Thread: Looking for teaching/practice wear--where's the cute stuff these days?

I'm picking up several new classes and desperately need to overhaul my tired teaching wardrobe!! Any suggestions for where to find cute class wear? I love Sharifwear but can't rock the huge bellbottom look. My favorite things are wrap tops, shrugs, tanks with distinctive details, pants with side slits, etc.

Links? Etsy stores? Where are the divas shopping these days?

Kimahri

Originally Posted by Kimahri

I'm picking up several new classes and desperately need to overhaul my tired teaching wardrobe!! Any suggestions for where to find cute class wear? I love Sharifwear but can't rock the huge bellbottom look. My favorite things are wrap tops, shrugs, tanks with distinctive details, pants with side slits, etc.

Links? Etsy stores? Where are the divas shopping these days?

Kimahri

I've been really liking the melodia capri pants

I'm too skint to be buying ANYTHING at the moment, but I absolutely *adore* this Etsy store:

CREATURRE Burlesque Tribal and Yoga wears by creaturre on Etsy

The ruffly capris and bustle skirts are just soooooo unbearably cute and sassy and I want them all. Although I would look like a ruffly ball on two sticks in them. *sigh*

I love the pants from Favewear (Welcome | FaveWear)
The flares are nicely balanced (not quite as flared as the Sharifwear ones) and the boot cut pant is slimmer. I've just ordered the capri, too, so I'll let you know how those go when it arrives. :)

Originally Posted by wigglewhiz

I'm too skint to be buying ANYTHING at the moment, but I absolutely *adore* this Etsy store:

CREATURRE Burlesque Tribal and Yoga wears by creaturre on Etsy

The ruffly capris and bustle skirts are just soooooo unbearably cute and sassy and I want them all. Although I would look like a ruffly ball on two sticks in them. *sigh*

*shakes fist at Wigglewhiz*

Damn you, Wigglewhiz! Now I want them all too!

Originally Posted by beafarhana

*shakes fist at Wigglewhiz*

Damn you, Wigglewhiz! Now I want them all too!

*also shakes*

I love my Favewear capris. I got them for my project bd dvd shoot (along with my pink top in that video) and they have been my favorite pants ever since.

I also really like my separates from Crimson Gypsy Designs:

Belly Dance and Yoga Wear Catalog : Crimson Gypsy Designs

(her dresses look really cute on too).

Their website is missing a lot of pictures right now, but Gypsy Streatwear has a lot of cute separates too, I've gotten some cute pants from them before: Gypsy Streetwear

Although they might not be cute enough for teaching we enjoy both Victoria Secret's and Target's yoga pants. VS are often on sale online. We enjoy the availability and convenience of Target's selection. Thus far we have not experienced poor quality or strange sizing issues we encountered when some online businesses altered their size range without advising their client base. We detest bothering with returns so being able to shop in the store is a plus for us.

Originally Posted by showtime

Although they might not be cute enough for teaching we enjoy ...

To be honest, I don't care too much about "cute" for teaching. It's nice to have cute dance pants, but for me the important thing is that they are functional! They need to show my knees and ankles, or alternatively be roll-up-able, or tuck-into-my-hip-band-able enough to show my knees and ankles without interfering with what my arms are doing. And they need to not fall down.

Cute is an added bonus!

Here's what I'm wearing:

• Rhinestone tanks by RhinestoneWear.Org. This link includes one that says "Bellydancer" on it, but they have some other designs I like too, such as seasonal ones for 4th of July, Christmas, etc. Dance Rhinestone T Shirts They offer a lot more colors than Sharifwear does, which I like. They custom-make them when you order, so sometimes there can be a delay of a couple of weeks if they're out of stock on the rhinestone decal or shirt style. They seem to stock pretty well for the current season, but when I ordered a Christmas design in May, it caught them off guard! Still, in spite of the delay, I do recommend them.
• L Rose tanks. You can have the neckline in a typical round tank style if you like, but you can alternatively have it finished as "pinched" (V neck), square, or sweetheart. L Rose has a lot of creative fabrics to choose from - I like to have them made in twilight velvet or tie-dye crushed velvet - velvet actually isn't as hot as you might think.
• Phoenix Rising Batiked Yoga/Dance Pants. I love these. Classic Batiked Pants | Phoenix Rising Designs
• Balidog. Their focus is more yoga, but I've gotten some less yoga-y designs from them that I like a lot: BaliDog Yoga and Pilatis Clothing

