Thread: Best costumes for curves?

Hi Everyone,

I have a question for you and i think this is where i should post it. I have been trying to find the perfect bedlah to fit my body type. My upper hip is about 30 while my lower hip rounds out to a 37 (or more...). Every set i have tried up till now gaps so much which is why i usually do the bra-skirt costume instead.

Is there a designer that you all prefer? It seems so many sets are cut so straight across the top. ,m::

Thanks for all of your help!

I think you will have to perform semi-major surgery on the belts -- take the layers apart, put darts around to fit your curves (remove beading from these areas first) and then sew everything up and sew beads/sequins back in place. Somewere there used to be online instructions for this, but all I could find is this:

Ask The Costume Goddess: Fitting Belts

OMG the Great Loop by Pharonics!! I have a troupe of 10 that we ordered these for. THey are all shapes and sizes and it looks and feels fab on all of them! I swear by that costume and I want it in every color! But yeah can't do that! ;-)
xoxo,
-NJ

I feel your pain-I really do!

Most hourglass shapes have an average of 10" difference between the true waist, and fullest part of the hip. I usually average a 12-13" difference. I have a defined waist, but a big ol' bubble booty.

It makes belts a NIGHTMARE.

I am going to have to try the Great Loop as well.

If you sew, I make a lot of my own belts. I make the belt base, and add all of the darts and everything FIRST and cup it to my booty. Then, I do all of the beading and sequin work afterwards.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Hi Everyone,

I have a question for you and i think this is where i should post it. I have been trying to find the perfect bedlah to fit my body type. My upper hip is about 30 while my lower hip rounds out to a 37 (or more...). Every set i have tried up till now gaps so much which is why i usually do the bra-skirt costume instead.

Is there a designer that you all prefer? It seems so many sets are cut so straight across the top. ,m::

Thanks for all of your help!

It's tough to find an off the rack costume to fit every body. I would recommend having something custom made. Do you live near anyone who makes custom costumes? If you ask around in your local dance community, you may find someone who does. Good luck with your search.

That's strange... I thought I typed a response to this thread, but now it's gone!

Anyhow, I have the same problem and voted for the Great Loop costume too! Mostly, I've chosen to stay away from bra and belt sets though and steer towards bra and skirt sets (mermaids look nice).

First off - I love your Pucca avatar ..g.:

I have yet to find a 1-piece belt off the rack that fits my curves. And even after major surgery, the fit is just OK.

The best fitting belt I have is a 2-piece Pharaonics. (It's the Egyptian Empress I bought off Damiena.) I love the fit - there's no gapping whatsoever.

With the 2 pieces you can tilt them together to fit your curves -- much easier than darting & adding elastic - and get a pretty good fit. I also think that the shorter the belt, the easier it would be to fit, too. Which is probably why the Great Loops are so great. Hmmm, I think I see one in my future...

Originally Posted by anisamiss

First off - I love your Pucca avatar ..g.:

I have yet to find a 1-piece belt off the rack that fits my curves. And even after major surgery, the fit is just OK.

The best fitting belt I have is a 2-piece Pharaonics. (It's the Egyptian Empress I bought off Damiena.) I love the fit - there's no gapping whatsoever.

With the 2 pieces you can tilt them together to fit your curves -- much easier than darting & adding elastic - and get a pretty good fit. I also think that the shorter the belt, the easier it would be to fit, too. Which is probably why the Great Loops are so great. Hmmm, I think I see one in my future...

Thank you so much, both for the pucca ..g.: and the great advice about the two piece belt. And thanks to everyone- i really love when i am ENABLED to buy another amazing costume. ha ha ha!!!

Originally Posted by ambriehlmagycblade

I feel your pain-I really do!

If you sew, I make a lot of my own belts. I make the belt base, and add all of the darts and everything FIRST and cup it to my booty. Then, I do all of the beading and sequin work afterwards.

Silly question, but is it hard to cover the belt after the darts are all in? Is it too curvy, i mean? I have never tried to cover a belt, I have only just covered my first bra base...which was a bit frankentsteinish at the beginning but turned out ok in the end.

Thanks again for the help!

Originally Posted by jengal55

Silly question, but is it hard to cover the belt after the darts are all in? Is it too curvy, i mean? I have never tried to cover a belt, I have only just covered my first bra base...which was a bit frankentsteinish at the beginning but turned out ok in the end.

Thanks again for the help!

