Thread: What do you wear under the costume?

Hi!
Do you wear brief, bra, tights, sheer panty hose or stockings under your costume when performing? No underwear at all? Any boy shorts? Mesh underwear?
Anything else?
How do you feel more comfortable?
,r:;

Thanks,
Ana

It all depends on the costume!

Boy shorts are my fave under circle skirts, especially when they have high slits on the sides. Under tight lycra skirts, I usually do a thong to avoid panty-lines. If I'm wearing a skirt with cutouts around the hip, I'll wear a nude thong so the color of my side straps isn't distracting.

Rule of thumb? I try to match everything to the color of my costume. And I pin my skirts to my underwear. I have too many photos from my baby-dancer days of panties creeping out over the top of my skirts....

And Raqs Beaver is a UNIVERSAL faux pas!!!

always underwear!!!! I try to wear something that goes with my cossie or nude so it doesn't stand out. I don't wear anything daring so I don't really worry about anything showing that shouldn't.

I usually wear lycra bikini briefs from VS in a color as close to the costume as possible...often black since I tend toward darker colors anyway. They look a bit like the bloomers cheerleaders and other dancers wear. I'm not much for cutouts, so I don't have to worry about that.

As an old boss of mine once said "Semper Ubi, Sub Ubi" or in english...always wear under wear. LOL!
No ifs ands or butts about it!

There's an article about this on my web site: Belly Dance Costuming: What to Wear Under Your Costume?

tights ?...only at cold ren faire, ice skaters tights.
any other time, a "G" string with all pinned to it. thats all.

....they match my skin.sorry, ..color.lol

Originally Posted by zaynahcantara

As an old boss of mine once said "Semper Ubi, Sub Ubi" or in english...always wear under wear. LOL!
No ifs ands or butts about it!

*snort*

Stealing this!!!

I always use tan-coloured Mini-strings...only in my black-mesh dress a black mini-string.

Depends on the costume. If I am wearing a sheer circle skirt I wear dance briefs under it. I have gold & silver so at least if I flash someone it looks like part of my costume.
Otherwise a fleshtone thong...the smaller the better

Hrm, I wonder if it's better to wear "nude" toned underwear so it's not distracting, or black/matching your costume so if your skirt flies up, it's really obvious that you're wearing something so the audience doesn't spend the rest of your dance wondering, "is she wearing something under there??" instead of watching...

Depends on the costume. I have 3wonderful costumes with built in shorts already. I love them. They stay in place and move with me. I dance better in them than any others. Under the others, sturdy boy shorts that I pin the skirt to. I am not a "reveal your legs " person anyway but I hate my skirt twiddling round when I'm dancing. I like to put my costume on and forget it.

Originally Posted by Kat144

Hrm, I wonder if it's better to wear "nude" toned underwear so it's not distracting, or black/matching your costume so if your skirt flies up, it's really obvious that you're wearing something so the audience doesn't spend the rest of your dance wondering, "is she wearing something under there??" instead of watching...

Although there are some ballroom costumes that have skin-toned briefs sewn into the costume, consider this:

• Cheerleaders for pro football teams doing dance routines don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the outfit
• Ice skaters don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the costume
• Dancers on tv shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the costume
• Dancers in movie musicals and old television shows like Lawrence Welk didn't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wore full-coverage briefs that matched the rest of the costume.

So, I would suggest that the public is accustomed to seeing briefs that match the costume with all these other forms of entertainment. Except for samba, the public is accustomed to NOT seeing uncovered butt cheeks in other dance forms. And considering all the threads we've had recently about associations with stripping, could it be that the fact that we don't have these visible signs of being appropriately covered feeds the misconception?

What Satin said ( well, except for the panties creeping up above the skirt part, LOL, I was lucky to have escaped that!).

When its freezing and an outdoor gig, I'll layer tights underneath. But in those cases, I bust out my dance pants anyway... not wearing a circle skirt outdoors in the winter!

