Headpieces and head wear!

adiemus

New member
I'm not sure whether this sits in here or in the beauty section, but here goes!

I'm trying to work out what to wear on my head/in my hair that is going to stay put, look gorgeous (!), and not be just a hair band... or a crown!

I have just-on shoulder length hair, and I'd like to spice it up a bit - but look OK with a sai'idi dress and bedleh (with not a lot of time to change between).

Any ideas?

Is there anything that is 'traditional' to wear with the sai'idi dress? I've seen pix of scarves with paillettes, but I'm not sure whether that's tradition or just a costume seller trying to sell more accessories!

BTW I can make most things, but I have a performance on Saturday and not a lot of time between now and then!!
 

jenc

New member
Also any suggestions about short silver (grey) hair and glasses - apart from a head transplant. HUMMMM that would get rid of the wrinkles too :lol:
 

eshta amar

New member
Personally I just think it is wonderful when dancers do their hair. I see lots of dancers who forget this essential part of getting ready! I don't like crowns or the wide headbands and having long hair I will put it up in curlers then take it out and hairspray the heck out of it before a show. I also collect cute sparkly rhinestone combs and clips so I can put up one side or play around. Pony tail extensions are great if you have shorter hair.
I think you should put large rollers in your shoulder length hair so that you have lots of body and bounce and then leave it natural. Put a sparkly in it! Check out Aziza she has shoulder length hair and it always looks great!
And for the lady in grey...leave it natural! =) Just do some awesome makeup. You can maybe try to get a long wig in the same color as your hair - that might look really nice.
Also for saidi you can wear a head wrap around your head and hanging down the back or twisted like what they wear for meleya leff.
 

da Sage

New member
Eshta, you would love this one lady in my class. She is a hairdresser (does fashion shows, too), and she always showed up with awesome hair to our Saturday a.m. class. OK, maybe sometimes she is a little late, but her hair is fabulous!
 

KuteNurse

New member
LOL da Sage! That sounds like me, being late to do my hair!

How about a simple ribbon that complements the color of your dress and stands out nicely. Also, they have gorgeous hair pieces, barretts and such that have rhinestones in them...Think of the sparkle. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 

adiemus

New member
Oh wonderful ideas - hadn't thought of the sparklies in the hair! I think it looks awful if a performer goes on with a lovely costume and plain ole ornery hair...
My hair is quite curly, and never takes much encouragement to get all fluffy and bouncy, but I don't want to leave it plain. I do have left-over fabric I can do a hairband and put some sequins on, and a ponytail hair fall that clips in which would be great but not for the veil...
jenc - I would love to have silver hair, but mine is going all salt'n'pepper so I've 'coloured' it (ever wonder why men dye their hair, women 'colour' theirs?!!).

What is the situation regarding wearing coins and chain in the hair? Is this some sort of mythical adoption, or is it based on 'authentic' practice in parts of the middle east? Can anyone help?
 

jenc

New member
I guess it's not so much the hair that's the problem - but the glasses. I can't see a thng without them and if I got contacts I'd see more wrinkles (the ones which hide behind the glasses. How about contacts and a yashmak.

I shouldn't worry about coins in the hair not being authentic - coin belts aren't either
 
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adiemus

New member
thanks jenc! I also wear glasses, but I can *just* see without them... can't wear contacts though so sometime in the future I'll be blind as a bat!
I know what you mean about the wrinkles behind the glasses - it's a fabulous way to disguise them, then you take the glasses off...sigh...

I don't wear a coin belt, the noise drives me nuts!! I've got a belt with large paillettes that almost does the same job without the noise.

What I've done is buy a headband, covered it with this wonderful sequinned trim that I've got on my costume, and I'll wear that for my veil number (no ponytail to get in the way!), then for another I found a clip that is just the same colour as my dress, so plop that in, and for the finale I'll put a couple of glittery things in so it's easy to do and attach a hair fall and voila! new me!!
 

jenc

New member
Yeah I can't take my glasses off cos my other senses desert me as I have to concentrate so hard on seeing. It's not because I lip read cos I can hear better with my eyes closed than with glasses off and eyes open!!
 

belly_dancer

New member
Yeah I can't take my glasses off cos my other senses desert me as I have to concentrate so hard on seeing. It's not because I lip read cos I can hear better with my eyes closed than with glasses off and eyes open!!

OMG!!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol:LMAO!!!! you so brought me back to my childhood... I remember asking my mom questions 1st thing in the morning... & she'd be like.. "I can't hear you, wait til I put my glasses on.."!!!!!!

& as far as the hair do issue... yeah... something HAS to be done w/ the hair to match the costumes!!!
I remember my 1st rakassah back in the early 90's.... & some of the performers on stage... it was like you took a "belly dance barbie" body & put a "housewife (or "school teacher") barbie head on her!!!
(PLEASE NO offense to REAL house wives & teachers.... I am using the old fashioned stereotype here!!!)
 

adiemus

New member
Well, to update you - I covered a normal boring headband with this fabulous turquoise sequinned ribbon to match the ribbon on my bra and belt... for the pink outfit I wore the pink metal/chain headdress; for the copper dress I wore a copper clip that matched exactly the sequins and paillets on the dress, and for the second time I wore it I had a coin-based headress that just needed two hairpins to hold it in place.
And I used a wig for the khaleegi and it worked sooo well!!
I also have a hair piece on a banana clip that I used for the first time I wore the copper dress. it's so nice to have an opportunity to dress the hair up!! and doesn't take very long with a clip or a headband or the chain headdress. I made each of these myself and just made sure the length of the chain was right so that it sat right over the head without falling down too far, and I had an extra length of chain running from the front of the head to the back of the head to anchor it. Must put some pix up on how I did it.
 

