Thread: Tired of oogling at Common BD Costume sites

Hello ladies,

I have a full confession -my weakness -BEAUTIFUL ONLINE BELLY DANCE COSTUMES!!! ..l;, It's addicting and is a perfect tool for procrastinating.

However...

Some of these sites seem to never be updated, hope you may provide some insight! ,r:;


Bella --I've been oogling at the same custom order ones for the past year....does she ever upload anything new??? How do I order from her?

Sim Moda Evi -Last updated Jan 2010....Seems like a while ago

AUDRENA ----it seems her site is ALWAYS the same, as if there's nothing new really in costumes. I've been looking at the same pharaonixs since forever

bd store.biz----recycling old costumes as updated new ones so ppl will buy them

Legend ---how much do these cost??


Just wondering.... :)


PS -know of any other good sites for buying professional belly dance costumes??

Last time I looked, I THINK legend was around $750. I may be thinking of something totally different, but I think that's what she told me.
I look at Dahlal sometimes too....

oh and of course dahlal

The New Swapmeet Purchases thread and What Are You Working On, here on Bhuz, are good for some pretty costume viewing!

Yup, I hear ya. I'm totally burned out on Pharaonics, BDStore never has my sizes (or anything I really like), Dahlal messed up my custom order, and I still don't have a Bella or Sim password. I've been cruising the Swap Meet and eBay when I'm not placing custom orders through Bella. I've also been on a bling kick, adding a king's ransom of rhinestones and new fringe to basic stuff I find on eBay or wherever.

Legends cost around $750 USD, which includes shipping. I had an issue with a bra they sent me, and they fixed it to perfection. Good customer service, and now it's one of the most gorgeous and sparkly costumes I own.

I think the whole costume industry is suffering from overload. It is getting harder and harder to find anything really interesting or unique. Most everything looks like everything else. You can tell who the designer is because all their stuff is like a cookie cutter production line. The only exceptions I have seen are Aziz and Mumtaz right now. I am definitely getting my inspirations elsewhere. I don't even cruise the belly dance costume sites any more.

Originally Posted by sandyw239

Hello ladies...
Some of these sites seem to never be updated, hope you may provide some insight! ,r:;
Bella --I've been oogling at the same custom order ones for the past year....does she ever upload anything new??? How do I order from her?
AUDRENA ----it seems her site is ALWAYS the same, as if there's nothing new really in costumes. I've been looking at the same pharaonixs since forever
bd store.biz----recycling old costumes as updated new ones so ppl will buy them
Just wondering.... :)...

I can help a little.
For Bella- email her directly. If you go to the recent Show your Bella thread you'll find her email (and a lot of droolworthy costumes).
Audrena- I believe has been ordering less costumes for "on the rack" although I thought I saw a special on custom orders recently.
bellydancestore.com - They're not "recycling old costumes as updated new ones so ppl will buy them". Whenever new info is added or a change is made to a costume listing (fixed size, added measurements, took better picture, put on clearance, counted in inventory etc) the site automatically puts it to the front page. It's just a function of the program. The latest Eman shipment was about 6 weeks ago and the latest Pharaonics shipment about a month ago...and Shahrzad is heading back to Egypt soon. That's why there's a clearance, to make more room.

Originally Posted by dunyah

The New Swapmeet Purchases thread and What Are You Working On, here on Bhuz, are good for some pretty costume viewing!

Totally agreed! Always nice variety going on in the SWAP meet!

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I think the whole costume industry is suffering from overload. It is getting harder and harder to find anything really interesting or unique. Most everything looks like everything else. You can tell who the designer is because all their stuff is like a cookie cutter production line. The only exceptions I have seen are Aziz and Mumtaz right now. I am definitely getting my inspirations elsewhere. I don't even cruise the belly dance costume sites any more.

This seems in direct contradiction to the dilemma's above. "There's not enough being churned out" vs "Overload is stifling creativity."
I've seen some beautiful new stuff come out of Cairo. Some of the designers also have the means to re-create those pieces to meet the international demand. A portion of those are able to do so at a quality that meets the demands of a rigorous working dancer.
I don't think it's necessarily BAD to be able to look at a costume and say "ooooh, that's a lovely (insert name of designer)" - Each designer will have a unique "voice" in how they use fabric, beading, bra forms etc. Their "voice" working for / flattering figures of / complimenting many dancers is what leads to their popularity in the first place. This includes the design houses as well as the talented individuals creating out of their own home. ..g.:

I sure hope I get to see something new and exciting soon! The last time I was totally wowed was at Jillina's show. Her costumes were fabulous!
I guess I'm just bored! But I do agree with you. What about Aziz? Do you guys like his designs?

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I think the whole costume industry is suffering from overload. It is getting harder and harder to find anything really interesting or unique.

