Thought Provoking Belly Dance Costumes: the good, the bad and the hideous

Amulya

Moderator
This is apparently a ‘vintage’ Madame Abla, do those exist in vintage? This looks too modern to be remotely vintage. Nice costume, but they only started doing embroidery on top on skirts in the 00s didn’t they, never saw anything like that before.
 

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Shanazel

Moderator
Recently there was an interesting discussion on Pattern Review re: what constitutes vintage and what constitutes antique. The general consensus was antique is 100+ years, vintage is 50+ years, retro is 30+ years, and anything under 30 years is just unfashionable. :lol: Don't quote me on that, though, because I didn't bother to search out the original thread before I wrote this.

I'm not a big fan of costumes featuring close-fitting lycra skirts with cutouts and embroidery and lots of little accessories like detached sleeves and weird calf accoutrements (see the gray and wine costume below: looks like she is making the best of an ace bandage needed to support a muscle strain). Bicycle shorts under costumes don't do much for me, either, though they are certainly handy for keeping one's modesty under abbreviated skirts. I do like the costume featuring red roses. Skirt is smooth enough for fashion and flowing enough to enhance movement.

Found the following browsing Dalahl's site. The teal green is interesting but not very well planned for presenting a dance that emphasizes hip articulation. The gold and pink is another evil eyes costume with retro '80s vibes. It is curious that the old-fashioned full skirt and bedlah is categorized as "triberette." Not even sure what that means. Explanation from anyone still involved in costuming themselves?

BD 1.jpgBD 2.jpgBD 3.jpgBD 4.jpgBD 5.jpgBD 6.jpg
 
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Daimona

Moderator
Too many things going on at once? 樂

Holstein or not, I'd probably rather emphasize the patterns in the basic fabric aroun the hips and bra than put on the pink on top with a pattern that didn't match the fabric.
If insisting on a third colour, make simple and it in bold fields. Maybe draped along the edges?
 

Amulya

Moderator
Who remembers these Turkish costumes? Does anyone know who the dancer is?
 

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Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
I've seen a few, and even have a version of one that's more closed in at the hip. My dance sisters tell me that they couldn't wear underwear with some of them.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
That's why the dance goddesses invented g-strings. That being said, if one's costume is too brief for underwear, one should probably be concerned with what will be revealed in its place. Fifteen or twenty years ago, I watched a very good dancer whose performance was impacted (for me , at least) by wondering when her skirt was going to fly open and reveal things better off remaining secret. I really liked this dancer- she was a great teacher, a fine dancer, and a very pleasant human being- but her performances tipped over into extended moments of questionable good taste.

As did the Turkish style of nipple jewels and loin cloths. ;)

Some vintage costumes, including some on familiar Golden Era dancers:

Vintage 2.jpgVintage 1.jpgVintage 3.jpgVintage 4.jpgVintage 5.jpgVintage 6.jpg
 

Amulya

Moderator
I’ve seen that happening too, but maybe it was less bad, not sure, a dancer where a skirt flew up and the audience was mooned. I don’t wish to see bum cheeks. But I’m pretty sure the dancer did it on purpose in this case (she was doing a Turkish style belly dance, and inspired by one of those skimpily clad dancers)
though some costumes in pictures I wonder if they are just for the pictures and altered for dancing. The one I posted gapped really badly at the crotch, that’s not possible to dance in.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
#6 and #7 are also Samia. The last two are Nadia... Nadia... nuts, my brain is broken.

Not Nadia Gamal. She is here: [video=youtube;6xwh1Kv-f-8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xwh1Kv-f-8[/video]

Blech. Help me out someone. Pweeze?
 

Shanazel

Moderator
https://www.sharqidance.com/blog/category/nagwa-fouad Duh. Not Nadia- Nagwa. Nagwa Fouad.

While I was looking around trying to find something to kickstart my brain cells, I came across Yame's Sharqi Dance site and a nice blog on stars of the golden era(above because the site wo't letme pt tblow ad won't evenrecognize all mkeystrks. ARGH!)

won't let me put it below and won't even recognize my keystrokes unless I hit each key and pause a second before hitting the next. Even hn itdoesn't alas work.

Thishas hapene befoebut nt for whil.
 
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