Thread: is bellydancestore.biz a good site to buy from?

I have been told after my hols I can have my very own costume yes yes yes so if I decide to get something egyptian and not ATS (this is only an if as I will probably end up getting something ATS) is this a good site to buy from?

Yes. I usually go there, but I have ordered over the internet with very good results, too.

I just bought a costume from there and had a problem with the zipper. They were wonderful about crediting me for the repair and I would be delighted to deal with them again.

I recently bought from them - great experience! The costume is gorgeous

I've never had anything but positive experiences with them. Shipping's fast, the customer service rocks, they offer a wide variety of sizes and styles. Two thumbs (and two big toes) up!

thank you ladies x

I love them! I recommend that you e-mail about the size/fit before you order. Sometimes they have more detailed information about a product.

I only go there in person since its close to me. Its great with a lot of options. I can't comment on ordering online

hey,
I think many of their bedleh sets look great (can only check the website). a friend of mine who I showed the pics to said she was not sure about the quality, that is the quality of how it s made. what kind of beads they use and how the whole piece is done, craft-wise..
I guess they offer great value for money - the ones I looked at were around 200$. what do you guys think? are they still well done, beautiful despite this low price? My friend suggested they might look good from a bit of a distance, but she found they had imperfections on close up pics.. so well, I'd be glad if you could share some of your experience with other bedlehs you preferred/liked less. It would be my first professional bedleh, so I am still a bit hesitant.

thanks!

I bought a $200 bedlah from them once, on clearance. I could see the difference between that and, say, a $400 Pharonics set. The straps were narrower, the lining wasn't as nice, etc. BUT for the price it was a good set. I enjoyed wearing it.

In lower end costumes, I'm not so worried about up-close imperfections. I'm more concerned with construction and fit. A lot of contenders in that price range have the bras connected in the center of the cups instead of the bottom - same with the side straps. So breasts aren't supported at all and the costume can't fit without a LOT of work. Bra cups are often badly shaped, and belts are too wide in front or otherwise badly cut/proportioned.

Considering you have to give up SOMETHING when you shave a couple hundred dollars off the price, I'll go for minor up-close imperfections.

"In lower end costumes, I'm not so worried about up-close imperfections. I'm more concerned with construction and fit."

Oh that s a thought I'd not have had, thank you!
Considering I really do not think I can sew ANYTHING without doing major damage to it, that IS indeed an important point. And I'm not the nit-picky type anyway, chances are I'll not notice imperfections more exact/perfectionist people see :)

I have had nothing but great experiences with the belly dance store. They took a little while to ship my last purchase, but I know they are busy.

Dinavienna, have you looked at Hanan bedleh? They are about $100 bucks more, but they have great fit and construction, and also nice bead and detail work.

DinaVienna, I just flipped through the bra/belt sets at the site and all but about two of them look well-shaped and well-constructed to me.

Here's the only really dreadful example I found -- any time you have to wonder whether the bra might have been made upside-down or the center piece is attached too high, that's a red flag for me!


Here's what I *think* that was supposed to look like, very similar set but this one looks terrific.

hey :)
thanks for the pictures Lauren!! wow that blue one is supposed to .. uhm, stay UP? really?! :)
The burgundy one looks really nice, only that I could never wear those cups!
speaking of it, what I LOVE about the bellydancestore, they seem to have many very small cup models.. finding extrasmall sizes in bellydance costumes has proven a real task. So while I'm still a bit hesitant to buy a bedleh overseas - what if it won't fit ;( - bellydancestore looks like one of the best stores I've come across. Only my friend's comment kind of made me insecure. But definitely - for the price one cannot expect the quality of a high end costume (and in these times I so cannot afford such a high end one :) ).

Hmm Hanan - I sure have heard of her, but to be honest, I used to think they were WAY more expensive.. where do you get them for the price you mentioned, Mahsina?
Thanks for the advice ladies :)

Dahlal usually has a variety of Hanan bedlah in stock, they are normally one of a kind pieces, and she uses some smaller cup sizes. They go for $294 I think. If you go on the website and click costumes and then "Hanan", all that they have in stock will come up.

I ordered something and it was late in arriving so I got upgraded to overnight shipping for free. The size wasn't correct but it was workable (next time I will know that), and the price was an incredible deal. So I would recommend them thumbs up.

I like them. I've ordered about four costumes from them, and haven't really had any problems. They have such a large supply of costumes, you just have to take the time to look through them.

wow some of these $ 295,- Hanans by Dahlal are gorgeous, thank you!!

No problem!

Originally Posted by dinavienna

hey :)
Hmm Hanan - I sure have heard of her, but to be honest, I used to think they were WAY more expensive.. where do you get them for the price you mentioned, Mahsina?
Thanks for the advice ladies :)

Bellydancestore.com carries Hanan bra/belt sets as well. I think they're just not labeled by designer on the site.
...and about the "upside down" cups. The cheaper labels sometimes have seamstresses working for them who aren't exactly very experienced and these mistakes happen. Shahrzad at the bellydancestore.com usually notices and marks them down accordingly as she knows they will need "surgery".

I've bought two costumes from (Hanan dresses) and I was very pleased with the service. It was shipped quickly and her assistant answered all of my inquires.

I just love Hanan's costumes - They're great looking at an affordable price. I bought 2 bedlahs from Dahlal and I've got several compliments when I have worn them.