Grooming for Competitions

Men

Standard/Smooth Dances:

-Hair: Long hair should be tied back, looking neat. Go for a slicker, more refined look. Looking for a clean-cut appearance.
-Shirt: White dress shirt & tie, or even better, tuxedo shirt & black bow tie. (Advanced and up wear tuxedo tails especially made for dancing.)
-Pants: Black dress slacks or tux pants.
-Accessories: Black vest or buttoned sweater perpetuates the formal look.

Latin/Rhythm Dances

-Hair: Loose hair is okay, but cannot be in your eyes. Refined look is fine.
-Shirt: Dark-colored (preferably black) shirt. Dress shirt or club shirt will suffice. (Advanced and up wear black, usually long sleeved, that catches the eye.)
-Pants: Again, black dress slacks. (A narrow cut is complimentary to the dances.)
-Accessories: Belts with shiny accents attract attention to hips.
*Note: Avoid wearing watches, long chains, or large rings that may catch your partner unintentionally.

Women

Standard/Smooth Dances

-Hair: Long hair should be put up neatly in a bun, French braid or twist, etc. Use lots of gel over damp hair, and when hair is dry - hair spray and bobby pins.
-Makeup: As if on stage, wear more than usual, especially on eyes on lips.
-Dress: More formal. Want something that is around ankle length but not touching the floor and flows. Many wear a skirt & blouse. Keep in mind that you should be able to move easily.
-Accessories: Nice, elegant jewelry with rhinestones, pearls or pearl-like glittery earrings. Sparkles can attract the eye as well.

Latin/Rhythm

-Hair: Neat & slicked back, tight ponytail, bun or French twist.
-Makeup: Theatrical or as much as possible leaving you bright and festive-like. False eyelashes are common.
-Dress: Cocktail/party dress or two piece. Shorter skirts with flare or fringe for spinning. Sequins and stones are encouraged. Avoid restrictive clothing. Also, black drowns you out; so wear something bright. Costumes are usually very revealing.
-Accessories: Sparkle on the floor! Large glittery earning or bracelets are good if they will stay on.

Shoes

Ballroom dance shoes are a serious investment, with both men’s and women’s shoes in the $100 range. Although not required, they do severely enhance your ability on the dance floor.
-Regular shoes: The best dancing shoes for men are flat, non-rubber soled dress shoes. Rubber souls are too sticky and seriously restrict your movement. Ladies should wear heels, as long as they are flexible and stay on the foot while dancing.
-Dance shoes: Both men and women’s ballroom shoes have gray or black suede soles, for easy traction and slide.
Latin shoes for men have a heel. If planning on purchasing one pair of shoes for now and you do all styles, get the Standard shoes. It’s a lot easier to do Latin in Standard shoes than Standard in Latin shoes.
Ladies’ Standard/Smooth: Closed-toe pump. Look for white satin, which can be dyed to match dress or left as is Tan is also very popular.
Ladies’ Latin/Rhythm: Open toe sandal. Tan/skin tone most popular, elongates leg. Silver recommended over black.
If you plan on buying just one pair for now and do not compete in just Standard/Smooth, then buy the Latin/Rhythm shoes. The reasoning behind this is that it is too difficult and painful to do Latin or Rhythm in a closed toe shoe. Dancing Standard or Smooth in a Latin shoe is perfectly acceptable.