Thread: How do I warm-up a costume?

Hi Everyone,

This Sunday I'll be performing at an outdoor market and it's still really chilly in my neck of the woods (cold, windy, and rain). Any idea how I can still wear a bedlah, but not freeze in my covered canopy? What other kinds of costume ideas do you have of the warmer variety? Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Harem pants and a shrug of some kind with a body stocking and bedlah? (Shrugs are super fast and easy to make if you want to go this route. Or harem pants and a top with sleeves?

Anything velvet is warm.

Also, a velvet L-Rose type balady dress looks nice with bedlah if you have one.

Leggings under harems under skirts will do a lot to keep you warm. A turban won't go with a bedlah (unless you are very cute and the turban is very glitzy and retro), but it would keep your head warm.

A bigger question: how are you going to keep your hair looking good in wind and rain?

Also, think about your feet. Cold, wet feet are not fun; neither is ruining nice shoes in the rain!

Darn, I don't have a velvet balady dress, but I do have, leggings, harems and skirts. I could make a matching velvet shrug! Good advice ladies! Luckily, I'm supposedly going to have a canopy and they're rolling out the carpets for me--so no rain on the hair or wet feet. I have some cute shoes too, so that should be a help
: 0 ) Great suggestions! I should start putting together a costume now....

Get one of those stick on self heating pads for back pain and stick it lowe back under your harem pants. It will really help keep you warm. Make sure you warm up thoroughly before you dance.

at first i was going to suggest having ur costume do shimmy drills :P
the suggestions posted are good. do you have long gauntlets too? that might help

Not completely helpful for your situation but I will throw it out nonetheless as it has saved my freezing patooty during the winter: bring a hair dryer and warm up your costumes before and after you get into them. The hairdryer was my life saver for the coin costumes!

Originally Posted by Azhia

Not completely helpful for your situation but I will throw it out nonetheless as it has saved my freezing patooty during the winter: bring a hair dryer and warm up your costumes before and after you get into them. The hairdryer was my life saver for the coin costumes!

Girl, that is a good idea! I have suffered getting into an ice cold bedlah and it's no fun!!

Originally Posted by Souzan

Get one of those stick on self heating pads for back pain and stick it lowe back under your harem pants. It will really help keep you warm. Make sure you warm up thoroughly before you dance.

And that it is FIRMLY in place lest it slip and people think you've got the worlds biggest pad trapped at your ankles under your harems.

ROTFL

OK Here goes? Deep breath... Straight talking Northener (England) here
Why would you want to dance in a bedlah in a chilly market? Or outdoors at all?..c:: Runs for cover.....

I am assuming that you will survive the dancing without frostbite, but do not forget to bring a warm cover-up for before and after. Having gloves when you are done is also a nice little luxury, for when your body starts to cool off.

Too late for you to order them now, but I saw a troupe a few weeks ago who wore velvet ghawazee coats over they costumes. They looked fantastic. I just looked on Moondance Bellydance where one of them told me they got them, but I don't see the exact ones they had. Theirs were form fitting and gorgeous bright colors that went perfectly with the rest of their costumes.

Originally Posted by steffib

I am assuming that you will survive the dancing without frostbite, but do not forget to bring a warm cover-up for before and after. Having gloves when you are done is also a nice little luxury, for when your body starts to cool off.

i took a self defense class and the sensei told us always wear gloves, because putting your hands in your pockets will screw you if someone grabs you. not that that would happen to you, but it's a general tip^_^

most cab costumes tend to be polyester/nylon/other man-made materials, so that should help keep you warmer than if you had on cotton. in addition to what everyone else has said something like this for when you're not dancing: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMn62wNBi2A&feature=related]YouTube - Gilded Serpent reports- Gig Bag check #2- Jillina[/ame] it's like leg warmers for bellydance!

A full wig is like wearing a hat!

Originally Posted by FayrouzFarasha

A full wig is like wearing a hat!

And wig hairdos don't go flat in the rain!