Page 60 - Phonebox Magazine November 2010

Alesha and Matt doing the celebrities go American Smooth through is great to
14 dresses are made for each celebrity and up to 30 for each professional. They cost upwards of £1400 each and each dress takes between 30 and 50 hours to make. They are not actually made by the BBC, but by two specialist dance costume companies. They
Sue Judd, head
costume designer talks
about how each dress
is made to show off
both the celebrity and
the dance “for the
Waltz, you’d want a
dress that’s princess-
like and floaty;
something that would
move softly. While for
the tango you’d need a
heavier skirt that can
deal with the stilted
movements and add
drama, and for the Foxtrot you’d want
The costumes look amazing, but they are highly
fairytale Viennese Waltz outfit
technical pieces of work, and the art of dressing a celebrity for the big night is a skill in itself. This is what this year’s contestant Pamela Stephenson had to say:
STRICTLY GORGEOUS Strictly Come Dancing’s Number One Fan gives a run down on her favourite costumes
something ‘flowy’, as it involves a high kick. We’re trying to make it more about fashion than Strictly Ballroom. All of the dresses are made using a leotard as a template, which gives the dancers that wonderful smooth line, and the fabrics need to have stretch, and be able to withstand whatever the dancer is going to do in them.”
It’s that time of year again, Strictly Come Dancing takes to our screens and I am already hooked. Whilst the dancing is amazing, and the learning curves the
“Only I and 30 members of the ingenious costume department knew that under my costume I wore two pairs of tights (slimming, tan- coloured fishnets over fat- squishing support hose that also lift the buttocks), a pair of breath-squeezing stretch pants sewn into the dress (need I mention that going to the toilet was extremely challenging?), a stretchy midriff cincher to suck in my "muffin top", and a hydraulically operated push- up bra welded to the entire mother ship”
Jill Halfpenny performs a perfect Jive with the dress perfectly showing offthe kicks and flicks
The rumba outfit is always sleek and sexy - demonstrated here by Rachel Stephens
watch, its the glamour of the show that really grabs me. The music, the star quality and those all important costumes.
Its a fascinating subject, but the proof of the pudding is in the dancing. My money is on Pamela Stephenson this year, she has real talent. Wouldn’t it just be lovely if a 60 year old grandmother did win for a change. HB
The marvellous Pamela in her Salsa outfit - not bad for 60
are hired to the BBC, and after the show they are sold to anyone who wants them, often the celebrities and dancers themselves. Want one yourself? Call 020 8664 8188.
Lisa Snowden in a
There have been some beautiful and dramatic tango outfits. This one worked so well for Jade
01908 260010
www.myhomemiltonkeynes.com
60 Phonebox Magazine