Re: [TANGO-L] The "cabeceo"/tango dress

[Barbara Garvey <barbara @TANGOBAR-PRODUCTIONS.COM>]

In reply to Luda's comments, this is really about the way women dress for
tango, in Buenos Aires and here. One of the first things I noticed on our
first trip to Argentina  (1987) was that women 'of a certain age' often wore
much more revealing clothing than Northamericans of almost any age.  Tighter
all over, shorter skirts, lower necklines and sleeveless -- triceps
exposed -- dresses were the norm even at the most conservative milongas. I
ascribe this to a happier acceptance of one's own body and the confidence
that even women past 45 were still considered desirable. Very few of these
ladies showed any indication of assiduous fitness training, but they all
held themselves proudly (see previous posting re: posture). Most were
married, not looking over the field. Then there were the very young women,
notably  fit and gorgeous, who wore amazingly revealing outfits. Even the
business women and 'ladies who lunch' seen on the street dressed like
Europeans, in other words their clothes fit very well and were not aimed at
disguising the few extra pounds that often send us nortenos into oversized
tents, but at accentuating their femininity and personal positives, legs,
waist, bust, whatever.

On the other hand, women at the milongas did not wear all black, fishnet
stockings, slit skirts, and the other affectations seen here borrowed from
stage shows. Their clothes, mostly in pastels or bright colors and although
tighter, shorter, lower than usually worn in NA, aren't particularly
'tango'. Stage-inspired exotic tango dress does not and never did exist in
Buenos Aires, except of course on the stage and among foreign tourists.

In recent years there has been an (unfortunate?) escalation of NA fashion
(?) influence  in Argentina, in other words a general deterioration in the
dress of both men and women, especially the younger generation. Sloppy
jeans, athetic shoes, etc.  Not long ago no man would appear at a dance
without a jacket and  usually a tie, and no woman would wear pants.  I saw a
now world-famous dancer kicked out of a milonga for wearing sneakers and a
tee shirt. He was not, obviously, a frequent attendee of milongas, favoring
mostly practicas.

Of course I haven't been there since 1998, so maybe things have changed, but
if so, it would be from Northamerican and European influences, not
Argentine. One of the striking aspects of Argentine culture is its
dependence on European and, much more recently, Northamerican norms and
approval for validation. Tango won its first limited acceptance in
respectable Argentine society only after it was taken up in Europe and
didn't begin its recent revival until about 10  years after it became
popular again in Europe and the US.
Best to all,
Barbara




----- Original Message -----
From: luda_r1 <luda_r1 @YAHOO.COM>
To: <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 1:46 PM
Subject: [TANGO-L] The "cabeceo"


> Pichi wrote:
>
> "The cabeceo takes practice.  It takes right timing
> and
> a sharp eye.  One can
> avoid an awkward situation by learning patience.  Give
>
> the man time walk
> across the floor.  He will make eye contact with you
> to confirm his signal.
> The cabeceo isn't fool-proof, but ladies, it's the
> only way you can get to
> dance with the best of Buenos Aires."
>
> I've personally never liked this practice and hope it
> never takes solid root in this country. It seems
> childish and silly somehow. At least in this culture.
> There are other, much more effective ways, of inviting
> someone to dance. I suppose it can be fun to play this
> game if you're so inclined, but most of the time I
> hear women complaining that they find it demoralizing
> and embarrassing. I usually arrange to meet people I
> know to dance with at any event I choose to attend. If
> I can't do that for some reason, I don't go. Sometimes
> I'll go in order to catch a certain event or teacher,
> but if I don't run into people I know to dance with, I
> usually just go home. I really don't like dancing with
> complete strangers. If a man doesn't want to take the
> time to chat with me, however briefly, before starting
> to dance, I usually don't dance with him. Also, some
> men exude negative vibes, like I suppose some women
> do, too. In such cases body language can be a dead
> giveaway, so I simply follow my instincts and stay
> away from them altogether. I can't be bothered having
> to deal with an attitude when all I want to do is
> concentrate on the dance.
>
> Another question I had about Argentine customs is
> about the way women dress. I see outfits at milongas
> in this country sometimes that make a woman look like
> a tart. You know, flashy clothes that shriek for
> attention. Black lace stockings, slits up to the
> armpits, too much makeup, see-through blouses, and in
> general dress inappropriate for a woman of a "certain
> age" and shape. Is this supposed to be "authentic" in
> some way? Do women in BsAs dress this way?  I thought
> that tangueras and tangueros are supposed to dress
> simply, understated, so as not to detract from the
> dance and focus attention on some garish outfit?
>
> Luda
>
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