What was your first belly dance costume? - Page 3

Amulya · 11-11-2007, 06:36 AM

It's the sleeves, I think they are a bit much, but I needed to cover my bony arms. The colors are actually marine and white. I still have the skirt and sleeves, the skirt could maybe used for a vintage look, but definitely with another bra and belt set.

Chani · 11-11-2007, 07:32 AM

I like Amulya's black and white outfit, also.

I agree that as a beginner I'd feel like a phoney in a professional outfit. As it is I feel a bit like I'm on that show "Faking It" (for those that don't know they get a person to study for 6 weeks at an occupation that is far removed from their real one and then they have to try to fool experts into believing that they have studied for years).

Chani

Shanazel · 11-11-2007, 07:34 AM

You could take a bit of the fullness out of the sleeves and they would be very nice.

adiemus · 11-11-2007, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I made my first belly dance costume, just months after I started taking classes - I didn't even know how to sew when I started!

Here's a pic:

That's gorgeous - even if you were an experienced sewer it would be a great costume. I love the beading over the bra...
My first costume is the pink/rose and gold one in the photo gallery... probably will never wear it for a performance, but oh! it's lovely to dress up and dream. methinks the little girl in me has never really gone away!!

Ranya · 11-11-2007, 11:46 AM

My first costume has a little tribaret flair to it - the skirt is made from a beautiful indian sari, black with deep green flower and leaves design and there is a gold lamé thread on the edges of the flowers. With it goes a coin belt (only coins, not a coin hipscarf) and a black bra with gold decoration. If I find a pic I will post it. The costume will soon be 3 years old but I admit I still wear - it is not a real professional one, but people usualy like it and it definitely is more than the average beginner costume!

Amulya · 11-11-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chani

I like Amulya's black and white outfit, also.

I agree that as a beginner I'd feel like a phoney in a professional outfit. As it is I feel a bit like I'm on that show "Faking It" (for those that don't know they get a person to study for 6 weeks at an occupation that is far removed from their real one and then they have to try to fool experts into believing that they have studied for years).

Chani

Thanks

.

I agree, I think it would feel strange to wear a fully professional costume as a beginner. I would have been afraid people expect too much of me. There are lots of really nice options for beginner costumes.

As for my 2 weird mistakes, I did them when I was already dancing professional

. And I made many more mistakes, but they were more like minor mistakes (things that did not quite match as well as they should/or out of fashion)

Chani · 11-12-2007, 01:00 AM

Ligeia, It is a cute costume and really suitable for a beginner's dance.

Tamrahennatx, I'm so impressed. It's a gorgeous outfit and I think it's rather timeless. I can't believe you had no sewing skills beforehand. I love the beads hanging down from your top. What kind of beads would be suitable to do this with? Where would you get that kind of thing?

I can sew so the biggest obstacle I have is $$. Initially, I had a little budget set aside but stuff happened and now I need to make this outfit (and my daughter's) ...out of thin air. I like a challenge LOL. Well, I can spend a little but I certainly don't have money for lots of lovely beading or stoning.

So what is the consensus on a tiered skirt? And about cotton over a more glamorous fabric?

On the weekend I went to the fabric store. I was thinking I'd make a two layered chiffon skirt but even off the sale table the amount of fabric required meant it would cost a bit. After spending the rest of the day looking I hunted down a full length, full circle skirt - it's way too long but I can hem it. It cost around half of the price that buying material and making my own would cost. I bought it because it was super cheap and is in the most beautiful colour (deep fuschia?). But it is a tiered skirt and I notice other BD skirts are not. It is also Indian cotton which I also don't see other BD skirts in - still it moves quite nicely - it's just more swishy than floaty. I would wear this with a coin hip scarf and I would perhaps stitch on some silver or gold trim to the skirt to glitz it up.

I am hoping that because I am a beginner I can get away with this less standard skirt? The dance is for the local community festival so most of the audience probably won't have an opinion either way and I would hope that other belly dancers would be kind when judging other's costumes. Also, I don't want my instructor to think that I haven't made an effort to get the right gear.

My other question is how does mixing metals work? Obviously it's best to stick to either silver or gold. I have already in my sewing kit some silver edging that cold be useful, however, my coin scarf has gold coins and my necklace is gold. For everyday I would never choose to mix gold and silver jewellery so I am wondering, is mixing gold and silver on a BD outfit a no no?

Thanks in advance.

Chani

tamrahennatx · 11-12-2007, 01:51 AM

Hi Chani,

Thank you for the kind words! That chain was plastic beaded trim, similar to Christmas garland.

I think the skirt you found will work fine - and no one will judge you for having a non-standard skirt, trust me. And as for mixing gold and silver it's just fine, as long as you do it with some thought.

Shanazel · 11-12-2007, 01:51 AM

If you are happy with the way cotton looks and moves, go for it. Lots of my students make up costumes from broomstick skirts, tiered or not, with any variety of tops, from costume bras to cropped tanks that have been decorated to suit the dancer's own taste. I think your proposed costume will be lovely and comfortable. As for mixing gold and silver, I do it with great abandon and like the results. The only caveat is to thoroughly mix the metals and not put silver on your hands, gold on your bra, and silver on your hip sash, like so many blocks of separate color.