Originally Posted by Kimahri

. . . . . Any suggestions for where to find cute class wear? . . . . .
Kimahri

We agree with beafarhana re function being a must for teaching. Since Kimahri specifically asked for 'cute' I wanted to preface my post with that disclaimer. For us class togs have to be comfy, affordable, durable, washable without concern for losing rhinestones/foil/chiffon/lace/etc. So yoga pants are ideal for our needs. There are times when bling is fun but for daily and/or weekly dance togs our mind-set is away from blingy items.

For years we have admired and respected Cassandra Shore. She is spectacular for so many reasons. She does not wear make-up when teaching and her teaching clothes are usually quite simple and comfy. She considers class a work-out and we agree. No way would I wear make-up to a gym, makes sense it will not last long for dance class. Well, that is presuming everyone will actually be dancing, not just sitting around posing and avoid any activity that might lead to prespiration. Of course everyone has a different prospective but if we do not build-up a bit of a sweat we feel we have not actually worked hard enough.

If you've ever been in one of Kimahri's classes, you know what it is to sweat! When I sponsor her for workshops, my students tell me "I'm so glad you're bringing her back... but I'm a little scared, too."

I think it goes without saying that clothes for class need to be functional (move well, show the teachers' movement, wick sweat, etc). But there ARE cute options that fit the bill!

I still love Marika stuff — for functionality and cuteness! — and you can apply for their 30% teacher discount (I got mine for being a yoga teacher, but it wouldn't hurt to apply & see what they say for bellydance teachers!)

Originally Posted by showtime

We agree with beafarhana re function being a must for teaching. Since Kimahri specifically asked for 'cute' I wanted to preface my post with that disclaimer. For us class togs have to be comfy, affordable, durable, washable without concern for losing rhinestones/foil/chiffon/lace/etc. So yoga pants are ideal for our needs. There are times when bling is fun but for daily and/or weekly dance togs our mind-set is away from blingy items.

For years we have admired and respected Cassandra Shore. She is spectacular for so many reasons. She does not wear make-up when teaching and her teaching clothes are usually quite simple and comfy. She considers class a work-out and we agree. No way would I wear make-up to a gym, makes sense it will not last long for dance class. Well, that is presuming everyone will actually be dancing, not just sitting around posing and avoid any activity that might lead to prespiration. Of course everyone has a different prospective but if we do not build-up a bit of a sweat we feel we have not actually worked hard enough.

With all due respect wearing makeup/looking mad cute and working hard/functionality are not mutually exclusive. I'm a classically trained capital "S" Serious lifelong dancer. Any past or current student of mine will vouch for the intensity and sweat factor you get in my class. At the same time be assured they'll pry the last tubes of mascara and lip gloss out of my cold dead hands.

I'm curious showtime, you keep saying "we"...to whom are you referring?

Kimahri

Bhuzzer-owned business (but I forget her Bhuz name) Modern Oriental Dance clothing:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MOD-M...03995076352818

These are great suggestions everyone, thanks for the responses!

I just went to check out the rhinestone shirts Shira mentioned and woohoo they have the perfect design--the name of the studio is Fleur de Lis! I will definitely need those asap in black and white

Kimahri

I'm phasing out my Sharifwear stuff and switching to Geisha Moth pants for teaching. Her stuff is such fun, and several of the styles make it easy for students to see my feet. Her stuff can be hard to come by, but she has an Etsy store Geisha Moth Designs by geishamoth on Etsy. I happen to be in touch with several GM fanatics and buy pants from them when they have to make room for new stuff. Love the Wiggle Wraps (hipscarves) too!

