Thread: How to costume the guy for this style...

Don't know if this is best in the costuming or styles forum, forgive me if I got it wrong! I'm doing a slightly different number for my advanced class next spring- I am using Ariel Layalha Afriqi-track 5 from Cairo Blue (Serpentine Productions)- a nice Egyptian Jazzy trumpet number. I am playing it with a mix of baladi styling with a vintage jazz nightclub feel- definitely a challenge!

I've got the ladies in the group in sparkly saidi dresses, because I thought that crossed the genres nicely (these ones) but what the heck do I put my lone guy in? Ideas? I'm kind of thinking go the jazz route with slacks, white shirt, loose vest, maybe even a fedora- that's not my best idea, it's just my only idea so far.

Thoughts?

Get him a dress too and use it make pants and a vest or a hip sash and vest combination? Or fitted shirt in lieu of vest...(I think that would look pretty swanky!)

That way all the fabric is the same fun sparkly stuff.

No fedora unless he's doing something solo.

Originally Posted by yaalini

Get him a dress too and use it make pants and a vest or a hip sash and vest combination? Or fitted shirt in lieu of vest...(I think that would look pretty swanky!)

That way all the fabric is the same fun sparkly stuff.

No fedora unless he's doing something solo.

I kinda like this idea but I'd say make the dress into a tunic length and then have a vest over that??? depending on what the dresses look like, if there is decorations on the slits up the legs . . . incorporate than into matching pants??

Yeah, I like the idea of the coordinating sparkly stuff :)

I'm not sure I like the idea of the fedora--that's very Western, and there's such a strong Western feel to the music that I wonder if it muddies the aesthetic, especially when the females are wearing a more Middle Eastern look themselves. I think you want to keep him in something comparable "foreign." What kind of vest did you have in mind?

I think I would be tempted to put him in black slacks, white shirt open at the neck, and some kind of hip wrap made from a nice, stage-worthy textile that coordinated with the ladies' dresses (more of a waiter-at-a-Mediterranean-restaurant look than Reda Troupe.) Another option if you want to spend the extra money might be to find a tunic that matched the dresses instead of the white shirt. Without seeing the ladies' costumes, it's hard to say whether you could just hack off the length and make a dress into a shirt for him (might be too feminine), but that approach would give some conformity to the group's look. How concerned is he about standing out?

Originally Posted by cbarros

I kinda like this idea but I'd say make the dress into a tunic length and then have a vest over that??? depending on what the dresses look like, if there is decorations on the slits up the legs . . . incorporate than into matching pants??

Yeah, I like the idea of the coordinating sparkly stuff :)

My only reservation with the tunic with vest (waistcoat) over it, is that this is basically classic Reda Nubian gear. And if he isn't doing Reda style Nubian it might look odd to other dancers.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

My only reservation with the tunic with vest (waistcoat) over it, is that this is basically classic Reda Nubian gear. And if he isn't doing Reda style Nubian it might look odd to other dancers.

Yeah, you are right about that . . . . hmmmm, shirt tucked into pants must be the way to go . . . I still like the sparkly part to match the ladies dresses. But you know that the saidi guys wear full length galabeyas . . . slightly different style with more fullness/flare . . . maybe the same color with just some sparklies around the neck.???

I like the idea of getting the same dress for him, having it shortened into a tunic, and wearing it over jazz pants. Hip scarf to match the women, if they're wearing one.

Depending on the pieces you choose, it may look more retro AmCab than Reda. I can't find any pictures of Bert wearing the particular combination of shirt and vest at the moment, but he wore vests without shirts and shirts with embellished jackets. It looks like Kamaal used to wear the shirt and vest combination regularly.

http://www.ishimmy.com/Columns/Raks_..._Star__Kamaal/
http://www.bellydanceroftheuniverse....ity-judges.htm

Coloured satin shirt tucked into trousers with a fancy vest, decorations echoing the galabaya. I am thinking no hip scarf.

{{{HUGS}}}

Wish I could find a good picture of what's in my head, but this is pretty close: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYfnZ02kYsI

I still think you should use the dress so everyone has the same sparkly fabric/pattern. You could decorate the pant cuffs too so everyone has a similar look top and bottom.