I'm feeling this way, too. And it's frustrating, as an artist, when you work so hard on refining your own unique visual presentation, and yet so many costumes have that mass-marketed look. I know it doesn't bother a lot of dancers, but it does bother me.

Sometimes, I even wonder if the top Egyptian designers are trying TOO hard to be unique. It's getting to a point where I see a dancer rocking a really classic-looking bedlah with lustrous fringe and interesting, lovingly handcrafted details, and I say, "Wow, that's different!"

Then again, that's just me. *shrug*

It seems to me that we are kinda spoiled, though: dancers flip through costumes quite quickly - wear it a few times, sell it, and get something new and more fabulous, and of course unique. And, it's not as if high end costumes are so rare, even Bellas have become pretty common, if the Bhuz swap meet is any indication. If one then also takes into account that dancers have a lot of disposable income to spend on costumes, it is no wonder that the designers and vendors can't keep up with the customers who expect them to continuously churn out new designs.

Originally Posted by steffib

If one then also takes into account that dancers have a lot of disposable income to spend on costumes, it is no wonder that the designers and vendors can't keep up with the customers who expect them to continuously churn out new designs.

And then it's a catch-22....maybe if costumes were more unique and special, we might hang on to them a little longer!

But I know what you mean. There is a bit of pressure to always revamp, always re-invent, and never wear the same thing twice. I do mostly private gigs, so technically it doesn't matter - but if you work in a restaurant, you've gotta stay fresh.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

And then it's a catch-22....maybe if costumes were more unique and special, we might hang on to them a little longer!

But I know what you mean. There is a bit of pressure to always revamp, always re-invent, and never wear the same thing twice. I do mostly private gigs, so technically it doesn't matter - but if you work in a restaurant, you've gotta stay fresh.

I think that a lot of this "pressure" is home-made and comes from other dancers. In the old days, dancers worked in restaurants and clubs every weekend, without access to the Bhuz swap meet and without access to a dozen online stores, yet somehow, they managed. I highly doubt that a lot of restaurant patrons actually frequent restaurants every single week and care when the weekly scheduled dancer who has 4 costumes in rotation shows up in the same bedlah she wore last month, especially if she combines it with a different skirt and different music.

Sure, if one dances twice a week in a high-end, high-profile, high-paying place, then things are a bit different - but how many dancers outside of Las Vegas, D.C., NYC and other major cities really have these jobs?

ETA - sorry if this comes across as negative towards the dancers who enjoy their costumes, which is really not my intention; I adore my costume-obsessed friends. I just think that these are the golden days of belly dance costuming that make it possible for them to indulge.

Originally Posted by steffib

dancers flip through costumes quite quickly - wear it a few times, sell it, .....dancers have a lot of disposable income to spend on costumes,......

speak for yourself! ..l;,

I believe that if you have reached a high level in your dance you must have something unique that reflects who you are. That is where ordering custom from a designer comes in. Now that it is so easy for everyone to get costumes online you go to a show and can recognize what everyone is wearing. That's what I don't like. I don't want my designs to be recognized immediately. I want someone to be intrigued enough to ask who the designer is. And I like to do do short runs of designs. No more than 5 or 6. I am just seeing a lot of cookie cutter similar stuff out there. Like I said I don't even get inspiration from belly dance sites anymore.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I believe that if you have reached a high level in your dance you must have something unique that reflects who you are. That is where ordering custom from a designer comes in. Now that it is so easy for everyone to get costumes online you go to a show and can recognize what everyone is wearing. That's what I don't like. I don't want my designs to be recognized immediately. I want someone to be intrigued enough to ask who the designer is. And I like to do do short runs of designs. No more than 5 or 6. I am just seeing a lot of cookie cutter similar stuff out there. Like I said I don't even get inspiration from belly dance sites anymore.

the most memorable costumes i've seen are usually the ones the dancers made themselves. I remember Sadiyya wearing this GORGEOUS costume for a fusion piece here in Orlando last year and it was sooo pretty. not sure if she ended up selling it here on bhuz or not but it was soo beautiful and i think she said she made it? and the prettiest stuff i've seen lately is vintage-y too, so hard to determine a certain designer

Originally Posted by steffib

I think that a lot of this "pressure" is home-made and comes from other dancers.

I agree Steffi and sometimes, I think we on bhuz get spoiled, we have threads about designers, the bella thread, the swap meet, etc and I like to think that we are in general a pretty savvy bunch.

But we're a small cross section of dancers in the world - I would take a bet that at least half the dancers I know have never heard of Aziz, Mumtaz, even Legend or Sim, let alone be able to pick them out. Or be interested in wearing them.

Maybe we are having collective bhuz awesomeness overload.

