Thread: How do you feel about cottons?

I am currently working on a new line of dance tops and hip wraps made of really cute cottons and I wanted to get a feel for how other bellydancers would feel about cottons. Love them? Hate them? The whole idea stemmed from a huge amount of cotton I was gifted with and then I thought, "Hey that could be cute!" So I made patterns. The tops are supportive yet lightweight and breathable. They're definitely very "retro chic!". :)

I like cotton, especially organic cotton. Can't wait to see what you're making . . .

For practicewear or performance costumes? I don't think most cottons would be suitable for a modern ethnic nightclub look, but they might be fine for some vintage AmCab looks and folkloric costumes, depending on the fabrics. There's also a whole range of fusion styles that could use cottons.

As far as practicewear, my only concern is how well they hold up versus their pricing. Cottons that wrinkle easily, tend to fade on multiple washings, or pill if they are knits will probably not sell as well as ones that don't.

Are we talking cotton knits, or woven cotton? Anyway, in general I also love cotton, although I would only use it for certain costuming styles. I want to see what you're working on, too!

Love the breathability of cotton, and it washes well. Would be great for practice wear. I'd worry about its durability in a performance top which wasn't super washable.

My cotton line is going to be practice wear. Cute, fun tops and hipwraps that are simple, yet stylish. I'll be posting pics when I get them done and they'll be available through my Etsy store. Thanks for the feedback! I'm really thinking they'll be great for workshops and teaching. They'll be cute enough for fairly informal performances, if that's your style, but I'll soon have costumes available too. Mainly very glam tribal fusion, but I'm always up for a custom commission! I'm on Facebook as Elena Lewis Designs. Thanks everybody!

Woven cotton makes nice folkloric or ATS pantaloons. Stretch cotton would be nice for practice wear, and maybe some TF.

I don't think cotton would work for modern cabaret styles.

This will be for practice wear only, although some could be worn for Tribal Fusion pieces if you really wanted. I can't honestly see myself making nightclub/ cabaret style costumes or pieces. Glam TF dancer, Glam TF sewer, but I love retro, hence my cottons for workshops/ class wear. Thanks or the input!

I use a lot of cottons in making practise wear, and it's surprising how many TF and Tribal dancers also use them for performances.
Nice patterns are always sought after! There are a lot of plain colours out there, so having nice patterned stuff will give you a good point of difference.