(If I saw one guy in a white or solid shirt amongst dark sparkly dresses...my focus would be on him the whole time, not on the group as a whole)

I am going to disagree with dressing your male dancer in a dress like the females. But keep in mind that I like men to look - and dance - like men and sometime that gets lost when men are wearing even masculinized versions of a female piece of clothing. A coordinating shirt (say every one was wearing the burgundy galabaya) with a vest which had the same basic beading would work, or a pull over collared shirt with the same beading would work. Getting the galabaya and cutting it shorted and adding a matching hip scarf may also work, as long as it's a good fit. For me it looks a little bit like Cossacks, but that is my own strange connotation. But getting the fit right is important. There is a difference in the way mens and womens shoulders and chest are build.

{{{HUG}}}}

Have you asked the guy himself how he feels about costuming for this number?

Okay, scratch the fedora- &
I actually did embed the link to the dress style in the original post, but it looks like links are no longer a different color, so it's hard to tell!
this style dress http://bellydancestore.biz/gallery.p...productId=8044
in red, teal, purple and black/gold

I did talk to "the guy"- If I leave it to him, he will go for the cheaper costume- slacks & a white shirt since he already has them. I have to admit, $110 plus alterations for a shirt is a bit steep! I guess that seems silly since I asked the ladies to pay that much- but I would pay that much for a dress myself, where I wouldn't necessarily for a shirt. There is also the issue of him being 6'2" and fairly well built... we've got an xl for one of the ladies, and I'm fairly certain it wouldn't fit him in the torso.

Since they are all different colors, I may be able to make something out of similar fabric, but dang, I hate beading.

Will probably do a simple sash style hip scarf for everyone, so that should help tie things together a little.

Thanks for the input (& I welcome further ideas!)

Have you looked into Indian kurtas? They come in a lot of variations, some of which are more generically ethnic than others, and you might be able to find something with an embellished, uncollared neckline and a nice fabric that would work for him

I know I've seen sparkly fabric on bolts before, maybe a black fitted shirt instead of a white shirt, and buy 1-2 yards of sparkly fabric that can be sewn (as accents - Stripes maybe?) to the black shirt and pants. (or even pinned)


Then he will blend (everyone in dark fitted sparkles) and still shell out some cash like ladies are doing. ..g.:

Originally Posted by Lara L

....Since they are all different colors, I may be able to make something out of similar fabric, but dang, I hate beading.....

i made myself a dress like this, and i used a pre-beaded trim from online, i cut it along the swirls and it worked very well, no harder to sew on than an applique.
i'm wearing it here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001430855444
i got the trim from here: http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail....b-ef840f840b40

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

But getting the fit right is important. There is a difference in the way mens and womens shoulders and chest are built.

{{{HUG}}}}

I'm actually surprised - and gratified - that several have suggested putting him in a modified dress. Even though Tahira disagrees here, her point above is well thought. A dress *CAN* look very dashing (if I say so myself) on the male figure - but it *MUST* be made for the male upper body proportions. I have dozens of skirts for my mundane life, a handful for Belly Dancing, but exactly ONE dress - because it had to be special made. The most comfortable thing I've ever worn, but not cheap.

I nearly forgot, here's my page on teaching males - the subject of troupe costuming considerations is near the bottom:

http://www.doubleveil.net/student.htm

As always, I welcome suggestions for improvements to this article - indeed, it wouldn't be what it is today without help from many of dance sisters, many from Bhuz!

As far as my dress goes, I *did* have a picture in my Bhuz gallery - I'm a bit annoyed that its wiped out. Anyway, for those who haven't seen and want to, go to my website, click galleries, 2010 - the thumbnails for the dress pictures are "right there" on the first 2010 page. The gals' dresses are similar except they have an underbust neckline with bra whereas I have a higher neckline (but still with plenty of room to display jewelry!) and wear an "over vest" with it.

Great article, Zorba- & thanks for sharing the pictures.
Fariha, thank you much for the link to the trim!
Yaalini- we've thought of sewing onto a shirt before, but I know from experience it is often easier to just start from scratch!

I am leaning heavily in the direction of having a sparkly shirt of some kind made, but that means I need to find a good seamstress- I just don't have time right now! so- white shirt with sparkly sash or sparkly shirt will depend on who I can find to work on the project, I guess. Much thanks to all!