Thread: 1960s tulle skirts?

I know I've seen Youtube clips of Eygptian dancers from the 1960s (I think that was the era) wearing big pouffy tulle skirts. I thought that would be an interesting costume direction, but now I can't find them. Has anybody seen a picture of this look lately?

No, but I know the look you're talking about. It looks like layers and layers...yummy!

Like this?

Like this starting at 3:40-ish:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfhMMapFBCU]YouTube - Soad Hosni, Azza Sheriff, Taheya[/ame]

ETA: I'm not sure this is tulle, but it's wonderful - I'm looking through my vids to see if I can find the exact skirt I'm thinking of.

Both the red and the purple look like tulle to me - the red being more fuller though.

I don't think the skirt in the video clip is tulle.

You can achieve this look by making 2 three-panel circle skirts out of chiffon and wearing them both at the same time, with the front slits aligned. Instructions are on my web site here: How to Make a Belly Dance Circle Skirt - An Online Costume Pattern

That skirt's pretty full and puffy. Perhaps it's a layer of chiffon over one or two layers of tulle?

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

YouTube - Soad Hosni, Azza Sheriff, Taheya

Oooo, what movie is this?

Originally Posted by MelanieLA

Oooo, what movie is this?

It's Kelli Bellak Min Zouzou (sp? - Watch Out For Zouzou) from 1972. I have a copy I got from Rashid's, but the subtitles are black, unfortunately, and hard to read. I always wished that it would be discovered by Netflix and released with good subtitles.

The skirt looks like is the same material as the veil in which case it's definitely not tulle. It looks like that itchy fabric my mom used to make me wear when I was a kid. I don't know the name for it, but it's stiffer than chiffon and has a sheen to it.

Nylon Tricot. I have a skirt from this era made from this. Even with stuff on the bottom, it's poofy.

{{{HUGS}}}

The purple skirt might be a thin tricot, but I'm not sure about the red one. Tricot tends to be more opaque than chiffon, at least at lingerie weight, but not always.

I don't think the red one is tulle, though. Tulle is a mesh and it tends to be kind of catchy, even with the softer weaves, and I don't think it would move that well. I'm wondering if maybe it is a very thin organza, since it has a bit of a sheen to it. Assuming the red skirt and veil are the same fabric, the veil doesn't move like normal chiffon, so I'd agree it's probably something else. I don't think you'd get that fluffy effect on the skirt from chiffon either (even with a lot of it), unless maybe you starched it a bit or something. If you compare it to the full skirt Samia is wearing, which does look like chiffon, you can see it reacts differently while she's dancing. When they spin, the chiffon twists closer to the body and flares out lower down, but the red one flares up almost all the way to the belt.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNRS4D6qLso]YouTube - Samia Gamal Belly dance in Ali Baba and the 40 thieves (danse orientale)[/ame]

I am thinking it may be an organza as well. I used to have an organza skirt and veil that moved a lot like that and had that same kind of volume to it. It could also be one of the stiffer chiffons that existed back then, but isn't common anymore now. I have found some very sturdy chiffon on old dresses from that time frame that would probably mimic the same body as the organza.

I haven't ever seen a tulle circle skirt that had any flow to it, but it could just be the ones I have seen which were all very stiff with a pretty open weave.

I was also thinking organza, the fabric used for some wings. If the organza has a polished finish it will add even more fullness. Yummy indeed. I do miss the full swishy skirts. Fitted lycra and minis are nice but the old school style has always been my fav. I will admit I also love bedlahs with mucho fringe - love the term Fringe Monsters. The minimalist costumes do not appeal to me. Guess it's a good thing Middle Eastern dancers are such a diverse group otherwise everyone would be wearing the same costumes and dancing to the exact same music.

I used to have a tricot skirt from the early 70s and it was super sheer and had that look too it. I am not over fond of that fabric so I would be tempted to try organza as some other folks mentioned (or maybe floaty chiffon over organza).

Thanks Tamrahenna, I will check it out :)

i've seen one in tulle on ebay and got it, but it fit my friend at the time, so she ended up with it, it was 2 layers of tulle, probably about 20 years old.....not sure if there are pics of it....thi kind of stuff used for petticoats and fluffy tutu's :p

Thanks, everyone! Yes, I think it's more likely Nylon tricot.

I, too, haven't found the clip I was specifically thinking of, but have found several others:

Suheir Zaki
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfujxkBGBu4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfujxkBGBu4[/ame]

Suheir Zaki
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pEbogQUM-g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pEbogQUM-g[/ame]

Suheir Zaki
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iup6iQHzRqc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iup6iQHzRqc[/ame]

Nahed Sabri
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7BmUcmGQtg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7BmUcmGQtg[/ame]

the lady in the middle of the stage, seen on & off from 1:58-4:42
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2_MCtC9lGU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2_MCtC9lGU[/ame]

Fifi Abdou. You can kind of see it from 0:42 – 0:50, but the “artistic” camera angles & mid-scene costume change interfere
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akFeH5lOxQc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akFeH5lOxQc[/ame]

Ooh, one more: Nagwa Fouad.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuALxe26wLU]YouTube - Nagwa Fouad[/ame]

Someday, I am going to have to imitate this belly dance ballgown look!

Fifi Abdou. You can kind of see it from 0:42 – 0:50, but the “artistic” camera angles & mid-scene costume change interfere

This is the best film EVER! What do you think was in their coffee???

Originally Posted by Athallia

The skirt looks like is the same material as the veil in which case it's definitely not tulle. It looks like that itchy fabric my mom used to make me wear when I was a kid. I don't know the name for it, but it's stiffer than chiffon and has a sheen to it.

Yeah, and I hated it! I felt like one of those little umbrellas you see in tropical drinks!