Thread: costuming for pregnant bellydancers

Costuming while pregnant...

What worked, what didn't? What did you do if you had to perform in costume? I am at 3 mos and have one costume left that fits, but they are all "unflattering" in my opinion as I am used to having a flat belly. It's getting sad - I don't want to do my restaurant gig anymore, but I still have some shows scheduled - benefit haflis and a stage show.

I am debating just ordering some relatively (relative to a new Pharaonics) inexpensive L. Rose sets. It's just hard to know what will flatter .. and fit .. on this strange, new body. I was thinking a beledi dress would look nice, but maybe I would just look bigger if I try to cover it up.

Some of my friends bought used costumes in larger sizes, but they went from Bs to Ds - not DDs to Fs.

when i was pregnant I couldnt fit into any of my bra /belt sets....I ended up just wearing a beautiful Lrose silky skirt w/ a hipscarf and choli top.

I just photographed some beautiful pregnant bellydancers this weekend. They were wearing all their regular tribalesque garb..they looked beautiful!

if i had the patience I would have added extra hooks so that I could have still worn my favorite costumes.

Originally Posted by shimmygoddess

when i was pregnant I couldnt fit into any of my bra /belt sets....I ended up just wearing a beautiful Lrose silky skirt w/ a hipscarf and choli top.

I just photographed some beautiful pregnant bellydancers this weekend. They were wearing all their regular tribalesque garb..they looked beautiful!

if i had the patience I would have added extra hooks so that I could have still worn my favorite costumes.

I wish I could do that (add hooks). Unfortunately the situation I am dealing with now with the Hanan bras is "quadriboob", where the bra splits the boobs in half. L. Rose will save my life - I am sure I can wear an XL dance bra.

I think a nice fitted beledi dress would look beautiful. Do you think that by adding a mesh panel to the bra you could hold the girls in a bit? Someone else did it in another thread and it looked really nice.

I got by (and I say got because I know I wouldn't fit into any at this point, I'm 31 weeks) with just my bra and belt sets. I would end up just safety pinning the belt wider and I'm normally not well endowed in the boobage area, so I could just removed some padding (I normally pad them almost flat .w.:). Sorry I can't be of more help. Oh and wearing the belt just a little higher than normal helped with the small bump for awhile...till you really just can't hide it anymore.

One of my dance friends added chiffon "sleeves" to her bra to disguise the fact that her boobs were exploding gigantically out the sides, but other than that didn't adjust her costumes. She was lucky in that she is long and narrow and when pregnant, the bump is entirely out the front.

A dancer I know wore a beautiful ghawazee coat when heavily pregnant, fastened under the bust and open below to show the underblouse. It looked lovely.

I'm hopeless at making photos smaller so I can post them here, but if anybody wants to send me their email address so they can post them, I've got a couple preggo pics I could share.

a bedlah with a belt that dips in a V is great. I wore my great loop throughout my 2nd pgcy, with my 1st my go-to costumes were an anatolya imports (like a sim) with a V cut belt and a lycra pharaonics dress. here is a photo of the delightful alimah winning a comp at about 6 months pregnant in a lycra gown: ZainaHart.com - Photo Gallery . the lycra gowns look fantastic and you can wear them pretty far into your pgcy.

enjoy this time! bellydancers loooooooove to see pregnant belies and I got such heartwarming responses whenever I performed. I totally know what you mean about feeling pudgy though - the first four or even five months you just feel like you look thick. :( remember that you're used to seeing yourself every day so you're your own worst critic. I have a pic of myself at my last restaurant gig when I was pg with my son and I felt like it was sooooo obvious that I had a bun in the oven and everybody would know - but I look at it now and you can't even tell.

What, Nepenthe, aren't your pregnancy panel pants good enough for the GP? ;)

Seriously, I am having the same problem. I am 22 weeks and HUGE*, so the idea of fitting into any of my pre-preg costumes is laughable. I'm in a couple of student haflas in March, so I think I will end up either doing the galabeya thing or a big circle skirt w/ L. Rose top and hip scarf. Neither option is good for performing for the GP, but they would get me by with my bellydance buddies. :)

FWIW, I think I would look even bigger in a lycra dress than I would in separates. The separates at least break my lumps into distinct parts - boobs, butt, belly -- but the lycra dress would just turn me into one solid bulge. your mileage may vary, though, depending on your shape!

* Huge - me at 21 weeks:

L Rose sets are wonderful because they are stretchy and can grow with you.

Originally Posted by elisagamal

enjoy this time! bellydancers loooooooove to see pregnant belies and I got such heartwarming responses whenever I performed. I totally know what you mean about feeling pudgy though - the first four or even five months you just feel like you look thick. :( remember that you're used to seeing yourself every day so you're your own worst critic. I have a pic of myself at my last restaurant gig when I was pg with my son and I felt like it was sooooo obvious that I had a bun in the oven and everybody would know - but I look at it now and you can't even tell.

I performed at Tribal Fest at over 8 months. The crowd went nuts when I turned around -- it was fun. Here's a link. Wow, I'm huge! But I wore a melodia top under my friend's slightly larger borrowed bra and an assuit panel skirt over a plain slinky A line skirt. I moved the hooks on the coin belt. I would think a Turkish vest would be great. It was fun and I'm glad I danced then. You can drape more stuff in front too. The tribal look is way easier to pull off though.

