Thread: Low budget solutions for fixing sheerness

The danceschool I teach at has a recital every year. All groups need decent costumes but there is practically no budget.
So when a dutch store announced a big sale (they're relocating so everything in stock got at least a 50% reduction) I jumped on it and bought several circle skirts (plus 1/2 skirts and harem pants...those are a dream).

I like the skirts just fine, nice colours, different lengths and sizes so everyone in the group should have a skirt that fits without much modification.

There is just one problem: they're single layer!
They'll be wearing large hipscarfs over it and I want them to wear boyshorts underneath so modesty is ensured.
However the legs are visible.

Since half of my group are teenagers who shouldn't be too revealing and the other half are older ladies who feel insecure about showing themselves (convincing them to even wear a skirt with slits was already dreadful), I'd prefer an easy cheap solution.

Any idea to how to fix the sheerness? Cheap (i.e. no cost) is the keyword ;-)

Can you layer the harem pants under the skirts?

I'm already using them under the 1/2 skirt. And since all the groups have to be on stage for the oriental finale, I can't risk having the 1/2 skirts look ridiculous.
Thanks though, it's a good idea for a future outfit

Do you have enough skirts to layer two or three for each person? DO they have skirts of their own to add for an under layer?

Nope, not enough to make decent combos anyways.

It's a pain, I know :-) I came up with the most obvious solutions myself, that's why I'm hoping combined creativity might lead to the answer ;-)

In student shows, many of my teacher's students have worn their own yoga pants or leggings beneath the sheer skirts. It's not ideal, but it does preserve modesty!

I like that idea. If they all wear about the same pants (colour, style), it might look like it's truly part of the outfit.

Originally Posted by Zeevah

In student shows, many of my teacher's students have worn their own yoga pants or leggings beneath the sheer skirts. It's not ideal, but it does preserve modesty!

I like this idea (leggings). Or use colored cotton footless tights (or cut the foot part off); maybe match tights color to the base hipscarf color to tie the costume colors motif together

Originally Posted by Lesgemini_Zafirah

I like this idea (leggings). Or use colored cotton footless tights (or cut the foot part off); maybe match tights color to the base hipscarf color to tie the costume colors motif together

I concur. This is a decent [pun intended] solution.

How about long slips? To the audience, it will look like lining.

Originally Posted by Fotia

How about long slips? To the audience, it will look like lining.

I've done this under dresses, you might have to cut some slits in them to allow freedom of movement.

Or draping a scarf over the skirt and under the belt in such a way that it covers all the essentials. I did this recently with a sequined scarf I had from an Indian shalwar kameez set, over a circle skirt. I draped, pinned and tucked it over the other skirt before putting on the belt. It made a beautiful mermaid effect. You might be able to do this with veils.

Or try wearing a triangular knee-length scarf around the hips under the skirt, tied on the side to allow movement.

Maybe people have scarves, veils or fabric in their private stash that would work.

It's the "no cost" part that makes this difficult.

Glitter dot makes wonderful underskirts for sheer chiffon. I'm not a fan of the footless leggings under costuming look.

I made a pretty full circle skirt with 5 yards of glitter dot (the fabric is narrow, so I made 1/4 circle panels, two in front, three in back). Glitter dot can be hard to sew, since the glue often gums up your needle and thread, but silicone gel applied liberally to needle and thread during the sewing process can virtually eliminate this. My favorite product for this is monistat anti-chafing gel - it works better than sewer's aid, IMO.

I think I have found the solution.
During lunch break I found the "pantyhose without feet"-legging for cheap enough to qualify as low-budget :-)
I can go for either a floral-lace design or for vertical/horizontal stripes and dots.

The fun part is that if they're all wearing a different pattern, it will look like part of the costume rather than a solution for a problem.

I'm quite happy with the look.
So thanks girls for the ideas :-)

Glad you found something that works for cash-strapped students. If you get pics, please share!