[Squaredancing] Discussion on the National in Charlotte Dresscode

[Ken Robinson]

At 10:10 AM 7/4/2007, Dave Hinde wrote:
>I thought I'd throw a couple more logs on the clothing fire:
>
>Cost is one consideration.  What is the cost to own enough dresses to attend
>a National.  Do we want to eliminate the newest dancers from our Conventions
>just because they don't own enough clothes?  How many women would like to
>dress in "Square Dance" attire but can't afford enough dresses to attend a
>National?  Nasser's idea of a dedicated hall is a good one for that reason.

As my late wife, Helena, used to say -- "You don't have to spend a 
lot of money on square dance attire." If you know how to sew, making 
simple outfits can save a lot of money. When she was alive and 
feeling well, we made all our own outfits. I believe we bought 6 
yards of material which was enough for a circle skirt for her, a vest 
for her, and a vest for me. She usually had three crinolines (red, 
white, pink) that would go with any of the outfits. And I had a 
number of western style shirts and pants.

After she passed away I counted up how many outfits we made -- over 2 
dozen. Those were all made before she stopped sewing over 5 years 
before she died. I even found one that had been started and never 
finished (cut but not sewed)

The square dance shops still sell the patterns that we had used for 
so many years.

As for new dancers,  many these days either buy second hand s/d 
clothes or are given clothes that the original owner doesn't want 
anymore (It's amazing how clothes shrink on hangers. :-)
Also, women can but prairie skirts or other longer dresses in regular 
clothing stores now. Helena did that after she stopped sewing.

Men can wear normal pants bought anywhere. I don't wear western style 
pants anymore. I still wear western shirts most of the time when 
dancing, but I rarely wear a western style tie. So, technically, I 
was breaking the dress code at the convention, but I guess none of 
the "dress police" noticed that.

Ken