In addition to what Salome said, it depicts the bint il beled from Alexandria (or Cairo) in the traditional costume of the time - the milaya over "normal" clothes ie a dress, mandil, bur’a and shoes. These days the dress is often over the top with ruffles and asymmetry - that is very new. Reda's original dress was a plain dress, mid calf with a pattern of roses printed on the fabric.
That said - there is older footage of women in milayas who appear in the old Egyptian movies - but they don't dance as such in them.
There are many different interpretations - even within Egypt. I was introduced to milaya by Raqia in 1996. Her version is very sassy, even sexy with the emphasis on attitude and the torso.
Next time I saw milaya it was with Denise Enan (who grew up seeing women wearing them every day, using them as baskets for carrying food or kids as well as modesty and warmth). Her version was cheekier, lighter with a lot of manipulation - without doing the "flying veil" thing - open, unwrap, wrap, stole etc.
Aida Nour is from Alexandria and loves milaya - but I confess hers is my least favourite style - lots of flying veil, swishing etc in which the prop becomes more important than the dance - and with the least personality in the dancer. (Note, I said "the least" - not none!).
None include chewing gum. Nor is it "low class" as in prostitutes. More, working class.
I'm not sure which version Hadia favours - but all require you to be able to dance on automatic until you have mastered manipulating the milaya. If you are having to think about basic dancing at the same time you'll flounder.
Assuming you don't have your own milayas, I'd take a heavy veil ie
not silk or 3m of fabric with some give in it. I've handed out lengths of panne velvet in class and these seem to work quite well for practice.
