Many outfits or one?

[Okwataga]

As most of you ladies travel around the US, do you tend to see Southern Cloth with one outfit or many and complementing shawl and accessories?
How many outfits do you feel a Southern Cloth dancer should have?
Is it different west of the Mississippi? I know the styles are.

I still wear my first cloth dress, and I also have my latest dress. This is not to say a certain style dress is the correct one, but just your ideas on the outfits.

[eagle_clan1017]

around oklahoma, most of the ladies have a few dresses. I personally have about 7 or 8. I think that you should have however many you want to...be it one or thirty. :p
I think it looks nice if you have some variety, but sometimes just wearing the same dress looks nice if you change out the accessories.

[lightningflash]

I am a southern cloth dancer in the Pac NW - I try to have 3 or 4 dresses with me at each powwow, which stay within the color scheme of my outfit. So I can use the same shawl and beadwork, and interchange the dresses.

[Okwataga]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a lot of dresses. I know some of my cousins who dance in buckskin, tend to have a dress. Which is great for them, I tried wearing buckskin, but it just didn't feel right. So do any of you have your first dress? or one particular dress you are just so proud of?

[MayChe]

i have alot of dresses too, like 6 or 7. i dont have my very first dress anymore. the dress i am most fond of is my trail of tears dress.

[Czechy]

:Thumbs Yeah, I also like the mix-n-match variety of having several options. I have that luxury because I make my own dance clothes. At the minimum, I bring along a fresh dress or blouse for each dance session. I can work up a good sweat and so the change of fresh clothes is always welcome.

[Okwataga]

what kind of dress

:D
Hey ladies - just wondering, what type of dresses do ya'll wear. I've got tear dresses, from Cherokee. I've tried wearing the Kiowa cut dress but it was not my tribe and did not feel to comfotable in it. It's a good dress and pretty easy to make(especially since I'm not the best sewer). Anyway I've made all my accesories, except for my silver belts, but then I also find things along the trail to add. Plus I do have a shirt and skirt outfit but with Cherokee designs.
So what kind's do ya'll carry with you?

[NDNQt]

Hey ya'll!! I don't respond much because I don't get to dance very much, I am always adding scores. But I do have several dresses. My favorite being my black Kiowa dress (yes I am Lumbee and Chickahominy by blood) but Mary Ann Anquoe adopted me and gave me the very first dress she ever wore and am in the Poolaw family so I have the right to wear Kiowa regalia. So of course the dress I had modeled after that is my favorite. All of my dresses are just plain T-style dresses that I can interchange with my 2 sets of beadwork and many different shawls. I too like to wear a different outfit each session just because of the wrinkles and how you feel. But to each his own!!:)

[eagle_clan1017]

I wear ribbonwork all the time. My mom makes my dance clothes, so I try to break out new colors and stuff a few times a year. I just think that it looks nice if your stuff matches all the time, and so I try to pick everything out before I head somewheres. I need to get some new beadwork though, need to throw some different colors on......break up the old color scheme. I think as long as you think you look good....that's all that matters.:D

[missy]

Many outfits or one?

Two thumbs up for those of you with more than five dresses. My mom is the one who was so persistant about having more than one set of regalia. I have about ten, and I agree totally with everyone about having and outfit for every grand entry. I had two sets of beadwork, one of which has been past on to my younger sister... and I have another outfit in the making, so that the one that I have now can be passed down as well. I think I'm lucky that my mom and I dance in the same category, so that I can "borrow" her stuff every now and then. Right now we're in the shiny two shifty color materials... and of course, we're trynna catch up with all the rhinestones and shine, as far as beadwork is concerned. But for me... the "new" outfit of the year, always come out for Gathering... so many cameras... too much smiling... :D

[Okwataga]

:Thinking Oh yeah, also how do ya'll clean your shawls or do you.
I've taken up replacing the fringe.
I've gone and had my dresses dry cleaned.
But right now I'm more excitesd about my sons new grass outfit his auntie is making for him.
Check him out at St mtn.
:Naughty
But I love my dresses, now my sewing is not the best, but my cousin she makes my dresses for me.
But think about the shawl question.

[NDNQt]

Like I said I don't get to dance much w/working but I remember years ago some of cousins dad washed their shawls and messed up their fringe. So they started experimenting and found out if you put the shawl in a pillow case before you wash it the shawl won't unravel (of course you gotta use cold water:D ). Hope this helps someone!:p

[saponi]

Yes, I agree NDNQT that washing things in a pillow case is the ultimate trick. I've washed shawls and grass dance outfits with yarn/ribbon/flat fringe and they've turned out just fine. Especially after those dusty pow-wows.....10x sugar off of frybread.....:p ! And like she said use that cold water.

[dwnsouthndn]

I usually pow-wow with 2 sets of beadwork and about 2 dress for each beadwork. That is usually for a one day pow-wow with two grand entries. If I have more than 2 sets of beadwork that I will take all of them and i would carry about 6 dress on a full weekend.
About the cleaning the shawls my mother use to stick in bath tub with woollite and scrub the bad areas.

[Blackbear]

hey if you have dry clean only material in your ribbonwork you can also use that Dryel...works for mine!!!