Costuming is a really personal topic. However, since I started out dancing at 240 pounds and have been as low as 115, I have learned a LOT about costuming for body types.
My background in designing and sewing costumes comes from all the way back to when I was a kid. I used to draw costumes of all kinds. Then when I was 11, my mom bought me a used Singer sewing machine. It went forward and back. Period. I still use it today, although I have other machines as well. So, in other words, you do not need anything fancy to make costumes. All you really need is some determination and some imagination. And a little direction helps a lot.
So, back to styles. If you’re tall and thin, you can wear almost anything, so you really don’t need much help. Congratulations! Ok, I’m being ficitious. We’ll talk about tall and thin styles too, because there are styles that suit that body type too.
First, you want to decide what your best body aspect is. If you have nice legs and a long, pretty neck, cool. If you have a good upper ab area but lower abs aren’t so hot, that’s ok. Just decide what you want to emphasize and what you want to draw attention away from.
If you are short, stay away from overly full, fluffy looks. It will make you look shorter and wider. Circle skirts are fine, but singe layer and light weight fabrics are best. I’d also try an accent skirt from hip to mid thigh, fairly tight fitting, to create a fishtail skirt look. It draws the eye up, and lengthens the body look. Also, stay away from overdone belly drapes or dangly bra decorations. I’m not talking about the light, accenty kinds – those are fine. But stay away from heavy, long fringe, bellychain-style belts at the waist, or really heavy top styles. I’ve worn a lot of vests over a dance bra, and if they are just under the bra line, they are fine. But if the vest or bra comes more than an inch below a normal bra line, it shortens the appearance of your body line. Stay with something short to elongate the waistline. And, if you can handle it, wear your skirts as long as possible rather than a couple inches above the ground – that shortens the body line as well.
If you’re heavy through the hips, put most of your decorations on the upper body. Wear belts where the fringe hugs the body rather than being fluffy or overly heavy. Coin belts can be great, but use the larger coins (1 ½ - 2” across) rather than the tiny ones. Accent skirts can be a great way to pull attention away from the hips. A nice, contrasty, simple lined accent skirt, such as a handkerchief style, will pull the eye down.
If you’re heavy through the waist, either use a body stocking (Sugar Petals makes GREAT ones!) or wear a one piece dress, especially if you’re uncomfortable with your waistline. Wear costumes which pull the eye up or down – both is fine. So an elaborate bra, without a lot of drape under the braline, plus either an interesting hem, ruffle, sparkly trim on the skirt will help a lot. Keep the belt slim and not too full.
If you feel you have the heavy upper arm thing going on – even if you’re thin, sometimes that area isn’t too pretty – then try the long, fingerless gloves that go up to the armpit. Make sure they are tight enough to STAY up, though. If they continually fall down while you’re dancing, it’s really distracting (she says, speaking from experience!). Or you can go with light, sheer chiffon sleeves, just gathered at the upper arm and wrist. You can even have them slashed on the top so your arm shows through. People will focus on the sleeves’ movement rather than your flabby arms. I’d stay away from the single strand armbands, the ones that are a few pieces of ribbon or trim and show a lot of upper arm. If your arms aren’t in great shape, you’re going to sag between the layers, and that draws attention.
If you have an especially attractive neck, try wearing chokers or neckbands, or a bra that comes up to the neck. (Like a halter with the top filled in. Sometimes the ‘fill’ is lace or delicately worked fabric).
For the short-waisted, wear a bra that sits like a regular bra, no lower. Avoid heavy or low-hanging fringe. Wear your hip belt as low as possible (without going TOO far) on your hip joints. Also, wear your skirts long, as it lengthens the full body line.
For the tall and slender, work the look with a long, straight skirt, slit up the front of the leg. Wear a clean, uncluttered style of bra and belt. Stay away from the one-piece dress – they take a fairly full figure to carry them off. I also love seeing the look of the tall, slender dancer with the Isis wings – they always look the best doing that, if of course they do it well.
What I really suggest is to go online and look at as many dancers in costumes as possible. If you do a search under “belly dancers” and “belly dance costumes” you will find a lot to look at. Study what looks good, what looks bad, and also look for dancers with similar body styles as you have, and study what they’re wearing and how it looks on them. Decide what looks you like and what you don’t and that will help you a lot.
If you want some help with costumes, email me. I have some home-made patterns and directions that might help if you’re a beginning/intermediate level at sewing. I am working on a coin costume video right now that is filmed but not edited, so watch for that if you’re looking to make one. I geared it to fairly inexperienced sewers but it has great tips for those with more practice too.
There are a million ways to make costuming easier. It takes the trial and error method that experienced seamstresses go through to streamline the process, and if you have an opportunity to work live with someone with experience, do it. But if you don’t, let me know what you are having trouble with, and if I can, I will film a video section for you to help, or help you by email/blog. I can even fax you drawings to help get past a roadblock.
