Thread: Help! My Costume Needs Surgery!

I’m in a student troupe, and our costumes this year are bedlahs with 25 yard skirts and harem pants. I was getting ready for our dress rehearsal today, and I discovered that my top doesn’t fit any more. In fact, none of my bedlah tops fit – not that they would match my skirt anyway. I ended up wearing a tribal style costume to the rehearsal because I couldn’t fit into anything.

We have a show next Saturday, and I don’t have a huge amount of free time to spend fixing my costume because I know I’m going to have a long week at work. My goal is to fix it before the weekend is over. I am putting my plea for help here because I want to fix it right the first time. I hope someone can offer me some advice to fix my top so it will work and I’ll have a chance of finishing it in time. I have some extra length on the straps, and I thought that by adding some length I could alleviate the smushed chest look. I think moving them further to the outer edges of the cups might help too. Otherwise, I thought if I shortened up the bottom of the 2 rib bands it would help angle the cups up instead of them being so horizontal. Does this sound like it will work?

I really hope this isn’t a lost cause! Please let me know if my ideas will work or if you have a better solution. Thank you in advance! I’m feeling pretty frustrated since none of my handmade costumes fit right now.

I’ve included some photos to help you see what my costume looks like and to horrify you into a coma. The first photo is my bedlah with the skirt. The second is when the costume fit! The third is evidence of the horror! My last photo has my possible solutions.

I have added more material to the top of the cups to mine, just so I wouldn't have to take it apart.

But, someone who is really good at this (too many members to name) will post. It is the weekend, so they might be working.

If you have Facebook, Ozma has a costume fan page. She could give you some tips. Easy to add no waiting and you can drop her a line. Login | Facebook She lives in Japan so she is usually on at night and yet it is the working weekend.

Or, this link gives some suggestions too.

Buying A Costume That Fits From the Belly Dance With K Boutique

yes, it is the working weekend, but i'm pst so not quite yet ;)

do you have a few hours to spend on this project?
if yes, i suggest solution #1:
remove all straps, including back straps.
angle the cups in like a wonderbra.
attach the centerpiece to hold the bra at the proper angle to smoosh you in, not up and out
reattach the back straps to the proper tightness. if you can get 3 fingers under the band, its too loose.
finally, reattach the bra straps. right now they are in the most smooshing position possible imo. see below for bra strap moving suggestions:

do this in solution #1 or can be its own, lesser solution #2
do you need to wear a double halter?
you would probably be better off with an x back, relieving pressure.
are they long enough to be x-back shoulder straps instead?
if yes, attach the straps close to the outer edge like you suggested, then sew the other end far towards the end of its *own* back strap.
when worn, the straps will make an x and pull the pressure to your back instead of up to your chin.

good luck!

eta: forgot to mention. i can't tell from the pic if thats a molded bra or lined with pink with padding in the bottom. if its padding, take it out. you will have more room.

Ha! You are three hours behind me, so lol... I figured everyone on the West side was primping and the East side shaking. lmao!

Originally Posted by bdaddiction

Ha! You are three hours behind me, so lol... I figured everyone on the West side was primping and the East side shaking. lmao!

see, good timing :) off to paint and primp for my 7:30....

Here's a photo of the back. It's an x-back right now. The two straps join together at about the shoulder. The reason I had two straps on the front was because I was worried about gapping when I made it because I was a lot flatter then. I guess I hit puberty over the summer. ,r:;

I'll check out Ozma's fan page too. I figured this could be solved with a cup repositioning because I saw a costume that she did that to on her blog a while ago.

I'll try to take the beast apart tonight, but I'll wait to see if anyone else shares their wisdom before I try to put it together.

That pink is the bra itself. It looks a little lumpy because I squished it when I was trying to get the ribcage band pulled to the sides. I never got around to even sewing lining in it because I only wore it once.

Is it possible that the whole thing simply is not in the right place? It looks very, very odd to me.

I would try to push the whole bra up by 2 inches - not by pulling on the straps, but rather by holding the underwires, and positioning them higher up on your body.

After that, I would try the strap modifications.

Originally Posted by steffib

Is it possible that the whole thing simply is not in the right place? It looks very, very odd to me.