I ordered a pair of Wabella pants I like. They were a slightly custom order; instead of the typical leg, they are a split jazz pant with the swirly spirals down the split. Just as a warning, they are tight. I wear about a size 2 in jeans, ordered XS (0-2), and they fit me like I really am at the larger end of the range.

The Etsy store is here:

Wábella Dance Wear by WabellaWear on Etsy

Originally Posted by indigostars

I ordered a pair of Wabella pants I like. They were a slightly custom order; instead of the typical leg, they are a split jazz pant with the swirly spirals down the split. Just as a warning, they are tight. I wear about a size 2 in jeans, ordered XS (0-2), and they fit me like I really am at the larger end of the range.

The Etsy store is here:

Wábella Dance Wear by WabellaWear on Etsy

she's wonderful to work with, as well.

Originally Posted by wigglewhiz

I'm too skint to be buying ANYTHING at the moment, but I absolutely *adore* this Etsy store:

CREATURRE Burlesque Tribal and Yoga wears by creaturre on Etsy

The ruffly capris and bustle skirts are just soooooo unbearably cute and sassy and I want them all. Although I would look like a ruffly ball on two sticks in them. *sigh*

CURSES!

Originally Posted by bintbeled

I'm phasing out my Sharifwear stuff and switching to Geisha Moth pants for teaching. Her stuff is such fun, and several of the styles make it easy for students to see my feet. Her stuff can be hard to come by, but she has an Etsy store Geisha Moth Designs by geishamoth on Etsy. I happen to be in touch with several GM fanatics and buy pants from them when they have to make room for new stuff. Love the Wiggle Wraps (hipscarves) too!

I love her stuff but dilike how much time it takes to keep up with her on-line games, challenges, releases, and such via FB (and, back in the day, Tribe). Very little of it makes it onto Etsy. It works for her but it just made keeping up with her stock and foibles too much effort for me as a customer..and it made it near impossible for ESL Japanese dancers to follow.

Love her product.

Originally Posted by ozma

I love her stuff but dilike how much time it takes to keep up with her on-line games, challenges, releases, and such via FB (and, back in the day, Tribe). Very little of it makes it onto Etsy. It works for her but it just made keeping up with her stock and foibles too much effort for me as a customer..and it made it near impossible for ESL Japanese dancers to follow.

Love her product.

I have to agree about the games. I mostly buy her stuff used (or sometimes, NWT) from other dancers so I don't have to haunt her FB page. (There's a big resale market since so many Geisha Moth purchases are impulse buys.) But I have to applaud her for selling her stuff exactly the way she wants to, and making her system work for her. Not many people can do that. And some of her designs are really ingenious.

WRT Sharifwear I have to reiterate the things people have said elsewhere about the pants not being good for the short-waisted. I bought one pair in Canada that are OK on me, but some of the others - styles I REALLY liked and would be more likely to wear often than the ones I bought, to be honest - reached to under my bust in my size!

Are there any dancewear brands that *are* good for shortwaisted, long-legged people with bigger hip measurements?

Originally Posted by Zumarrad

Are there any dancewear brands that *are* good for shortwaisted, long-legged people with bigger hip measurements?

Well, there's L Rose Designs, since they custom-make EVERYTHING to your personal size and shape.

Since I'm tall and regular-length shirts from most vendors are too short for me, I have them lengthen the distance from armpit to bottom edge on the shirts I order from L Rose Designs. It's nice having shirts that are actually long enough! I'm confident you'd be able to get pants made the way you need them.

I do have one L Rose pair of pants which fit as if they were made for me, but I've never bought anything from them yet. Probably about time I did.

Originally Posted by Zumarrad

I do have one L Rose pair of pants which fit as if they were made for me, but I've never bought anything from them yet. Probably about time I did.