I've seen a couple ladies perform when pregnant (like 7 months pregnant too) I know they had to borrow the bra part from another dancer who was bustier but I think they were still able to wear their same bottoms. I got some pics of a couple of performances of them (the first few was a stage performance, the last couple at a hafla)











I've shot regular maternity stuff before; but doing the dances and esp full backbends these ladies do is pretty impressive IMO.

at the Leuven festival last week, on of the girls in the ATS group was huuuuuuuuuuuge, she looked ready to blow, it was fantastic! ^^ must've been a good 8 months already... i wonder if there are any pics around? she appeared to be wearing the usual costuming, with a black tshirt. i thought it was really cute :)

This isn't a pro costume, but since we're sharing pictures of beautiful pregnant ladies performing, here's a picture of one of my students at a charity event



I believe she's about 6 1/2 months along in this pic.

JShane, I am in AWE of the woman doing the back layover thing while being 8 or so months pregnant. Holy COW!

I'm in awe too! And, I'm feeling really happy! we're talking about taking the leap to parenthood at the end of the summer, and I'm so worried I won't get to dance any more!

yea, I gotta say, it was a pretty impressive performance to watch; the audience loved it too

I love all the pictures that have been posted - very inspiring! It also makes me feel like I might look nice, not just "fat".

I guess I'm going to get on the phone to L. Rose! I like the idea of adding sleeves or a vest to help the bras fit better. And I keep forgetting I have two perfectly lovely bedlahs because I usually spend all my time in bra/skirt sets.

[QUOTE=JShane;339027]



[QUOTE/]

holy cats. that dancer is jaw-droppingly stunning. wow.

Hey, neato!!! you look so cute in your funky maternity dress. When are you due, Lucy?

Originally Posted by weese17

* Huge - me at 21 weeks:

Thanks! I'm due June 4 with our little girl. Super excited!

i just posted the pics I took this weekend of some beautiful preggo bellydancers

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/rest-belly...l-bellies.html. They looked like they were wearing the regular tribal gear.

Once again, grinning from ear to ear knowing that if we do decide to take the parental leap this summer, I won't have to quit dancing! Everyone looks so beautiful!

I just processed some older shots of the other dancer above a bit more pregnant and thought id throw them up here as well...I believe she just made the costume herself, out some cool fabric and used a belt from another outfit

I love your pics! They all look wonderful. I haven't been able to dance, because I am on bedrest, sigh.

But, I am getting pictures done, something different. I am going to use alot of my favorite veils to cover a bit. Thanks for giving me some ideas.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVNmWU6cTj4]YouTube - Belly Dancing with baby[/ame]
Here is me 2 days be for my c-section i used my same costume just put it high on the hip and changed the hooks
but after my son was born i did have to add extra material to the top of the bras caused i nursed and my girls would not fit in the bra.

Nadirah, I'm jealous -- obviously you are one of the blessed women who didn't gain weight all over. :) I think my butt is the only thing that's grown faster than my stomach! :D

Nadirah that's so sweet.

Originally Posted by JShane

I've seen a couple ladies perform when pregnant (like 7 months pregnant too) I know they had to borrow the bra part from another dancer who was bustier but I think they were still able to wear their same bottoms. I got some pics of a couple of performances of them (the first few was a stage performance, the last couple at a hafla)






I've shot regular maternity stuff before; but doing the dances and esp full backbends these ladies do is pretty impressive IMO.

Backbends, schmackbends....the question is, could they get back up?..g.:

Seriously, that's mad strength and skills!

she was ten days away!!!! which became 8. she has given birth to a healthy baby boy saturday 24th january!! and i think she LOOKED fantastic. i was really pleased she danced. her troupe had asked her to dance with a bare belly, but she choose to cover up, not wanting to shock and take too much attention away from the dancing. i think that was a wise choice too. my boyfriend said some people in the audience (a lot of GP...) were uncomfortable at first (as in worried, not as in shocked), but i still think it's really GOOD she did it anyway, and i liked her costuming choices... i trusted her to only dance if she felt up to it, and told her it was ok for her to back out untill the last minute (her troupe could also do it without her)... but i'm really glad she danced

pics on her husbands blog (photographer) here

Roeland Van de Velde: Buikdans: Just Because...

Originally Posted by Kathiya

at the Leuven festival last week, on of the girls in the ATS group was huuuuuuuuuuuge, she looked ready to blow, it was fantastic! ^^ must've been a good 8 months already... i wonder if there are any pics around? she appeared to be wearing the usual costuming, with a black tshirt. i thought it was really cute :)

Originally Posted by weese17

Nadirah, I'm jealous -- obviously you are one of the blessed women who didn't gain weight all over. :) I think my butt is the only thing that's grown faster than my stomach! :D

I wish i gained it in my butt i need one!..l;,..l;,
i was happy my hips did gt bigger but yeah every thing did go back,
Belly dance is great exercise that is all i do beside chace my boys around.