Inexpensive dresses for ice dance

[Mainemom]

My apologies is this has been covered before but we were so excited that I thought I would share...

My DD has recently taking up ice dancing (finally!) and tested (and passed! yay!) her first three dances a few weekends ago. We were admiring the dress of another skater so I asked her mother where she had bought it. Chuckling a little, she told us that it was a prom dress that she had picked up, on major sale, at a local teen clothing store. After the test we zoomed up there and picked up two fabulous dresses - one for $7.50 and the other for $12.50! Both with beautiful, flowing assymetrical skirts of just the right length for dance. What a great idea! She can't wait to test again, so she can wear them!

Mainemom

[wasabi]

It won't be a problem for the low level dances, but you might want to get briefs sewn in the dresses eventually. I found a great cocktail dress for 90 percent off on the after-prom sale and got my dress maker to stone it and sew briefs in. I haven't gotten to test or compete in it yet, but I've tried it on the ice and it works perfectly. I think all the alterations (the briefs, fairly intensive stone work, and shortening and "scalloping" of the skirt) cost only around 60 dollars!

[jenlyon60]

At a minimum, if you don't have briefs sewn in, get a couple pair of coordinating dance trunks (available fairly inexpensively at dancewear stores) in coordinating colors. Thick tights just don't cut it, with or without underwear beneath. In a pinch, coordinating snug-fitting "granny panties" also work.

[Skittl1321]

At a minimum, if you don't have briefs sewn in, get a couple pair of coordinating dance trunks (available fairly inexpensively at dancewear stores) in coordinating colors. Thick tights just don't cut it, with or without underwear beneath. In a pinch, coordinating snug-fitting "granny panties" also work.

Plus trunks over tights look so much better than underwear under tights, or just thick tights. Trunks are "meant" to be seen (or at least- if they are it's not a problem)- underwear is not! And neither is that section of tights.

[Mrs Redboots]

I love those cheap dance dresses, too. Because I have bingo wings (gravity takes its toll!), I had a long-sleeved, flesh-coloured leotard made which I wear underneath, and this covers my underneaths, too. When I wear a skirt, as I do when training and very occasionally at a recreational competition, I wear dark "control-top" pants underneath.

[WeirFan06]

I was looking around online the other night for an ice dance dress (actually not for an ice dance program, but for my artistic program which is supposed to be very elegant and "dancy") and i was getting so frustrated because I couldn't find just a simple elegant black dress! Also I do not have the butt or thighs to wear one of those short numbers that barely extend to the top of your legs, so I tend to look for the longer dresses regardless of the program.

After a while I started to look at regular dance dresses (like for people who dance on the ground) and I discovered that there are SO many more styles and they are SO much less expensive than ice dance dresses. These aren't ballroom dresses, though... those are mega bucks! I think they're for like lyrical, jazz and modern or something. Anyway, I found my black dress... asymmetrical skirt and all. For a little under $30. It may need to have the brief sewn in, I'm not sure if they include those in regular dance dresses, but even if they don't it would still be MUCH less than an ice dance dress. I was excited.

[icedancer2]

After a while I started to look at regular dance dresses (like for people who dance on the ground) and I discovered that there are SO many more styles and they are SO much less expensive than ice dance dresses. These aren't ballroom dresses, though... those are mega bucks! I think they're for like lyrical, jazz and modern or something. Anyway, I found my black dress... asymmetrical skirt and all. For a little under $30. It may need to have the brief sewn in, I'm not sure if they include those in regular dance dresses, but even if they don't it would still be MUCH less than an ice dance dress. I was excited.

What a great deal! I wouldn't bother getting briefs sewn in if it's black - I buy black cotton underwear and wear them for briefs (or "trunks" as we used to call them) and I'm good to go. Believe me, no one is up there under my dress checking to see how I cover my butt!!

[slusher]

Because I have bingo wings (gravity takes its toll!)
I call them granny arms and I have them too, thanks Granny. They coordinate well with my granny panties underneath. I also wear a flesh coloured leotard underneath. I didn't get it for cheap ice dance dresses but it was when I had to be in a club carnival number with the teens that I skate with and they all liked bare shouldered dresses. Gulp! Too much flesh on my part would scare the audience! Now that I have my bodysuit, I shop the racks at Value Village, surprisingly, ugly bridesmaid dresses look pretty good on the ice.

[icedancer2]

I shop the racks at Value Village, surprisingly, ugly bridesmaid dresses look pretty good on the ice.

I will have to check that out - that is hilarious!!

[littlerain]

You could also try eBay. There are lots of dresses there, and a girl I skate with wears a gorgeous dance dress to practice (I wish she'd wear it less to keep it nice for competing lol) and she said it was an expensive designer dance or skating dress she got on ebay for $13 including shipping.

You could also try this, http://www.discountdance.com. Although not super inexpensive, I know quite a few dancers who get everything there....

You could also try http://www.dancefactoryoutlet.com (where they have those $1 black footless tights hehe!)

Congrats to your daughter on passing her test! :-)