Thread: A "Middle Market" for Bellydance costumes/accessories

Howdy all!

This is a very hypothetical post. I'm working on making it a reality, but I wanted to conduct a short survey.

A little bit of background: I went to FIT in NYC for fashion design. Got the degree (Associates) and the skills (though I'm rusty at the moment) but it ended up not being what I wanted to do (straight apparel designing. Adored costumes and still do). I'm an art history major now, but I still love making costumes, and I love bellydancing, so that ties in really well for me.

Now, I was wondering if there is a potential for somewhere between the $10 hipscarf and the $500 bedlah. I notice that a lot of dancers make their own costumes, and the few websites I've looked at don't seem to offer much between those two extremes.

The reason being is that I'm currently trying to engineer a system that allows for customization for a broader market. In the vintage bellydance photos I've been fascinated by the thinner belts of the 70s, and am thinking of devising a system that would allow for easy changes of skirts (snapped into place by the belt) and accoutrements, like the ability to change belly drapes of the bras without sewing or beading - or even changing the tassels/pallets/drapes of the belt.

Would there be interest in this, or do you think that this wouldn't take off in this market, which seems to focus on unique, one of a kind costumes?

(For example, let's say I make a gold belt/bra bedlah set using this system. One day, you have red with gold accents draped from the belt, the next day, you change it to gold coins, or maybe one day you have several chains draped along the bra, the next day, just a single pendant hanging from the middle - all made possible by small snaps or a hook/eye system.)

Hmmmmm, I think that could be *very* interesting indeed - but then, I'm very much an accessories wh0re! ..l;,

I guess the main difficulty would be making sure that the interchangeable parts would be secure enough to stay in place while dancing - and if you have a large number of interchangeabe parts it could be just as expensive as any of the pricier bedlah.

I imagine it would be of most relevant to trical/tribaret type dancers - they're already more into accessories and customisation than the Egyptian two-piece crowd (of which I am a member! ) Coloured fabric body wraps (joining at the bra) into skirt split cover panels might work well for the latter - to have interchangeable coloured accents would pretty much rock my world.

I agree there's a mid-market for belly dance costumes, though I don't know how much difference interchangeable accessories would make.

The niche that I wish someone would fill is that of affordable bra/belt sets for troupes.

Isn't L.Rose an example of a company being successful in this niche?

Regarding lower-priced costume:
Yes, there is a market for it. You'd be competing against L. Rose, SharifWear, Turkish and Egyptian starter sets, Indian cheapies, and who knows what China is capable of kicking out (they're already getting a pretty big presence on eBay for low-end costumes). I think the larger problem is getting a quality look at the bargain-basement price. Cheaper costumes tend to look chintzy and fall apart easily, and that's the main reason dancers don't like them. You don't want to be caught in a show next to someone in a $3K Bella in something that looks like the embellishments are made out of aluminum foil. OTOH, if you look at the inventory at somewhere like the Bellydance Store, their Desert Swirl, Nile Collection, Confetti, and Icicle lines are already filling this niche--under $200 and close enough to fool the GP into thinking that they're so much better than what the Halloween store sells, they must be top of the line. The downside to those costumes (especially DS and NC) is that they are not as flexible as what you are proposing in terms of the number of different looks you can milk from a single purchase.

Regarding embellishment flexibility:
If you can develop a system that can withstand the rigors of dancing, I'm sure there will be dancers wanting to buy it. People who don't perform enough to demand a large costume rotation are always looking for ways to stretch their wardrobe. The downside here is finding an attachment system that is easy to use, well integrated into the design, and sturdy. I suppose it's a bonus if you can figure out a proprietary way to do this, lest you get stuck with a wardrobe of bases, while people just buy your embellishments and tack them onto someone else's costumes.

Originally Posted by steffib

Isn't L.Rose an example of a company being successful in this niche?

Yes, though they don't make bedlahs. Though as Tourbeau mentions there are some places that do have less expensive bedlah options.

Originally Posted by Minajen

(For example, let's say I make a gold belt/bra bedlah set using this system. One day, you have red with gold accents draped from the belt, the next day, you change it to gold coins, or maybe one day you have several chains draped along the bra, the next day, just a single pendant hanging from the middle - all made possible by small snaps or a hook/eye system.)

Heard about people doing this in a costuming workshop. Take a bedlah and buy strings of various color beaded fringe and then use hooks and eyes to hook it to the bedlah giving it different accents. The person talking about this was a tribal dancer. She had extra chains and coins on a leather cord attached to her costume with lobster claw clasps.

Although, for convertible costumes, I really think this one is really nifty:
http://bellydancestore.biz/gallery.p...productId=9382

I'd like to see more costumes like this with more pieces to convert instead of just adding bits of color.

But if you really want to design something that would make money, design beautiful costumes that are comfortable and easy to do alterations to. Ones that move and stretch and sparkle like crazy. Bras that aren't stiff as a board but still hold up the sparkle. Fringe that stays together through hurricane-force winds.

Yeah, it's a small order...

Originally Posted by roguepen

Heard about people doing this in a costuming workshop. Take a bedlah and buy strings of various color beaded fringe and then use hooks and eyes to hook it to the bedlah giving it different accents. The person talking about this was a tribal dancer. She had extra chains and coins on a leather cord attached to her costume with lobster claw clasps.

