Top 5 mistakes when wearing fishnets (are you making them?)

Top 5 fishnet mistakes

This is part 2 of a 2 part series The secrets of fishnets: how to wear fishnets and how to fix fishnet mistakes. (If you missed the first part, read it first, then come back!)

One thing I have noticed a lot as I watch burlesque performers is that they don’t know how to wear fishnets to make them look the best that they can look. I guess I have taken for granted all the secrets that I had learned as a showgirl.

My intention with this information is to make you the most valuable and professional performer that you can be, so I will share my secrets—take them or leave them.

Here are 5 fishnet mistakes I see when other performers wear fishnets that could be fixed to give them a more professional appearance, and raise their value as an entertainer to the audience and producers.

Mistake 1: Leaving the waistband on

These are not ballet tights being worn under a bulky tutu. The purpose of the waistband is to keep them at your waist. If you are wearing hip huggers or French-cut gs, the waistband is unnecessary, especially if you intend to create a clean silhouette and tuck your tights (see this post for how to prep your panties.) Just cut it off.

Mistake 2: Not wearing a personal g underneath

When I first entered the showgirl world, I used to wearing pink ballet tights, no panties underneath, and briefs over my tights to protect the costumes. But that is backwards to how the showgirls do it. We wear a personal g under the tights. 1) to protect the costumes from having to be cleaned so often 2) to protect our precious parts! I can’t imagine wearing tights without a g underneath. Those fishnets are like cheese graters!!

Mistake 3: Pulling the fishnets up to their waist outside of their panties

Fishnets are not Spanx. They just aren’t meant to be seen by the public in that way. I have seen performers do this and wonder why they would do it. Not only does it look sloppy, but it makes the audience wonder what you are trying to cover up! Burlesque is about body positivity. Be proud of your body and the beauty that it is! Share that with the world! It is beautiful and gorgeous and should be shown!

Mistake 4: Cutting the feet off

If you need to wear tights, (most often they are required by municipal codes,) and you need to take your shoes off but don’t want to slip, get the right tights. Don’t just cut off the feet and let them roll at your ankle. The purpose of tights is to appear like a smooth line onstage. A bulky roll will look sloppy, again see this post. Maintain the appearance of a magical creature onstage by paying attention to this tiny detail will raise your value. The audience paid to see quality (hopefully,) so you should give it to them!

Mistake 5: Not giving themselves a butt once the tights are on

I’ve seen a recent post of someone trying to explain this in words without pictures or video, and I’m pretty sure it just flew over most people’s heads. So I am going to share a video. It’s not rocket science, but it’s it better demonstrated by video. 🙂

And now I will demonstrate how to give yourself a butt and make those gs fit the way they are supposed to fit. 🙂

I hope you take these tidbits as a way to up-level your performer value. They are not meant to criticize or demean you in any way. It is a different way to do things. By the number of times I am booked and requested to book every month, I have to acknowledge that these details play some part in my success. I wonder what my audience would think if my tights were sloppy…

To becoming the best performer you can be!

XOXO!
Athena

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