The Tie Front Blue Blouse

This is the third in a series on the evolution of the DCC uniform.  This time I’m focusing on the blue blouse that has stood the test of time.  Back in the day, we called them belly blouses because, well, they expose the belly.  Like other parts of the uniform, the blouse has undergone some subtle variations.  Early on, the upper part of the sleeve was more narrow (pic 1 below).  Now it has a puff where the shoulder meets the vest (pic 2 below).

    

The iconic lapel went from a double style worn by Shannon Werthmann (below left) to the current day single lapel worn by Sydney Durso and Holly Arielle (right).

    

There have always been three wrist area buttons on the sleeves to keep them in place during dance routine.  They have gone from smaller metal (maybe plastic) buttons in the early years to larger crystals in the modern era as compared below.

   

Probably the most noteworthy aspect of the blouse other than its trademark blue color is the front tie.  It too has undergone some transformation through the years.  It started out with a longer design that reached down past the belly button (two photos below top) to a shorter tie just above the navel (two photos below bottom).

                      

The DCC have pretty much kept their trademark puffy sleeves throughout the years.  I’ve come across fans who complain that the big sleeve look is outdated.  I disagree.  I think it blends in quite well with the rest of the classic look.  What do you all think?  Sound off in the comments below.

 

 

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Original DCCs

What part of the DCC uniform could be considered the trademark?  You could argue the boots, but I’m going with the shorts.  When I think of the uniform, the first thing that comes to mind is the shorts and you can’t discuss the shorts without discussing the belt, so I’ll cover both here.  The shorts have evolved from that 70s look pictured below to what we see today.  Believe it or not, the hot pants in this pic (worn by Tina Gayle Hernandez) were considered risqué in the early 70s.

The trend toward smaller shorts started in the 80s when the DCC used a little less fabric below the midriff as shown in the photo below featuring Opal Bush and Helen Stubblefield.  Not only are they arguably shorter, but they are also definitely tighter.

As you can see, the belt remained basically the same for the first two decades of DCC history, but in the early 90s they abandoned the belt and went to what they considered to be a more flattering V-shape illustrated in this picture of Preea Jernigan below.

In the early 2000s, they went back to the belt but nowadays the belt and buckle are bigger in comparison to the shorts.  This pic below exemplifies the newer look.

Another alteration to the shorts/belt came when DCC Director Kelli Finglass decided to outline every star with crystals (around ’92) which turned out to be an ingenious move, adding some bling to a traditional uniform that has remained basically the same through the years with a few tweaks here and there.  One thing that has changed though is the length of the shorts which have inched up more and more as the years have gone by.  The pic below is a rear view of the crystals on the modern day shortest of shorts.

The question is how short will the shorts get from here on out?  In keeping with the times, the DCC have had to make some adjustments to their recognizable uniform, but where will they draw the line?  Sound off in the poll below.  I’d love to see how everybody feels about this subject.

Oh, Those White Boots

This is the first in a series of blogs about the DCC’s uniform.  What better place to start than the iconic boots?  It all started with the early squads who wore traditional “go-go” boots as pictured below.  These sleek, zippered boots blended in very well with the uniform.

 

In the late 80s and early 90s there were subtle changes to the boots.  At one point they wore a short western look.  There was also a period where they opted for a more modern cuffed variation of the go-go boot, pictured below.

That brings us to the current Cowboy boots that today’s DCC hopefuls covet so much.  They appear to be uncomfortable and are apparently difficult to take off without assistance (no zipper)  as demonstrated on Making the Team.  But evidently they are designed for dancing as each cheerleader seems to adjust to them quite well and dancing in them becomes second nature.

As you can see, a silver star has been added to side of the boots within the last few years.  There’s also the added touch of a pink star during October games to promote breast cancer awareness.  While other NFL squads have explored different color boots, the DCC have stuck with their traditional white boots for over 30 years.  I’ve always wondered how the uniform would look if the boots were dyed to match the blue blouse.  Then again, why mess with perfection?

Which boots do you prefer?  Respond to the poll below.

 

Dancing at the Point

Front and center.  At the tip of the V.  At the point of the triangle.  Call it what you want but the DCC have a tradition of choosing the lady who will be at the center of attention during their dance routines.  The chosen one is usually a tried and true veteran, a group leader and one of the best dancers on the squad.  There have been many throughout the years.  Three that come to mind are Whitney Isleib, Mia Greenhouse and Nicole Hamilton.

Whitney survived a scandal for wearing blackface for a Halloween costume depicting L’il Wayne.  The controversy was all over the web and embarrassed both the DCC and Cowboys organizations.  To her credit, Whitney learned from the incident and grew into one of the best representatives of the squad as a Show Group member, group leader and dancing front and center as the point girl her final season.  She is now a wife and mother of a baby boy.

The most recent point girl was Mia Greenhouse last season.  Mia blossomed from an eager, dimple-faced rookie to one of the most recognizable and trusted members of the squad.  By her 5th season, Mia took the lead during interviews and had arguably become the face of the squad.  She is now a member of the DCC All Stars and recently assisted with choreography during auditions for the 2014-15 squad.

