posted on October 5, 2007 05:57:15 PM new
Hi.....I've come upon a LOT of vintage Western/Square Dance clothing. Question is:
Some of the shirts/blouses are confusing me. Some say 15-1/2-35 and the placket in the front with the snaps crosses over as men's shirts do. I'm sure those are men's.
Others have no neck size indicator or size of any kind, the placket is like a man's shirt, but they're embroidered with butterflies, (one is pink with flower embroidery) and are decidedly feminine looking. Could Square Dance - Western Wear - be different with regard to which way the front closes? They are all large looking shirts/blouses so just looking at them for size doesn't help. This is a genre with which I am unfamiliar and would appreciate any help.
posted on October 5, 2007 06:55:28 PM new
I am a bit of an expert on square dance clothing, actually.
Matching outfits are big among traditional square dancers. Thus you may very well see something like a mother-of-pearl button pink gingham shirt with a solid pink yoke with butterflies embroidered on it, and yes, it is a man's shirt.
The woman would wear coordinating or matching skirt and blouse, and even her lace pettipants would match. Under the skirt goes a crystal or net petticoat. At the waist, a stretch pink belt with an enamelled butterfly clasp to keep petticoat and skirt from slipping during twirls.
I have spent way too much time around square dancers.
posted on October 5, 2007 07:03:58 PM new
Thanks, Fluffy - Your narrative makes me want to sign-up for the nearest class.
Appreciate your in-put. Very informative.
posted on October 5, 2007 08:24:54 PM new
There are worse things to do on a Saturday night.
Square dancing can be a lot of fun at the costume level. Everything you need to know you can pretty much learn in a dozen 1-hour sessions. There are more difficult levels of the activity where folks mostly eschew the Western costumes and just wear whatever's comfortable. Those areas, called Challenge dancing, are for people who enjoy solving puzzles.
By degree of difficulty, the levels are:
Basic
Plus
Advanced-1
Advanced-2
Challenge-1
Challenge-2
Challenge-3A
Challenge-3B
Challenge-4
It's a good excuse to travel if you go to square dance conventions, but they are generally held in places that are not known for excitement, like King City CA or Dayton OH.
posted on October 5, 2007 11:08:16 PM new
Fluff, you're a woman of many talents. I don't remember that you shared this with us before, but somehow, I always think of you when I look at a certain postcard of a square dance convention. I had no idea why...
posted on October 6, 2007 03:10:55 AM new
WOW, you are a woman of many talents. I grew up square dancing, first taught in Phys Ed class (really!) and then going to the Grange Hall way out in the sticks every Saturday night. There were some very serious squares and then those of us who knew the calls but still managed to mess up once in a while.
posted on October 6, 2007 07:01:38 AM new
Back to the attire issue...
Men's square dance shirts are almost always long-sleeved, even (perhaps especially) in hot weather out of deference to the ladies. It is considered gauche to offer a sweaty forearm to a lady for an allemande left.
As far as reselling SD wear, if it is really old that might be difficult. Older petticoats tend to be made of nylon net with lace edging. Over time the net loses crispness and flattens. If you have any made of crystal organza, though, they are popular and retain their shape, thanks to the monofilament line sewn into each tier.
You may see a reference to yardage when looking at petticoats. 50 or 60 yards are common. It doesn't mean 60 yards of fabric were used to make it! Petticoats are typically made of very long fabric strips that are ruffled and then seamed into tiers. (I've actually made a bunch of petticoats -- it is far more trouble than it is worth.) 60 running yards of fabric strips goes into making a 60 yard petticoat.
Vintage men's shirts...umm, I don't know if they'd sell. Yours might not be all that vintage. The square dance look is retro to begin with, based on Fifties poodle skirts and saddle shoes.
I'm afraid I know some of these people. They may look like hayseeds or dorks here, but a disturbingly high percentage of those involved in the activity locally are very bright folks. Lots of MIT graduates.
posted on October 6, 2007 08:27:30 AM new
LOL, on Dayton, OH, Fluffy! Been there, done that. I once had a roller skating competition in Dayton, OH back in the 1970's. I was glad to get home.
posted on October 6, 2007 10:37:16 AM new
Fluffy said: "They may look like hayseeds or dorks here, but a disturbingly high percentage of those involved in the activity locally are very bright folks. Lots of MIT graduates."
For a short while, I worked at NASA, and there were quite literally a good number of rocket scientists who went out for square dancing.
[ edited by Cashinyourcloset on Oct 6, 2007 10:37 AM ]
posted on October 6, 2007 01:35:58 PM new
Fluffy - Thanks so much for referencing
how the yardage in the crinolines is computed. I live in a retirement community with lots of square dance activity and ultimatly most the clothing shows up at estate/garage sales. I've confined my selling to soft slips and crinolines (love the crystals!) and stayed away from the dresses/shirts, because I didn't want to get into dealing with "size". Tried a few clothing items early on in my e-bay endeavor, and had problems with folks saying it "didn't fit" (in spite of good measurements/descriptions in the narrative),
lots of e-mails, refunds, etc. I didn't have the time nor the inclination to deal with what seemed potential problems. But this LOT was practically a gift, so anything I make is a plus. Thanks again for all your in-put.