Originally Posted by Kat144

Hrm, I wonder if it's better to wear "nude" toned underwear so it's not distracting, or black/matching your costume so if your skirt flies up, it's really obvious that you're wearing something so the audience doesn't spend the rest of your dance wondering, "is she wearing something under there??" instead of watching...

I prefer matching my costume for exactly this reason. Usually bikinis under full skirts, thongs under lycra.

Some of my Lycra skirts I've sewn in nude boyshorts to hold them up! Under those I wear a thong.

I have one costume that's a sequined stretch mini with panels of chiffon that hang down. i have gold shiny boyshorts that I wear under that one.

It depends on the costume, I always try and match the costume color and I have several boy short style underthings. With cutouts I think it important for it to appear like there is nothing there at all, so some of the fancy ideas Shira discusses on her site seem smart.

In general, I'm against nude tone underthings if there is any chance whatsoever they might show, like with circle skirts. From a distance they still look naked, from closer up naked like a barbee doll, not a look I like. The exception being a mesh costume that has a nude-like effect and the the nude shorts or bra might show through the mesh and maintain a sort of uniformity with your skin tone showing through the mesh, but never seen without the mesh layer on top. I think this is cool with an all mesh look, however with mesh cutouts, I feel a differently about this approach and a nude toned undergarment doesn't cut it for me.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

So, I would suggest that the public is accustomed to seeing briefs that match the costume with all these other forms of entertainment. Except for samba, the public is accustomed to NOT seeing uncovered butt cheeks in other dance forms. And considering all the threads we've had recently about associations with stripping, could it be that the fact that we don't have these visible signs of being appropriately covered feeds the misconception?

I don't think a nude g-string is a terrible choice if your skirt is tight, and the slit isn't too high. Your odds of flashing cheek while wearing a trumpet skirt slit to the knee are slim to none

If the slit is a bit more daring, I usually bite the bullet and go for either boy shorts or a bikini-brief with thin side straps.

As with anything, it helps to practice in costume, with your undies of choice, the night before a gig! You know what they say about an ounce of prevention ..g.:

I actually saw these leggings at Joyce Leslie today that were covered from top to bottom in black sequins. They had silver, too. I thought those might be cute to wear under a circle skirt if you're doing floorwork or suffering through an outdoor show! ..g.:

I also noticed that Reda troupe was wearing what looked to be matching lycra shorts with their costumes.

I'm with Candi. I'm not a reveal-your-legs person, either. It's not a look I'm fond of. In fact, I've been known to stitch a slit a little more closed at the top, when I thought it was too high. I also don't ever wear skirts that are so sheer the legs can be clearly seen through them. However, when necessary, matching shorts are my choice.

The only problem I have with lycra shorts is that lycra doesn't breathe, and I tend to sweat a LOT, so I prefer to wear something cotton, if possible, such as cotton bikini undies. I would wear these even under the boy shorts, unless there was a really VPL that I thought would be too obvious. (I don't like the look or feel of thongs, and I find they simply don't do the job I need them to do, so that's not a good option for me, under lycra shorts.) (Sorry if that's all TMI.)

So, usually I'll wear nude cotton bikinis with a light-coloured costume and black cotton bikinis with a dark coloured costume.

I don't pin my skirt to my underwear, because if I lose my skirt, I don't want to lose my underwear, too. I don't wear my skirts/belts so low that the tops of bikini underwear would show, so that's not a problem for me.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Although there are some ballroom costumes that have skin-toned briefs sewn into the costume, consider this:

• Cheerleaders for pro football teams doing dance routines don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the outfit
• Ice skaters don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the costume
• Dancers on tv shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars don't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wear full-coverage briefs in colors that match the rest of the costume
• Dancers in movie musicals and old television shows like Lawrence Welk didn't wear skin-tone G-strings, they wore full-coverage briefs that matched the rest of the costume.

So, I would suggest that the public is accustomed to seeing briefs that match the costume with all these other forms of entertainment. Except for samba, the public is accustomed to NOT seeing uncovered butt cheeks in other dance forms. And considering all the threads we've had recently about associations with stripping, could it be that the fact that we don't have these visible signs of being appropriately covered feeds the misconception?

