Ordering a custom dance costume is a lot different than ordering a catalog costume. When you work with D.A. Designs (or any other custom dancewear designer), you get to create your own costume, completely from scratch.
For some, this freedom is fantastic, and it allows them to dance in costumes they’ve only ever imagined wearing. For others, the ability to create any costume they could imagine is slightly overwhelming.
To help those who fall into the latter category, we put together this guide to the three things we need from you when creating your custom dance costume. If you can provide us with the three things listed below, we can put you in your perfect costume.
First, We Need Your Vision
When ordering a custom costume, the first thing you need to provide us with is your vision. Most dancers have at least some idea of what they want their costume(s) to look like, before they approach us. They have a specific song in mind for their performance, or a specific visual inspiration saved on their phone, or even a set of pre-existing costumes that they know they like. Anything you can think of that could inform your costume’s look, you should share with us. Trust us, we’ve seen and heard it all!
Our number one skill (okay, maybe number two – after actually designing and creating costumes) is listening to our customers, and distilling their vision and inspiration into beautiful dance costumes. After you tell us what you want your costume to look like, we’ll start producing initial sketches that incorporate your inspiration. We’ll bring your vision to life – and if we don’t nail it on the first try, we’ll work with you to iterate until we’ve produced your ideal dance costume.
Then, We Need Your Budget
After we understand your vision, we’ll start figuring out exactly how we can bring that vision to life. To do so, we’ll need to understand not just your vision, but your budget.
For groups, our custom costume pricing starts at $150 per costume – which gives you access to some amount of ruffles, feathers, and appliques, in addition to your custom design. And at this price, you might also be able to afford a matching hairbow or hairpiece to complement your costume.
However, while our costumes start at $150 (for groups of four or more), we’ve created custom costumes at nearly every price point (including some very intricate $600+ costumes). The final price depends on your vision, the number and type of design elements you want to include, and the accessories you’d like to add on. (For more information on what you have access to at each price point, click here.)
If you’re on a budget, though, don’t worry. We’ll make sure you stay within your budget as we execute your vision – and we’ll balance your inspiration with your bottom-line.
Other Factors That Might Affect Your Budget
Other than your vision, and the design elements we’ll need to use to achieve it, the only other factor that might affect your budget is the timeline in which you need your costume(s). If your costumes need to be completed as a rush order (meaning within less than thirty days), you can expect to pay more for the expedited work and delivery.
And Finally, We Need Your Measurements
To complete your custom costume(s), the last thing we’ll need is your or your dancers’ measurements. When we measure dancers, we measure their:
- Bust.
- Waist.
- Hips.
- Girth.
- And inseam, if the costume includes pants.
To make things easier for our customers, we include a reminder of these measurements and an overall size guide on our website. These five measurements, delivered accurately, are all we need to ensure that your or your dancers’ costumes will fit great, and look beautiful.
With your vision, budget, and measurements at our disposal, we’ll be able to create a truly custom costume that’s guaranteed to delight audiences, fit, flatter, and last. If you have any other questions about what goes into creating a custom dance costume, be sure to click here to contact us!