The Three Fs of Costuming
By Liz Brannon, Rich-Tone Chorus, Region 25

Have you ever met a Sweet Adeline who has no opinion when it comes to costuming? Neither have I. Our showmanship judges have educated opinions about costuming and, unlike most of us, can award points for those opinions and impressions. The judges are unified in their approach to costuming and in their respect for the Showmanship Category, as defined in The Judging Category Description Booklet (JCDB). The JCDB presents costuming guidelines to performers and judges and is the basis on which the judges score contestants. The basic costume guidelines fall under Preparation (0-30 points) — a consideration of all the things the performer should have taken care of before coming to the stage, such as: costume, makeup, grooming, entrance/break/exits and choreography. Specifically, performers should plan an attractive costume that fits well, is neat and clean, is appropriate to the music being performed, enhances the unity of the performers, and draws attention to the face. The three Fs of costuming are: a costume has to Fit, it has to Flatter the performer as well as the music and it has to enhance the Face.

It’s the responsibility of the showmanship judge to evaluate the effectiveness of the choices made by each performer. To receive an “A” score, a contestant needs to be visually impeccable and musically and visually congruent. To learn more about what the judges look for, here are some of the questions posed to the judges about costuming and their responses:

What works well? Are there costumes you award maximum points for?

• Strong, vibrant-colored (or combination of colors) costumes that clearly enhance the faces that are sincerely selling, and appropriately involved (not contrived) bodies.

• A costume that fits, points up the face, enhances the character, and flatters the performers who are most visible. Costumes need not be elaborate or expensive to work well.

• The unit look that comes from designs that accommodate different sizes and appear to flatter all members of the ensemble.

• Above and beyond color and fit, costumes that compliment, rather than contradict, a “personality and style”. While theoretically all performers can wear anything, the more successful groups (quartets or choruses) will wear what suits their personality and their unique style.

• Neat costumes, with few wrinkles, worn with appropriate undergarments.

• Costumes that indicate a performer is dressed with confidence and the expectation of success, and is prepared and ready to accept all responsibilities that come with success and moving to the next level.

• Classy costumes or costumes offering strong characterizations.

• An appropriate costume choice for the songs selected, the style of the group, and the effectiveness on stage.

• A costume worn by a believable performer that takes my eye to the performer’s overall physical and emotional performance.

• Effective costumes that support the creativity of the performance and allow the audience to get caught up in a joyful performance. The less it upstages the performance, the better.

What doesn’t work?

• A lot of money spent on decorative amenities on shoes, hemlines, etc., which detract from the performers themselves and/or their (hopefully) working faces!

• Performers who try to dress in a fashion that does not complement all singers.

• Ill-fitting costumes or costumes that appear to be ill-fitting due to poor posture.

• Poorly chosen fabric, like satin, that wrinkles and emphasizes every curve and bulge, roll or body imperfection. Certain fabrics can be deadly with certain costume designs.

• The performer should always be more powerful than her costume If a performer comes out dripping in sequins, feathers and satin, but fails to sing “up” to the sizzle that the costume demands, the audience is let down and the judge’s score will reflect it.

• Performers who are put in over-sized, one-size-fits-all garments.

• Costumes that have been rebuilt more than three or four times don’t usually work any more. If the costume starts to look like things are cut off or stuck here and there for effect, it’s not going to add anything to the performer’s ability to sell the song.

Sweet Adelines International has many top-level choruses who have a specific style and look, and have established a reputation built on that style and look. Gem City, Ramapo Valley, Harborlites, North Metro, and Rich-Tones, to name a few, all have an effective and distinctive look and performance style. Another performer may not be nearly as successful mimicking those unique styles, but some performers seem to think that whatever the winners wear is what’s in — but that’s not necessarily true. Read on.

What’s in?

• The correct style for the performing unit and their personality.

• Correct undergarments are always “in.”

• A chorus knowing its style and personality, knowing if the members are more comfy in pants or a skirt, and knowing if the song selection says red, black or pastel pink.

• Anything is “in” as long as it coincides with the chosen characterizations of the songs. If something appears old-fashioned it probably has more to do with the costuming not complementing the musical selections.

• Costumes that are appropriate to the ensemble that’s always “in.”

• A costume that allows freedom so the ensemble — that’s always “in.”

