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

Shanazel

Moderator
Owie!:shok:

Back in the nineties, one of my students made a bedlah using American pennies. Pretty but it weighed a ton. She drilled holes in every single penny herself and attached them with jump rings to a kind of metal mesh sewn over a base. She said it killed her neck to wear the bra even as small as she was and she eventually sold it for a pretty penny. Ahem.
 

Amulya

Moderator
That was an issue for me too with clear straps on regular bras: caused skin issues!

And who wants a costume that disintegrates? Maybe they sell them on before that happens but at some point some poor dancer will have to deal with the fall out (no pun intended)
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
"Oversized pasties" is exactly what I thought when I saw Amulya's picture - just looks tacky at best.
Clear bra straps just look tacky - even if they're holding something more conventional. You can't hide the darn strap, and trying to looks like you tried too hard...
 

Ariadne

Well-known member
Needs a skirt under the skirt to look finished. Not my style but I can think of people who would like it.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Took a tour through Dalahl's site. Many thoughts of various natures were provoked. Lots of big ballooned harem pants. Lots of pseudo-fortune teller-wench-tribalesque costumes. Some very nice things. Some eyebrow raisers.
RS19-79FC_4__43186.1556926451.500.750.jpgRS19-81DR_5__61034.1557263997.500.750.jpgRS18-77FC_13__17165.1542384523.1280.1280.jpgRS18-69DR_12__21830.1549641449.500.750.jpg
 

Shanazel

Moderator
My favorite is the green suspenders over the bra look. The pink would be pretty had they bothered to decorate both bra cups.
 

Tourbeau

Active member
Costume with tail

I saw Hadia at a workshop show in 2000 in a Bella that had that kind of vertical rear tail. Hers was a little less...eclectic in its design than this particular costume, though.

Personally, I think this costume needs to have heeded Coco Chanel's advice about taking one thing off. I'm not particularly feeling the contrasting fabric, but whatever. There are still too many embellishments competing for attention. Take off the flower medallions, or downsize them by trimming off the outer sequin ruffle, or replace those big, chunky festoons (are those coins?) with more modest fringe tassels. Something's got to go...
 

Shanazel

Moderator
AMULYA!!!! :D I've missed you.

Take off every single do-dad, tail to weirdly positioned belt. Start with the unadorned skirt and bra, then add one thing. And please, not the tail.:lol:
 
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