What Are You Wearing: How Costumes Shaped the 2026 Season
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Tonya Chase, West Virginia Contributor
Sequin dresses and tailored jackets did more than earn points in the costume column this season. While looking fabulous on stage is a reward itself, here are some ways choirs used costuming to enhance their entire performance.
Make an Entrance – Hurricane Heatwave
New costumes for a single gender choir are usually introduced when performers enter the stage from the wings, either during a solo or a small ensemble act. In “Diamond Heist,” Heatwave challenged that trend. Their trio entered from behind the stage through a physical vault door in their backdrop, which opened outward, revealing their second costumes. The entrance was unconventional, providing a memorable moment for judges and audience members and tied directly into their heist themed show.
Same Chord, Different Notes – Carmel Ambassadors
Carmel Ambassadors' “Route 66” show provided a variety of personalized costumes for their members, conveying the idea that the performers were a group of people traveling on a road trip together. While the costumes were individualized, the color palette of pastel colors provided cohesiveness that aided in blocking and choreography throughout the show.
Same Note, Different Chord – Franklin Central Singers
FC Singers took a unique approach with their costume change in “Meadowlark,” keeping a similar costume but shifting to a different color. This signified the transition in their show from the life of the meadowlark’s forest, with green, red, and blue costumes to white costumes to represent the death of the meadowlark. Contrasting traditional sequined and satin show choir dresses, their choice of a dance costume showcased Franklin Central’s lyrical choreography, separating them from other groups and styles.
Clean Arms, Clean Lines, Clean Choreo – Westside Amazing Technicolor Show Choir
From the opening number, ATSC’s girls show how uniform they perform their choreography, with bare arms that bring attention to their angles and extensions. When they pull their arms across their torso in their choreography, it creates contrast against the green fabric, once again emphasizing the consistency of their movement. For choirs who focus on clean visuals, sleeveless dresses are a great way to showcase that talent. Likewise, show choirs who struggle in this area may choose costumes with less structure to hide imperfections.
Let’s Here It For the Boys – Mitchell Friend de Coup
While bare arms enhance clean lines for women, light colored pants do the same for men. While the guys in some groups struggle to hit these shapes with their arms and legs, when they can dance, it’s important to take the opportunity to make sure the audience knows it. The guys of Friend de Coup create sharp lines in their white pants against the black backdrop and stage floor. For those who want to be bold, adding a bright colored shoe can add another point of reference to the eye.
Be a Memory – Norwood Silhouettes
Green and red costumes from Silhouettes took the audience back to the days of Captain Kirk as they performed their Star Trek themed show. Reminding judges and audiences of a past show they may have watched creates a new memory entwined with feelings of nostalgia. As a competition enters the evening hours and performances begin to blend together, leaving the judges something to remember helps differentiate choirs from their competition.
Transport the Audience – Los Alamitos Sound FX
While other performances may be focused on entertaining the audience or sharing a message, SoundFX’s “Hollow” became an immersive experience that transported the audience into their world. The costumes were individualized with earth-toned hues, making them appear aged. However, even with these darker tones, the accents of white on their sleeves kept their choreography from getting lost against the dark background. With a story themed show where the characters remain the same throughout, Hollow’s show design made a full ensemble costume change unnecessary, allowing performers to remain on stage and showcase their talents through the entirety of the performance.