What do you wear under a Khaleegi thobe?

[adiemus]

I've seen lots of thobe, and lots of variations of what to wear under the thobe - so what is the most appropriate costuming for under a thobe? Given that most of them are slightly see-through, I'm guessing bedlah is probably not the best, but what about a satin/silk top and harem pants?

 

[feedyoureye]

this site says:

Wear over a full length dress or skirt - or bedleh - ideally in a colour that goes well with the thobe (you see most of the underdress through the arm holes and while dancing the front of the thobe can be lifted quite high.

this is a cool site:
Middle Eastern Background for Raqs
Bedouin big thobes. The sleeve can be used
as a veil and the skirt is hitched up to
create three layers for warmth. (1937)

Try this one... Bedouin Traditional Clothing

 

[Shanazel]

What a totally cool picture. Alas! I can't open the link.

 

[feedyoureye]

What a totally cool picture. Alas! I can't open the link.

try this one... Bedouin Traditional Clothing

 

[shiradotnet]

If I use a thobe for my entrance piece, I'll wear it over my normal bra/belt/skirt costume and then remove/discard it at the end of the song before continuing with the rest of my performance.

But if I'm using the thobe for only a short piece, and NOT part of a larger performance, I'll try to wear a simple slip-style dress under it in a color that looks good with the thobe. The dress should look like a "real" dress and not a piece of lingerie, of course.

 

[adiemus]

The raqs.co.nz site is Kashmir's site (my teacher!) but I was really looking for what people have actually worn rather than what 'should' be worn.
I've been watching several YouTube videos and some look terrible with the bedlah because what you can see is the bare belly when they dance with the thobe!
And the ones I've seen that I thought looked really good were with a longer and quite simple top (gallebeya) and harem pants or a simple shift. Long sleeve or short? A Bhuz thread showed a whole troupe with matching satin tops (couldn't see the rest) with different thobe on top - looked stunning..

 

[Shanazel]

try this one... Bedouin Traditional Clothing

Much better! Thank you- it is now bookmarked.

 

[feedyoureye]

Adiemus, I plan on retiring in Wellington in the future, husbands a Kiwi. I might even be able to dance better by then ^) I'll have to find out who I might take some classes with when I do...I have some good friends in Ward, plan on visiting them in the next couple of years too.....

 

[adiemus]

OT - you mean you married a good Kiwi Bloke?!! Not sure of the teachers in Wellington, come to Christchurch we have Kashmir and Zumarrad and a couple of others! And it's much nicer weather.

Sorry guys promise to stop thread hijack now!

I loved that B&W clip of the girl dressing - can you imagine putting all of that on every day?! And Manly Jack asked how on earth he would be able to tell whether you had a nice figure underneath the fabric...maybe that's why they wore them?

 

[gisela]

I saw Nour perform Khaleegy yesterday. She was wearing some kind of half fitted thobe. On the front it was a bit fitted and showed her body, on the back it was as loose as it usually is. I'm thinking she must have had like a double layer of dress in the back, the front half is attached to a fitted back half which is inside of the thobe.... well, maybe this is a confusing explanation? However, it looked great! Don't know what to wear under though.

 

[adiemus]

**tries hard to imagine this...pictures are worth a thousand!!**
Thanks Gisela, I have seen the semi-fitted thobes somewhere - and they're shorter, usually for modern khaleegy?

 

[feedyoureye]

I loved that B&W clip of the girl dressing - can you imagine putting all of that on every day?! And Manly Jack asked how on earth he would be able to tell whether you had a nice figure underneath the fabric...maybe that's why they wore them?

Palestinian girl gives demonstration of traditional double dress

Thats sooo cool! OK gals, time to dance in that thing! Can you imagine?

 

[Sita]

Love the links. I really adore the southern Palestinian style of clothing it's just so beautiful. Thanks for adding them and great site Kashmir :clap:

Why not wear a bellydance bedlah dress under there so you avoid the stomach issue, or just a simple dress like these girls do under their thobe nashals:



I really like this company's costumes with the matching black and gold skirts/dresses underneath:

Sita

 

[adiemus]

Now that last one is one I could go for!! i LIKE it!

 

[Daimona]

If the khaleegy dance is a part of a larger performance, I'll wear it over my normal costumes. If it isn't a part of a larger performance, I'll use a simple slip-over-dress/galabeya under my khaleegy dress for use on stage.

Most of the other dancers I've seen have done the same as above, but I have also seen a dancer using just a tank-top and thights.

 

[PracticalDancer]

I love it when a simple Google search points me back here for the answer.

I did a little more digging, though, and found this article: Loosening Their Tresses | The Best of Habibi

For those wanting to understand the traditional dress worn under the thobe, it is apparently a umassah, or caftan, that can match the actual thobe nashal.

Off to make one!