Harem pants

[Shanazel]

It's a matter of taste more than anything else. If they look like bell bottoms (coming down on top of the foot) instead of like harem pants gathered at the ankle, I think they are too long. If they come down straight to the gathered ankle with no blousing at all, I think they are too short. I like mine to bloom out above the gathering and curve in at the ankle so that it is obvious they are gathered. I wear mine very full in the legs so that they almost look like a skirt, and I like to use georgette or (if I am feeling rich) silk because I like the hand of these fabrics. I don't care for stiff fabrics in harem pants. Your harem pants may look very different when you make them of the costume fabric. If they are too long, you can always shorten them when you make the real things.

 

[PhysicsFairy]

Thanks Shanazel!

The harem pants were a little bit too long so when I made them from my costume fabric, I trimmed about an inch and a half from the top of them. the result is they nicely bloom over the elastic, but not so much that they look silly. I'm very pround of them, seeing as they're only the third thing I've ever sewn!!

thanks again

 

[Shanazel]

You are welcome. I wish you many more sewing projects and tons of success!

 

[Marianna]

ruffled harem pants

I like harempants, but I haven't made any recently for perfomance.
I definitely want make some, it would be great for sword / candles, and it would be different. Not too many people wear them around here, at least the dancers I've seen.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with the making of ruffled harem pants, like the one Petite Jamilla is wearing. I don't have a link to it, but it's on Youtube somewhere - she wears lime green.

I know I can make it, but I'm wondering if those ruffles are long triangles, or circlular shapes, and exactly how they are attached, and how many...

I know it's a lot of questions, but I'm hoping someone has these pants or maybe made them already.

thank you, Marianna

 

[Suhad]

I wear harem pants under my skirts, have done so for basically every performance I've done other than our most recent troupe adventure. I have made them in colors that coordinate with my skirts so that they're not glaringly obvious under the skirts; I just like being a little more covered even though I love the classic cabaret look.

I also like harem pants under my skirts because I get the spin and feel feminine in a skirt, but for doing floor work I don't have to worry about flashing someone a little more than I planned to :naghty:.

At a performance I was in several months ago one of the ME audience members complained to our instructor about the harem pants, asking why American dancers never show any leg. Other than that I don't think anyone stops to think about it; I've never heard anyone else say anything at least.

 

[Erina]

I wear harem pants- Im not used to wearing a skirt anyways; but I totally love my pants!! (l)

 

[Persephone]

Harem pants do not work on me -- I am petite and very curvy and they make me look fat! I like the look on other people, though; Didem looks beautiful in hers. She's very slim, of course, so the extra billowyness is flattering.

 

[Shanazel]

Marianna, if you find out how to make Jamilla's harem pants, let me know. They are gorgeous- I've not seen anything like that flare when she spins. I suspect the "wings" are triangles of fabric attached along the short sides to the pants themsleves, but I'm not sure.

 

[Suhad]

Gaylene's Boutique

Here's a link to a pattern for the ruffled pants like Petite Jamillah wears. The picture of the pants is at the bottom of the page, they're called the Endless Wave harems.

 

[Shanazel]

You're a brick, Suhad! Thanks. Looking at the still picture, I wonder if what I am seeing is a basic pair of harem pants with a series of circle ruffles sewn vertically down the legs. Not what I expected seeing the pair on Jamilla, but I'm no expert. A'isha Azar, costumer, where are you? Expert interpretation needed.

Yes, I know, I could buy a pattern, but it is so much fun to figure this stuff out.I think I'll pin a circle ruffle to an existing pair of harem pants and see how it looks. If it's good, I'll try a whole new pair.

 

[Aniseteph]

The boutique ones look like they've got rectangular pieces attached by one long side, so they fall in waves but would have the top corners fly out in spins. But they can't just be plain rectanges all the way down or they'd trail on the ground.

If I'm looking at the right clip Jamilla's ruffles are tapered in somehow to the ankles. Looking at how they drape and spin out, I think semicircles or something similar, folded in half with folds at the top draping to about knee level, and attached to the harem pants vertically along their straight edges.

 

[Shanazel]

That fits in with my triangular addition idea, Aniseteph, but I hadn't figured out exactly how they might be added. I still think the boutique pattern harem pants are circle ruffles- imagine cutting narrow strips on the bias the way you'd cut a circle skirt, with a curve at the narrow part and a curve at the wide part. Then sew the narrow edge along a straight line down the harem pants. You'd get that draping effect with no hangover at the bottom of the pants. I've seen circle ruffles used in horzintal rows on harem pants in an Alice in Wonderland play- I made a point of searching out the costumer and asking what I was seeing. It was a very pretty effect, but I think I like the vertical rows as well or even better.

 

[Delikatess]

With belt?

I wpold love to have harem pant when i perform, but i would like to have the kind that has a "built in belt", beaded or with fringes with matching bra, i cant find any though, not in sweden ofcurse and ebay only has the boring regular kind, any one have these pants then pls tell me where u got them

Hugs!!!

 

[Aniseteph]

That fits in with my triangular addition idea, Aniseteph, but I hadn't figured out exactly how they might be added. I still think the boutique pattern harem pants are circle ruffles- imagine cutting narrow strips on the bias the way you'd cut a circle skirt, with a curve at the narrow part and a curve at the wide part. Then sew the narrow edge along a straight line down the harem pants. You'd get that draping effect with no hangover at the bottom of the pants. I've seen circle ruffles used in horzintal rows on harem pants in an Alice in Wonderland play- I made a point of searching out the costumer and asking what I was seeing. It was a very pretty effect, but I think I like the vertical rows as well or even better.

:clap: I was going to say "I agree with Shanazel" in my post but I just keep on saying that... You're probably right about the boutique ones - those circle ruffles would have more of a waterfall drape because of the bias and you could taper them in nicely. Take way more fabric though!

 

[KuteNurse]

I think they look nice if they fit right and they look comfortable.

 

[Shanazel]

:clap: I was going to say "I agree with Shanazel" in my post but I just keep on saying that... You're probably right about the boutique ones - those circle ruffles would have more of a waterfall drape because of the bias and you could taper them in nicely. Take way more fabric though!

My idea of an agreeable person is one who agrees with me . It would take more fabric, but we're talkin' belly dance costumes here- who's counting? And if you stitch several short circles together, you could make a long ruffle out of a fairly small piece of fabric. Have to make nice narrow seams to keep the flow, of course.

 

[Ariela]

Harem Pants

L. Rose has some brocade/see-through harem pants that are gorgeous. I have black and like to wear them with a string skirt over the top for a skirt-like effect.

L. Rose Designs - Fabric Selection

 

[Mya]

harem pants i find look lovely on tall stickly people...on short curvy people (like myself) not so much. i look like a loveseat in harem pants.

 

[Shanazel]

A loveseat, indeed. One of my students is short and curvy and looks delightful in her harem pants. Try a pair that are not too full in the leg or hip, and make sure they don't drag on the ground, which is almost guarenteed to make a dancer look like she has been playing in her mom's belly dance stash.

 

[Ariela]

harem pants i find look lovely on tall stickly people...on short curvy people (like myself) not so much. i look like a loveseat in harem pants.

Over the years I've been involved in belly dance, I've come to appreciate all figure types. I too felt only thin people looked good in the pants until I saw a dance troupe at Medfest in West Seattle in them. The troupe had all body types including short and voluptuous. They looked great. It is what convinced me to try them.

Maybe you'd like a thin fabric that has a more sleek look. I would love to make or buy ones like in this picture that has scarves. They look slimming.

Ask The Costume Goddess: Harem Pants