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Costume questions:


Costumes:
Part 3: What do I look for?

There are many things to consider when you begin looking for a costume. 
You want a flattering color.  You want a flattering fit.  You want a flattering shape.  You want a flattering design.  You want something that is comfortable, and easy to dance in.  You want something that won't fall off.  You want something that looks classy, and not cheaply made.  But most of all, you want something that reflects YOU, and your personality, and how you dance.

  1. Obviously shoddy costumes to avoid
  2. What to look for when judging costume quality
  3. Good vs. Bad Design
  4. Advice for First-time Costume Buyers
  5. Disaster Gallery (coming soon)


How to tell a "good" costume from a shoddy one:
The Obvious Examples

Exhibit A:
    Some costumes, you can just tell by looking at them.  Check out this bra, for example.  Can you spot the signs of a CHEAP bra?
   (1) the cups are not bra cups.  You know what bra cups look like.  Do these look like bra cups?  No- these are cones.  You'll ooze out the bottom during your show.
   (2) Look at that fringe.  Look how sparse it is.  Like they didn't even try!  Real fringe hangs thick and lush, with barely any space between the strands.
(3) the "connector' between the cups is waaaay too high. 
(4) the straps are way too thin. 

Exhibit B:



















This is one of those cheap-o "souvenier" costumes that Egyptians fob off on unsuspecting tourists.   Bullseye-boobs and cheap attached skirt.  And look at that "fringe!"  No self-respecting dancer would be caught dead in this getup.  You shouldn't either, even if it's a bargain on Ebay for $15 and you're desperate for a costume.

Other than these obvious examples, you can tell if a costume is going to last by looking at the materials it's made from.

What to look for when judging costume quality:
  1. Sequins.   
    Really look at them- are some of them already losing their color?  There are washable sequins and non-washable sequins, and it's the latter bunch that fade almost immediately.  Also, look at how they are sewn on.  Is it one strand of thread, or two?  If it's one strand, don't even bother with this costume- it's going to fall apart after a few wearings.  You'll spend more time replacing beads and sequins than dancing!  Are there any missing beads/sequins already, before the costume has even been worn?  Drop it like a hot potato!
  2. Sequin-and-bead patterns. 
    This applies to skirt edges.  The best kind of edging is a corkscrew pattern.  This winds around the edge, is double-sided, and when it pulls/breaks (they always do, eventually), it doesn't unravel that quickly.  The WORST kind of pattern is a straight stitch.  This is fine on a bra, but on a skirt, it catches on everything, and when it does, you end up with long hanging thread and puckered fabric, and sequins and beads popping off everywhere!
  3. The base material of the bra and belt. 
    The costume above (Exhibit B) is probably made of rubber.  I'm not kidding.  I had one of these beauties- a gift from friends who honestly didn't know any better (I made it work in the end).  It was made of rubber!  It stretched out, smelled funny, and had I not lined it with a doublethick lining it probably would have rotted quickly from sweat.  Rubber = bad.  Good costumes are based on thick, reinforced bra and belt forms- flexible but sturdy, perhaps with a wire running around the edges to help maintain its shape.  The sturdiest Egyptian costumes are made with a buckram base (buckram is the stiff mesh used to make hats)- indestructable, but not exactly comfortable or easily alterable.
  4. Type of bra. 
    A standard bra can make a beautiful costume bra.  But if you're buying a handmade costume....PLEASE check to see that whoever made it bothered to cover or remove the original straps!  Nothing's worse than seeing a dancer wearing her underwear as a costume bra.  If you can still see the adjustable straps (bad idea...they'll stretch out!), and the stretchy webbing, and it looks like a normal bra in back- it's still underwear, no matter how many sequins are sewn to the front.  Similarly, check to see that the bra has been properly reinforced under all the spangles, or it will stretch and pucker and die under the weight of the beads.  If the seemstress looks at you blankly when you ask this, better buy your piece somewhere else!
  5. Fringe. 
    Good fringe is generally made with rounded beads, or with bugle beads that are cleanly cut.  It is made with good thread, at least two threads per strand, and each strand individually knotted.  Bad fringe is made with poor quality thread, sometimes only a single thread per strand.  The beads are poor quality as well, perhaps plastic, perhaps jagged-edged bugles that are going to shear through that thread in minutes after your first shimmy.  Good fringe is expensive.  I recommend Turquoise International for fringe.  Expect to pay $20-50 per meter for this hand-beaded, lush, closely-spaced fringe. 


