UNIFORM FOR A CHOIR

Every Tuesday evening, a group of eleven women from different parts of West Sussex, meets in Henfield to sing together. All of them have busy lives, but are prepared to commit themselves to weekly rehearsals, as well as putting aside time to learn music at home. Their choir is called Amici and under the musical directorship of Zoe Peate has performed at many Sussex venues, including Petworth House, Parham House and St Mary’s at Bramber, as well as Henfield Evangelical Free Church, where they meet to rehearse. Zoe is a professional singer, who trained at Trinity College of Music and runs several Sussex choirs.

Amici perform without music and felt that this professional attitude to concerts was not reflected in their outfits. They asked me to find them something that would suit their varying ages, shapes and sizes and would also make them stand out as a group.

Every woman has areas of her figure she wishes to emphasize and some that she wishes to play down. I spoke with the group individually, to find out how each felt about her own body and the type of outfit she would prefer. Overall, it was important to the choir that upper arms and tummies be covered, and that it should be possible to wear a bra. They wanted a feminine, sophisticated and professional look for around £80.00 per outfit.

I also looked at colouring, figure type and the style of clothing each would suit. I needed to come up with something that would make them look polished as a group, but would also suit them all as individuals, something that is particularly important for a small choir.

I decided on a full-length dress in a soft red colour, which stands out and makes an impact, while being kind to everyone’s complexion. For musical director Zoe, I chose an identical dress in black, at once setting her apart and making her blend with the group. The dresses are cut straight, rather than on the bias, which means that they hang in a less clingy way over the tummy, bottom and hips. The straps mean that it is easy to wear a bra and the lacy poncho is a great cover-up for upper arms, whilst being feminine and showing a hint of flesh. The length of the dresses is slimming, as is the single colour.

There are very different clothing styles within Amici, with some members suiting a natural, dressed down look, others classic or very girly styles, and some dramatic clothes that make a statement. The dress I chose had elements of all of these styles, so that no individual had to wear something totally at odds with their usual look. Everyone loved their glamorous dresses and was pleased with Amici’s new look. To add a touch of individuality, they all chose glitzy earrings to compliment their own style. “We are looking forward to wowing our audiences, not only with our music, but with our wonderful new dresses”, said Zoe Peate.

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