I would try to push the whole bra up by 2 inches - not by pulling on the straps, but rather by holding the underwires, and positioning them higher up on your body.

After that, I would try the strap modifications.

It does look "very, very odd." My husband was just laughing at me when he saw why I was so frustrated when I was trying to get ready this morning. He thought it was even funnier when I told him that next week's performance is at the children's stage at a local festival!

I was wearing it as high as I could without having any underboob. It just squishes everything that much! I took the cups from a strapless bra, and I positioned them like they were on the original.

I better get off the computer and find my seam ripper!

If you get underboob, the bottom part of the band needs to be adjusted so that the bottom of the bra molds to the body. In the picture, that part (the bottom band) looks very, very long. I learned that the boobies should rest in the cup supported like from a shelf below, the straps are not the primary support. (Not sure whether that is the last word, but that works for me.)

What I meant by underboob is that the underwire is up as high as it can go while still on my ribcage. There’s just no way I can wear it any higher.

I suspected that the bottom band was too long for me now. I have the whole thing ripped apart now, and I think shortening that bottom band and lengthening the top will help tip the cups like Sabrina suggested too.

I only hope I can put it back together! I really appreciate all of these suggestions. This is such a great help!

it looks as though there's no depth to the cups & that the top itself is super tight on you. Shallow or nearly flat cups pulled tight would give the look of squishing your girls flat or forcing them up/out..

The length of the side bands was causing the cups to flatten out a lot, so that is the biggest change I’m making. Here is a new photo with the alterations I plan to make. Does this look like it will work? I had to remove the center strap too to get the cups at a bigger angle, which I was hoping I wouldn't have to do because I'll need to add more fringe.

Does it look like I'm on the right track? Does it look like I'll need to make any other adjustments?

I agree. Do you have a photo of what it looked like when it did fit? It's difficult for me to imagine how you can modify this to accommodate your breasts. It seems like the cups aren't deep enough and won't be able to "cup" you properly.

Originally Posted by TexasRuya

it looks as though there's no depth to the cups & that the top itself is super tight on you. Shallow or nearly flat cups pulled tight would give the look of squishing your girls flat or forcing them up/out..

I'm gonna make my ubiquitous suggestion that you take a strip of 3" wide stretch sequins in green or gold and sew it to the top of the bra cups to add size to the cups. The sequins will also shape to your breasts. However, the bra looks really small on you - are there any other options?

I put the parts back together. Is this something I can wear in public? I'd like a second opinion before I start with the beads, fringe, and sequins.

It's a lot barer than I'd like, but I just don't have the time to add fabric to the top and move up the gold design and fringe to the top so it matches the belt. (If I'm going to do that, I might as well just make a new top.) Can I just wear a really big necklace or neck scarf for some added modesty?

Looks fine in the picture. Are you in danger of coming out of the bra? If not then go for it. You can always tape or glue the girls in if that is an issue. Take it for a violent shimmy spin!

Originally Posted by Karnak

I put the parts back together. Is this something I can wear in public? I'd like a second opinion before I start with the beads, fringe, and sequins.

It's a lot barer than I'd like, but I just don't have the time to add fabric to the top and move up the gold design and fringe to the top so it matches the belt. (If I'm going to do that, I might as well just make a new top.) Can I just wear a really big necklace or neck scarf for some added modesty?

Seriously - go get 3" wide gold or green stretch sequin trim and sew it along the top of the cups. It will fix your coverage problem quickly and easily.

ETA - it actually looks like 1.5" width (or thereabouts) would work for you just as well.

Originally Posted by Karnak

I put the parts back together. Is this something I can wear in public? I'd like a second opinion before I start with the beads, fringe, and sequins.

It's a lot barer than I'd like, but I just don't have the time to add fabric to the top and move up the gold design and fringe to the top so it matches the belt. (If I'm going to do that, I might as well just make a new top.) Can I just wear a really big necklace or neck scarf for some added modesty?

I think moving straps/cups worked wonders, but I also agree with Tamra that just 2cm or so of additional fabric at the tops of the bra would make it look less risky and more your size. As is it no longer looks uncomfortable but there is still the "how close to that line are the nipples?" worry.

