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

Shanazel

Moderator
I like the second costume and the last one. The turtleneck collar in #4 ruins a perfectly nice bra. I appreciate the general idea but the two parts of the piece clash. Not sure the other two are salvageable except as recyclable parts but maybe someone else has some good ideas.




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Ariadne

Well-known member
Whadaya think? I love the purple and green though I'd replace the purple thingies between cups and at side of belt with something that doesn't look so tacked-on. The red, gold, and black I almost like. The placement and length of the drapes on the cups visually square the bra off in a way I don't care for and those big sequins always look a little like poor girl's coins to me.




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I like the second costume and the last one. The turtleneck collar in #4 ruins a perfectly nice bra. I appreciate the general idea but the two parts of the piece clash. Not sure the other two are salvageable except as recyclable parts but maybe someone else has some good ideas.




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It's interesting because the first one in the first post and the second one in the second post are actually very similar in materials but it looks so much better on the second. Is it because of it being only one color as well as the shaping?

I have to agree on the green and purple.

With the first one in the second post I actually think the top is not bad at all, it's just the bottom that lets it down. A proper bottom belt that matches the bra better would really help. For an ATS/ITS dancer it could be quite nice.

The rainbow outfit I think would have to be worn to a very specific type of party. I look at it and I think Circus. But in the right setting or on the right person it could work. Though... what are the little spiky things sticking out in the picture behind it? Is it possible the photograph just isn't doing it justice?

The black collar. Might be ok if the medallions and black velvet are carried through the rest of the outfit. I wish I could see more of it. As the picture is I think it's the medallions that jar the most. Maybe with a different beading on the velvet it would help?

And last. I am starting to see a trend in some of your favorite outfits Shanazel. Cut outs and straps hmm? ;) It is very dramatic.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Dramatic, fanciful, and could never have been worn by me on my very finest day. :dance: I'm not a big fan of extraneous straps on bedlah but this blue dress is an interesting hybrid of bedlah and gown. A little more coverage on the exposed hip would be good but all in all, I kinda like the thing.

You hit on something I hadn't thought of: the shaping of all those sequined strands on the black/gold/red vs. the bronze costume makes all the difference. The former is cursed with a straight solid horizontal line across the breasts that looks heavy and awkward. The curved bottom edge and the lack of fringe connecting the upper cups makes the latter look graceful.
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
I have a new bedlah I want, it may be my favorite.



coins rock!

Cool cossie! I, of course, don't have the requisite anatomy for the top part, and the bottom part scares me beyond the capacity for rational thought - but its a great look for those who can pull it off! Coins *do* rock!
 

Shanazel

Moderator
No reason you couldn't have one of your little vests turned into a coined version of the bra. Sew up the skirt slits if you aren't into flashing a lot of leg and ta-dah! A Zorba coin costume.
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
My Baladi dress is slit to just above the knee, which is enough to allow me to move in it and plenty high enough for this ole boy! I do have one of those triangular "Turkish" skirts, but I'm a chicken and wear pantaloons under it!!
 

Shanazel

Moderator
I've always preferred to cover my legs, even when I was young and they were shapely. So much was revealed between neck and hipline that I felt positively unclothed if my legs made too much of an appearance. I usually seamed my skirts about halfway down the thigh (I have long legs) instead of leaving them open clear to the hip band as was customary back then. I had a couple of the more risqué skirts that were de rigueur in certain venues but I was never comfortable in them.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Been in the mood for seeing what's new and thought provoking in costumes. No fun to look without sharing what I find, hmm?

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Ariadne

Well-known member
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Shanazel

Moderator
My first costume was dark green and silver. The next was the green satin skirt with a gold coin bra and hip band. I still have the gold bra, the silver Saroyan coins, and the skirt lives on in a scrap I used to mat an embroidery. I saved the silver coins to use on an Afghan nomad dress I have planned for about thirty-five years. ;)
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"

Not a costume in Shanazel's above posts that I don't like - but I particularly like this Shemadan costume, very classy and elegant. And I know exactly WHY she's wearing that headpiece under the Shemadan too! BTDTGTTSGOO!
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
Some nice stuff. I think these two are my favorite though.


And It's not just because I like green. They just seem very put together... and the gold. I like green and gold.

I like those too - the Baladi dress is quite well done, and that Gypsy skirt is to die for!
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Hmm. Let's play "Guess the acronym meaning."

Because the darn thing gets that tallow stuff gooshed over [the] outfit?
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
Hmm. Let's play "Guess the acronym meaning."

Because the darn thing gets that tallow stuff gooshed over [the] outfit?

That's a darn good meaning! Maybe even better than: Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt, Going On Oprah!
 
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