Thread: Why spend so much on costumes??

Well the answer, of course, is becuase they are sooooooooo gorgeous and sooooo much work has gone into all that beading, fringing, reinforcing, etc etc.

But of course now we have the credit crunch. And the one thing I can't justify any more is fancy clobber, especially in the form of £400 costumes that will only be worn three times (I don't perform often, and rarely at places that justify that type of costume).

Which set me thinking; when we do perform, we are usually at a bit of a distance from the audience. At least three feet away. So they can't see all the intricate and delicate work in my costume - all they see is pretty glittery stuff (oh dear I did a typo then and wrote "clittery" - would have been more suitable for the V-belt thread methinks, but I digress, sorry) . . . floaty chiffon, flying veils and fringe, and shiny big stones.

Surely a similar look can be achieved with far more basic costume components?

I have a pic of a costume I found on the net about 4 years ago that I fancied copying, but never got round to. I think it was a pic of Kaya in a two-piece, which was mainly made of draped gold fabric, no beads or anything like that. But I can't find the flippin pic now. It was very effective and would be super-easy to copy.

The other thing I've done is commission a costume from a local trader who also does bespoke stuff and had great fun choosing the material and beads. We came up with a way to create an effective, classic 80s style Turkish costume without so much intricacy and I can't wait to see it! And a quarter of the price that I'd normally pay for a bespoke costume.

So . . . post your ideas about cutting the price of costumes without cutting the beauty . . . and feel free to post stupid stuff too, it is a Freddie thread after all.

Personally, I'm going back to the basics. Sometimes you see a dancer with a really glittery costume and you end up thinking "Wow, that is a really gorgeous costume" and not "Wow, that was great dancing." I've had that kind of compliment where someone I have admired comment on my costume and not my dancing... and when I asked them how they liked my dancing they said "Oh, yes that was nice too." The costume dazzled them too much to see my dancing.

Freddie, I think you may have missed my last cheap conversion project:
Buggirl's Increasingly Strange Tokyo Tales... - Dress to Bedlah

I think unless you're a super-high paid pro doing formal weddings and big club gigs. you don't neccessariy need a $600.00 Bella. We just want them 'cause they're fabulous! But, General Public not's gonna know one way or the other. probably.

I've had people gush over my homemade costumes that cost under $60.00 to slap together, and people balk at my "starter" costumes when I tell them I spent $200.00 on it. "THAT much?" they have no idea. That's bargain basement to us! ;-)

Originally Posted by ozma

Freddie, I think you may have missed my last cheap conversion project:
Buggirl's Increasingly Strange Tokyo Tales... - Dress to Bedlah

Woah - that is soooo impressive.

Oz, I have a loft full of boxes with all sorts of material, beaded fringe, appliques, coins, sequinned material cut from dresses etc. If you are ever in the UK you are formally invited to come and take what you want.

In fact you've even inspired me to complete two projects I started about three years ago - I'll get a good few costume looks out of these two babies.

Still can't find that flamin Kaya pic. Drat.

Here's one I made about three years ago specifically for a sword performance.

I used a gorgeous piece of embroidered sari material, an old coin belt to steal the coins from, some cheapo material for the harem pants and the only purchased part was the bra thingy and god only knows where I got that from.

Total cost was about £20

Cute one! There was a thread quite recently about "your first" costume and as I scrolled through many home made jobs I thought "Wow, those all look good to me," I think you have a point.

I doubt serioulsy I'd ever own a costume as performing, even at a hafla is in the wayy distant future for me, but I liked seeing what people used and that it didn't always have to be a super high end costume.

Originally Posted by Elianae

I think unless you're a super-high paid pro doing formal weddings and big club gigs. you don't neccessariy need a $600.00 Bella. We just want them 'cause they're fabulous! But, General Public not's gonna know one way or the other. probably.

I've had people gush over my homemade costumes that cost under $60.00 to slap together, and people balk at my "starter" costumes when I tell them I spent $200.00 on it. "THAT much?" they have no idea. That's bargain basement to us! ;-)

I've put together costumes with bits and pieces too, and people ask "where did you get that gorgeous costume?" I dance a lot at haflas at pretty nice restaurants so a lot of the GP are there as well, so it's not a matter of throwing on a hip scarf over some cotton lycra jazz pants and/or long skirt but adding a lot of bling, glitter and yes, those beads. I've also danced at a few private gigs and got the same response.