Originally Posted by ozma

I think moving straps/cups worked wonders, but I also agree with Tamra that just 2cm or so of additional fabric at the tops of the bra would make it look less risky and more your size. As is it no longer looks uncomfortable but there is still the "how close to that line are the nipples?" worry.

I hate feeling like my nipples are hanging on for dear life.

Bdaddiction, Sabrina, Steffib, Ruya, Kiyaana, Tamra, FayrouzFarasha, and Ozma, thank you so much for taking the time to help me out! I am just so frustrated right now because I have 3 bedlahs that I made that don’t fit. I now feel silly for being this upset over clothing!

I really didn’t want to add anything to the top edge unless I was going to have the time to move the design and fringe up too, which would require removing all the bead and sequins and sewing them back down. I just don’t have the time to do that, and it is more important to have a well-fitting costume that a nice looking one.

I just got back from shopping, and the sequins trim looked like garbage. It was so cheap looking and it wasn’t the right type of gold. (I’ve seen better sequins trim before, and I’ve never really been a fan, but this stuff was just crappy.) I bought some gold braid trim that’s ½” wide. It’s the best I could find, and I really don’t want people worried I’m about to pop out of my costume. I could probably add two strips if any of you think I should just in case. The top fits fine, and I’m not in danger of falling out. I don’t want anyone to worry and I don’t want my classmates to be embarrassed. I guess this will have to do for now.

I’ll try to get the trim added first before I bother beading to see if this will work. Do you think I should add trim to the top edge of the belt to help maintain unity?

can you work the cup angle any more? when i said angle the cups in, i meant really in like this one hallah made for me
Sabrina, Award Winning Belly Dancer, San Diego, California
the cups are really on a diagonal. it gives more depth for the girls to sit in on the sides so you don't pop out the top.
also...get some toupee tape and tape the girls in. it will give you peace of mind.

I just don't think I can angle the cups much more, but I can give it another try if I can find some more time. The original bra was a very horizontal strapless one, and when I first put it together I recreated the original proportions.

Does anyone think I could just get by with wearing a shirt underneath it for this weekend? I've seen some women wear the tights-t-shirts under their tops before, and I thought I might give that a try before I take it apart again. I thought if I bought some opaque tights to make into a shirt it would make everyone a little more comfortable.

Karnak, from your original, non-fitting picture, to your recent, adjusted-everything pic, it looks a LOT more comfortable and like it fits again. A wonderful change! -- How does it feel while it's on?

It looks like it's going to be good.

These bhuzers are The Best! Yeah!

PS That long red hair is gorgeous! Great pic!

How about 2 triangular pieces of fabric gathered under the cups and sewn in between the lining and over the existing straps to give the bra a fabric halter illusion effect? Start under the arms and finish at the plunge. Gather the fabric with a basting stitch and then sew onto the cups. Most effective to use the same fabric as your skirt.

I recall that I once saw a simple, yet effective use of a veil: Center of the veil secured at the center of the bra, then lead along the straps (bunched up) and then the veil ends draped over the shoulders, hanging and adding swoosh in the back. I thought that was mighty cool for an emergency. Somewhat similar to Anala's suggestion, but more temporary.

I once saw Dalia C do an Indian to Spanish fusion number in one song. The on the fly costume change was the very descreet removal of a narrow oblong scarf draped behind her neck, crossed over her breasts and then tied behind her back under her costume bra.

Anala, I'm having a hard time picturing your second suggestion, but I like your idea of adding more fabric that matches my skirt to the top. Otherwise, I could try the veil suggestion for a temporary solution.

I need to work on beading all of the replacement parts, and then I'll figure out what to do to add more coverage.

Keep the ideas coming! This has been so helpful!

Well, I don't have suggestions, but how is it coming, Karnak?

I'm almost done re-beading. I think I'm going to sew some gathered triangles of fabric (same as my skirt) along the top edges of the cups and under the straps. I'm still debating if I should stop the fabric at the shoulders, or just go under the straps all the way to the back. Does anyone have any suggestions?

All the way around the back wont give a nice look under the arms...too much fabric. OH WAIT... this is not a halter style is it? In that case I think I would stop at the shoulders. It could be that the fabric is made halter style, that way you have 2 support systems.