Clothing Restrictions

All Nations Costume & Jewellery Guidelines

One of the reasons we created All Nations was to provide an affordable, welcoming and inclusive environment for dancers. We want to keep our events accessible and in line with the values of the All Nations community – enjoyment, opportunity and simplicity.

Please help us to keep this ethos strong by supporting the following costume guidelines and ensuring dancers are dressed appropriately and modestly for their age group.

CLOTHING

Please note: dresses or outfits with sequins, diamantes, rhinestones, flat sequins, or beaded fringing are not permitted.
Fringing is permitted, but must be fabric-based (e.g. plain or lycra fringe). Beaded or jewelled fringe is not allowed.
Clothing may contain more than one colour and more than one fabric.
Fabric with a built-in shimmer or shine, such as metallic lycra or metallic snake print, is permitted.
Practice-style Ballroom & Latin dresses, leotards, and skirts are ideal and encouraged.
Juvenile Ballroom dresses (non-stoned) are permitted.
Please keep all clothing age-appropriate.

FOOTWEAR

All dancers are advised to wear Latin or Ballroom shoes. Jazz shoes or stage shoes are also acceptable.
For dancers aged 11 & under, we recommend a juvenile shoe with a maximum heel height of 3.5cm.
Shoe decoration (e.g. diamantes) is permitted but should be kept minimal and tasteful. We would prefer that dancers aged 11 & under don’t have any diamantés on shoes.

HAIR DECORATION & JEWELLERY

We understand dancers enjoy adding finishing touches to their look – but we ask that all accessories are kept simple and within the following guidelines:

We are proud to work closely with Ballroom Bling, a supplier who understands the All Nations ethos. They’re always happy to advise if you’re unsure whether something is suitable from their range, and there are albums on their Facebook page which show what is within guidelines.

Earrings

11 & under: May wear a small stud based style (no larger than 2.5cm long x 1.5cm wide).
12 & over: May wear any earrings (drop earrings, tassels, hoops included). Diamante-style earrings are permitted, but should be proportionate to the dancer.

Wristwear

11 & under: No bracelets or cuffs permitted.
12 & over: May wear one slim cuff per wrist (max 1cm depth), or up to two skinny bangles per wrist. (No stacking more than two per arm.) Wide cuffs are not allowed.

Waistwear

11 & under: Jewellery belts are not permitted.
12 & over: May wear a slim belt, no wider than 1cm, with a maximum of two rows of stones. Belts must be clearly detachable accessories – no stones or decoration directly attached to the dress itself.

Neckwear

11 & under: No neckwear permitted.
12 & over: Necklaces must be slim – no more than 1cm wide or 2 rows deep. A small central drop (max 3 stones) is acceptable. Multi-stone clusters and heavily decorated chokers are not allowed.

Menswear (All ages)

May wear a single stoned tie bar and plain/stoned cufflinks.
Ties, dicky bows or cravats must be plain – no stoned or sparkly accessories.

Hair Accessories

Hair decoration is allowed, but should be kept simple, tasteful and age appropriate.

11 & under may wear:
- Up to 2 small flowers or 1 medium hair flower
- A small motif (e.g. stoned lace cluster)
- A single headstrip
- No more than two types of hair accessory should be worn
12 & over may wear:
- Up to 2 small flowers or 1 medium/large hair flower
- A small/medium motif
- A single headstrip
- Again, no more than two types of hair accessory should be worn

Please ensure younger dancers still look their age and are not overdone. Hair items may contain decoration such as minimal/medium stoning, but please always keep appropriate for age.