The real test though are other dancers, especially professional dancers who can tell immediately, although non-professionals and up and comers can too. But unless I start dancing at some uber-paying gigs, I'm not gonna invest in these really expensive bella bedlahs (not that I don't want something that incredibly gorgeous) but it just isn't very practical for me.

Originally Posted by Freddie

Woah - that is soooo impressive.

Oz, I have a loft full of boxes with all sorts of material, beaded fringe, appliques, coins, sequinned material cut from dresses etc. If you are ever in the UK you are formally invited to come and take what you want.

Yaaaay! I haven't been to the UK for...um...5 years now but you never know.

It is serving me well, I made arm bands for it so it can also go with my chiffons and silks that I don't have matching gauntlets for! I need to make a fabric store run soon because I'm on a mission to make sure all my costumes have good arm bands/gauntlets/wrist thingies...polishing up what I have instead of buying more.

Of course my major brag is the 6-month in the making costume...which I wore again last night! My first "whole costume" instead of bra and belt project.
Buggirl's Increasingly Strange Tokyo Tales... - Peacock with Torso!

I am as likely to buy a beat up bedlah and rehab it as I am to buy something completely new. In fact, I enjoy the former because chances are I will get something completely unique in the end. I have two really yummy costumes which cost me $60 each to buy. I probably put in $15 apiece in materials. The hand work was my way of destressing between papers.

Now, that having been said, I love some of the high end costumes out there and would love to have a few. But in the end, a lot of that also comes down to resale-ability.

{{{HUGS}}}

{{{HUGS}}}

I envy those of you who have such mad sewing skillz. Sadly, I have one of those artistic brains attached to clutzy hands... I have neat ideas for costumes but absolutely zilcho skillz with which to make them real. ,f:: This is my excuse for being a shameless costume whore and never having tried my hand at making anything.

I was actually looking to sell some of my costumes - just because I had them but never wore them, and thought they should be with someone who worked 'em. I think since nobody's really looking to buy they'll be with me a while yet. Poor sparklies.

Ozma, I love your peacock set. Do you have any close-ups?

Originally Posted by wigglewhiz

Ozma, I love your peacock set. Do you have any close-ups?

In progress pictures. Whenever I do my next photo shoot it's coming with me.
Kathryn Ozma Robarts's Photos - What I'm working on | Facebook

Of course I think the word is out....I LOVE costumes! lol
I have to say that I do spend alot on them...love..love..love them...I have super high end and I have home made and simple. I have gotten the most compliments from one that I made! lol! It always makes me laugh...and it has been proven time and time again!
On the other hand....people do love all the others...and I need the super pretty ones for up-close corporate events and parties where the lighting may be bright and people super close....
I think whatever feels the most comfortable on you...shows! I have my favorites expensive or not...and I always feel I dance my best in those! It is so nice that we get to dress up in these pretties and do what we love!!! yay!

Yay I found the Kaya picture ...

Here's to simple but effective costumes!

Originally Posted by wigglewhiz

I envy those of you who have such mad sewing skillz.

But there's gotta be someone near you who can sew and who you can communicate with in terms of what you want ... support your local seamstress!

Originally Posted by TanyaLV

Of course I think the word is out....I LOVE costumes! lol
I have to say that I do spend alot on them...love..love..love them...I have super high end and I have home made and simple. I have gotten the most compliments from one that I made! lol! It always makes me laugh...and it has been proven time and time again!
On the other hand....people do love all the others...and I need the super pretty ones for up-close corporate events and parties where the lighting may be bright and people super close....
I think whatever feels the most comfortable on you...shows! I have my favorites expensive or not...and I always feel I dance my best in those! It is so nice that we get to dress up in these pretties and do what we love!!! yay!

So glad you posted cos you've run the gamut of events in real life and so are able to put it all in a nutshell. It's what we feel good in, and feel comfortable in. That's what shines the most - us. So when we feel good we project good stuff.

I can imagine you'd need really fancy elaborate high end costumes for some of your gigs, but yeah, barring that, comfort and "feeling good" are key.

If I think back to when I really danced, the one performance where I really was being me, totally (and doing pretty well technically too), and I was wearing a mish-mash of the more casual end of the spectrum. I wasn't expecting to go on and I was dancing with a live band for the first time. What I was wearing was really comfortable, but looked great too - intentionally casual but very "right" for me. It worked and cost about a tenner in total (most of it was old sarong stuff and a lovely coin belt from my mum which she acquired decades ago).

