Thread: Costume Brands: Which Brand Fits Which Figure Type?

I saw someone post on another thread about Eman's fitting better for those with more defined hips. That got me thinking: Among different designers, which types are cut for specific figure types?

I have always toyed with the idea of buying a costume someday, but before I plunk down the $$ I want to do some research first. This looks like a good place to start.

Ladies, what designer fits your shape the best and why?


PS feel free to recommend any to me. I am 5' 8" about 120 with an athletic build (read: "no boobs" ..l;, a scant B cup at best) and a long torso and legs.

I usually lean towards chiffon skirts, but am open to suggestions

Well, it depends, really.

Sucky answer that, it depends on what you want to highlight.

I'm 5'4 with an athletic build. I have slim hips and next to no waist, built very much like a refrigerator. I have a short torso, but long legs.

I use long skirts (mostly hit the ground) with high slits, and wear my belts low so that the curve (what there is of it) of my hips are highlighted.

I find that for my figure type, the best BELTS are the ones that dip in the front, or have a gently curve or V. They maximize my hips.

For my bustline, Sim Moda Evi bras are the best. I'm a D cup, but I need more width than depth. I love, love love bella's, but she tends to make the bra's deep, which is not necessarily what works best for me.

Pharonixs tend to make the more football shapes with the bra's, which work ok for me, but tend to make my chest look wider (if you're narrow chested, that might work for you.

Eman makes beautiful bras that tend to work for everybody, but her belt in ones aren't very flattering on those who are not very hippy, PLUS hard to keep up. I have a butt, but the still tend to slide down. I stay away, despite my deep, unrequited love for her styles.

There is a model at the bellydancestore.com whose body type is similar to mine, so I look to see what costumes look good on her, and those are the ones I try to gravitate to.

Note how this costume fits her:



While she always looks lovely, this doesn't serve very much to highlight her hips, and tends to emphasize length on her instead of curves.

whereas this costume highlights her curves (imo) in a more flattering way

I'll be watching this thread closely - even though I'm not your body-type at all, I'm very interested in the differences between the designers :)

Thanks Kina. The first photo of the model- the top looks a little big for her on the sides. I agree. The other costume suits her shape better. Just plain lycra on her hips (vs. costume #2 with a belt) doesn't accentuate the curve of the hip IMO.

Thanks for the info on the bra cups. This is exactly what I am looking for. Some are deeper, or fit across the breast wider, etc. Would that make some bras respond easier to padding more than others cause I'll definitely need to build up my chest area but don't want any gapping or ill fitting bras because of it.

for padding, it's more in the art of the padding placement, I think. Know how much coverage you need (for example, I can't do less than 7 horizontally, 6 vertically, or there WILL be nipplage.

When you pad a bra, it's more about maximizing what's there, so you pad from the outer part of the cup in (armpit being the out part).

The most padding goes on the outside, and you taper in, giving something for the girls to sit on.

Joann's sell some pads that are shaped perfectly. The other technique is using cotton to stuff the lining, then you can get an even more customized fit.

I wear a lot of Pharonics. I have tried Sim and Bella, but have been less than pleased with their bras. Mainly because, although the measurements were fine, they weren't deep enough. (I am somewhere between a DD and a G)

I am built like Kina with a bit more padding. Long legs, short waist, boobs and bum. My solution is low, butt hugging belt, high slits and making sure that the girls are properly hiked!

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm interested also because of the bra issue. I would love to be able to wear a full cleavage look (like in the second costume Kina posted) and God knows I have enough flesh there for it, but I can't get it without quadraboob. I think very few bras are actually both deep and wide enough for my bust. It's difficult because my back is actually fairly small, proportionately, but my bust is both wide - I always have armpit-boob - and very deep. I just have huge tits, basically.

I’ve got a long, straight torso small breast (when I’m not pregnant or breast feeding LOL!) big butt and short legs. Sigh. Bella’s Sims, most belt/bra Turkish styles really. Lots of V shaped fringe up top to shorten the torso and a V shaped belt with shorter fringe to help add the illusion of fuller hips and help balance out my proportions.

Originally Posted by kina

The other technique is using cotton to stuff the lining, then you can get an even more customized fit.

Brilliant! This means no flying pads during a shoulder shimmy. I am so doing this to by beaded bra. It gaps something horrible without pads, but then the pads shift.

Are you talking cotton batting then?

yes, cotton batting. I also sew in the pads so that nothing flies out! I'll never forget the story I heard about the dancer who used gel pads, which obviously you can't sew in, and it flew out in the middle of her show...

Sahars and Emans work best for me - I'm a petite hourglass shape (size US 2/4 at the moment, but I'm usually more like a 0, and 5 feet 1), but I'm really busty and have a lot of booty for my frame. I have 2 Bellas (I ordered a B when really I am a 28E) and the bra cups fit well, but I'm not fond of the cross back strap configuration and I find the skirts and belt a bit overwhelming (and they definitely add pounds to my lower half) - sleek Egyptian lycra skirts make me look slimmer and sexier. It's a shame, I love the leggy chiffon split skirt look, just it's not the most flattering on my body type :(

All I know is this: Madame Abla costumes always made me look 20 lbs heavier. I think these costumes look best on thin dancers (short or tall). They actually emphasize hips, and if you already have hips (like me) they will look huge!
I like Pharaonics, they always fit me well.

