question for dancers & other costume-wearers on my list
It's taken me a while to realize this, but I kinda hate most halter tops.
Which is unfortunate, since I am of a good build to wear them (hint: my bra size hasn't changed substantially since I was first taken bra-shopping and ended up looking at 32As, except maybe I need a bigger band these days due to my totally ripped pectoral muscles and traps). I tend to gravitate toward tops with little support simply because I can get away with it, and I love showing off my back with tops that tie in the back, and so on. These kinds of tops tend to be great for dancing and hooping and just lookin' good, like in a photoshoot or for a club night.
But alas, halter tops tend to pull at the muscles around my neck, and over time, my aversion to them has increased to the point where I can't wear most halter tops for more than a few hours without developing pains in my neck, head, and shoulders. This is fine for some of the fancier costume pieces I have--the top in this userpic from Tombo Studio, for example, or some of my Black Lotus tops, or the Flying Skirts coin bra I still bust out for super-tribaled-out gigs.
I'm finding, though, that I need more little cropped dancey tops for teaching dance classes in, and if it's a day when I also happen to be going to hooping practice, well, wouldn't it be convenient for me to have a super-comfy top I could just throw a T-shirt or tank top over and wear all day?
Obviously there are sports bras, and I do wear those all day sometimes. The way they fit is not, shall we say, the most flattering in terms of form enhancement, but I don't necessarily care about that during days when I'm going to be super-active anyway; and if I am running around in just a sports bra on top for part of the day, the fact that it makes my bust look small pales in comparison to how awesome my exposed and toned stomach looks. But sports bras aren't a great all-the-time choice for me because I only have so many, and need to ration them for running days (which are at least 4x week for half-marathon training right now).
I have some of those hippie-style tops that are just a piece of fabric in the front and a few strings in the back to tie, and those are okay for some days too... but they're not fitted enough for me to want to do a TON of activity in them, because I'd worry about them shifting around due to lack of structural integrity. Again, it's fine as a sometimes-thing, just not as a "wear all day frequently" thing. I have similar problems with a handful of the L. Rose Designs tops that I have; I love the craftsmanship, I love the people, but I'm paranoid about the dance bra and choli bra moving around a bit, and the choli bra is so small on me that sometimes even I feel a little exposed in it (layering is nice, but I like having the option of wearing something by itself). I've been thinking about looking into their banded dance bra, though, and a short sleeve choli or half-top from them, and since their work is such high quality I know I'd get a wonderful and wearable item out of any purchase I make.
Additionally, tops with ties in the back are not ideal for days when in addition to being active, I plan on doing some reading/research... which, honestly, is most days, even some weekends. I don't like leaning back into a knot. My spine sticks out enough that doing some pilates and yoga positions on a hardwood floor is uncomfortable, so having a knot push into my spine if I lean back into a chair? Not so happy. This rules out the handful of cholis that I own and love, plus I tend to save my cholis for performances. (although, hot damn, I just saw these sleeveless cholis from Flying Skirts, and they might be just what I'm looking for in terms of an occasional practice+teaching-day top)
So, what I'm asking readers of my journal is, do you have any recommendations for fitted tops, preferably crop top and/or sleeveless, that are NOT halter tops but look good for both practice and performance? I tend to prefer solid colors (I gravitate toward black for the obvious reason that it's so easy to match with stuff), and opaque fabrics when possible. For instance, I have a lovely Geisha Moth bunny-ears top that's a beautiful black burn-out fabric... but I always have to think about what to wear it with because it's kinda sheer, so that's just one more thing to think about.
I have a little gig money coming to me in October and it makes the most sense to reinvest it in my dancing, so help plz?
Which is unfortunate, since I am of a good build to wear them (hint: my bra size hasn't changed substantially since I was first taken bra-shopping and ended up looking at 32As, except maybe I need a bigger band these days due to my totally ripped pectoral muscles and traps). I tend to gravitate toward tops with little support simply because I can get away with it, and I love showing off my back with tops that tie in the back, and so on. These kinds of tops tend to be great for dancing and hooping and just lookin' good, like in a photoshoot or for a club night.
But alas, halter tops tend to pull at the muscles around my neck, and over time, my aversion to them has increased to the point where I can't wear most halter tops for more than a few hours without developing pains in my neck, head, and shoulders. This is fine for some of the fancier costume pieces I have--the top in this userpic from Tombo Studio, for example, or some of my Black Lotus tops, or the Flying Skirts coin bra I still bust out for super-tribaled-out gigs.
I'm finding, though, that I need more little cropped dancey tops for teaching dance classes in, and if it's a day when I also happen to be going to hooping practice, well, wouldn't it be convenient for me to have a super-comfy top I could just throw a T-shirt or tank top over and wear all day?
Obviously there are sports bras, and I do wear those all day sometimes. The way they fit is not, shall we say, the most flattering in terms of form enhancement, but I don't necessarily care about that during days when I'm going to be super-active anyway; and if I am running around in just a sports bra on top for part of the day, the fact that it makes my bust look small pales in comparison to how awesome my exposed and toned stomach looks. But sports bras aren't a great all-the-time choice for me because I only have so many, and need to ration them for running days (which are at least 4x week for half-marathon training right now).
I have some of those hippie-style tops that are just a piece of fabric in the front and a few strings in the back to tie, and those are okay for some days too... but they're not fitted enough for me to want to do a TON of activity in them, because I'd worry about them shifting around due to lack of structural integrity. Again, it's fine as a sometimes-thing, just not as a "wear all day frequently" thing. I have similar problems with a handful of the L. Rose Designs tops that I have; I love the craftsmanship, I love the people, but I'm paranoid about the dance bra and choli bra moving around a bit, and the choli bra is so small on me that sometimes even I feel a little exposed in it (layering is nice, but I like having the option of wearing something by itself). I've been thinking about looking into their banded dance bra, though, and a short sleeve choli or half-top from them, and since their work is such high quality I know I'd get a wonderful and wearable item out of any purchase I make.
Additionally, tops with ties in the back are not ideal for days when in addition to being active, I plan on doing some reading/research... which, honestly, is most days, even some weekends. I don't like leaning back into a knot. My spine sticks out enough that doing some pilates and yoga positions on a hardwood floor is uncomfortable, so having a knot push into my spine if I lean back into a chair? Not so happy. This rules out the handful of cholis that I own and love, plus I tend to save my cholis for performances. (although, hot damn, I just saw these sleeveless cholis from Flying Skirts, and they might be just what I'm looking for in terms of an occasional practice+teaching-day top)
So, what I'm asking readers of my journal is, do you have any recommendations for fitted tops, preferably crop top and/or sleeveless, that are NOT halter tops but look good for both practice and performance? I tend to prefer solid colors (I gravitate toward black for the obvious reason that it's so easy to match with stuff), and opaque fabrics when possible. For instance, I have a lovely Geisha Moth bunny-ears top that's a beautiful black burn-out fabric... but I always have to think about what to wear it with because it's kinda sheer, so that's just one more thing to think about.
I have a little gig money coming to me in October and it makes the most sense to reinvest it in my dancing, so help plz?