The entire organization is moving to attract a contemporary woman, not in age but in attitude, so a contemporary energy and costume that will allow our members to be up-to-date and wear the most modern and trendy fashions is “in”. Since most choruses go for a more glamorous and generic look, it will be to the performer’s advantage to reflect contemporary styles

As an organization, we don’t want to be out of step with the mainstream. And, if we look at today’s contemporary performers we’ll see that they are showing skin at the neckline (pointing up the face) and dressing in solid colors with not much in the way of ruffles, fringe and trim. We need to look at what is “in” and dress accordingly.

What’s out?

• The wrong style for the performing group — singers wearing something that does not complement the song selections and/or the style or image of the performing unit.If trendy is the wrong style for the performing group, trendy is “out.”

• If we tune into Lawrence Welk reruns and the hairstyles and costume designs look like a chorus or quartet we know, we are not reflecting what women of today are wearing.
Any particular colors or styles you think are better than others?

• Colors speak to us in different emotional ways, so when deciding on a color, consider the mood of the songs, the personality of the chorus, and the character the ensemble is going to portray.

• Interestingly enough, dresses don’t sing, so it’s a shameful waste of money for lesser-achieving groups to spend half their budgets in order to fill the stage with sparkle. The performance level is first and foremost. Many times the performers are not capable of singing up to their costumes.

• Our higher-achieving groups don’t need one single sequin in order to move an audience.

• Costumes don’t sing; they merely help decorate the characters represented in our music. If the music isn’t good the costume won’t help, but a really good group can make a costume flaw barely noticeable.

• Any bright or colorful costume that is suitable to the stage and the stage lights is acceptable, but the performance needs to live up to a vibrant color.

• Whatever the performer chooses will be evaluated for its effectiveness as a tool to frame the musical picture.

• It’s the stage lighting that robs fabric of its color, so make sure the color and fabric you select will hold up under the lights. A smart chorus will look at the fabric type and color under stage lights before making a final decision to purchase.

What about chorus vs. quartet costumes?

• A quartet can and should ensure that the style and color combination of the costume is flattering and directed to each quartet member, and that it’s appropriate to the group personality.

• A unit appearance is very important and should depict the personality of the group. A unit look can be achieved when each performer has a well fit costume.

• A chorus costume is more general in that each and every singer needs to look professional in appearance and suitable to what the chorus is portraying. In a chorus so many sizes and shapes are encountered that it is rarely possible to select a style and color combination best for each individual.

Are conservative or splashy looks preferable?

• Generally, awesome singing makes almost anything look good to me!

• The look should reflect the personality of the group. Some choruses and quartets are more comfortable in a conservative costume, and some are quite comfortable pushing the limits of glitz or teasing us with funk and rock. If the quartet can wear black leather pants (or jeans) and it goes with the theme or personality of their competition set, then do it.

• Poor singing doesn’t make the most beautiful costume anything but a distraction because the Showmanship judge finds herself wondering why this group chose to spend their money on a small portion of the 30 percent of the showmanship category when they could have learned more about what makes the costume important to begin with.

When a group feels restricted in an elegant gown, or is noticeably uncomfortable moving in high heels, then the performance will probably reflect that discomfort. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a good but stiff group on the competition stage, absolutely cut loose and soar on the Show of Champions, wearing a more casual but perfectly appropriate and contestable costume.

Where do you see costumes going in the future?

• Characterization and song selection still lead the way in costume choices.

• We are definitely headed toward comfort, class and bold design.

• We’re moving away from outfits that don’t allow for a certain amount of body size changes, but, at the cost of replacing costumes with every 10 lbs. of weight loss or gain, perhaps we’re getting a bit smarter about choosing looks that allow for some flexibility, while still flattering everyone.

• Costumes will always need to be figure flattering, and will keep up-to-date as the fashion trends go, but we’ll always need to be aware of the appropriateness of the design for either quartet or chorus.

• We’ll be seeing more departures from the same costume (all the same style and color) to more variations on a theme — same color fabric with different costume designs, or same costume designs with different colors, or same thematic tones like flappers or USO or West Side Story.

• Our singers spend far too much time and money on costumes. According to our category description booklet, the costume is a tool to denote a theme, to illustrate a song or the name of the performing group, or to reflect the personality of the performer. Originality and flair are a plus, but, as the JCDB states, “it is not necessary that the costumes be expensive or elaborate.” Unfortunately, costuming is still the #1 line item expense for most choruses — often more than music, coaching, and their director’s salary and rehearsal rent combined.

We thank Certified Judge Joni Bescos, Certified Showmanship Judges Diane Porsch, Carolyn Davis, Sandi Wright and Judge Specialist Ruth Ann Parker for their contributions to this article.

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