Good vs. Bad Design:

I can't really give you a lot of advice regarding design, as that's a matter of opinion and taste.  For example, I'd never wear a Mme. Abla costume again- her designs are far too ostentatious for me, and I don't like lace.  I prefer the slim, minimalist lycra look of Turquoise International's "Versace of Cairo" line.  Of my troupemates, one loves lace and intricate, delicate beadwork.  Another has a gothy, funky style with unusual colors and chainette fringe drapes, and another prefers ethereally beautiful, floaty combinations of layered chiffon skirts.  They all gravitate toward costumes that suit their personality and dance styles.  It might take you a few years to discover your style.  If you don't know where to begin, start with a basic Turkish look- it's beautiful and classic, and generally suits every body type.

 Bad Costume Design, by Dina Lydia, the Costume Goddess, is a wonderful and funny read.

Finding the right costume:

Spotting a shoddy costume is one thing; finding a flattering one is much more difficult.  I have these bits of advice for beginners buying their first costume:
  1. Pick gold, silver, or red. 
    A gold or silver bra/belt set will match ANY skirt color you want to pair it with.  This allows you to have many looks, simply by changing skirts and accessories.  It's a lot smarter (not to mention easier on the budget!) to start off buying an inexpensive Turkish set and then build your wardrobe with colofrul skirt/veil sets, than to buy several expensive Egyptian costumes with attached skirts (once the costumes die, as they all do eventually, it's hard to salvage those skirts). 
    Red is the next best pick- I've yet to meet a dancer who didn't look great in red.  And it's nearly as versatile as gold and silver.  (Red, white, & blue for July 4th, red & green for Christmas, red & white for Valentine's day, etc...)  But be sure you get a red that suits your skin tone.
  2. Keep it simple. 
    No more than two dominant colors, with perhaps a third as an accent.  For example, green and gold, or blue and silver (with some pink tossed in here and there).   Too many colors are very busy.  Once you've seen lots and lots of costumes, you can experiment more.
  3. If you're short-waisted:  short bra fringe
    You'll want as much space between bra and belt as possible to add to the illusion of length.  Long fringe will make even the thinnest dancer look scrunched and fat.  (Cut it all off, or pare it down to a dozen or so strands in the middle).
  4. If you're short-legged: short belt fringe and mermaid style skirts. 
    They'll make your legs look longer.  I personally wear flaring skirts anyway, but I often tuck them to hang artfully straight while I'm not spinning.
  5. If you're tall, you can get away with long fringe.
  6. If you're large, or otherwise shy about your belly: 
    Consider a dress.  Alternatively, wear the bra and belt with a body stocking.  A belly drape (using a handkercheif, artfully tucked veil, or hanging line of fringe over the belly) is another creative way to camouflage a less-than-perfect belly (but let's be honest...how many of us have a perfect belly?  I know I haven't.)
  7. Keep the bra and belt proportional. 
    Meaning that if you're well-endowed and tiny-waisted, make sure your belt is scaled up.  Alternatively, if you're small on top with large hips, scale down the belt to match the smaller bra.
  8. Look for a good belt shape.
    So many of the Egyptian belts are not curved.  You can force them to curve a little by adding elastic but again- that buckram is meant to not stretch, and thus it doesn't compress well, either.  I would take a two-piece belt over a one-piece belt any day.   If you find a curved Egyptian belt, you're golden.

Bellydance Fashion Disasters

Of course, what NOT to do is always more fun to consider than what TO do.  I've made some really horrid fashion faux pas myself.  And there's always someone with a camera to catch it for posterity/blackmail.   Case in point: my pairing a clashing purple skirt with an brown costume and canary yellow underskirt. I'd forgotten my amber skirt, and was hoping the purple might pass for brown in the dim light...well, it didn't.  And of course, that pic is still hanging on the door of the Fez, complete with my sheepish grin. 

My gallery of really ugly costumes, gleaned from my own internet wanderings and from costumes posted in the "UBDC" threads at Bhuz.com, is coming soon. 
Pease do not steal images of me.  All the material on this website is © Hayet,  a.k.a. Lesley Ashmore.
Please contact me if you want to use my image for any reason.