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Choosing a uniform can be tough sometimes. There are so many cool styles and colors and designs floating around, it's hard
to pick just one! This is a section that's dedicated to give you information and tips on uniforms!
The first thing to keep in mind when you're selecting a uniform is to think about your budget.
Just how much money does the guard have to spend on uniforms? If you need to pay for your own uniform like my guard, that
can really narrow down your choices. Look for uniforms that are in your budget. If you get uniforms without having to pay
for them personally....then you're really lucky. =)
Then think of your show. Try and find something that'll go along
with your show. As an example, it'd be weird if your show was swing style and your guard was wearing brown unitards. Hehe.
Try and match at least one aspect of the show, like theme colors or the style of music, things like that.
One color
that seems to be universal and very flattering is solid black. It works for almost everything and it looks good on everyone.
This year in my guard, we're wearing solid black uniforms with some other little things added. Black is easy to clean, and
dirt doesn't really show up very well on it, so your uniform will look nice for a while. If you want more flair, you could
add sequined guantlets, gloves, belts, whatever but beware, that makes it harder to clean. Sequins are, in general, hard to
clean.
One tip, STAY AWAY FROM WHITE, at least as a bottom color. I cannot believe how many people think that white
is a good guard color. My director is really stuck on white, and I've noticed that many other directors love white also. White
is like a magnet for dirt. Everything shows up on white. It's hard to get stains out and it contrasts with the dirt. If you
want to use it as a top color, go for it, but as a bottom part of a uniform....I don't want to imagine! =)
There are
different kinds of bottoms you could get for the uniform. There are jazz pants (kinda baggy, but not really), unitard type
(skin tight, pretty much), palatzzo pants (really baggy), skirts, dresses, half skirt half pants, etc etc. Think of what kind
of show you have. Different types of bottoms have different movement freedom. I would say the most constricting would be the
skirts and the dresses, in a equipment view. Flags and weapons can get caught in the fabric. In my opinion, jazz pants are
really nice because they're not too baggy, but not too tight, and you can still move around in them.
As for top styles,
you can get long sleeves, short sleeves or sleeveless. Each of these has their advantages and disadvantages. Long sleeves
are good because you can stay warm in them, but on the other hand, if the weather's warm, you will be VERY warm! Vice versa
with the short sleeves. I find that short sleeves or sleeveless gives a lot of arm freedom and it's not as constricting as
long sleeves.
Oh the joys of accessories! You can get many things added to a uniform to give it more flair. I'll try
to cover all of them but I might skip over a couple. Sequins, like I mentioned above, are nice and they look cool, but they
are really really hard to clean, especially if they are a permanent part of the uniform (sewed-on). A nice way to add some
color is to buy several yards of fabric (chiffon, velvet, whatever) and make it as a belt. To make it easy on, easy off, attach
velcro to the ends and voila! Instant belt! Gauntlets are also an option. Those are the things that you can put on your forearms
to add color, like prom gloves but without the hand part. Those are cool, but they can take some time getting used to if you
have never worn them before. If you do order gauntlets, make sure that you put them on before a show and get used to working
with them. Headgear is also a possibility. There are many types of headgear to choose from, ranging from berets to bridal
type crowns to tiaras. Personally, I don't like hats, but all I can say about hats is that make sure they can't come off your
head while doing the work! :) Pin them to your head with bobby pins to make them stay.
I'll add more really soon!!
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