Thread: Costume Inspiration from non-bellydance sources

Obviously there are lots of ballroom dance costumes that can easily cross over to bellydance. What else has caught your eye and made you think, "With a little ______ and a tweak with the _________, that could be a bellydance costume!" Figure skating, runway fashions, catalog items, etc. Post photos (and tell us where the photo comes from) or links to photos here.

From Dancing With the Stars:

RandallDesigns.net, Season 6 - Photo from ABC


RandallDesigns.net, Season 6 - Photo from ABC


RandallDesigns.net, Season 6 - Photo from ABC


RandallDesigns.net, Season 5 - Photo from ABC


RandallDesigns.net, Season 5 - Photo from ABC


Off to find more . . .

Good eye!

Good thread!

I would say that any of those are belly dance stage ready as is with no tweaking. This probably explains why I have been mistaken for a ballroom dancer recently ..l;,

I am still inspired by Britney Spear's "naked" costume. I want it! Only in a skirt instead of pants. Oh, and Princess Leah's "slave girl" costume.

Hey Samiramirage...great minds think alike! lol...I made a naked costume with a full skirt...it is just what I needed!

DWTS had a Princess Leia/Leah (?) costume, too, but not nearly as cool as the original.

Originally Posted by samiramirage

I am still inspired by Britney Spear's "naked" costume. I want it! Only in a skirt instead of pants. Oh, and Princess Leah's "slave girl" costume.

love this thread. i'll have to look for some examples too
i also sometimes see dresses that celebrities wear that can be made into bd costumes as well..will have to look for examples of that too

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

Hey Samiramirage...great minds think alike! lol...I made a naked costume with a full skirt...it is just what I needed!

LOL! Of course you did, its on my list of things to do. I wonder where I could find a designer to make one for me...hmmmm.

this one i posted recently in the 'what are u working on now thread'


i like this one too

k done talking to myself haha

not done talking to myself just yet lol









i really love all the bright colors

OK...I forgot about the topic (costumes)...I want the dancers bodies! Whew!

haha i know, right?!?
dude seeing all these marvelous colors, beading, frilly things, feathers, etc. has me wanting to get a bd version!
where's my costume addicts support group? hehehe

but seriously, i can't even choose which one is my fave. they all look great!

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

OK...I forgot about the topic (costumes)...I want the dancers bodies! Whew!

Too late! You already gots one! ..g.:

Originally Posted by zfejzic

WOW! Could you get any more nakedererer??

These are all haaawwwwwwwT. ..g.:

does anyone know where one can get all that poofy chiffon looking material ALREADY all poofed up like that? does that exist?

edit: nvm, found it. i have an idea... :)

Originally Posted by Azhia

Too late! You already gots one! ..g.:

I agree! ,r:;

And some of the costumes are very nice! Some really could be worn in bellydance!

so i'm really itching to make something now based on some of those pics haha
but i'm not as creative as some of u ladies so i'm not sure what exactly to do :-/

Originally Posted by Azhia

WOW! Could you get any more nakedererer??

I suppose we can agree that it's a first class wax job. ..g.:

For got to add re non bellydance inspiration:

I get it from books, music, drawings. It's quite annoying bc I don't have pictures to share. I'm trying to sketch them out as best as I can but it never comes out quite the way I see it in my mind.

Sometimes, the inspiration is straight out of Goodwill. I have materials for several belts. Actually, I found these metals stars with the American flag on it. I think I'll make a "4th of July" belt out if it with denim and studs. (A lot of good it will do me here in Canada! LOL)

Originally Posted by kemintiri

For got to add re non bellydance inspiration:

I get it from books, music, drawings. It's quite annoying bc I don't have pictures to share. I'm trying to sketch them out as best as I can but it never comes out quite the way I see it in my mind.

Sometimes, the inspiration is straight out of Goodwill. I have materials for several belts. Actually, I found these metals stars with the American flag on it. I think I'll make a "4th of July" belt out if it with denim and studs. (A lot of good it will do me here in Canada! LOL)

my mom is a genius artist. it's because of her awesome sketches that we can actually make her costume. i kinda 'wing it' when i make mine lol

Originally Posted by zfejzic

I LOVE this one!!! ... with a skirt ... and worn just a TAD higher up so as to not have to worry about raks beaver

Originally Posted by portiaangel

I LOVE this one!!! ... with a skirt ... and worn just a TAD higher up so as to not have to worry about raks beaver

i love that one too :)

Incredible! Thanks so much for posting!!

Alimah

But why are ballroom costumes SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE? Is it because they are made in US by American seamstresses? Some of them appear much less embellished than our costumes. but I love the way designs could be easily remade for a different look--all the draped pieces moved, resized, reused.

Also like the fact that ballroom costumes are step in and zip up with built in body stockings. Something we could certainly see more of in our costume dresses. Build the dress onto a mesh body stocking rather than making cutouts that are then lined with mesh. Put cotton liner and hooks in the crotch of the body stocking for "comfort."

I have a pattern book Janna Beaufait Urban Beladi that does just this. The base is a fitted body stocking/leotard with darts or princess seams for fit, several neckline/sleeve options and invisble zipper in the back. Then there are several skirt options as well. You build the body stocking and then attach the skirt directly to it and either put a belt over skirt or embellish right over the seam. Options are included for built in bra, cut under the bustline for a bedlah bra, etc. Patterns are included in the book along with lots of helpful tips.

There are also some commercial patterns out there along these lines but not with as much detail or size ranges or necessarily with the bodysuit proportioned for comfort while dancing.

Souzan

PBSHD had lots of ballroom competition programing on yesterday and I noticed that none of their costumes were even 1/2 as "naked" as some on Dancing With the Stars.

I like the lattice work on this one:

I can't find any still shots of the skirt Lacey wore this week, it was a stunner made with peacock feathers. The dress shows up at about 2 min mark of this clip
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoleWsb-gjs"]YouTube - Steve-O (from Jackass) & Lacey Schwimmer - Waltz // Dancing with the Stars 2009 (DWTS) Premiere[/ame]

Those Ballroom dancers all have stellar bodies, that's for sure, but they are "Half-Nekked". I'm a little too prudish right now for some of those getups.

It's really comical how much more revealing ballroom dance costumes are, yet bellydancers are viewed more provocatively (even though we generally have 1 if not both legs covered and our crotches are nowhere to be seen!).

And by comical, I mean comically tragic.