Thread: Dance costume trends?

Originally Posted by Zobeida

hot stuff.

please tell me you still own this costume. it seems too precious to sell.

The blue and white one I still own but it's far too small for me to wear now. I've put on a bit of weight since I retired from the stage. Dancing until dawn sure helped keep me in shape!

Ozma raises a good point

I only have one SIM at the moment and would reserve wearing it for a high paid gig. Having less expensive but durable costume separates is a good idea, you can change up a costume appearance pretty easy with a few basic items.

Maybe we'll see the return of We3 items ..g.:

I've been considering making some simple silk separates again..plain silk skirts, bra covers, veil sets.

What is our demographic ? Most dancers are probably student or non-professional dancers, right?

Last month in Egypt the legs had it. I saw miniskirts, carwarsh skirts, double fronts slits, people lifting their skirts way, way up to show off their legs, or mesh across the thighs on just about every single local dancer.

I don't know if it'll carry over here (I'm assuming your friend is in the States?) but it definitely seemed like a trend to me.

Norma, your costumes rock! I love that teal and gold one! That super long fringe coming off the bra looks really great in your spin. Does it look more like a baby-doll style dress when you are standing still?

one definite trend I've seen and I think it's here to say: less fringe. Almost none. I was never a fan of the madame Abla type overkill fringe costumes. (I have one for sale, though :)

I have seen a lot of chunky beads, with loops of 2s-3s, and I have been making a lot of costumes like that. You have to invest in better quality beads but it's a lot less work. And overall it's pretty and is the style now, based on what I've seen.

I have also seen a lot of complicated cuts / tailoring (in the past couple of years), I wouldn't even attempt those. As well as a lot of rouching / gathering.

Lately, I have seen a lot of double front slits and I really like it now - all my costumes have 1 slit, so now I am in favor of the 2 slit (lycra or full skirt).

My feeling would be that the leggy/look (mini skirt, double slits) will carry over here, we're already seeing those. I'm not sure how long it would stay, though.

I also agree with the mix and match concept. I love lycra skirts, so what I am starting to do is to make the bra, the skirt, and then a separate belt with the beading on it. For one, it's easier to bead a belt than a stretchy fabric, I feel more secure with a belt over my butt (you know, jiggling, etc :) ) and then I can paid the bra and belt with a full skirt of the same color, or if it's a versatile color I can use a lot of other skirts. This way you money will stretch very long.
What I also like to do is to make different sleeves, armbands and waistbands - there are several ways to attach a waistband to the skirt or the bra, and these will have a slightly different look.

Originally Posted by crystalllized

Norma, your costumes rock! I love that teal and gold one! That super long fringe coming off the bra looks really great in your spin. Does it look more like a baby-doll style dress when you are standing still?

Actually yes, although the idea for the design was based on the old Empire waist gowns of the early 1800's. I sold that costume a few years ago. It was a show stopper, especially when I spinned. I sure hope fringe makes a comeback. It's heavy and you need to be in good shape to wear a lot of fringe but it definitely makes a statement. All of my costumes were one of a kind, custom made. As a baby dancer I bought used costumes off of dancers who made their own costumes. Later I had two costume designers. The teal and gold and the blue and white that you ladies have complimented me on were made by by teacher Princess Madiha. My friend Shadia made most of my costumes such as the black and ab stones, the white and turquoise and the orange and fushcia.

My teacher always used to say that the costume was 90% of the dance. If you wanted to stand out and be a professional you needed to look the part. If you could dance good as well you're career was made. I have to say working in Detroit with a large ME population it was very important to have high class, unique costumes. On one thread I mentioned that back in the day we used to come to work in evening gowns. Well you should see how the female patrons came dressed. Imagine your most formal wedding. That was the nightclub scene. So as the dancer or the singer, we had to outdo what the average patron looked like. The minute we walked in the club they had to know by our hair, makeup, clothes that we were the stars of the show.

I don't see that too much anymore. It's more a minimalist natural girl next door look. Dolly Parton vs. Amy Winehouse.

I'm one of those dancers whose "fun money" has been restricted by the economic times. And I need a different bedleh for a troupe event we have coming up, so I'm making it myself. As I've been stitching the sequins and beads to the costume and coming up with designs for embellishment, I've been thinking of different design elements of BD costumes and here's what I've come up with:

- fit
- colour
- texture (here's where your chiffon, lycra, ruching, etc. comes in)
- sparkle/light play
- movement (i.e, fringe, "swoosh", etc.)

If your friend could find interesting ways to play with these elements while enabling dancers to make the most of their costumes, she could hit a wide market and make a great name for herself.

Trends are fine and all, but IMO, in this market where we have to make the most of our costumes, classic and stylish are extremely appealing to me because I know I won't look like a fool when I pull my costume out next year, or try to sell it in two years.

Just my HO.