Fire Lily · 01-25-2008, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chani

If I could have any costume I wanted I would only have trouble choosing between all the lovely ones around. However, I am trying to design my own first costume. I have very little money so I will use that to purchase a top and I will make the skirt myself or if tops are too expensive I may end up decorating a bra.

I am guessing that experienced dancers here wear quite different costuming to what they started with. I'd be interested to hear about your first outfits - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Chani

The first costume that I danced in publicly as a student, basically consisted of a dressed up version of what I wore to class every week. I had very little money. And the only things that made it look good were pieces of jewellery that various relatives gave me.
A simple patterned wrap skirt with a coin belt, a sports bra and a large tribal necklace to cover it up with. Oh, and a cholie vest thing.

That’s mostly what I dance in any time I perform, because I don’t own a bedlah.
Although late last year, I was fortunate to be able to borrow my current teachers for a trio performance.

The simplest of costumes can look spectacular without needing to spend hundreds of dollars.

I also have a couple of medieval style dresses that I had to have made up for renaissance fairs. They’re make from crushed velvet

11-11-2007, 06:36 AM	#21 (permalink)
Amulya Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 694	It's the sleeves, I think they are a bit much, but I needed to cover my bony arms. The colors are actually marine and white. I still have the skirt and sleeves, the skirt could maybe used for a vintage look, but definitely with another bra and belt set. __________________ The Goddess of Ugly Belly Dance Costumes Amulya's Blog

11-12-2007, 01:00 AM	#27 (permalink)
Chani Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 133	Ligeia, It is a cute costume and really suitable for a beginner's dance. Tamrahennatx, I'm so impressed. It's a gorgeous outfit and I think it's rather timeless. I can't believe you had no sewing skills beforehand. I love the beads hanging down from your top. What kind of beads would be suitable to do this with? Where would you get that kind of thing? I can sew so the biggest obstacle I have is $$. Initially, I had a little budget set aside but stuff happened and now I need to make this outfit (and my daughter's) ...out of thin air. I like a challenge LOL. Well, I can spend a little but I certainly don't have money for lots of lovely beading or stoning. So what is the consensus on a tiered skirt? And about cotton over a more glamorous fabric? On the weekend I went to the fabric store. I was thinking I'd make a two layered chiffon skirt but even off the sale table the amount of fabric required meant it would cost a bit. After spending the rest of the day looking I hunted down a full length, full circle skirt - it's way too long but I can hem it. It cost around half of the price that buying material and making my own would cost. I bought it because it was super cheap and is in the most beautiful colour (deep fuschia?). But it is a tiered skirt and I notice other BD skirts are not. It is also Indian cotton which I also don't see other BD skirts in - still it moves quite nicely - it's just more swishy than floaty. I would wear this with a coin hip scarf and I would perhaps stitch on some silver or gold trim to the skirt to glitz it up. I am hoping that because I am a beginner I can get away with this less standard skirt? The dance is for the local community festival so most of the audience probably won't have an opinion either way and I would hope that other belly dancers would be kind when judging other's costumes. Also, I don't want my instructor to think that I haven't made an effort to get the right gear. My other question is how does mixing metals work? Obviously it's best to stick to either silver or gold. I have already in my sewing kit some silver edging that cold be useful, however, my coin scarf has gold coins and my necklace is gold. For everyday I would never choose to mix gold and silver jewellery so I am wondering, is mixing gold and silver on a BD outfit a no no? Thanks in advance. Chani Last edited by Shanazel; 11-12-2007 at 01:44 AM. Reason: subsequent posts combined

11-12-2007, 01:51 AM	#28 (permalink)
tamrahennatx Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 15	Hi Chani, Thank you for the kind words! That chain was plastic beaded trim, similar to Christmas garland. I think the skirt you found will work fine - and no one will judge you for having a non-standard skirt, trust me. And as for mixing gold and silver it's just fine, as long as you do it with some thought. __________________ You can call me "Tex"

11-11-2007, 07:32 AM	#22 (permalink)
Chani Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 133	I like Amulya's black and white outfit, also. I agree that as a beginner I'd feel like a phoney in a professional outfit. As it is I feel a bit like I'm on that show "Faking It" (for those that don't know they get a person to study for 6 weeks at an occupation that is far removed from their real one and then they have to try to fool experts into believing that they have studied for years). Chani

11-11-2007, 07:34 AM	#23 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,019	You could take a bit of the fullness out of the sleeves and they would be very nice.

11-11-2007, 11:46 AM	#25 (permalink)
Ranya Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Menton "the lemon town", FRANCE Posts: 523	My first costume has a little tribaret flair to it - the skirt is made from a beautiful indian sari, black with deep green flower and leaves design and there is a gold lamé thread on the edges of the flowers. With it goes a coin belt (only coins, not a coin hipscarf) and a black bra with gold decoration. If I find a pic I will post it. The costume will soon be 3 years old but I admit I still wear - it is not a real professional one, but people usualy like it and it definitely is more than the average beginner costume!

11-12-2007, 01:51 AM	#29 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,019	If you are happy with the way cotton looks and moves, go for it. Lots of my students make up costumes from broomstick skirts, tiered or not, with any variety of tops, from costume bras to cropped tanks that have been decorated to suit the dancer's own taste. I think your proposed costume will be lovely and comfortable. As for mixing gold and silver, I do it with great abandon and like the results. The only caveat is to thoroughly mix the metals and not put silver on your hands, gold on your bra, and silver on your hip sash, like so many blocks of separate color.