ears, bindis and garters

one of my favorite aspects of hooping is the ability to play with what i wear.  after all, most retail clothing, particularly for men, absolutely sucks.

i suppose part of it has to do with being used to wearing something on the flashy side for performing in previous incarnations.  or i’m just a screaming extrovert.  But is has gone to a whole new level with my participation in burning man and having found fellow hoop freaks who share this passion for creating new looks.

in preparation for the recent bunny jam, i’d been racking my head as to what clothing silliness to indulge in.  i mean, when was the last time you had a chance to dress up like a bunny?  when will be the next time?  i’m an all or nothing kind of person.  had to take it to the next level.

i found the core piece via my peeps at ilaniowear, namely a pair of earthdancer leggie-legs that i’ve wanted since the dawn of time.  then it was off to the thrift store to see what i could find.  after a couple of days of wrestling with my haul, and with my sewing machine, i finally had it.  i ended up going more for a hoop-friendly jackrabbit kind of look.  made some shorts out of a t-shirt (which amazingly survived my dance fever), made some sleeves, found a vest, and made a hat with floppy ears.

there has got to be a picture somewhere of me and queen pain dancing on stage (she was in that full body pink bunny suit that she rocked so hard at the bigwheel race).  damn good times.  the costuming made a huge difference.

bindis, cuffs, gauntlets, garters, super long socks, fuzzy hats, fuzzy jackets, fake tattoos, sharpie art, the possibilities are endless.  granted, hooping adds its own kind of challenges, but those limitations (tight fit, less is best, sweat friendly, conducive to movement, etc.) tend to make the final results have an underlying sexiness to it that just takes it up a notch.

my advice? try it all.  create.  play.  and then do us all a favor and post your pix.