Originally Posted by steffib

I highly doubt that a lot of restaurant patrons actually frequent restaurants every single week and care when the weekly scheduled dancer who has 4 costumes in rotation shows up in the same bedlah she wore last month, especially if she combines it with a different skirt and different music.

Exactly what was going through my mind too!

Originally Posted by steffib

If one then also takes into account that dancers have a lot of disposable income to spend on costumes...

I don't have a lot of disposable income for costumes. My dance pays my bills and goes into running the business, dance education, music etc first. Costumes come after that.
There ARE some dancers who pay their bills with a day job or who have Husband or Mommy paying the majority of their bills. Some of these gals can portion all their dance money back into dancing. They may have more disposable income to spend on costumes (lucky them!) .

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

...But I know what you mean. There is a bit of pressure to always revamp, always re-invent, and never wear the same thing twice. I do mostly private gigs, so technically it doesn't matter - but if you work in a restaurant, you've gotta stay fresh.

I've never felt from a restaurant or club (or regular patrons) pressure to re-invent or "never wear the same thing twice."
I think for the most part there is more pressure from other dancers. Not necessarily intentional of course. But just the social pressure.
There's also the simple desire for something new and shiny to amp up the excitement. That's a valid part of wanting new costumes. ..g.:

Originally Posted by steffib

...Sure, if one dances twice a week in a high-end, high-profile, high-paying place, then things are a bit different - but how many dancers outside of Las Vegas, D.C., NYC and other major cities really have these jobs?

The regular gigs still aren't paying THAT much. Regular patrons DO expect to see the same costume. If it's one they love, they're happy to see it again. They also however comment on the new ones. They notice and appreciate them (as does staff). Belly dancers may be jaded about costumes - but the general public doesn't suffer the same overexposure to it that we do. The pressure isn't coming primarily from them.

Originally Posted by steffib

I just think that these are the golden days of belly dance costuming that make it possible for them to indulge.

I agree with you on this. American belly dancers used to have to go through the OMG time consuming process of making their own costume. There was NO WAY to have the extensive costume wardrobes we can have now.
We have the luxury of choosing now- in a wide variety of price ranges and a wide variety of styles.
There is more pressure from other dancers (and from ourselves) to wear something new/different than from clubs, restaurants or regular patrons. That's what I see anyway.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

I've never felt from a restaurant or club (or regular patrons) pressure to re-invent or "never wear the same thing twice."
I think for the most part there is more pressure from other dancers. Not necessarily intentional of course. But just the social pressure.
There's also the simple desire for something new and shiny to amp up the excitement. That's a valid part of wanting new costumes. ..g.:

You know, I've never really felt that type of pressure myself (maybe because I don't really dance in restaurants), but a lot of dancers talk about feeling a need to mix up their wardrobes on regular gigs. Probably all depends on your market and where you perform.

Back when my teacher was performing regularly in restaurants several times a week, she had about 5-6 amazing vintage bedlah that she paired with all different skirts, and nobody ever complained because she always looked smashing. Some dancers work with a fairly modest rotation, but they really know how to rock what they've got.

As for me, I do get a bug up my arse to revamp every 6 months or so, but that has more to do with my own ADOS (attention deficit - "ooh shiny!") than what I think clients or dancers might think of me

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

There's also the simple desire for something new and shiny to amp up the excitement. That's a valid part of wanting new costumes. ..g.:

Now, you're talking!..l;,

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

As for me, I do get a bug up my arse to revamp every 6 months or so, but that has more to do with my own ADOS (attention deficit - "ooh shiny!") than what I think clients or dancers might think of me

..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

I don't have a lot of disposable income for costumes. My dance pays my bills and goes into running the business, dance education, music etc first. Costumes come after that.
There ARE some dancers who pay their bills with a day job or who have Husband or Mommy paying the majority of their bills. Some of these gals can portion all their dance money back into dancing. They may have more disposable income to spend on costumes (lucky them!).

Well, it is a probably safe to assume that as one of the top-tier dancers in one of the most competitive markets in the U.S., and as one of the few full-time dancers who lives in a city with a high cost of living, you're probably an outlier among the customers of Dahlal or the Bellydance Store; I suspect that most costumes are purchased by dancers who have non-dance day jobs that pay the mortgage. I may be wrong here, but the full-time dancers I know don't rotate their sparklies that frequently, while my wonderful friends who dazzle me with new costumes have mundane jobs to cover things like car payments or vet bills.

Still, compared to the cost of a pair of non-bargain shoes, or a prom dress, or a dinner out, or a more fancy Starbucks drink, which are fairly normal expenses for most people, a dance costume is not all that outrageous. (Just to make sure I do not misrepresent myself: We live modestly; my beloved and well-used Gaggia espresso machine is an Ebay find, for instance. I have to admit that I over-spend on BD music and books.)