Whether to go with a one piece dress or have separate pieces for the skirt and top is a question that comes up a lot. And it’s not just new dancers who have trouble making up their minds.

Now, which is the better option? As always, the short answer is “that depends“.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages (and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference 🙂 .. what’s your guess for the costume in the photo above?)

The 1-Piece Flamenco Dress

Most dancers prefer a 1-piece dress for important performances on big stages. It is considered “dressier” and more elegant. You may or may not agree with that.

The advantage of a dress that is not just personal taste is that you don’t have to think about what to wear with it. Put on the dress and you’re ready – one thing less to worry about. I always recommend a dress when the color, print or texture of the fabric is difficult to combine with others.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve fallen into that trap making things for myself. I’d fall in love with some gorgeous fabric, make myself a skirt just to find that whenever I think of wearing it the only blouse I have that goes with it is in the laundry. Last year I was a little obsessed with Thai fisherman’s pants and made lots of them including 2 from stunning materials – one from Thai raw silk, the other from Indian Sari fabric. As you no doubt guess, I’ve not worn either of them. The silk blouse that would be perfect to wear with them doesn’t exist (yet).

BUT .. For a dress to look good and be comfortable it must fit really well. There is no room to play so buying ready made, especially ordering online can be a challenge if your measurements aren’t friends with the dress sizes offered.

If you’d love to make your own dress but aren’t sure how to adapt a pattern to your measurements join me for the

Free 3-part Video Series “How to Sew a Flamenco Dress That’s Beautiful AND Fit For Dancing” 

so you can sew yourself a dress that fit’s like a glove, even if you’re not a sewing expert.

Skirt + Top

You can mix and match and create many different costumes from just a few well chosen pieces.

That’s a huge advantage when you don’t perform all that often and have no reason to have an extensive flamenco dancer wardrobe.

It’s also the reason many professional dancers in the “tablaos” prefer 2 separate pieces. Not being seen in the same outfit too many times can be difficult if you’re dancing every night.

Of course you can always have skirt and top made from the same material. The audience watching you on a stage will have a hard time telling the difference, so you get the best of both worlds 🙂