What Do DWTS Dancers Wear Under Their Costumes? Season 35 Trunks, Fishnets, No Tape

Quick answer: under a Dancing with the Stars costume there is usually less than you think, because most of the support is sewn into the costume itself. The show's designers build bra cups and body-shaping panels into the gowns, and dancers add a brief or trunk matched to their tights or skin, plus tan fishnet tights for many Latin numbers. Double-stick tape is the thing the costume team has said it avoids.

Nobody on the show publishes an underwear list, so this page sticks to what the costume designers have said on the record and to what is standard in ballroom and Latin dance. We don't claim any celebrity wore a particular brand.

What is built into a DWTS costume?

In an Associated Press interview, then-designer Randall Christensen's team said the gowns carry hidden bra cups and body-shaping panels, cut from stretch fabric, mesh and chiffon. The idea is a costume that holds itself in place, so the dancer doesn't need much underneath. Everything is made from scratch rather than bought ready-made.

The current head designer, Daniela Gschwendtner, told Us Weekly in December 2025 that her team makes over 200 costumes in a single week, counting pros, celebrities and troupe. First fittings are in a plain shell, so the stoning can start early.

Why don't they just use body tape?

The costume team told the AP that double-stick tape doesn't hold through sweat, fast turns and the tanning creams dancers put on before the show. A spray tan is slick, so tape slides off. That is why the fixes happen with needle and thread. When something doesn't sit right, they take the dress off, pull stones, add a dart, sew it and re-stone it, in the few hours between the afternoon dress rehearsal and the live show.

What do dancers wear under short Latin skirts?

A trunk or high-waisted brief in a leotard-type fabric, matched to the skirt, the tights or the dancer's skin. Ballroom skirts flip up on every turn, so this layer is part of the costume, not a secret. It is the same piece students wear to a dance competition.

Why do so many DWTS dancers wear fishnets?

Tan fishnets are the standard leg for Latin dancing. The open mesh has no sheen, so on camera it reads as bare, tanned skin while smoothing out color. Fishnets also hold up to friction better than sheer tights, and many dance styles have a reinforced toe and crotch. Watch the feet during a cha-cha or samba on Tuesday and you will usually see the net at the ankle.

What do the male dancers wear underneath?

For fitted Latin trousers and ballroom tails, the usual base layer is a dance belt, a supportive thong-style brief in a skin tone or black so it doesn't show. Some dancers also double their tights under bright lights, because a single pair can look see-through on camera.

What do the same layers cost for a class or competition?

If you dance yourself, these are the closest store-bought versions of the layers above. They are similar pieces, not the ones the show makes.

Prices checked on capezio.com and So Danca's U.S. store (sodancastore.com), Sept. 27, 11:58 p.m. ET.

Is it different in rehearsal?

Very. During the week the couples train in leggings, flares, T-shirts and practice heels, and the costume only shows up at fittings and dress rehearsal. We cover the week-day kit in DWTS season 35 rehearsal wear and the shoes in DWTS practice shoes.

Where else do shows sew the support in?

Survivor goes the opposite way: one outfit for weeks and no wardrobe team on the beach, as covered in whether Survivor contestants change clothes. For why every cast gets a color, read why competition shows color-code casts. To name a piece you spot on screen, start with how to find workout clothes you see on TV, or browse all competition shows and Shop the Look.

FAQ

Do the celebrities keep their costumes? We found no public source saying they do; the costumes are made by the show's department.

Do pros wear their own tights? The show hasn't said who supplies them. Tights and trunks are standard dance kit that pros already own.

When is the next episode? Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, then Mariah Carey Night on Oct. 6.

Sources

• Built-in bra cups and shaping panels, no double-stick tape, same-day repairs: Associated Press, "Magic behind 'Dancing With The Stars' custom-made costumes," 2011 (via The Daily Item).
• Over 200 costumes a week, shell fittings, hand-set stones: Us Weekly interview with Daniela Gschwendtner, Dec. 1, 2025 (via Yahoo Entertainment).
• Season 35 schedule, themes and eliminations: Wikipedia, DWTS season 35, read Sept. 27, 2026.
• Dance belts and doubled tights: Wikipedia, Dance belt and Wikipedia, Tights.
• Prices: capezio.com and sodancastore.com product listings, checked Sept. 27, 2026, 11:58 p.m. ET.
• Video: Dancing With The Stars on YouTube, "Ciara Miller's Premiere Night Foxtrot."