Uniforms (or Costumes if you prefer)... Hits or Misses over the years.

[Cainan]

Yeah... Suncoast pretty much never changed...

I agree... let's do the

SEATTLE CASCADES

[rancidrolla]

I liked the Blue Stars grey uniforms as well as last year's uniforms. I did like Blue Stars uniforms and the corps back in the day, and if they had a continuous presence in WC competition, I might long for the uniforms of old, but where they spent time in Open Class and did not have national tours for many years, I don't associate Blue Stars of today with the Blue Stars of the seventies. I don't say this as a slight. I give them credit for remaining alive, but for me they are two different corps.

You aren't completely off. If I remember correctly (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), the Blue Stars of today actually stem from the Blue Stars cadet corps. They kept chugging along in the 80s and eventually blossomed into the corps we have today. However, because of tradition, alumni support, and influence, they are the same corps from the 70s regardless of a uniform change.

Edited April 2, 2015 by rancidrolla

[losnickes]

SEATTLE CASCADES:

It wasn't until now that I realized the Cascades haven't had that many radical uniform changes. In fact, the most radical change they've ever had was the uniform they debuted in 2011.

I scoured the deepest bowels of the internet, and I've stumbled upon photographic evidence of only five different uniforms donned by the Seattle Cascades, and three of them are almost identical.

Here, we have what the Cascades presumably wore throughout the 90's (I'm not 100% sure on that one, though):

In the early 2000's, they sported this little number:

In 2002, the corps made a slight change, with a basic look that has endured to this day:

In 2007 (I believe), they made another very slight change:

And finally, in 2011, they debuted the look they wear today. A very modernized version of what they've been wearing for over a decade:

These are all very solid looks. And they're all very "in line" with the trends in uniform design seen in the eras they were created. It's hard to pick a hit and a miss out of all of these, but I'll give it a shot anyway.

Hit: The 2002 edition of the uniform. I personally wouldn't mind seeing them wear something like that again.

Miss: The 90's uniform. It's a decent uniform, just a little bland for my tastes.

Next up: PIONEER

[crownisking]

I can't tell the difference between 2002 and 2007 other than the absence of gauntlets, but I can't think of any batteries in drum corps that wear them.

[crownisking]

Pioneer

Hit: 2009

This just looks like what a corps named Pioneer should wear, IMO.

Miss: 2010-Current

A little too bland for my tastes and those horizontal lines on the jacket don't look too flattering on the larger members.

Next up, Jersey Surf!

Edited April 2, 2015 by crownisking

[Double.D]

Jersey Surf:

Hit: 2009

Really cool color pallet, and what would surfing be without a wave?

The Miss:

Now, I know these uniforms fit the theme of the show, and they were meant to look like this and they were used effectively, but I know myself and a few others couldn't look at these without getting a headache.

Up next: The Academy!

[bill]

You aren't completely off. If I remember correctly (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), the Blue Stars of today actually stem from the Blue Stars cadet corps. They kept chugging along in the 80s and eventually blossomed into the corps we have today. However, because of tradition, alumni support, and influence, they are the same corps from the 70s regardless of a uniform change.

If I recall---Blue Stars (corporate entity) had some financial challenges that needed to be tidied up, so the corps (for a term of time) swung operations under the non profit status of the existing Blue Stars Cadets (different corporate entity) feeder corps. Eventually, things were tidied up---and if I recall, they are able to legally use the name Blue Stars (vrs. adding the "Cadet" to it) again---as they regained the right to do so..................

It was a tactical business move, internal in nature.

Edited April 3, 2015 by bill

[tesmusic]

Pioneer

Hit: 2009

This just looks like what a corps named Pioneer should wear, IMO.

Miss: 2010-Current

A little too bland for my tastes and those horizontal lines on the jacket don't look too flattering on the larger members.

Next up, Jersey Surf!

I actually think that top pic is the miss of the 2, although Pioneer's miss for me is the 1998 era uniform and the hit would be the mid 90's style.

[MikeZ]

I actually think that top pic is the miss of the 2, although Pioneer's miss for me is the 1998 era uniform and the hit would be the mid 90's style.

The early to mid 90's uniforms are clearly the hit. Of course I'm biased as I wore that uniform from 1994-1998. Pioneer has had some good and some bad uniforms since mid 1998, but the white topped 90's unis are what I think of when I think of the corps.

Z

[crownisking]

I'm not at all a fan of the navy uniforms they wear now, but I'd LOVE to see them wear something like this again. Unlike the bleh boringness they wear now, these uniforms say SURF to me.

Edited April 3, 2015 by crownisking