If you like the fit of the pair you already have, you might want to measure from the inner leg seam along the center front seam to the top edge and specify in your order what distance you want your new pair to be. That way you won't risk having new ones arrive sized differently.

Originally Posted by bintbeled

I have to agree about the games. I mostly buy her stuff used (or sometimes, NWT) from other dancers so I don't have to haunt her FB page. (There's a big resale market since so many Geisha Moth purchases are impulse buys.) But I have to applaud her for selling her stuff exactly the way she wants to, and making her system work for her. Not many people can do that. And some of her designs are really ingenious.

Agreed.

I'd recommend that someone looking for practice wear search out someone selling her stuff used...see how they like it and then make the choice of if her on-line games make sense for them.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

They need to show my knees and ankles, or alternatively be roll-up-able, or tuck-into-my-hip-band-able enough to show my knees and ankles without interfering with what my arms are doing. And they need to not fall down.

Cute is an added bonus!

Same here:When I teach I wear bike shorts and tank tops so that every student can have a clear view of what I´m doing.
Even though the custom of teachers wearing full skirts and very full harems have been going out of style here,most have replaced them with Melodias and tops with very full sleeves.That obscures the position of knees,wether the teacher is on releve or flat,plus sleeves are sometimes in the way for students to imitate shoulder/arms angle.

Therefore I save my "cute"wear for when I´m going to class myself(was very grateful to be able to buy bintbeled´s Sharifwear as Sharifwear´s shipping fees to Europe are extremely high)

Does anyone have any tips on where to find unitards/catsuits?

I´ve been looking for a very long time for a style that have these features:

1.True to size.

2.With or without mesh middle.

3.NOT halter(it´s uncomfortable to me)

4.In "breathing"materials that let humidity through.

5.Can take one or two machine washing per week.


Dahlal´s "Off The Nile"-unitards was much smaller than I expected;XL fitted like a european medium/large on me,so I had to resell the ones I bought from them

Originally Posted by emma-bessa

Does anyone have any tips on where to find unitards/catsuits?

I´ve been looking for a very long time for a style that have these features:

1.True to size.

2.With or without mesh middle.

3.NOT halter(it´s uncomfortable to me)

4.In "breathing"materials that let humidity through.

5.Can take one or two machine washing per week.


Dahlal´s "Off The Nile"-unitards was much smaller than I expected;XL fitted like a european medium/large on me,so I had to resell the ones I bought from them

I really like the ones that Naj has at www.BellyDanceShoppe.com. They are durable and well-made.

Although, if the mesh middle is optional for you, you can get much better prices on unitards at regular dance supply stores. Unitards, Leotards Unitards, Dance Unitards, Man Unitards, Child Unitards

Originally Posted by emma-bessa

Does anyone have any tips on where to find unitards/catsuits?

I´ve been looking for a very long time for a style that have these features:

1.True to size.

2.With or without mesh middle.

3.NOT halter(it´s uncomfortable to me)

4.In "breathing"materials that let humidity through.

5.Can take one or two machine washing per week.

Are you familiar with the ones made by Sugar Petals? They're NOT halter, they're made of cotton knit so they breathe, and they are made of sturdy fabric that can tolerate a lot of laundering. I find them true to size by U.S. standards, and they have a mesh middle. Available in a number of colors.

Thank you Lauren and Shira for the suggestions-if anyone else has a tip they are most welcome!:-)
BellyDanceShoppe mostly has XXXL and small in stock right now,but I´ll keep an eye on that page and look what Sugar Petals have to offer.

My favorite style that I buy en masse is "jazz leg"=flared unitards,even wear them as "casual"day wear(with a longer duster over it)


(Hate to sound like such a "Debbie Downer",but have to add:Fees for int. shipping have sure increased in the last years,two examples for shipping one single unitard:
Discount Dance Supply=56$
BellyDanceShoppe:41$ )