Curls and Camp in ‘Ballroom’

The Movie: “Strictly Ballroom”

The Scene: Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s tale of dancer Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio, pictured), who defies established conventions set by the rigid Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Ballroom Dancing Competition. In the process, he loses his snazzy-looking partner Liz Holt (Gia Carides) and breaks in a plain Jane, Fran (Tara Morice, pictured), who blossoms under his tutelage.

The Costume Designer: Dance costumes by Angus Strathie; street wear by production designer, Catherine Martin. Both are longtime Luhrmann collaborators making their feature debuts.

The Look: The frou-frou, feather and diamante ballroom dance concoctions worn by men and women are so wonderfully campy they are not to be believed. The styles, inspired by the real things in Australia, are first cousins of the worst of garments worn by Olympic ice skating pairs.

On women, picture itsy-bitsy bathing suit-type things that sparkle like crazy. (One of the dancers, appropriately named Tina Sparkle, wears diamantes glued on her cheeks.) Patron Saint of Dance Ginger Rogers is also honored in this world with marabou-trimmed skirts that are not for the allergy prone. Unfortunately for Ginger, they’re often embarrassingly short in front and dip down to the floor in back, and are never without rhinestones.

The Sex Appeal Factor: It’s no accident that the filmmakers show the romantic heroes dancing in plain dress throughout the movie, save for the finale. Their simple, natural style separates them from the artificiality of the others. Scott wears loose black trousers and white shirts partially unbuttoned with rolled-up sleeves; Fran wears simple but extremely flattering ankle-length circle skirts and bodice-hugging dance tops. In the end, subtlety prevails when Fran and Scott wear the most stunning sequined flamenco costumes.

Hemline Watch: On Fran, long skirts look so appealing it could make a woman want to buy one.

Good and Bad Hair Days: Curly, frizzy hair has its most triumphant cinematic moment as worn by the au naturel Fran. As for the rest, it’s wretchedly bleached, gelled poodle-dos.

Source: The elaborate dance costumes were handmade and hand-beaded by Nola Lowe, a professional Sydney ballroom dance costume manufacturer and ballroom dancer.