Originally Posted by ozma

In progress pictures. Whenever I do my next photo shoot it's coming with me.
Kathryn Ozma Robarts's Photos - What I'm working on | Facebook

You shouldn't have done that. I have now found you on facebook!

Anyone else on facebook find me as "Kathy Cheung" - there are a few of us but if you filter on Liverpool you should find me xx

I'm always getting complimented on L. Rose stuff. If I pair an L. Rose with a basic bedlah, people always say they love my costume, especially if it's one of the printed velvets. It's definitely the cheapest way to expand your costume wardrobe.

I also made this costume some years ago for a "gothic" performance but when I was looking at the pics the other day I thought to myself - wow that actually looks like one of those modern minimalist costumes! if I were to re-make it, I'd spend some time on the skirt - I didn't quite understand skirt construction at the time.

Nepenthe that's awesome!!! Are the skirt panels attached to the boy shorts? *plots to steal concept*

Late last year I knocked out a faux minimalist costume. It didn't quite work - the skirt doesn't sit right, so the elaborate elastic strapping beneath shows, looking like escaping undies - needs some edging and up close you can see the hand sewing on the bra where the straps attach, so I am going to add a few sequins and make a belt. The original plan was to decorate with rag-bag fabric plaited into a strip, a la one of Ozma's great finds, and I still may do that- but man, I love the plainness of it. If I sewed more nicely I would love to make really plain, unembellished costumes.

My former (and future) dance partner made some of the most beautiful costumes I've ever seen. I was lucky to inherit at least two of them. I'll have to ask her how she did it, because she truly could have a whole business in the making right there!

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Nepenthe that's awesome!!! Are the skirt panels attached to the boy shorts? *plots to steal concept*

nope - just Target-brand boy shorts. The skirt panels are laced together using grommets. The bra was a strapless bra that I cannibalized, covered, and added the halter neck with the same grommet tape....it's nice to see a costume with a bra I actually fit into it - vs. most of the mass-market bellydance costumes where I somehow squeeze my girls into them.

Wow they are both great examples!!!

If you are a performer then costuming is a major part of your dance. And if you intend to get paying gigs then you just have to have a pro costume. It is just how it works. And even $600 is cheap for a costume! Remember most of us are paying for 3rd world labor.

the first summer i moved to hawaii, i spent about 50 bucks on these gold chained seashells they sell at the international market and strung them along a sturdy bathing suit base..then wore a shell belt with a long gauzy gypsy skirt. it doubled as a simple costume and bitchen nightlife beach wear

oh and for picture purposes i've tied silk scarves sorta halter style or layered silk pieces in different ways..very cost effective..not a lot of sparkle but more a silk style since well i make them hehe

this costume is just pieces i picked up here and there..lots of hair pieces, bangles, a belly drape from one of those gold mirror costume, a belly chain from Claires, layered silk skirts, a silk scarf, etc. the bra and belt were a gift but they are a simple style of a base covered with nice fabric with a simple row of shells along the border



Ive also had tribal fusion dancers order the divinity silk dresses and wear them over Melo pants



i have MANY more examples of how to be thrifty with costumes :) unless you are being hired to dance a specific style with top pro costume i think it's fine to be creative ..when i go to shows i love to see costume originality

right now am exploring some very asian inspired designs....g.:

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

I'm always getting complimented on L. Rose stuff. If I pair an L. Rose with a basic bedlah, people always say they love my costume, especially if it's one of the printed velvets. It's definitely the cheapest way to expand your costume wardrobe.

I also made this costume some years ago for a "gothic" performance but when I was looking at the pics the other day I thought to myself - wow that actually looks like one of those modern minimalist costumes! if I were to re-make it, I'd spend some time on the skirt - I didn't quite understand skirt construction at the time.

LOVE this

Jessenia I WANT that seashell one!!!

For quite a long time, even now I did/dont spend more money on costumes than my training.
I buy used/more reasonable new costumes and bedlahs that I can put together with various colors of skirts and accessories that match my skin and shape...etc.
My most expensive costume is probably around $600 which I have not paid at one time, I made payments.
I dance every weekend at local venues, stage shows, private events, and travel for galas and workshops, but I still spend quite a bit money for my trainings. I see it as investment.
I think a great talent/skill/training with a beautiful costume and makeup/hair/accessories make big difference in the whole package look, but not vica versa.

some of my most loves costumes by the audience are the ones I put together from various pieces, and my own designs.
I bring my idea with all the materials to a local tailor to put together the costume for me. I have 2-3 costumes that I truly enjoy wearing.
They are probably the most affordable costumes I have ever had.