Half naked?

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

YouTube - Mercedes Nieto - Oriental Dance at theStockholm Bellydance Festival

I ADORE Mercedes, but I'm seriously wondering about the designers of costumes like these. Do you all find it distracting to see the flesh-colored fabric? Until the light hits it just right, it really looks like you're half-naked and about ready to accidentally flash something!

I know this is a trend, and I'm wondering if it's just not my personal taste, or if other people find this type of costume fabric a bit odd.

 

[lizaj]

I think I would have felt uncomfortable watching her dance and distracted ( although I wasn't keen on the performance either) buy the see-through effect. I don't have that much of a problem with skimpy costumes. Long legs and cleavages are part and parcel of this dance and she has a lovely figure but it's almost as if I am meant to be able to see bum cheeks and more .:shok: Unless of course the camera is misleading or the lighting has an unfortunate affect on the material. about costuming..if I am spending TOO much time thinking about it in a negative way, the dancer has got it wrong fo me. But hey others may love it. I've seen flesh/nude coloured costumes look absolutely lovely on dancers and perfectly proper...this one doesn't sadly.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

..if I am spending TOO much time thinking about it in a negative way, the dancer has got it wrong for me..

Yeah, this is kind of what I was thinking. This is actually one of those costumes where I think the little bicycle short thing might look pretty okay (ordinarily I hate those.)

It must be really really HARD to be a costume designer because you have to be on the edge of sexy without appearing vulgar or incomplete. I don't think I have that design skill, so it looks like I'll be sticking with the full circle skirt and boring bedlah

 

[Yshka]

Lol, I understand you ladies exactly, and though I am not particularly fond of the "nude" look, I must admit that I adore this particular costume on her and think those glittery skin-coloured tights are really cool!

For me it goes two ways: on one hand, the upper part looks a bit too nude if you ask me, but I'd still say I like it in this form because IMO the bra is obvious enough, as is the fabric piece on the upper hip part. On the other however, the skirt has a tremendous slit.
As a dancer who is not fond of slits because I don't like showing too much leg, I really think the glittery tights and matching fabric on the upper part of the skirt make the huge slit look, to me at least, very classy.

*hugs Aziyade* hi from another bedlah fan here btw. I'll always love those old-school heavy duty costumes over anyhting else...

 

[Sweet_Romance]

Lol, I understand you ladies exactly, and though I am not particularly fond of the "nude" look, I must admit that I adore this particular costume on her and think those glittery skin-coloured tights are really cool!

For me it goes two ways: on one hand, the upper part looks a bit too nude if you ask me, but I'd still say I like it in this form because IMO the bra is obvious enough, as is the fabric piece on the upper hip part. On the other however, the skirt has a tremendous slit.
As a dancer who is not fond of slits because I don't like showing too much leg, I really think the glittery tights and matching fabric on the upper part of the skirt make the huge slit look, to me at least, very classy.

*hugs Aziyade* hi from another bedlah fan here btw. I'll always love those old-school heavy duty costumes over anyhting else...

i totally agree with you

 

[da Sage]

Sometimes the naked look is a bit much, but in this case, I really love it- wish I could pull it off myself! That skirt is cut so beautifully!

I do think my reaction might be a bit different in person - when watching video, the "body presence" is not quite so immediate. I also think this costume is best suited to a dance audience - that top might be a bit much for the general public! So I think a bellydance convention is the right place for it.

 

[Yshka]

Very well put Da Sage!! But then again I think most of us tend to use certain costumes for certain occasions.

Love this cossie, AND love the video!!

 

[Sweet_Romance]

Very well put Da Sage!! But then again I think most of us tend to use certain costumes for certain occasions.

Love this cossie, AND love the video!!

love it too, I can feel her Flyin'

 

[Chani]

On her I liked it.

 

[nightdancer]

Honestly, I hated it. I think it looks like she got the costume, said "Oh!! Waaaay too much skin showing..." and had 10 minutes to think of a solution. I will absolutely compliment her choice of tones, its not "obvious" as it would be if she were wearing just suntan or black tights. The whole problem could have been avoided if she'd sewn a godet even of nude fabric into that slit. Its just not working for me.

 

[Shanazel]

The pseudo-nudity trend in dance costumes is a giant yawn. Once you've seen one gorgeous butt you've seen them all. I'd rather see lavish skirts, gorgeous bedlahs, elegant evening dresses, or FiFi's famous white beledi dress with a pink scarf tied at hip level.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I do think my reaction might be a bit different in person

I think the darkness of the video coupled with the distance of the camera prevented me from seeing the illusion properly. So I think you're right on that.

FiFi's famous white beledi dress with a pink scarf tied at hip level.

Quite possibly my FAVORITE costume -- EVER!!!

 

[Caroline_afifi]

I didnt mind the costume and didnt really it notice too much.. I was watching the dancing. I have to confess it had way too much energy flying around for my personal tastes in Egyptian style dance.

 

[maria_harlequin]

I'm not a fan of minimalistic costumes...even with my Egyptian lycra costumes, what they lack for in fringe, they have to make up for in tons of crystals and beading! I'm not a believer in less is more especially with belly dance costuming...which is why I have a love affair with high-end Bellas.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

On her I liked it.

I did too once I saw that she was not nude under her skirt. But it took me a little time to see that which distracted me from watching her dance.

 

[Maria_Aya]

Mercedes designed this one. And at least for NileGroup it became a huge hit and fashion that I'm so used to it, that I was wondering why you wonder lol
When you see a group with 8 dancers with this style of costume come back and tell me
Yes Caroline, Mercedes have evolved a personal style with Egyptian and Jazz and other things going on, that looks that gave her the last year the boost to teach all over Europe (and a tour in Japan) so looks that people like it.
I prefer the first time that saw her dancing back at 2005 live
But still she is a sweetheart on and off stage

 

[Safran]

I've seen this costume live and to be honest, even though I am rather conservative when it comes to costumes, this one didn't bother me one bit. I don't know, maybe it was because the flesh-coloured fabric is still very evident, or maybe because I was distracted by the sparklies, but most probably because I was so captured by her dancing.

Mercedes does have quite a lot of "outward" energy going on in her dance, but I do enjoy it. I like how you can feel the emotion when she is dancing.

 

[Sweet_Romance]

"[A good bellydancer] must express life, death, happiness, sorrow, love and anger, but above all she must have dignity."

-

Lovely Quote of Carioca,
Alias Abla Muhammad Karim,

 

[sjoanda]

I agree with the above

This is far too much, material or no. The skirt would have been improved with harem pants, i reckon... But it needed a longer floaty top to go with it, in matching material. Otherwise, as it is, too much skin... There is a limit to how much you can get away with "ooooh pretty..." items on stage...

 

[gisela]

I like it. think it is very nice. For me it accentuates the dance as it is so subtle.