Originally Posted by kina

yes, cotton batting. I also sew in the pads so that nothing flies out! I'll never forget the story I heard about the dancer who used gel pads, which obviously you can't sew in, and it flew out in the middle of her show...

That must have looked like a chicken cutlet flying through the air! How awful.

IF you sew in the foam/spongey pads, how do you wash them after dancing a lot? (perspiration) ? Do you have to remove them each time?

Originally Posted by Bahtya

That must have looked like a chicken cutlet flying through the air! How awful.

IF you sew in the foam/spongey pads, how do you wash them after dancing a lot? (perspiration) ? Do you have to remove them each time?

Cover them in additional lining and you don't have an issue. I sew them in with a couple of stitches in each corner, at the corner of the pads, and again across (if it were a square, they would be at each corner, can't think of how else to describe it) then you can remove the lining and wash that.

Got it. thanks

I don't have much butt compared to my hips, hope that makes sense, and I love Dahab's belts on me. I can spin and they just stay glued on in place. Don't even feel like it's going to slide down. I can also wear them low enough that the curve in my lower back looks like a bit of butt showing - a cheeky look!

I was the dancer with the flying chicken cutlet. Actually, it didn't fly out..... it slipped from the underneath of my bra cup and landed with a quivering plop on the floor next to the table I was dancing at. :o)

Oh, and even better...it was the kind with the fake nipple. Ha!!

Oh! NOOO! What did you do? HOW would you recover from that? I am so sorry that happened to you.

Originally Posted by stardancer

Oh, and even better...it was the kind with the fake nipple. Ha!!

..l;, oh man, that story never gets old...

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

I wear a lot of Pharonics. I have tried Sim and Bella, but have been less than pleased with their bras. Mainly because, although the measurements were fine, they weren't deep enough.
{{{HUGS}}}

I found the opposite to be true! I am a 32DD andI have to add something to the top of my Pharaonics bras whereas the Bella bras fit perfectly.
Pharaonics are more "mass-produced" in that there are just so many styles and she uses the cup sizes, but I think Bellas are more made to order. I could be wrong, though.

Oh, now I learned something. You mean these costumes aren't all made to order? Can you pick what color from a pallette or do you just have a choice of color A , B, or C.?

Originally Posted by stardancer

I was the dancer with the flying chicken cutlet. Actually, it didn't fly out..... it slipped from the underneath of my bra cup and landed with a quivering plop on the floor next to the table I was dancing at. :o)

Because of this story, I read it as a baby Bhuzer, I will never ever pad with one of those.

It was traumatic enough losing my fake hair once. But something resembling a breast?

Eman Zaki is my favorite right now. I have 3 in my closet and LOVE them all. I am a petite dancer and I like the simplicity and elegance of Eman's models. The style flatters my figure (I also have more defined hips, compared to my waist :) without overwhelming my body with too much fringe and beadwork. And it also compliments the way I dance and type of music I like to dance to!

Pahraonics uses a numbering system for their cups. A #3 is always the same measurements no matter what the band size is. There is a thread around here somewhere which has the measurements of each cup.

{{{HUGS}}}

Kina, how is that 2nd, more turquoise blue costume picture(s) you posted listed at bellydancestore.com? Love that!

I guess the only way I'm going to ever know which fits me is to make a trip to somewhere like bellydancestore's brick & mortar place and try on a bunch.

I'm petite and with narrow hips and long, slender limbs, and I can never go wrong with any of the upscale Turkish designs - Bellas, Legends and Sims. They have the right amount of embellishment to add bulk in the right places, yet they're not overpowering. Turkish bras also pad up very nicely. For the same reasons, I also gravitate toward American vintage costumes, on the rare occasion that I can find them!

I've tried to like the more minimalist Egyptian designs, but they just kinda hang on my hips like clothes on a hanger, and the bras never fit right. I think those are better on dancers with more substantial curves ,r:;

Originally Posted by stardancer

I was the dancer with the flying chicken cutlet. Actually, it didn't fly out..... it slipped from the underneath of my bra cup and landed with a quivering plop on the floor next to the table I was dancing at. :o)

I think it would be worth making little pouches for the things and sewing the fabric pouch to the costume.

Love your tagline by the way...it always cracks me up! ..l;,

Originally Posted by Doozer

I think it would be worth making little pouches for the things and sewing the fabric pouch to the costume.

Or you can always cut a small slit in the lining and squeeze the "cutlet" in. I've done that for a few of my old costumes.

Originally Posted by Darbla

Kina, how is that 2nd, more turquoise blue costume picture(s) you posted listed at bellydancestore.com? Love that!

I guess the only way I'm going to ever know which fits me is to make a trip to somewhere like bellydancestore's brick & mortar place and try on a bunch.

I would really love to know! Not mine, sadly and I have to pay off some stuff before I can even look at another costume (insomnia = shopping in my life)

I'd love to have the option to try them on! Any knowledge I have is from trial and error


yes, I am a costume-a-holic