Yup, at least for me I have to add darts to the material covering belt as I am a *extreme* hourglass -12" difference between waist & hip measurements. Also, I vote for the "Great Loop" - would love to have one in every color because of the fit and lush loopy fringe not to mention gawgeous big AB stones and cute headband...g.: ,r:; ..g.:

Another thing, I, just got through making a black/silver Assuit belt and it has 9 darts in the back of the belt and 5 in the front! Hint: It's better to put more smaller darts than 3 or 4 big darts - you want the belt to gently curve around hips & butt, not sticking out. I also used two layers of double strength buckram - because I"m draping heavy coins on chain from bottom of belt. The fitting took the longest but SOOOOOOOOOO worth it - no amount of pinning can fix a belt that gapes because not tapered at top! At least not on my bubble butt! ..l;,

I vote for the great loop too!

B

I pin them on at an angle (the great loop)..but really, I prefer to wear stretchy lycra skirts with the beading directly on them - that way, it stretches over my curves rather than gapping.

All this info is so useful...I have a huge amount of 'hipspring' too...the difference between my waist and hips is almost embarrassing. 'Hipspring' is a very old fashioned word for that difference...I learned it when I was watching a program on extreme corsetry. This lady they featured holds the Guinness World record for the smallest waist which by their definition is the person with the greatest amount of hipspring. Hers is like, 22 inches or something!

Hipspring...i love it! But i also love the concept of Extreme Corsetry..now there is a sport solely for the ladies!

another vote for the great loop, both because it is in two pieces, and because the front of the belt dips in a V. IMO V-cut belts are so much more flattering on a curvey figure than something cut straight across.

Great Loop is a winner in my book as well.

The other style I find flattering is all my vintage sets which have really narrow belts - like 2 - 3" all around. Many of them also have the 'Wonder Woman Belt Buckle" front piece which makes them highly adjustable as far as size and angle of the belt goes!

{{{{HUGS}}}}

I like Pharonics costumes and the Eman style bra and lycra skirts type costumes. i also like dresses that are like 2 pieces except that they conect somewhere either in the middle or slightly to one side-I have a few of those they are so useful -you still look like a belly dancer but they really slim you down. bedlahs are a just too much of a pain for me my waist is 26 inches hips 42 inches-big problems!!!

PHARONICS!!!

I could not for the life of me find a bra/belt set that would fit right on my hips and on a whim I tried one on at the Fifi workshop and ended up taking one home. I've never had a bra/belt costume fit like that. So, I officially highly recommend that line.

Other than that, I stick to the more common lycra costumes or 1 piece dresses.

I have the same problem----although I can't speak for the Great Loop---(I don't own one, but would love to)
I've had such great luck with Babylon Breeze bedlah's I haven't wanted to look elsewhere. The ones I have are made with a soft base, and therefore SO easy to fit my curvy figure, and extremely comfortable.
Andrea is so great to deal with, and has great instinct for what you're looking for. (hmmmm--I think it's getting time to order another btw) Plus I've managed to find perfectly matching fabrics at LRose for trumpet skirts---almost like they were made together.
As you can tell, I can't reccomend them enough! The coin costume in my avatar is the first one I had them make. Stellar Advantage - Bellydance Events ..g.: You may want to call though, I think the website is still under constuction

I will agree that the Great Loop is a FANTASTIC bedlah! I have 2 of them and would love more. :-) Almost any two peice belt and belts with a v dip in the front are great.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Silly question, but is it hard to cover the belt after the darts are all in? Is it too curvy, i mean? I have never tried to cover a belt, I have only just covered my first bra base...which was a bit frankentsteinish at the beginning but turned out ok in the end.

Thanks again for the help!

I don't think so. I think no matter what, that the bra will always be the hardest thing to cover. When I make my belts, I make the actual BASE, and then the covering. I basically make the covering the exact same-with the same darts in the same places, etc. except just a little more around the edges to turn under and stitch down.

Originally Posted by ambriehlmagycblade

I don't think so. I think no matter what, that the bra will always be the hardest thing to cover. When I make my belts, I make the actual BASE, and then the covering. I basically make the covering the exact same-with the same darts in the same places, etc. except just a little more around the edges to turn under and stitch down.

ohhhh...now i see! Thanks!..g.:

Thanks so much for all of the help everyone! I think i am now officially empowered/ enabled to find another (er, or two) costumes!


..l;, ..l;, ..l;,

I don't think that's necessarily your taste, but my brand-spanking new Neckelmann's is really good for my curvy equestrian's behind.

Awesome thread! Thank you...