my outfit

[post182eastern-trad]

hello gents....

i just wanna get your opion on this
im making my 1st north trad outfit and this is what ig ot in my head for it

waiste down....

Aprons-(made from trade wool)
side drops-(made from trade wool)
knee bands-(buckskin and going from my knee to my ankels instead of bead work in gona use metal backed mirrors)
sheep bells
goats
moccs)

waiste up....

ribbon shirt-(black and red x2 1 short sleeve 1 long)
leather belt with metal backed mirrors (2 1/2'')
breast plate(black bone with red crow beads)
chocker(black bone w/red crow beads)
metal arm bands x2

head items.....

i plan on buying a roach when i have enuff $$$$ but for now i was thinking..... a black felt "cow boy" stlye hat with like a pair of imitation egale feathers and mabye some silver work...

hand items.....

riding quirt
war club (rifle blank)
med wheel
turkey wing fan


well thats about it... let me kno if there is any thing eles i need or if its bad or.. yeah


-mike

[eutrinka]

your outfit

Ok first thing I saw when I read your post I discovered there wasn’t a bustle on the list.

What tribe is it after?

Dot use mirrors on everything...
I have only seen mirrors on otter breastplates and otter sashes...

Is there a bandoleer?

Use some beadwork.

How about a spreader (note: please do not make your spreader ahead of time. make it after you get the roach.

The anklets aren’t beadwork. They are made of angora or Icelandic sheep fur. You don’t connect the anklets to the nee bands, or the nee bands to the anklets the buckskin is there a fringe.

I’m not 100% sure but I think that a tradish dancer can wear an otter cap. But you best read the "lets talk roaches" thread. There is lots of grate advice! I learned allot from it!!

And I am just asking what is a "riding quirt" was?

I hope that might help you out,
Eutrinka

[post182eastern-trad]

yeah thank you ...
1st i know the nee bands and the goats thing.... they dont connect and i kno that there is no bead work on the goats....

um a riding quirt is a wooden peice that would be used to whip the horses to ride faster...
kinda like a jockys stick that he used when he races but it has leather freinges at the end

[eutrinka]

riding quirt

Oh so that’s what it is. My mom rides horses, and what you are saying it sounds like a riding crop. Its a fiberglass rod with a loop of leather (about 2" wide) at the top.


Eutrinka

[sookout sh'nob]

Looks like a pretty good list!

We have a few traditional dancers up North who don't dance with a bustle-a lot of them wear some kind of bustle or bonnet and have maybe a few feathers sewn to the back of thier apron. Some folks call it freestyle tradish.

Good luck!

[post182eastern-trad]

well i do plan on making a bustle its just for a 15 year old $$$$$ can be a lil short but in time i will have a roach and a bustle

-mike

[NoTrad. Eagle Scout]

I have never heard the term "freestyle traditional" before, but I think the dancers with the bonnets are probably "Southern Traditional Dancers" or "Old Style Dancers".
For Northern Traditional Dance, you probably want to wear a skin like cayote or wolf or a Dog Soldier hat (or "mandan") if you don't wear a roach (or are waiting for one). Just some advice.:)

Keep on workin' at it!:D

[C_Rock77]

First off....

Let me say one thing. RESEARCH the style you're trying to dance in. Out of respect for those that are dancing now and those that have come before you, I'd suggest that you not dress until you have a COMPLETE outfit.

The roach is the headdress of choice for Northern Traditional. I've seen a FEW guys wear Mandans (Cricket Shields, for example) and even fewer wear skins such as wolf or coyote (Kevin Hewayhe for one). Out of the number of people I see going this route, VERY FEW pull it off!

One question for you....
Why go with such drab colors as black and red? It seems that those are the only colors you have running throughout your clothes. How many of the really good dancers with good dance clothes do you see wearing colors that are predominantly red and black? The description of the things you have conjure up a very drab picture in my mind. It's not the look you're gonna go for. Remember something very important....Indian people LOVE bright, vibrant colors and added them to whatever they could whenever they could. How much beadwork do you see that's just black and red? This is a MODERN dance style (unless you're going old style and trying to depict a certain time period), so go with the times. Use materials you have at your disposal, now.

My greatest suggestion to you is to watch as many videos as you can, go to as many dances as you can (and not just SMALL dances, either), and to read as much CONTEMPORARY literature as you can. The things that went on 15 or 20 yrs ago aren't going to do that much for you building a contemporary Traditional outfit.

One of the best pieces of literature I've ever seen on Northern Traditional is the book written by Scott Evans. It has Jon Butler in the front and has 2 editions. Get the later edition with the Gold color on the spine. This book will help you build a COMPLETE set of clothes. I even have a friend that teaches Boy Scouts to make complete outfits for all dance styles for around $100 each. I'm not saying that you would want to apply all his principles to your clothes, but some of them may be applicable.

BTW....
A riding quirt, made the right way is a GREAT idea for a hand article. I've seen some really beautiful carved quirts with gorgeous beaded wristbands. It's an "old style" thing, but can bring some nice flavor to a contemporary outfit!

If you need any help, drop me a line. I'd be more than happy to help you out. After all, what are we all here for if not to help each other? If I don't know the answer, chances are I know someone that does. ;)