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One of the easiest ways to save on dance costumes is to plan ahead and take advantage of early bird discounts. 

Dance is a highly seasonal business, and when everyone wants their costumes in the fall, this can translate to an increase in lead-time and cost to you, the coach. To help offset this seasonality, every year The Line Up hosts an "early bird" sale from January to May, where teams can save on their custom dance costumes. However, the most common objection we hear is this "I don't have my team yet"! Here's a simple hack that many haven't considered:

You can take advantage of early bird savings by getting started with your design and prototype before you have your team formed. 

One of the most common questions we get asked about cheer uniforms and team warm-ups is “what type of logo/lettering is best for me?” followed by “how much does it cost?” To answer these questions and more, we’re starting a new series to guide you through the different application types, and what might work best for your team!

First up, we're talking about vinyl - the perfect option for bold lettering on a budget. Learn more, below!

Inspiration for your next dance costume can come from anywhere: the runway, your Instagram feed, a sneaker, or even something as random as that gorgeous peach that's sitting on your desk! 

We know it can feel overwhelming to narrow your focus to create a concept that is unique from your competitors.  To help, we've rounded up some of our favorite resources for finding dance costume inspiration.

Competition season has wrapped up, your team's hard work has paid off, and it's already time to begin planning for next season.

Starting early on your custom dance costume design can save you time, stress, and money, but one of the main constraints we hear is, "I don't have my team or money yet!" 

No worries, there may be a solve for you! There are ways to get started even without your team assembled OR your funds in place for the year. Read on to find out how.

One logo created with 5 different techniques. 
Price will vary depending on logo size  and exclude base garment price - shown here at 7.25" high. 

Most teams brand their cheer and dance uniforms with logo and lettering, but you may not realize that there are many different options available! "Which logo and lettering option is best for me?", you might ask. The answer is that it depends! Some factors that affect which option is best for your dance or cheer uniform are:

• Your overall budget
• Level of detail in your team logo 
• Fit of your uniform or location of logo

Below, we summarize 5 ways you can add your logo to a cheer uniform - embroidery, vinyl, sublimation, spangles and rhinestones - and the pros and cons of each! 

In our How Much Does a Custom Dance Costume Cost series, we’ll be covering a few things that will affect the price of your dance costume: patterning and set-up fees, fabric choices, the number of costumes being ordered, and embellishments. Today we’ll talk about construction details that add to your custom dance costume costs - the “cut and sew” features of your costume!

Construction details include the base pieces of your costume that need to be cut out of fabric and sewn together, and doesn't include add-on features like rhinestones, appliques, or fabric choices. Generally speaking, the more construction details going into your garment, the more it will cost.  

Below we break down 5 common construction details that add cost, along with average price ranges of each. Prices will vary depending on your chosen costume company and your group discount, but below we used pricing from The Line Up, before any discounts are applied.  

We've kicked off our How Much Does a Custom Dance Costume Cost series and next up we're talking about dance costume embellishments!

Embellishments add the perfect finishing touch to your custom dance costume. But when designing on a budget, they're often the first thing to get cut. Why? Because they can get pretty costly and add up quickly! Not only do you have to consider the cost of the embellishment itself, but also the labor costs to have your costume company apply the embellishments for you.

However, you shouldn't have to sacrifice those finishing touches because of your budget! The easiest way to save is to apply the finishing touches yourself.

Here are 4 dance costume embellishments that you can add yourself for the perfect finishing touch, while also cutting costs:

Two dance costumes with floral and lace appliques that can also be used as a hairpiece: Mika Top Applique (left) and Jupela Leo Applique (right). 

If there's one dance costume trend that doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon it's appliques - and for good reason! Appliques are a popular choice because they add a layer of texture and depth to any costume, as well as a feminine touch.

If you are looking to use appliques on your next dance costume, there are a few technical things to consider though - like cost and their delicate nature. To help, we've created the definitive guide to using appliques for dance costumes!

Our 2018 Dance Costume Collection is here!  To celebrate we've rounded up our absolute favorite looks and paired them with some amazing and talented dancers (aka our models)!  

To curate this year's collection, we discovered what inspired our customers this past year.  For lyrical and contemporary it's romance: soft and feminine nudes, floral patterns and lace, and sheer layers.  For jazz and tap it's intensity: playful fringe, plenty of energy, and bold strength.  For hip hop it's fierce and theatrical: looks drawing inspiration less from street wear and more from music videos and NBA dancers.  

Get inspired and take a peek below!