Although, for convertible costumes, I really think this one is really nifty:
http://bellydancestore.biz/gallery.p...productId=9382

I'd like to see more costumes like this with more pieces to convert instead of just adding bits of color.

But if you really want to design something that would make money, design beautiful costumes that are comfortable and easy to do alterations to. Ones that move and stretch and sparkle like crazy. Bras that aren't stiff as a board but still hold up the sparkle. Fringe that stays together through hurricane-force winds.

Yeah, it's a small order...

I'm on it :P

Building on my earlier comment....

When it comes to bra/belt sets, it seems there are two extremes. There's the really low end, such as the L Rose dance bra at http://www.lrosedesigns.com/products/dancebra.html with a matching tie-on hip wrap, and then there's the really high end, with lots of hand beading and fringe.

I'd like to see a middle ground. I'd like to see a bra/belt set made from sparkly fabric such as the shiny stretch fabrics that L Rose offers at http://www.lrosedesigns.com/fabric/holo.html but I'd like the bra to be an actual supportive bra covered with this fabric rather than the simpler L Rose approach, and I'd like the hipband to be a belt with buckram or other stiffener and closed with a hook/eye set rather than a tie-on belt.

Your idea of having interchangeable decorations might make such a set more versatile. For example, if your fabric was red twilight velvet with red glitter, then you could offer as options for that a set of red-only decoration, a set of black decoration, a set of gold decoration, and a set of red/gold decoration.

As I digest your original question, I think your concept of a bra/belt set that could have interchangeable decorations might be attractive for a troupe costume. Ie, the dancer could buy a set with the troupe-approved embellishment set, but then if she wants to wear it for a solo performance she could attach a different set, thereby making it NOT look like she's wearing her "uniform" elsewhere.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Building on my earlier comment....

When it comes to bra/belt sets, it seems there are two extremes. There's the really low end, such as the L Rose dance bra at http://www.lrosedesigns.com/products/dancebra.html with a matching tie-on hip wrap, and then there's the really high end, with lots of hand beading and fringe.

I'd like to see a middle ground. I'd like to see a bra/belt set made from sparkly fabric such as the shiny stretch fabrics that L Rose offers at http://www.lrosedesigns.com/fabric/holo.html but I'd like the bra to be an actual supportive bra covered with this fabric rather than the simpler L Rose approach, and I'd like the hipband to be a belt with buckram or other stiffener and closed with a hook/eye set rather than a tie-on belt.

Your idea of having interchangeable decorations might make such a set more versatile. For example, if your fabric was red twilight velvet with red glitter, then you could offer as options for that a set of red-only decoration, a set of black decoration, a set of gold decoration, and a set of red/gold decoration.

As I digest your original question, I think your concept of a bra/belt set that could have interchangeable decorations might be attractive for a troupe costume. Ie, the dancer could buy a set with the troupe-approved embellishment set, but then if she wants to wear it for a solo performance she could attach a different set, thereby making it NOT look like she's wearing her "uniform" elsewhere.

Shira, you read my mind -- and stated my thoughts much more coherently!

Deborah

I like the idea myself. It would also allow folks to alter what they cover or accent on their bodies as well. I have stretch marks and always try to hide them where someone else may prefer a drape somewhere else. I agree with Shira that it has great troupe potential as well.

I personally love this idea...I love the thought of being able to only have to buy one or two costume pieces and make them look different (after all, it's still cheaper to buy, say, one belt for $50 and 20 accessories for $20 to go with that belt, than to buy 20 belts at $50). And since I'm sort of narrow in what I like style-wise, if I bought 20 belts, they'd probably be very similar belts anyway, just in different colors, so it'd work for me to instead buy 1 silver belt with dangly stuff in different colors. I think it'd be great for troupes, too, as it wouldn't be so pricey to change costumes. One of the reasons I'd really have to think hard about ever joining a troupe (if I'm ever good enough to perform) is that I'd hate constantly buying new costumes for each number--especially since I know there would be plenty of times I'd be dropping a hundred bucks on something I hated with a passion but had to wear because it was "the troupe costume." It'd still suck to have to wear something I hated, but it wouldn't hurt so much if it didn't cost much. And even if I loved it, still wouldn't hurt so much if it didn't cost much!

I was actually wondering if I could customize a skirt this way--take just a plain black skirt, and then dress it up with different colors to match different tops/belts--like have interchangeable trims at the bottom. One day I could attach the red fringe, the next day the blue beaded thing, then the silver brocade, etc.

just my two cents....I think the problem is that this middle ground niche is filled and overflowing. In fact many reputable designers are lowering their prices and quality to catch some of this middle ground money. It has become a bit of a problem to weed out the stuff that will last more than a few performances vs. the costumes that will be worn for years. Durability is the question here and when you get into that area you are talking more money than a $200 costume. The high end costumes are worth every penny. Some of us have to wait and buy them used but they hold up over time. I have bought too many cheap costumes to go back down that road again.
And the more $200 new costumes that arrive the more newer dancers think that is the norm and haven't even had experience with a truly well made costume.
But then again I am a hard core traditionalist and I really don't want to see anyone perform in anything less than amazing. Layering hip scarfs and tying on bras doesn't work for me at all.