Dresses for LAMDA exams/performance festivals etc

[pastypirate]

Dd2 (10) has a few of these lined up. In my mind she should be wearing a velvet empire line dress with a Peter Pan collar but I grew up on ballet shoes so I may be biased....

Apparently a modest Sunday best dress is hard to find now. Dresses in next etc too short too glitzy bits cut out of them just a bit meh.

I thought now would be better as the occasion west lines are out now. Still a bit lost really. Vinted is a bit overwhelming but she will only wear it a few times so fully up for 2nd hand.

Any ideas?

Admittedly I know nothing about lamda exams and am going off your sunday best description but would something like these ones work? or are they a bit to formal looking ?
www2.next.co.uk/style/ls208904/p99294#p99294
www2.next.co.uk/gl7562s10/p43542#p43542
www2.next.co.uk/g704409s2/m07941#m07941
www2.next.co.uk/g555324s1/c32456#c32456

If you know the name of the festival or past festivals the schools have attended then have a look to see if there are any photos to get an idea of what people wear. That might help to narrow your search terms.

The festivals I've seen are usually smart occasion dresses or trousers, but nothing too over the top or glitzy, or, as you say, cutout!

Good suggestions from @Allthegoodnamestakken Something along those lines would be fine.

DS wore a black shirt and trousers for lamda. Definitely plain colour, no logos or sparkles!

I did all the LAMDA exams up until the ones with the Shakespeare in my school uniform, and after that, floor length practice skirt and plain black top.
If her school uniform isn’t suitable, perhaps something from the school uniform range in a very different colour to her own? Navy pinafore or kilt with a blouse?

Thank you but £72!! We have rejected all these on next already except the green one is nice but ££££
The others have mesh etc not really formal enough but thanks anyway

Dd2 horrified by this suggestion!

Maybe look at Italian kids brands then, they tend to be a bit old fashioned in a nice way

www.landsend.co.uk/Girls_Tiered_Velour_Dress/pp/P_42997.html?cgid=11414&dwvar_P__42997_color=ZDP
www.marksandspencer.com/cotton-rich-star-print-dress-3-13-yrs-/p/clp22551869
www.marksandspencer.com/animal-print-dress/p/clp60562947
www.marksandspencer.com/velvet-glitter-dress-6-16-yrs-/p/clp60562911
No peterpan collars, sorry.

There are some formal dresses here
www.rachelriley.co.uk/collections/girls-dresses
found one on eBay too
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265948272179?hash=item3debc09633:g:2AIAAOSw26JjQa0H&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoIb2rIbNUeK9Kc%2Bke1YCChP1ZLz032NB4L0KT%2F%2FrVFHNA8OirfxvgS5Xyhwb96iaYqwwtt0QiYu%2BHQzn3a0joNsruGhi8mEmpWGk79Eww42zOyNxm4Xd3leFq2hr3BjNJQE0jwP3OVTWZnVTM67Kx2shyALEcFrrh0HX8%2FuIU1w1HY3YI61%2F7%2BHgzLpMbEm1BDpeUd5wP4E28QdaknQkPNI%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6q4upeDYQ

There are a few RR dresses on eBay in age 10
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=rachel+riley&_trksid=p2332490.m4084.l2632&_sacat=260015

I entered some children for LAMDA exams recently and sent them in school uniform. They all got distinctions so clearly that wasn't a problem!

Most other kids were in simple, plain outfits. What sort of exam is it, as that changes it slightly.

At the speech and drama festivals I've been to, the little ones nearly all wear uniform. Over the age of 9/10 some start wearing all black (especially if they have to sit on the floor in monologues etc), and by the time you get to the age of 17/18 they're all in black usually.

That's during the day.

For evening classes, there's a bit more smart own clothes.

Finales etc will have black tie for older ones and "party clothes" for younger ones usually, but it depends what they're doing — obviously it's much easier to recite or read in a long dress than if you have to move!

Like pp I'd suggest a black pleated school uniform skirt and a nice blouse, so a 'uniform' look without it actually being her school uniform.

IME it’s school uniform usually but John Lewis has a lot of suggestions of dresses around £30

www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-heirloom-collection-kids-floral-textured-dress-blue/p109272377 for example

I was also a bit horrified by the prices but it seems kids formal clothing isn't cheap, perhaps some school uniform type pieces would be best if on a budget.
direct.asda.com/george/baby/dresses/billie-faiers-navy-collared-jacquard-dress/GEM944603,default,pd.html?cgid=D5M10G1C4 this one has a collar, but perhaps a bit to bright?

www.matalan.co.uk/product/detail/s2931557_c101/girls-black-velvet-dress-4-13yrs-black

@Allthegoodnamestakken I loved the bill e faiers dress but dd hates it!

We have done the festivals before no school uniform in sight down here. We are told Sunday best for the poems etc and all black for the acting improv stuff and dd has her theatre blacks.

Lamda last year the kids ranged from plain Sunday best dresses to hoodies. I was a bit perplexed by that!

My kids do LAMDA via Stagecoach and just wear their Stagecoach clothes for the exam (Stagecoach t-shirt, Black bottoms and Jazz shoes). That's for musical theatre