I have been flashed by someone is a trumpet skirt with a modest slit. Trust me, this was someone who should have known better and didn't.

I have a variety of undergarments which I wear. Hanes boy shorts and cotton bikinis are good. I try to match the colour of the skirt closest to my skin as possible. That way if I do flash, there is an illusion that it may have been the skirt! I do this with my trumpets as well as my circle skirts.

The only two exceptions to this: my orange dress which does not have any slits but mesh to my pubic bone and my gold one shoulder dress with mesh down the side. Those I wear flesh coloured mesh and lycra underwear with. It's the best I have been able to come up with.

{{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

As with anything, it helps to practice in costume, with your undies of choice, the night before a gig! You know what they say about an ounce of prevention ..g.:

and if you're going to be on a raised stage, put a camera on the floor angled a little up, so you can see from the audience's perspective, rather than looking down at your skirt in the mirror.

i think if i saw a nude g-string flash i would just think the girl had a Brazilian wax and i'd seen her business. if i saw a "natural" (black, brown, some shades of red) colored one i would say "oh look at that... the carpet matches the drapes....." my friend works at a dance store and did irish dance, her friends have done ballet and tap, the panties are PART of the costume.
for my trumpet skirt i wear boy shorts. (granted it's velvet and not super tight& thin lycra) if your panties fit right you shouldn't get panty lines. if the butt is compleatly covered it will be under your cheek, no line there. if they are making lines over your hip and thigh they are too small.
i actually wear my boy-shorts over my everyday underwear. im just more comfortable that way, and i really think of the shorts as part of the costume, not as my panties.
remember that clip of the girl who was spinning and her skirt FLEW off?

Originally Posted by Shalimah

I don't pin my skirt to my underwear, because if I lose my skirt, I don't want to lose my underwear, too. I don't wear my skirts/belts so low that the tops of bikini underwear would show, so that's not a problem for me.

exactly. they make low-rise panties now-a days. i still haven't found low-rise spankies, but low rise hipersters or boy shorts came out a few years ago. so i don't think the creeping over has to be an issue anymore.

It's getting cold and I thought of wearing pantyhose under a skirt which has a slit... I always dance with slippers, so toes won't be noticed...

Good idea, just make sure the fabric of the skirt doesn't cling to them!

Originally Posted by Sarahamh

Good idea, just make sure the fabric of the skirt doesn't cling to them!

I don't think so... It's lycra...

Oh, you'll be fine then. If you wear dance tights you could even decorate them with little glue on crystals?

I make matching boy shorts out of lycra :) takes 20 minutes and about $6. I always wear these with circle skirts. With tight costumes, without the chance of flashing, I don't wear the shorts.

my friend works at a dance store and did irish dance, her friends have done ballet and tap, the panties are PART of the costume.

And in Highland dance, the dress code set forth by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing actually specifies what color briefs are to be--for National costume, they're always white (regardless of whether you're wearing the white dress option or the aboyne option with a tartan skirt). For Highland dances they're either black, or "toning with the kilt" (blue kilt, blue briefs/red kilt, red briefs, etc. I personally wear black as there isn't a color made that matches my kilt, and I just like black better anyway). I do wear the boy-leg briefs, just to feel like I'm a bit more covered, but I've considered switching to short bike shorts (as I feel the briefs tend to ride up a bit in the legs). Probably would wear the same for belly dance, and intend on doing so for skating as well if I ever get around to wearing skirts instead of pants. Last thing i want to worry about while dancing or skating is either my (big) butt hanging out of my briefs or worrying if I tidied up the bikini line well enough...yeesh!

I wear swimsuit bottoms in coordinating colours even if I am wearing harem pants under my circle skirt. I wait until end of season sales to buy them in either bikini or boycut styles. I figure they are designs to shed water quickly so am not worried about sweating in them. Two big diaper pins through all layers including belt keeps all secure.