By AISHA HASSAN

AS all the MY Challenge finalists slave over their upcoming performances for the Sept 10 grand finals, it seems there’s a lot more on their minds than just staying on pitch or pulling off the perfect dance moves.

The Olympics-inspired inter-school talent competition is no doubt about, well, talent – but their image will also play an important role in their performances.

Their wardrobe choices will be crucial in winning over both the audience and judges.

Some of the finalists from the Modern Dancing and Duet/Group Singing categories have already been considering the impact of their outfit choices when deciding what to wear.

From the Modern Dancing category, Yi Kern from SMK St Gabriel in Kuala Lumpur has confirmed that his group already has an idea, opting for a more casual style of dress similar to every day clothes compared to how they’ve been dressed previously in the competition.

The SMK St Gabriel boys

“It’s not as important as the dance. Our performance is what matters, and we want to show the judges our dance skills as a group rather than standing out as individuals,” he said.

Teh Xin Er from SM Sri KDU in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, whose group is in the finals for Duet/Group Singing, suggested that her group may be placing a greater emphasis on their costume as it will aid them in the competition.

“We’ve been planning for something outstanding. It’s important to stand out because you’ll catch the audience and judge’s attention,” she said.

Since the start of the competition, Xin Er and her team have put in a lot of effort to make sure their outfits helped to complement their performances, and they hope it will continue to work in their favour.

The team has also decided that they will buy the components of their outfit, and put it together themselves as creatively as they can.

The SM Sri KDU girls

Here are some fashion tips that you can follow for the upcoming MY Challenge competition. These tips won’t win you any awards but they will definitely get you noticed on stage.

Comfort first

Yes, Lady Gaga suffers for fashion – quite literally, sometimes – but she also falls down a lot due to her constricting costumes.

With that in mind, don’t wear outfits that would restrict your movements, especially if you’re going to jump, dance and move a lot on stage.

Glitter, glitter, glitter

Girls, Taylor Swift loves glittery things for a reason. They sparkle from near and far and everybody loves to see shiny things. Wear as much glitter as you want but just don’t overdo it. They can also cause dizziness, although this theory is yet to be scientifically proven. Still, why risk it? We need the judges in working condition that day.

Breathable material

Sweaty armpits are a performer’s worst nightmare, as it is for the people around them. Not only do those unsightly wet patches look bad on stage, they also look terrible in photographs! And you know that everybody will be photographing you that day. So make sure your costumes allow your skin to “breathe” and not sweat too much.

Keep it tight

Zip your zippers and button-up those costumes well. Make sure nothing breaks no matter how much you move. We don’t want any wardrobe malfunctions at the MY Challenge finals.

q MY Challenge is endorsed by the Education Ministry and co-presented by The Star and Musicast Productions, supported by R.AGE. Canon is the official camera partners, while Clinique is co-sponsor.