Learning to sew, for those who don’t, takes a lot of patience, and keep in mind that starting with costumes is not the easiest way. Take your time, do things one step at a time. Start with the easiest costume piece and work your way to the most complex. Veils are super easy. Skirts are usually simple too. Harem pants would come next. Then the belt, THEN the bra. Bras are the hardest. I would suggest for your first costume, try to get a bra from Fredericks or Victoria’s Secret that is good to go with just some decoration. Look for the ones that are velvet, metallic lame, or something like that. There are sometimes ones covered with metallic lace. Just be sure it covers enough or that you can easily line it or add to the top if it’s too low cut.
So buy your bra first, then look for fabric that will match or blend for your hip belt. Then pick out your skirt/veil fabric. At that point, get your trim.
Here’s a guideline for fabric:
Veil: 3 yards (this will be long enough even for tall women.) of 45” wide fabric. Spread your arms all the way out straight with about 8 – 10” hanging off each end and cut off excess. Allow ½” on each edge for hemming. I suggest light but drapey fabrics: Chiffon, single weight georgette and some very light silkies. If the fabric is stiff, it won’t work well. It needs to ‘drape’ a bit. Pick up the end of the fabric and see how it falls. If it pools, it will likely work. If it bends or looks stiff, don’t use it.
Harem pants: 2 yards will work well for most people – if you’re especially tall or goddess-size, add ½ yard. Make sure it’s soft enough fabric so that it won’t chaff your thighs, and if it’s metallic, be sure it’s not the kind that will rub off. Don’t go too heavy on the fabric weight, and remember that it needs to be able to breathe too. Cottons work well, and chiffon is always popular but doesn’t breathe all that well even though it’s light. Silkies will always hang nice, but again may not breathe, so just be prepared.
Skirts: If you want a single circle skirt, get about 6 yards. For a double circle, 9 yards. You may want to use the same fabric as your veil or harem pants, or the fabric for your belt/bra. Coordination is great, but going with something that just works well but has a different texture is also nice. Just be aware that heavy fabric can cause problems when you’re dancing, so you might want to start with lighter ones, then experiment with heavier ones later on. Trim for a circle skirt is at least twice the yardage you bought, so 12 – 18 yards. Always get extra for decorating bra/belt, armbands, etc. If you come up short, move the trim up higher on the skirt – it won’t take nearly as much. Always measure your hem before starting to put the trim on if you haven’t done it before.
Straight skirts can be made from a yard to 1 ½ yards. They can be of metallic fabrics, silkies, heavily decorated fabrics… if you want flow in your movement, go with silkies. Don’t use chiffon on straight skirts. If the fabric is too light, your legs will be hanging out a bunch during your dancing. Silkies are drapey enough to stay down but move with you. One of my favorites is the heavily decorated wedding sari. You can buy the 6 yard length, make the skirt with the decorated edge in front (at the slit). Use the rest for a veil or harem pants. Some of those sari fabrics are just stunning.
For your first belt/bra, get a little extra fabric so you’re not stuck if you make a boofoo (yes, that’s a mistake). Get 2 yards for your first one, then a yard will work. For a belt/bra, you can get fairly heavy and very decorated fabrics. Metallics are great. You’ll also need some buckram for lining. Joann Fabrics has it online if you can’t find it in stores. The people working in fabric stores won’t always know what you’re talking about. You’ll need to make two layers for the belt, so get at least 2 yards. I buy it in bulk online so I always have plenty on hand. You’ll also need some kind of soft, thick lining material. I like cotton duck cloth or heavy cottons. I’ve also used suedecloth, which clings well to your skirt, but will make you sweat a bit.
You’ll need some skirt hooks, the flat kind – they are about 5/8” square, and have holes in the metal to sew them on through. You’ll need 4 sets for the bra and 4 sets for the belt. You’ll need elastic for the harem pants, skirt, armbands. You’ll also need matching thread. Always get the best cotton/poly – it’s worth the extra money not to have it tangling and breaking on you.
If you make a circle skirt, you can make sleeves out of the corners of the fabric – there will be enough there. If you use sari fabric, you should have enough left for sleeves too. If you want to make stretch velour sleeves, ½ yard should be enough. However, be aware that fingerless gloves are a little tricky.
Get everything you’ll need before you get started, so you know you have enough and it all matches.
Here’s a great hint:
When you make a costume, keep all the receipts in a costume file. That tells you how much of what fabric you bought – if it doesn’t call out the fabric, make a note. Also note if you found you came up short or had a lot more than you needed. Make an envelope for each costume, and make notes on any problems you had, what you would have done differently, what went well, how you decided on doing any changes. That way, next time, you can cut more corners. Also, if you have something come out especially well, make a pattern of it. That way you can recreate the look without reinventing the wheel. I always make belt patterns and label them. I also include the finished hip measurement if my size changes a lot, which it does.
