Thread: New troupe Beledi dresses keep riding up on us while we dance!

My troupe and I just purchased new Beledi dresses, the Akhet dress, from Dahlal for an upcoming competition. They arrived today and we were so excited to have a dress rehearsal.

Well, good thing we did! We are performing with Isis wings and cane and since our arms are above our head so much, the dresses are riding up terribly! My floor-length dress is ending up above my ankles after the first minute of dancing and that puts the slot waaaaay tooo high!

We are thinking of double sided tape, but really, I don't think that will hold the dresses down with all the movement, friction, sweat, etc. And what part do we tape anyway?

Would some sort of special undergarment help? But what??

Any suggestions will be very much appreciated.


Thank you!

I often have a similar problem when wearing a stretchy shirt. It rides up my back and gets really annoying. This winter I have finally worked out that wearing a singlet underneath the stretchy jumper stops it from happening.

Maybe the undergarment idea would work for you as well. Perhaps an underbust bodystocking?

Otherwise maybe adding some weight with a bit of beading at the hem. Not sure if that would be enough though and might get annoying when dancing.

I would try pinning the dress at front, back, and sides to your underwear or to some boyshorts, then cover up the pins with your hipscarf/belt. It's not going to prevent rideup completely, but should help a ton.

Vahana! Hi!
I have had the same problem! My solution was to sew little hooks (taken from sacrificial bras) and sew them on the inside of the dress (2 in front/2 in back) at underwear level- wear lacy underwear with it so there's plenty of places to hook into... or I suppose you could sew the other "accepting" side of the hook to any kind of underwear and that'd work too. Warning- this can result in severe bi-wedgie! But it will help the dress' stay put Hope ya'll can get it worked out - Have fun and good luck @ the competition!!

I was going to suggest just what Lesedi said. Another alternative if you can't hide the pins would be sew on velcro. Sew the hook side onto some boy shorts and the loop side onto the dress.

Would it make a difference if you opened and neatened the underarm seam as is sometimes done for ventilation?

Originally Posted by jahbie

Would it make a difference if you opened and neatened the underarm seam as is sometimes done for ventilation?

That's what I was thinking - there's a good reason for those underarm openings besides ventilation!

Thanks for all the suggestions. They are great! I am going to talk with my other troupe members and we'll give each of the ideas a try. That way, we will know which method works/looks best.


Thanks for the well-wishes, Kelly! Are you going to be at the competition too?

Originally Posted by jahbie

Would it make a difference if you opened and neatened the underarm seam as is sometimes done for ventilation?

I'm not a big fan of the open-armpit look in costumes. I know a lot of people like the comfort, but... To me, even though I know people do it intentionally, it looks as though the dancer's costume needs repairs. Ie, it looks like the seam came apart accidentally and hasn't been fixed yet.

Also, if the color of the garment is quite different from the dancer's skin color, I find that the armpit draws a disproportionate amount of attention to itself. It disrupts the lines of the costume design, and jerks the eye back to the armpit.

Originally Posted by Vahana

Thanks for the well-wishes, Kelly! Are you going to be at the competition too?

If we're talking about Jewel of the Sierra, then yes Isn't it great to have it in Placerville this year?! Right in our immediate back yard I'm really looking forward to the workshops too!!
I'll be cheering for you girls

Is the issue just how high the slit is? You can sew the slit together a little lower. I have finally perfected my pattern for low rise tap shorts (boy shorts/hot pants?) so I can make them in any color my costumes need.

My problem is on the opposite end- I had to order a large to get around my bust, but that means the neckline is wider too & I end up with a little extra cleavage when the dress pulls the wrong way- even when it is pinned to the bra and taped. I know where I need to take it in to fix it, but I am not looking forward to it just the same.

Originally Posted by Lara L

My problem is on the opposite end- I had to order a large to get around my bust, but that means the neckline is wider too & I end up with a little extra cleavage when the dress pulls the wrong way- even when it is pinned to the bra and taped. I know where I need to take it in to fix it, but I am not looking forward to it just the same.

Would adding extra elastic to the neckline help keep it from misbehaving? Sometimes when a top is gapping or shifting off the shoulders, you can cheat by using the facing seam like it's a casing and running narrow elastic cord around the edge.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Would adding extra elastic to the neckline help keep it from misbehaving? Sometimes when a top is gapping or shifting off the shoulders, you can cheat by using the facing seam like it's a casing and running narrow elastic cord around the edge.

Naw- it's really just too deep and needs a couple inconspicuous tucks. You know, if you're busty, you must have a big rib cage, broad shoulders and be taller than me I totally get the need for standard sizing when mass producing costumes, just one more reason I took up sewing, but it does make troupe costumes on a limited timeline challenging!

Well we were all ready to sew in the hooks then one of the troupe ladies showed up tonight with an amazing product: It Stays. (That's the name of it.) It is body adhesive.

I wasn't able to try it with my dress tonight, but she used it on hers and her costume stayed where it should through the entire 7 minutes!

This is very encouraging.