Dance Costumes
GIRLS COSTUMES: Costumes for girls/ladies consist of School Dresses and Solo Dresses. The requirements and guidelines for School and Solo Dresses are outlined below.
School Dresses:
School Dresses:
- School dresses are worn by dancers in levels Beginner 1 and up for competition and shows. A full school costume consists of (1) a dress, (2) kick pants, (3) poodle socks or black tights, and (4) headband.
- Brand new beginners (First Feis) may wear a the new blue skirt, blue turteneck (short or long sleeves) and blue kick pants for competition and performances. The accompanying headbanc should be worn to pull the hair away from the face. Speak with Eileen McBride Parker regarding any questions about the brand new/first feis costume.
- School dresses are appropriate for those dancers in Grade levels Beginner 1, Beginner 2 and Novice. Students MUST purchase a School Dress before looking for any solo dress. All solo dress purchases must be approved by Ann McBride and/or Eileen McBride Parker (see solo dress section below).
- School dresses are required for team dancing.
- PLEASE NOTE: There are TWO (2) school dresses: Beginner(Or Grade) Level and Open Level. A dancer must be in Novice/Prizewinner to purchase an Open level School Dresses and must be invited to participate in the Open Oireachtas Teams and Choreography. Please further note that Grade Team Dancers wear poodle socks for team dances. Open Team Dancers wear black tights.
- School Dresses (both Beginner/Grade and Open Levels) are made by the approved dressmaker, Mags Gogarty, and consist of the dress and cape. Headbands for both the grade level and open school dresses are available through the McBride School. Periodically the dressmaker will come to the studio to take measurements and orders for new dresses. Email us for the dressmaker's contact information if you would like to make an appointment to go to her studio in Burlingame.
- Many school dresses are available second hand through the school. Speak with your instructor for names of parents who have school dresses for sale. If you have a school dress for sale, please let us know. You can also check our McBride School Dress Closet on Facebook and also in the MSID Families section on this website. A password is required for the MSID family section. Used dresses are available for a reduced purchase price as dancers grow.
- The School Dress, its designs, colors and patterns, are the property of the McBride School of Irish Dance. If the owner of a School Dress leaves the school, they may not take the dress with them. All parts of the School Dress (dress, headband and cape) must be sold back to the school or to someone within the school for the set used costume price.
McBride Beginner/Grade Dress |
McBride Open Team Dresses |
Solo Dresses:
BOYS COSTUMES:
- Solo Dresses are worn by students at the Instructor's discretion in the novice/prizewinner level and required for dancers competing at the championship level. Brand new solo dress pricing can range from $900.00 to $2,500.00. Solo dresses are a considerable investment, and a necessary one if your dancer wants to compete at the championship level. However, please remember, competition is not a requirement at the McBride School. Competing or not competing is a choice made by the Dancer and respected by the Instructors.
- Solo dresses can be purchased new (made to fit your dancer) or used. When the time has come to purchase a solo dress for your dancer, please discuss the style, colors and design with Eileen McBride Parker, TCRG. She can direct you to local, and overseas dressmakers who are reputable and produce dresses that many of the dancers in the McBride School wear. There are many used dress sites where you can look for colors, styles and designs that you like or for ideas of what you would like to have made. Many used solo dresses can also be purchased within the school, and the school holds periodic school and solo dress sales at our Dublin Studio.
- When ordering a new solo dress, a reputable dressmaker will require a deposit. However, we recommend that before you place any deposit, speak with Eileen McBride Parker, who will assist you with references and referrals from previous customers and also provide you with photos of previous dresses that the dressmaker has designed and produced. Once a dressmaker has been chosen and a dress designed, keep in contact with the dressmaker and your Instructor throughout the process. We would also ask that you let us know your experience, both good and bad, with the dressmaker so that we can appropriately guide our dancers and families.
- Please note that most overseas dressmakers will provide you with the dress, cape and kick pants. Most overseas dressmakers do not automatically provide you with a headpiece or add Swarovski crystals to a dress. We have a parent, within the school who can assist with designing a headpiece and adding crystals to your dress. Please contact us to obtain contact information should you wish her assistance. Most dressmakers will add crystals to the dress at an additional cost.
- There are several used dress sites available online. These sites include Dance Again, Get That Dress, Used Solo Dresses and Feis Dresses. If a dress has been well cared for and is a current style, it will have a good resale value. However, do not expect to recoup what you paid for it when you go to resale. You should also remember that when you purchase a dress online, it may not be as good as the seller represents it to be. Buyer Beware! You should be well informed on the price, shipping costs, exchange and customs fees (if buying from overseas), and return policies, if any, that the seller may have. And we reiterate that, when looking to buy a used or new dress, please consult with Eileen McBride Parker, TCRG who will guide you towards the best colors, designs, and dress styles for your dancer.
- Here is a great blog article written by Cara Sutherland and found on iDiddilyi.com. It gives you some things to think about and good tips when it is time to get that new (or used) solo dress.
http://www.diddlyi.com/2014/07/buyers-guide-irish-dance-dresses/ - And on the flipside, here is a good read on what to do when selling your solo dress. http://www.diddlyi.com/2014/06/sellers-guide-irish-dance-dresses/
BOYS COSTUMES:
- Boys costumes for grade level dancers are a blue or black vest, white long sleeve shirts, blue or black tie, black pants and black socks. This costume is required for both competition and performances.
- Solo (Championship) costumes for boys are practically the same as the grade level dancers, except that the vest will have embroidery and the shirts and ties are usually a matching color to the embellished vest.
- Beginner adult ladies may wear a blue or black skirt and white blouse. An adult may add a blue or black fabric cape if desired, which is attached with two pins, the Tara Brooch, which can be purchased through Irish Treasures in Mill Valley.
- Novice and Prizewinner ladies may wear a solo dress, but should speak with Ann McBride prior to purchasing any solo dress.
- Adult men should wear the same costume as those by the grade level boy dancers (blue or black vest, white long sleeve shirts, blue or black tie, black pants and black socks).
For Hair, Wig and Dance Shoe information, please click on the links below.