Red Dress Run participants, it’s time to race to find your dresses – The Times

It that time of year when women — and men — start thinking about red dresses. Yes, the annual quasi-athletic bacchanalia known as the Red Dress Run is less than a month away. Held the second Saturday in August – this year, it’s Aug. 9 — the run is hosted locally by the New Orleans’ Hash House Harriers as a benefit for local charities. (That’s right—remember to register this year!)

So, it’s right about now participants are wondering, “What happened to my dress from last year”; “Um, this still reeks of alcohol”; or “I don’t remember it being ripped there.” If there’s no hope of a dress resurrection, it’s time to purchase a new red dress.

Where to buy it

The key is where to find it. First, you don’t want to spend too much money on the dress, as the dual hazards of heat and imbibing while running are sure to render it a different dress after the run. Not too long ago, I decided to check out the local thrift stores, vintage clothing stores, clothing stores and online retailers for red dresses.

I found the nirvana of red dresses at Buffalo Exchange, where there was a whole circular rack dedicated to red dresses. Prices started at $7 and didn’t go past $15. At Red, White and Blue Thrift Store, color coding is a work of art — it even color codes the shoes — so, it’s not too hard to focus in on your red dress prey. Prices are $7.95 up to $12.95, and there was a bit more variety in dress length, from knee to floor.

Bloomin’ Deals, the Junior League of New Orleans thrift store, had a larger selection of long, formal dresses in red, than short. Prices for formal dresses started at $15. I also checked out the Salvation Army on Jefferson Highway. There is some color coding, but the choices were small, with more formal dresses than short.

I went to both Bridge House Thrift Store locations (Camp Street and Airline Drive), and didn’t see much in a selection, at that time. If you want to be creative with your ensemble, all these stores had a surplus of red T-shirts that could be combined with the ubiquitous tutu, which can be found at most costume shops in town.

Remember, these places are constantly getting new stock, so the inventory can change week by week if you can’t find anything right now.

For those who don’t have the time or patience to look for a red dress, online shopping can save the day. A quick look at Forever 21 shows that you can order a number of styles in red. I recommend typing in “Forever 21 red dresses” to go directly to your needs. Someone suggested HM, but I found that the selection is much smaller and pricier.

Fabric

So you’ve found the dress, but what about the fabric content? The best fabric to wear is 100 percent cotton (no lining), because it “breathes,” meaning it doesn’t retain heat. Avoid wool or wool blend, and beware of silk (it actually acts as an insulator), vinyl, plastic, satin and a lesser extent a polyester blend. Don’t get a dress that is lined — like silk, it acts as an insulator.

DIY Dresses

OK, so it’s two days before the run and you, like many New Orleanians are wont to do, procrastinated. It’s time to pull out some DIY smarts. However, it’s not as easy as you think.

While fabric dyeing seems like an easy way to create a red dress, it’s not. I have a little experience with dyeing, as once a year I dye my black garments, because they fade through time. What I’ve found is that dying a color the same color is easy. Trying to dye a white garment into one that is black or brown, or a strong primary color like red isn’t. Even by following directions, more than likely, your white red dress will be pink. Fabric content also is a consideration, as, according to designer Suzanne Perron, cotton, silk and rayon will take dye, while polyester will not; nor will the garment’s trim and zipper.  

What about spray paint? I’ve also spray painted fabric for costumes, and it’s an easy solution. Just remember to follow the directions on the can (spray paint in a ventilated area! I always do this outside) and that with the paint, the fabric doesn’t breathe as well, so you are apt to get hotter than if it wasn’t painted.

Consider the toga – or a tutu

If you can’t find a dress and you’re not a fan of possibly messy DIY projects? Go to your local fabric store and buy red fabric — enough to make a toga. Ask one of the salespeople how many yards you will need.

Many costume stores and vintage stores sell tutus. Red is well represented, and at the Funky Monkey, there were two leotards with tutus attached.