belly_dancer

New member
Well, to update you - I covered a normal boring headband with this fabulous turquoise sequinned ribbon to match the ribbon on my bra and belt... for the pink outfit I wore the pink metal/chain headdress; for the copper dress I wore a copper clip that matched exactly the sequins and paillets on the dress, and for the second time I wore it I had a coin-based headress that just needed two hairpins to hold it in place.
And I used a wig for the khaleegi and it worked sooo well!!
I also have a hair piece on a banana clip that I used for the first time I wore the copper dress. it's so nice to have an opportunity to dress the hair up!! and doesn't take very long with a clip or a headband or the chain headdress. I made each of these myself and just made sure the length of the chain was right so that it sat right over the head without falling down too far, and I had an extra length of chain running from the front of the head to the back of the head to anchor it. Must put some pix up on how I did it.

ok Adiemus.... HELP me get over my fear of wigs.../hairpieces...
aren't they hot/distracting/etc?? the banana clip w/ a pony...?? do not know if that would work for me... have no bangs..... so may not look nice...:(
 

Darbla

New member
Ansuya wears interesting head decorations. Do any of you know web sites where fancy head pieces similar to hers can be ordered? Sparkly, glittery stuff, not cloth wraps. I'm not interested in them but I have a friend who is so I want to pass info on to her.
 

shiradotnet

Well-known member
The costuming menu of my web site includes:

  • A review of the Costume Goddess book on costume headpiece ideas for belly dancers
  • Instructions on how to make a rectangular scarf that you can tie in your hair
  • Instructions on how to make a Pharaonic headband

Here's the link: Belly Dancing: Costume Corner
 

Oresai

New member
How about contacts and a yashmak.

That made me grin! :D I`m forty seven, new to bellydancing and have spent all my life outdoors, so have skin like tanned leather, so many wrinkles I have a face like a road map, and without my glasses am blind as a bat. :lol:
But I DO wear contacts and a face veil! :) On a kinder note, I do like the face veil as I`m a bit shy (working on that) and the feel of anonymity gives me a bit more confidence. :)
For hair, I have waist length hair that is very straight normally and doesn`t `do` much of anything. The night before though, I will put a setting lotion in it after washing, then just curl it up with my fingers and pin it up with kirby grips, then leave that overnight. In the morning, depending on how tight or loose I twirled the curls, I take out the grips and voila! Wavy hair. :D
I collect vintage costume jewellery and have adapted some brooches and large earrings to be worn in my hair too. :) Cheap and cheerful, but sparkly and fun.
 

Darbla

New member
Oresai, you sound absolutely gorgeous. ;)

Try putting your hair in a French braid after adding the setting lotion. That's what I do and end up with masses of curls, and it seems like it'd be easier than all those little pin curls. I use mousse, or TIGI Catwalk Root Boost, or Sunsilk Captivating Curls cream, or any ol' gel, or some combination thereof, and I'm going to get TIGI Superstar today after someone recommended it here. I go thru a LOT of hair stuff.
 

Oresai

New member
Thanks Darbla, wish there was a hug smiley, nobody has ever used the word `gorgeous` in conjunction with me before, hee :D
I admit to loving the new trend for full, flowing hair at the moment. Mine is so lifeless....I`m naturally dark blonde but spent a lifetime bleaching and dying it, growing it all out now (wow! you never realise how much grey is in there til you see your real hair colour again, eek!) but it`s taken it`s toll on the condition of it, so am giving it some TLC at the moment.
Don`t know if anyone knows the old Mission Impossible series that used to be on tv? But Barbara Bain played Cinnamon Carter in that, and in one episode was supposed to be a model in a fake photoshoot. She had shortish hair so obviously bumped the style up with a hairpiece, all beautiful rolls and curls, but what she put in her hair was just gorgeous...shimmery, huge, ornate `things` (no idea what they were!) at each side near the temple, with matching, equally huge, identical earrings. The whole lot looked just beautiful and as if she had a cascade of jewellery on either side of her face in her hair.
Sigh. Wish I could reproduce something like that. :)
 

nitewindz

New member
My hair is thin, limp and gray, and doesn't grow past shoulder length. I wear fake hair EVERY time I perform. It's become part of my "dance persona"... like a dance name...

I love the banana clip on pony tails. I don't have enough hair to hide the teeth of the clip (my hair is THIN) so I wrap scarves or scrunchies around the clip.

I also wear 3/4 wigs with caps. The Turkish caps like this: http://www.luxuryachtvacation.com/images/Turkish-hats.jpg

and this: http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1663/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1663R-30227.jpg
look charming with Ghawazee coats.

Juliet caps like this: http://www.tippigalore.co.uk/USERIMAGES/JULIETTE5.jpg

and these Google Image Result for http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/toinetterl/pat6623.1E.jpg

or these Google Image Result for http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/toinetterl/pat6571.1E.jpg

Are waaay out of style for weddings, but with the right decoration, they look lovely with cabaret costumes.

Jo Ann Fabrics used to carry smaller versions of Juliette caps, ready to cover with fabric, in round shapes, ovals and pointed ovals. They look nice with a lurex veil attached at the back.

Jewish Yarmukles or variations of them also make nice headpieces.

Headbands are fun, worn low across the forehead or over the crown of the head.
 
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