Tag: Carla Heiney

My Heinies

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

The Carla

If you are wearing a dress at a dance, chances are, at some point in the evening, your hoo-ha will be in someone’s line of sight, be it upside down in an aerial or while being dipped by your dance partner. With modern hemlines sky high, the need for coverage is even more pressing. But where to get good coverage? Or better yet, where to get pretty coverage?

Enter My Heinies, “the original ‘pretty’ dance pant.” My Heinies is the brainchild of Carol Fraser, a dancer and choreographer from New York, has been dancing for her entire life and was inspired by her experience sitting on the floor at All Balboa Weekend and looking at the competitors, who had nothing necessarily pretty going on under their skirts during competitions. Necessity is the mother of invention and Carol took it upon herself to create this line of dance and athletic-specific bloomers that were made to go under clothing and provide the type of coverage we are looking for, but with a bit of flair for color and pattern.

The Shannon

From the website: “My Heinies addresses many concerns of dancers and athletes in all genres. All pants have the triangular crotch design which reduces the inner thigh from riding up and also eliminates “the front wedgie.” Additionally, all short inseam pants are 1 inch lower in the back to maintain maximum cheek coverage. There is no elastic on the low and mid rise pants thus eliminating bulges and allowing for more movement. And the high waisted pant offers a new option to current lingerie style trends.

In addition to new technology, My Heinies brings to the market modern prints and patterns in many styles as well as materials that perform. It allows dancers of all genres – contemporary, modern, jazz, tap, salsa, swing, ballroom, tango – as well as all athletes in yoga, running, gymnastics or cheer to add a little “pretty” to their attire.”

The Caroline

My Heinies is currently offering 9 styles of dance pants, with variations on waist height and length. The critical detail here with the shortest leg length is that the backside is lower, so when you kick or lift your leg, the dance pant will not ride up, leaving you with a bit of cheek hanging out (Carol noted that the guys will probably hate her for this 😉 ). With the highest waist model, any dress that does not have a defined waist/belt can have a smoother appearance, rather than seeing the waistband of the bloomers through the fabric of the dress. Taking that even further, you could incorporate the high waist into the layers of your outfit – spokes-model Carla Heiney wore the high waisted model with a regular skirt and tucked her shirt into the My Heinies dance pants, offering a new and interesting way to display her Heinies while keeping her shirt securely tucked in.

Carol also noted that the fabric stretches 4 ways, while most stretch fabrics only stretch 2 ways – the 4 way stretch allows for maximum movement and prevents the fabric from riding up. The fabric is very smooth and can function similarly to a slip, in the sense that the smoothness prevents the bunching of your dress fabric against the fabric of your undergarments and also creates a smoother line under your clothing.

The Lisa

To clarify, these are not Spanx. I detest Spanx and any other sort of nouveau-girdle. These are athletic/dance pants to wear under your clothing for comfort, modesty, style, and athleticism. We are athletes and it’s time for a product to withstand our intensity while looking immensely put-together!

In addition to bloomers, My Heinies will be selling some really hot/sexy/fancy hosiery by Leg Avenue – fishnets, seams, patterns, faux garters, bows, FANCY. When your skirt flies up, there will be plenty of pretty to see!

As if things couldn’t get prettier, Hy Heinies will also be selling lovely hair flowers, of the traditional silk kind as well as real orchids from Thailand that are dipped in resin to preserve them. You can have a real, one of a kind hair flower in your hair that’s frozen in time. Brilliant!

Carol is currently in talks with Arika Nerguiz, maker of some of the most divine tango shoes on the planet, to make shoes for the swing dance community. I am very excited about this development, as I have been drooling over Arika Nerguiz shoes for years.

You can order My Heinies online now or potentially at an event near you – My Heinies will be making appearances at All Balboa Weekend, Montreal Balboa Review, Camp Hollywood, and ILHC.

I am at the Balboa Experiment with Carol this week (we are roomies) and her excitement about the possibilities for this company is infectious. I love to see one of our own creating a new business that enhances our community and is driven by someone who knows dance, dance clothing construction, and our own unique sub-culture so well. She is diligently working to make sure these products live up to their intended function.

I look forward to seeing you and your Heinies on the dance floor!

The Sylvia
The Laura
The Courtney
The Sherry
The Linda

Cheap Chinos!

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

Gents, here’s a great opportunity to stock up on the versatile and necessary basic, chinos.  Quick class for you: chinos are a type of pant; khaki is a color.

Many people call all chinos “khakis,” even Docker’s, apparently, but maybe they do it because of common use.  You can use them interchangeably, but now you know.

Like I mentioned, chinos are versatile and a few should be included in every man’s basic wardrobe.  Wear them with a polo and boat shoes or trainers (sans socks, of course) and they’re perfectly casual for the summer.  Match them with a button-down, tie, blazer and wingtips and you’re dressed up enough for a dinner at any restaurant. (This particular outfit was the basic dress code at my all-guys high school, so I still look can’t at khaki chinos (required for freshmen) without a bit of nostalgia).

Either of the above ensembles would work just as well at a dance (with dance shoes subbed in, of course).

Khakis/chinos are one of America’s greatest contributions to the world of men’s casual dress.  The U.S. Army adopted khaki during the Spanish American War. In 1941, khaki was approved for wear by senior enlisted and officers.  The American public was then able to see these sailors out on liberty.

Another plus, chinos are made out of cotton and breathe a bit better than denim or wool.   Be wary about sweating in them too much, though.  People will notice; sometimes at your expense.  Here’s an example!

You have been warned.

Oh, man, I *heart* that video.  FYI, It didn’t stop them from winning, either.

I was there for that competition too; it was awesome.  (Oh BTW, ILHC is coming up.  It’s one of my favorite dance events of the summer.  I’ll be missing it this year, which deeply saddens me.  So, you should be there so you can tell me all about it.  Have you registered?  Tip: stick around ’til the end, because that’s when they do the Invitational J&J).

Also, just say “no” to pleats and cuffs when it comes to chinos.  Flat-front and slim (but NOT tight) are the way to go.  Choose a leg length that will allow the bottom 3 inches of your pants to gather on top of your shoes.  (i.e. longer than your uncuffed suit pants and slightly longer than jeans).  They’re casual trousers, your socks should never be seen when you’re standing up.  Great examples, below.

Here are some well-priced ($35) chinos from Docker’s: flat-front, slim, straight leg.  They’re just about perfect.  (I find it funny Docker’s call them all “Clean Khakis.”)

"Khaki" comes from the Hindi word for "dust."

Here are a couple “rules” from Esquire, that I think are very helpful.

  • A crease down the front of a pair of khakis adds fifteen years of age to the wearer.
  • Unless you’re on safari, limit the number of khakis items in your outfit to one. Better yet, apply this rule even while on safari.