Thread: How does this style of skirt stay up?

Only ever had the chiffon type skirts, and have bought two unfinished projects to try my hand on, and so I'm stuck.

How do these slimline stretch velvet type of skirts stay up? Is there elastic somewhere? Or is it just made so fitting that it hugs your hips and woe betide any weight loss?

Obviously it's hard to find an exact match, but some examples I could find were these on BD Store; straight up and down, no flair or swirl, side slit to knee:
Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery
Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery
Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery
Belly Dance Costumes | Belly Dance Store.com: gallery

Another question: are these lined? I'm looking at the bead work on these beauties and imagine that the inside of the skirt would be soooo scratchy if it wasn't lined somehow.

Thanks for any help!

Shushanna Designs: Elastic Waist Bands

Most are made of lycra, or at least paritally made of lycra. I've had some that had an elastic waist band and others that have not. I guess they just stay up due to the lycra. I had a pharaonics that due to the heavier beading started slipping, but nothing a little extra ealstic won't fix. It is also my experience that they are not lined (mine haven't been). The thread used has never been scratchy.

They stay up better on some figure shapes than others. If you have a flat butt it can be very difficult to keep a heavily beaded skirt up. The mid price point Egyptian costumes tend to NOT have terribly heavy beading, so they are not so much a problem. Something like a sim moda evi costume on the other hand, would never stay up on my body.

They can be difficult to take up or make smaller because sometimes the beading is done after the waistband is put in. In those cases, adding another piece of elastic inside the skirt with a thread casing can really help.

I don't own one of these personally, but I know you can get silicone taping, and elastic with silicone grip-strips on it. If you were to put one of those in the skirt, the silicone would "stick" to your skin and help keep it in place.
Either that, (and besides being of stretchy fabric) I could see using fashion tape, or body glue to help.

If you have a flat rear, as mentioned above, padding really helps keep these skirts up (and looks better). You can buy the pads on line. Also, elastic in a thread casing, both in the front and in the back of the skirt, helps a lot. I usually wear a body stocking, so I can pin the skirt to the body stocking for even more security.

Originally Posted by Ariadne_Eleni

Shushanna Designs: Elastic Waist Bands

This site is unbelievable!

Thanks so much!

You're welcome, it is rather impressive isn't it? You can thank Shushanna personally if you want. The reason I know about her web site is because she's a member of Bhuz and posted a thread on the subject here and on another forum.

Shushanna: profile
I'm making a website - how to make costumes

I've got a desert swirl. It stays up without any problems. There are 3-4 inch long elastic bands at the sites. And they have a zipper in the back. I don't know if others have problems though, as I would describe myself as rather curvy. But I honestly can't imagine this kind of skirt sliding down on anybody, unless it's simply too big ;)
They are not lined. But I don't feel it being scratchy even though I'm really sensitive about stuff like that (I can't wear anything woolen and I always gotta cut out the washing instructions of new shirts).
Hope that helps.

Ladies, you are wonderful as always.

I thought it would be a great idea to buy these two inexpensive projects and create something, but now I'm scared to death. It's quite different to look at the sparklies online rather than to hold several feet of fabric in your hand and have to turn it into something.

Thanks for your help. I've an idea of what and how to do it now, and Shushanna's fantastic site has helped so much. Maybe you'll see my efforts (if they don't turn into a wadder) on WAYWO one month.

Hi Ndi-mi,

These skirts are made similiarly to the "Rectangles and Triangles Alternative Method" described on my trumpet skirts page. The ones in the store typically don't have elastic on the waist bands, but a lot of people add them themselves with the hand stitched method. They aren't lined, and the stitches do lay right against your skin, but I've never found them to be scratchy.

Although you could have a second layer underneath if you wanted to. Eman sometimes does that with pretty, shear, stretch prints, with the underskirt slightly longer than the overskirt with a ruffle on the hemline of the underskirt.

happy sewing!
~Shushanna

Originally Posted by shushanna

Hi Ndi-mi,

These skirts are made similiarly to the "Rectangles and Triangles Alternative Method" described on my trumpet skirts page. The ones in the store typically don't have elastic on the waist bands, but a lot of people add them themselves with the hand stitched method. They aren't lined, and the stitches do lay right against your skin, but I've never found them to be scratchy.

Although you could have a second layer underneath if you wanted to. Eman sometimes does that with pretty, shear, stretch prints, with the underskirt slightly longer than the overskirt with a ruffle on the hemline of the underskirt.

happy sewing!
~Shushanna

Shushanna, your website is a marvel and I watched your YouTube vids yesterday in total delight. Please keep those videos coming, they're terrific!

Thanks for the great advice.