancer ;-)

  • replied 9 years ago

    I like 2, 4, 5, 7 (the dress, of course) and even 6, but you look particularly good in sleeveless tops. I think you need some more dresses with twirly skirts. What a fun new hobby! Hubs and I took ballroom dancing lessons when we were first married, but my toes just couldn't take his clumsy stomping. I will have to live vicariously through your glamorous life!

  • Sara L. replied 9 years ago

    I actually like all these looks.  You look very long and lean. How many outfits do you feel you need for dancing?  Just curious as three skirts and a dress sounds like a pretty good basis for a capsule.  Maybe just adding a few more tops would round it out.

    Hmm, I wonder if I could convince DH to do ballroom dancing?  It sounds so fun and I love to dance. DH is actually a good dancer and when I met him he was taking country western dance classes (he's very good at the two-step and country swing which are very common around here in the southwestern US).  We would have to figure out the babysitting issue...

  • unfrumped replied 9 years ago

    Wow, what fun! @, 4 and 7 look very active/twirly.
    It is very hard for me to find dresses, but it does seem like some gentle fit & flare type knit dresses could be fab, no riding up of tops. I think skirt length is the rate-limiting step and hard to find that ideal length in dresses, so separates may be the way to go. Look for dresses with gores--nice fit throught the hips but twirly.

  • rachylou replied 9 years ago

    I like #2 and 7 for dancing. If we're talking swing, tho, I'd start working on a more specialised capsule...

  • Karie replied 9 years ago

    #7  for sure, as it looks great for dancing and for the holidays. Other than that, #4, then #5, then #2 are my favs (in that order).

  • Elly replied 9 years ago

    Six is my favorite! 

  • Diana replied 9 years ago

    I like 2 and 4, and the cranberry dress.  I think I'd go with 4 - the polka dot skirt seems more festive, and the white dots tie in with the light shoes. 

  • Marilyn replied 9 years ago

    My favourite is #4.  The polka dots are fun and I love a monochromatic look.  It's so sophisticated and pulled together.

    I agree with Runcarla about treating yourself to some new things to celebrate your new passion.  When I joined the gym several years ago I treated myself to some Lululemon items.  It feels good to put on my nice gym outfits and it helps with my motivation.

  • Mary Beth (formerly LBD) replied 9 years ago

    I love all of these!   I think Carla is right - you should look for some 'gear'.   Discount Dance Supply might have some good tops.   I would also google some dance blogs, and see what they recommend.  

    I particularly like the cranberry, for the festive holiday feel :)

  • TraceyLiz65 replied 9 years ago

    I love 4!  If adding a new activity like dancing to your life means finding new tops to work, it's well worth it... Congrats on this venture and quality addition to your life! 

  • Peri replied 9 years ago

    I dance too and I know your dilemma. Regular clothes just aren't quite it for ballroom. The other problem with sleeves is that so many times the top rides up when you raise your arms. And I want a lesson-practice capsule as well as a more dressy capsule.

    I used to get a lot of ballroom tops at WHBM but I haven't liked their things lately. In fact, I haven't bought much in the way of dance clothes for awhile and really need to update. Let's all the dancers keep our eyes open and share what we find!

  • Missey replied 9 years ago

    I think #6 is my favorite.  Holy cow do you have great arms!  Are you doing weight training?  Looking good :)

  • Jem replied 9 years ago

    I love 2,3, and 4.  :-)

  • Style Fan replied 9 years ago

    You look great in all the outfits.  I agree with the suggestion about the shoes.  Invest in dancing shoes.  Then dancing clothes.  What fun.  Maybe DH will go with me for dancing classes.  He likes to dance.

  • rae replied 9 years ago

    Wow, Sveta! I think I missed that you lost some weight. I happen to like all of these. Swishy skirts FTW. I agree about getting dancing shoes first; they may help the other things click.

  • MuseumGal replied 9 years ago

    When I danced, it was all dresses all the time.  Fit and flare stretchy numbers that came to the knees, usually sleeveless, worn with a little cardi or shrug and sandals or boots for daytime, change into dance shoes, take off the cardi, have a blast!

  • Sveta replied 9 years ago

    Thank you all for you suggestions and help. 
    I SO hear you on the gear thing. Believe me that proper dance shoes are in the plans, just did not get them yet. Surprisingly my Fidji pumps are pretty darn good on the dance floor but I am definitely on the lookout for proper dance shoes.
    Rae, it is so great to see you again! I hope things are getting better for you!
    Missey - yes, I do weight training, it was a part of my weight loss program.
    Peri, you understand my dilemma perfectly! Let's keep an eye out for each other!
    Sara, I don't need to many outfits (what I want is another question though). If I can use at least 2 of these skirts and add a couple of party-worth tops and a couple of simpler practice tops I would be quite happy. I will be also on the lookout for the right dresses but as somebody mentioned - length may be a problem.
    I would not mind a leotard but finding one long enough for my body is a real challenge. 
    I think I will go either with the red dress or #2 or 4 for this Friday. This is not a dance club event, just a concert with dancing so no "gear" is required.
    I may need a new belt for the red dress though and maybe some blingy necklace...the neckline is a bit too low for me in the dress, this is why I don't wear it as often as I would like.
    Again, thanks for your help and for permission for a new "targeted" shopping spree! :-)

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