As an adult competitor, there are no skirt length requirements. Therefore, skirt length is simply a matter of taste. Following competition fashion and trends as I do, it is clear that professionals favour a shorter Ballroom skirt and most beginners that I talk to prefer a long skirt. Interesting, huh?
My view is that competitors must taste two very important factors into consideration when choosing the length of their ballroom dress. The first, and I think the most important factor, is one of safety. If a Ballroom dress is too long for you, there is a real chance that you will get the heel of your Ballroom shoe caught in the hem of your dress and fall. Not only is this a devastating blow to your ego when you are on the competition floor, it could result in a serious injury. Imagine falling whilst doing a Viennese Waltz or some runs and hops in the Quickstep. There is a test that you can do when you are trying on Ballroom dresses to check the length from a safety point of view. Whilst wearing a Ballroom dress and Ballroom shoes stand in front of a mirror. Place your arms up as if you are in hold and carefully glide your left foot back as if you are going back into a natural turn in the Waltz. There will be a slight bend in your right leg. Observe where the skirt of your dress rests and whether you are in danger of catching your heel in your dress. I have seen women wearing dresses that trail on the floor when they do this exercise.
The second consideration is to do with the proportions of your Ballroom dress. By this I mean the length of the bodice versus the length of the skirt. We all know that playing with the proportions of outfits can change how a body looks. For example, if a woman of average height wears a long top outside of the waistband of her trousers, her torso will look long and her legs will look short. If she tucks the top in, she will undoubtably “lengthen” her legs. Now let’s apply this idea to a Ballroom dress. It is important to check that the length you choose works with the design of the dress.
The issue of dress proportions is the reason why a made-to-measure dress will often look better than a standard sized dress, particularly if you are under 5ft 4” or over 5ft 10”. With a made-t-measure dress all of your measurements are taken into account, not just your height. This ensures that the bodice of the dress and the skirt are exactly the right length for your body. If you are interested in a made-to-measure dress, get in touch with us through the ‘Contact us’ form on the Obsession Dancewear website and we will be delighted to work with you to create your special dance dress.
