Thread: Do You Recognize this Costume?

I bought a beautiful cherry red bedlah on the Swapmeet from Yasmilah a few years ago, and I have always wondered where it might have come from and who designed it. The sequin work is different than anything I have seen before. The collective costume experience of Bhuz is vast, so I figured I would post pics and maybe someone might recognize the style or the actual costume. The belt is an Egyptian butt cupper with scalloped edges. It looks vintage, but there are no tags or identifying marks and Yasmilah didn't remember where she picked it up at.





Thanks!

I used to have a very old bella with similar beading

I thought the sideways sequin work was usually Turkish...?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I thought the sideways sequin work was usually Turkish...?

I've seent this bedlah in action on Hanem (who wears it beautifully, BTW) and am not sure if its Turkish although it does have that "standing" Turkish style sequin work. The shape is more Egyptian with cupped butt and cut straight across the front but with a lovely scalloped edge. But then a lot of Bellas seem to have that same shape with decorative edges. Its a mystery! But a beautiful one.

its quite gorgeous!!!

Very pretty!!!!!
I hope you can find out who designed it, so we can stalk him/her to make more bedlahs like this ;)

oooh, I miss this one! So pretty.

I hope someone recognizes the designer, too!

Originally Posted by yasmilah

oooh, I miss this one! So pretty.

I hope someone recognizes the designer, too!

I'm so glad I bought this from you! This bedlah is definitely The Magic Costume for me. I hate taking it off!

And thanks to Souzan for the compliment! She is right, the belt shape is totally Egyptian, yet the sequin work looks Turkish. It is a puzzle.

OOOOOOO....holy crow....since we're body doubles, if and when you sell it think of me!

Looking at it again, it definetely looks like old skool bella to me. Wished I had some pics to show you but none of them are digital

Originally Posted by haven

I'm so glad I bought this from you! This bedlah is definitely The Magic Costume for me. I hate taking it off!

I'm so glad it went to such a loving owner, and that it worked out so well for you!

I worked on Ezma's vintage Bella and the beading was just like this. Hers has the standard Turkish V belt, but the beading was just like this and it also had pailettes on it. I think hers had a tag on it though.

Originally Posted by shahla

I worked on Ezma's vintage Bella and the beading was just like this. Hers has the standard Turkish V belt, but the beading was just like this and it also had pailettes on it. I think hers had a tag on it though.

Are there pictures of it anywhere? I googled "ezma bellydancer" and came up with a shot of a green and gold set that has similar looking sequin work.

New York City Belly Dancer Esma

I will take a picture of my bella, hang on…

Originally Posted by EzmaSiddiqah

I will take a picture of my bella, hang on…

Ooo! Ezma, not Esma! And thanks for helping solve the mystery!

Originally Posted by EzmaSiddiqah

I will take a picture of my bella, hang on…

Pieces of the sequin work are very similar, but yours is a lot fancier than mine. What are the bra cups shaped like under all that beady goodness?

And thanks some more!

bra cups are round and awesome, perfect shape for boobs!!

I want to know how that beading was done!!! It's gorgeous.

Originally Posted by EzmaSiddiqah

bra cups are round and awesome, perfect shape for boobs!!

I think we should send that quote around to every costume designer alive: PLEASE NOTE: bra cups should be round and awesome, the perfect shape for boobs.

My caps are actually a little flat (kind of Pharaonix like), but who knows if that was always the case. I noticed that salmon vintage Bella in the swap meet this morning, it looks like it has some similar sequin work too.

I used to have a costume with very similar shape and beading - around the early 2000s. It was before there was so much emphasis on knowing the designer/brand names, so I don't know who it was by and it didn't have tags. I do remember that when I bought it, it was described as "wedding cake Turkish beading, but from Egypt."

I hope you find the designer! :) Mine was incredibly sturdy and never lost a single bead/sequin. I eventually sold it because I didn't wear the color as much anymore, but I wish I still had it now.

It could be a vintage SIM?

I thought I had seen something similar. Here is one that looks a bit like it:
Stunning - Golden Yellow belly dancing costume Belly Dance Costumes Hip Scarves and belly Dancing accessories by Isis Exchange

it is very reminiscent of a costume i once had. same sequin work. it was egyptian but made in the turkish style. the cups are definitely egyptian as is the belt.
also this was about ten years ago before the designer name was more important than the costume. it was a little no name designer working in the back of a shop that sold kitchy tourist crap out front. the good stuff was upstairs.

I'm no expert on dating garments, but I'm willing to bet it's at least ten years old. And you make a good point about that being a time before people cared about where a costume came from. I just love knowing the history of something, especially something I'm so in love with.

Ah, much like a the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie pop, the world my never know!

the bella's i'm talking about are 1990 and earlier, and yes, the pics of the blue are more decorated, but they sell the simple stuff too

i have one student who had a belt that also was more like to straight pieces of fabric (lint). no V or butt shape

You know, after reading the description of your student's belt, I'm realizing that the butt on my belt is wider, but the whole thing is totally flat with no darts. When I got it, I replaced the lining and put elastic in the low back area to compensate for my sway/booty. I remember thinking, "why the hell are there no original darts in this at all?" Yasmilah had darted it a bit at the hips, but the original was flat flat flat.

I will now link to some unflattering pictures of me so you can see it on a body. This performance was in the middle of a show I was kind of running, so I slapped that baby on and never checked to make sure nothing was askew. It's not really settled on my butt right <sigh>
Welcome to Facebook

It's the first five or so pics on my Facebook. (and boy do I not like them! Oh well.)

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

the bella's i'm talking about are 1990 and earlier, and yes, the pics of the blue are more decorated, but they sell the simple stuff too

i have one student who had a belt that also was more like to straight pieces of fabric (lint). no V or butt shape