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If you have ever
been to a Belly Dance class or a show you may have noticed that Belly
Dancers come in every shape and colour you could possibly imagine. Every
single one of us is uniquely beautiful, no matter if we are tall, short,
athletic, curvaceous, petite, full figured, pear shaped, apple shaped,
black, white and everything in between. We all bring our own personality
and style, we may be doing the same dance or moves but ballerina's we
are not! Each an everyone of us are gorgeous talented people, and that
is why this page will be dedicated to one, solutions for some troubling
questions.... Exactly how do we accentuate our favourite parts of our
body and how to hide and flatter the bits we don't like so much.
So while I'm collecting various bits of research here's some sites to
get you started
Helpful Links
http://www.aleemahsappliqueandtrim.com.au
Suppliers of Egyptian fringe, sequin, bead and rhinestone appliqué and trim as
well as loose Swarovski Crystal
http://www.gildedserpent.com lots of help full belly dance articles
www.costumegoddess.com great tips on veil wraps and much more
Belly Dance
Basics
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Choli Tops-
Choli tops are great they give you coverage, where they suit your
costuming, and they are also great for class .I
have discovered Kmart have a range of T-Shirts in all colours and
different necklines which are about $12. I have about 3 now which when
I get them home I cut the bottoms off at the length you want and hem if
you desire. So after this you have a very basic Choli top, you can put
cut outs in the backs, sleeves, shoulders, sew beads and sequins on, and
there are also a few places that sell beaded and sequined motifs. Some
of the $2 shops are great for lengths of beaded trim. My advice is even
if you aren't in the middle of a costume and you see some beading,
motifs or trims you like grab them, usually by the time you decided you
want them and they are the perfect thing for what you want they will be
gone!!!
Harem Pants-
Simplicity
pattern 5359 is a great harem pant pattern, they are the best fitting
ones I've found because they are designed so the crotch doesn't end up
around your knees. The pants can be made with or without the yoke to
give a slimmer fit. They are also easily adjusted so they can be slimmer
fitting or very full in the legs.
Chiffon Veil - Most Poly Chiffon's come 115mm wide which
is a really great width. There are a couple of ways to measure the
length you will need, either the length of your arm span plus one arm
length. Or if you fold your veil in half across your arm held straight
out at shoulder height it should be approximately 25cm from the floor.
Buying 2.5m of chiffon is a good start and any excess can be used as a
headband. Most chiffon will tear straight, simply make a small cut
through the salvage, then tear and you should have a straight edge. The
easiest way to hem a veil is with a rolled or narrow hem on an
overlocker, if you only have a sewing machine you will need to fold the
chiffon over twice and sew a small hem. Depending on the width of the
chiffon, if it is the correct width you can gently trim any threads from
the selvedge leaving them un hemmed as they won’t fray. Any raw edges
will need to be hemmed as chiffon will fray.
Full
Circle Skirt
- My first
attempt at a full circle skirt was 5 metres of chiffon the top rolled over to
form a waist band and then a piece of elastic through that and a hem. When I had
it explained to me I set about fixing my error and unpicked it and
attempted to remake the skirt in which I was performing that night. This turned
out very badly!! I drove all over the sunshine coast looking for more material
as I had made some pretty big mistakes. I managed to piece enough together to
make it wear able but the next week I went brought all new chiffon and started
again. Before Attempt two I sat down and made a scale model with baking paper so
I knew exactly which way to fold, so 1) I wouldn't have to do much sewing and 2)
I didn't ruin another 5 metres of chiffon. I know I'm not the only one out there
who was baffled at first, so here's my way, it may be different to what others
do but it has worked for me so long as you measure your self right!!!
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Now you may be wondering why if
you have done all this measuring why do you need to check the length before
hemming. The fabric will most likely have dropped a little and also we are
all different shapes. If you have a nice rounded bottom the skirt may very well
appear shorter at the back than the front if its all one length when hemmed.
In my case I leave it a little longer to account for my hips. So it pays to
give it one final check before finishing off!
Costume Bra
This is What
I call Muffin Top, like when you buy a delicious Muffin and the top
is rolling over the top of the patty pan... Well its good for
Muffins but as you can see on boobs its not the best way to get your
audience to enjoy your dance |
This Bra Fits
just nicely, no Muffin top, so fear of falling out
or of straps breaking and your audience can watch you dance
comfortably without having to avert their eyes or ogle you when ever
you shimmy
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The Back of
this bra, after finishing I found it was now to small and had to
cover an extension for the back
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Quick and
easy way of covering straps, elastised sequins they come in a range
of colours and widths, great for covering straps, but you still have
the stretch and support of the original strap
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Another thing to
consider when covering a bra for a costume is if it will loose the
stretch once covered, even when using a stretch fabric you can reduce
the length of the back strap quite quickly, and you will have to put in
extensions on the back.
Easy Cabaret Costume
Halter Top in
Contrasting fabric ( same as the panels in skirt) or matching . A stretch fabric is
needed for this style of costume
Gloves to match the top
 
A
mermaid skirt in a sparkly fabric, and disco micro dot fabric for the panels
Mermaid Skirt in
Sparkly Fabric with pink satin for the inserts to match the hip scarf
Pattern for the top and skirt
are available at class!!! If you are making one and need
help Karen & Chris can help
Tips and Tricks
#1 tip is you cant go past a full skirt, weather it be a circle skirt or
a tiered skirt from what I have seen they flatter just about
everyone!!!!
#2
You have just started or have been dancing for years, but one thing
is certain you cant resist that sweet tinkling sound of a new shimmy
belt!! Frustrated with never being able to find the belt I wanted or
getting them tangled cause I lost the bag they came in, I had the most
wonderful idea. A shoe organiser $13 at Big W and look what you can do
#3 If
you are at a Craft or Haberdashery store and they have a good sale on
Simplicity Patterns. These I would recommend 5359 has a Nice Choli top
and skirt, but the best part of the pattern is the harem pants, they are
the best fitting ones I've found because they are designed so the crotch
doesn't end up around your knees. They are also easily adjusted so they
can be slimmer fitting or very full. 3832 has some great Choli tops,
harem pants and a 10 yard skirt. 4484 has a Bolero Vest, a peasant style
under shirt with a lovely handkerchief two layered skirt. 4249
Traditional Bollywood. 2158 Bellydance
top, skirt and belt costume.
2159 ghawazee coats and belts costume
#4 You see a fabric you
love and think it would make a wonderful costume, but you aren't needing
to make anything at the time, get the fabric anyway, even if you lay-by
it. To many times have I spent hours searching for something I saw
months ago that is perfect only to have to settle on second best. Also
colours change with the seasons so what you saw could be no longer
available. This applies to all little costume bits an pieces beads and
trims ect. Better to have it in a cupboard or a box than to have to
search every fabric store in Australia!!
#5
when sewing an elastic waistband casing, top stitch ( straight
stitch) around the top of the band about 2 mm down so the elastic can
fit between the two seams. This will help the waistband to sit flat.
If You have
any Tips or Tricks you would like to contribute, please email
karen.box@bigpond.com
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