A new episode in the continuing saga of "what were they thinking?"
My niece (the "scary bridal from the 60's" girl) is in a high-level choir, and since they were performing in my town I made arrangements to attend. And my sis did, too! Sis told me a horror story about last week's performance where the uniform top (white satin, scoop neck, princess seams, straight peplum with black piping, black ribbon bow at waist) was horrendously wrinkled, partly because the neckline is too big for the kid and her broad flat shoulders. She had drapes of material and it got crumpled; the diva director ripped her a new one. Sis alstered the top and it looks fine.
So I got to see all the rest of this choir. They wore black pallazzo pants, which looked good. However...the white satin tended to crumple at those princess seams. There were wrinkles, ripples, and other unintended features. (Sis and I segued to a F-store where I found some matte-finish crepey stuff, and offered it as an alternative.)
But they were the third group up. First ones: high schoolers, guys in tuxes, girls in black satin dresses. Some of the patterns used had a seam under the bust with a flared almost-ankle length skirt. Others had princess seaming. Several girls had bunched fabric on the torso. None of 'em was wearing a slip, so the satin unattractively clung to contours. Shorter girls had a deep hem (visible from the seats). One almost touched the floor. One dress was almost two-toned; apparently the back of it was cut on the reverse grain from the front, so when she moved you got a different shade of black.
Second was a middle school group, and they actually looked better at first. But then I muttered, "more fashion victims, get out the ironing board." Red vests with front buttons, and every set of buttonholes had wrinkles. Red bow ties (no visible problems). White long-sleeved shirts. Black skirts on the girls, and here's where the fun started. One adorable tiny girl in the front row looked like she inherited the outfit from her older sib, with an ankle-length skirt. Other skirts were just below knee, mid-calf, or tea length. The shirts might have all been the same size; some kids were swimming in theirs, and the older ones seemed to fit. Some of the girls were wearing black strappy sandals, others in sensible oxfords.
I am beginning to understand why choirs wear robes. Hides everything, is supposed to have layers/folds in it. Contrast color brings attention to the face, rather than the mis-matched hems. I don't know these people, and I am not going to say one word for fear of being volunteered to adjust things.
Glad I stayed with instrumental music. Wear what you want as long as it's dressy or Tuba Christmasy.
--Karen D.