My personal all-time favorite point girl is Nicole Hamilton (pictured above).  She was the epitome of a DCC –  gorgeous, articulate, charismatic and one of the best dancers the squad has ever had.  Like Whitney and Mia, Nicole cheered with the DCC for five years, maturing from green rookie to savvy veteran.  It was always a treat to watch Nicole.  Her facial expressions were perfect and her mastery of the dance moves was a choreographer’s dream.  She didn’t end her dancing days after leaving DCC in 2009.  She is now a Las Vegas Show Girl.  And she can say it all started you know where – dancing at the point.

 

 

 

A Tribute to Suzanne Mitchell

For old timers like me, the name Suzanne Mitchell has great meaning as a fan of the DCC.  But for you younger fans it may not ring a bell.  Let me offer a little history.  The first woman to manage the then high schoolers known as the Dallas CowBelles and Beaux was Dee Brock who did a fine job in the team’s early stages.  Once Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm decided to glamorize the squad into a more mature, female only group, he decided that his secretary was the best person to lead them.  Her name was Suzanne Mitchell.  She is so important to DCC lore because it was under her tutelage that the squad became a household name.  Ms. Mitchell is the one who instilled the high standards into the DCC “handbook” that are followed by the organization to this day.

Why am I bringing her up now?  Unfortunately Suzanne is currently battling pancreatic cancer so I decided to offer up a tribute to the lady I credit with bringing America’s Sweethearts into our hearts (along with Schramm).

Earlier this year, DCCs past and present held a fundraiser for her and former DCC Toni  Washington even designed a beautiful bracelet that was sold in Mitchell’s honor to support pancreatic cancer research.

In a recent interview Mitchell was quoted as saying “I don’t have much time left.”  Whether that’s true or not, this is one fan who is eternally grateful for Suzanne Mitchell’s contribution to the world of sports entertainment in general and to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in particular.  Thank you, Suzanne.

Cover Girl

The fans have spoken.  The DCC held a first ever vote to determine who would grace the cover of this year’s Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine Swimsuit Issue.  And the winner is…the lovely Samantha Melissa.  In her first calendar shoot, Samantha actually had two photos contending for the cover of what is becoming a very formidable annual swimsuit edition.  The winning shot is pictured below.  As you can see, the lovely bathing suit, beautiful background and sultry expression on Samantha’s face all combined to cement her as the first ever cover girl vote winner.

 

There were several other photos worthy of the cover.  Some of my favorites were of Katy Marie, Sydney, Emma Mary and Jacie.  Some were on the ballot, some weren’t, but all of the veteran Sweethearts who made the trip to Cancun should be proud of the final product which is available at the Cowboys Pro Shop for only $4.95.  Worth every penny.

 

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Blast from the Past: Family and Friends Show

 

I don’t know why they stopped, but the DCC used to make videos of their annual Family and Friends show available for sale to the public.  The last one they sold was around ’95 or so.  These shows were quite impressive and included many of The Show Group performances that entertained the troops on USO tours.  There were also solo performances, group performances and self introductions at the microphone.  And, oh yeah, costume changes galore.  The level of talent was amazing, allowing the women to display skills not normally seen, including singing ability.  While looking through my video archive, I came across some of these favorite group performances from those ’90s videos sold on VHS.  Maybe sometime in the future, I’ll post some of the solo performances.

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gueHkmSZKZk – Hot Hot Hot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib0cpPUmNAo – Michael Jackson’s Jam

Until next time, peace DCC fans

Busy Life of a DCC

While skimming through Kentucky Derby photos at the DCC’s official website, it occurred to me just how much these ladies do in the course of a year.  Not that it hasn’t popped into my mind before, but I really got to thinking.  They recently hosted their annual cheer and dance competition, entertained fans at the Cowboys draft party, danced and signed autographs at a hockey game in Canada, became corporate partners with Belk, posed for countless swimsuit photos in Mexico and, of course, are currently filming the 9th season of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Making The Team.

Kentucky Derby Appearance – Mia and Lauren

USO Tour

From the time I was a little girl, I have marveled at the DCC.  I’ve heard people say stuff like “back in the 70s when they were really something.”   If only those people knew.  I truly believe the DCC are busier now than they ever were back then.  Thanks to social media and the internet, we can now keep up with their doings on their website, Twitter, Instagram, Twitter and blogs like this one.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Belk Corporate Performance

Who knows what these amazing ladies, will do next?  I’ll be following them every step of the way.  For me, it never gets old.

 

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Aussie’s Sweethearts

Another Aussie girl tried out at this year’s auditions.  She didn’t make it but who can blame her for taking a shot with the recent success of candidates from down under?  Angela made it a few years back and last year Jinelle made the trip to the Metroplex and became the second Australian DCC in squad history.  Jinelle is pictured above and Angela is in action below.

To find out more about Jinelle and Angela’s journey, watch the interesting video below.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

You Be The Judge

It’s that time of year again. For the second year, DCC fans can vote for their favorite candidate to get an automatic invite to training camp. True to form, last year’s winner Vivian is in the lead. Take look at the link below to see the hopefuls dance then vote for your favorite.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/dccvote2014/