Sizing – It’s a Mystery to Everyone

I’m not so worried about the women purchasing their right dress sizes. We know our sizes (and the sizes we want to be), but men, on the other hand, find the mysteries of women’s sizing more mysterious.

So to figure this out, I went to two experts on the clothing size: Perlis and Princess Stephaney.

As Perlis’ Kevin Murphy states, “There are no measurements for men that directly match with women. Not to mention that manufacturers sizing is not consistent.”

Murphy says for most men that your dress size will probably be a woman’s plus size.

Transgender web site Susan’s Place has a conversion chart that shows that a men’s size 36, small, (bust/chest: 34.5 – 35.5 inches; waist: 25.5 -26.5 inches; hips: 36.5 – 37.5) is a size 12 in women’s clothing. A women’s size 22 is equivalent to a size 44 (large) for a man.

Princess Stephaney, who performs as a drag queen at Mags 940 and at the Golden Lantern, recommends to go by your chest size. “The smaller the chest is for men, smaller the women’s dress becomes,” she said. For example, “A man with a 42-inch chest could wear a size 18 or 20.”

The Princess also recommended going to CitiTrends or Rainbow for dresses, in addition to thrift stores.

Race time

Now you have your dress in hand, it’s time to run. But first, a little history. The Hash House Harriers, (a.k.a. H3 or hashers) was founded in Malaysia in 1938 by a group of British colonial officers and expatriates, who would meet on Monday afternoons to rid themselves of the previous weekend’s excesses by running. The setup was much like the British “paper chase” or “hares and hounds” — a running race game where a “hare” leaves a trail of paper to follow.

There are hashers worldwide who live by the club’s motto — “A drinking club with a running problem” — with the New Orleans chapter founded in 1988. The San Diego chapter hosted the first Red Dress Run in 1988, after a member’s friend showed up for a random run the year before in a red dress and heels. The New Orleans Red Dress Run is the only event that allows non-hashers, according to New Orleans H3 rep Mona Triche.

The race is completely organized and run by volunteers. After the race, the hashers choose different nonprofits each year for which to distribute grants. From the 2013 race, the New Orleans H3 were able to give $192,000 to local charities, Triche said.

And if you wake up on Saturday, Aug. 9, and have no dress, never fear: The hashers promise to have a rack of red dresses on hand for purchase.

Registration: Registration is $60 and will slowly increase every month until day-of registration at $80. Hasher registration, which is only available to active hashers, is now at $80 and will go up to $100 for day-of registration. Cash only on day of event. Runners must be 21 to participate. Runners must wear a red dress.

Hashers also have more activities as well: Hasher registration also includes the Red Lingerie Run on Friday night, a special area on Saturday, and the Hangover Run on Sunday.

Online registration: nolareddress.com

The race starts and ends at Louis Armstrong Park, 701 N. Rampart St.

Where to find the dresses:

Bloomin’ Deals of the Junior League of New Orleans
4645 Freret St., New Orleans, La.
(504) 891-1289

Bridge House Thrift
1160 Camp St. New Orleans, La.
(504) 522-4476

7901 Airline Highway, Metairie, La.
(504) 737-4752

Buffalo Exchange
3312 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 891-7443

CitiTrends
2841 St. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, La.
(504) 822-4009
(More locations in the metro area)

Forever 21
Lakeside Shopping Center
3301 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, La.
(504) 840-9872
(More locations in metro area.)

Funky Monkey
3127 Magazine St, New Orleans, La.
(504) 899-5587

HM
418 N. Peters St., New Orleans, La.
(855) 840-9872

Rainbow
1027 Canal St, New Orleans, LA
(504) 525-0058
(More locations in metro area.)

Red, White and Blue Thrift Store
5728 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans
(504) 733-8066

605 Lapalco Blvd. Gretna, La.
(504) 393-1072

Salvation Army Family Store
200 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, La.
(504) 835-7130

(Also check out Goodwill, SpayMart and other thrift, consignment and resale shops in the area.)

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