Skill in the design and production of costumes is essential to have costumes appear proportionately the same on any body size and shape. Costumes need to move with the body and provide comfort throughout the performance.

In your search for flattery for every figure, choose a design that looks good on the most unusual body type in your group because the average body type can mold to most any design. Individual body shape, not size, is the key in choosing the perfect costume.

Pre-produced costumes are made to fit a model figure. The chances of two figures being exactly alike is astronomical! Anyone who is shorter, taller, smaller, bigger or differently proportioned than the model instantly becomes hard-to-fit. Wouldn't it be great if labels carried apple and pear symbols for the millions of women who are larger than average in the middle (apple) or on the bottom (pear), and maybe an upside-down pear for the bigger-on-top figure.

As a designer, I know that a good design should highlight good features and skim discreetly over troublesome areas. As long as the design does not call attention to a problem area, no one is likely to spend time considering where flesh stops and fabric begins. It's important to remember this when selecting costumes for your dance/drill team. What do those tight unitards do to hips and thighs? After 25 years in the costume business, I have a repertoire of tricks and techniques to fit every figure challenge.

The principles of design start with the basics, not unlike other works of art. Look at any fine art painting or photograph and you're likely to see the rule of thirds at work. Students of art and photography learn that a landscape consisting of one-third sky and two-thirds ground, or vice versa, is far more pleasing and dynamic than a picture divided dead-center by the horizon line. The same principle applies to the art of costume design. Don't cut figures in half.

Deborah's Ten Flattering Figure Tips:

1. Dancers with large hips have the opportunity to emphasize a small waist, keeping in mind that gathering over the hips should be minimal.
2. Dancers with large busts should avoid designs that feature the focal point of the design on the bust area of the bodice.
3. Diagonal design features are more flattering than horizontal.
   • V necklines
   • Slanted hemlines rather than straight across the thighs
   • V waistlines
4. Shiny fabrics make dancers look larger......matte finish fabrics make dancers look smaller.
5. Dark colors are slimming....bright neons and pastels make you look bigger.
6. It's better to put the emphasize on the neckline and shoulder area rather than at the waist or tummy.
7. Two piece costumes are popular, but don't put your team in a crop top and belly button revealing hip huggers if their tummy's aren't toned. There ís nothing more distracting in a performance than flesh hanging over a belt!
8. Wide sequinned belts make dancers look wide in the waist.
9. Shoulder pads are pase´ for street wear, but are great for military/precision costuming. It makes a team look uniformly squared off and gives more space for a design feature.
10. YES IT'S TRUE - shoulder pads make hips and waistlines look smaller!