Costumes in Istanbul?

[andalee-oriental]

Here's a place I missed when I was there. It is in Sultanhamet at the center of the tourist district. I had lunch right next to it and must have passed it a few times without even noticing it. It's not on Meissoun's list...maybe it's a bad shop? Worth looking at though...looks like their inventory is huge!

BELLY DANCE COSTUME, BELLY DANCE COSTUMES, ISTANBUL BELLY DANCE COSTUME, BELLY DANCE COSTUME TURKEY

[meissoun]

Just because something is not on my list, doesn't mean that it's bad!
On the contrary, if I thought a shop was really bad, I would put up a warning.
There are a few that I know in Laleli that are just not worth the hassle of going there because the offer nothing exceptional (and I wasn't sure how long they would last anyway...) so I didn't put them on my list.

Actually, I didn't know this one. But I will gladly take it on my list and ask one of my friends to check it out. We are such an Istanbul-addicted lot, there's always somebody going there nearly every month....

MEISSOUN

[Lycissa]

Finally got back from my trip to Istanbul. Loads of fun. I met up with my family there. Unfortunately with all the sight seeing we did, (and because it was with a bunch of men) I didn't get to do much shopping and due to some mix up with reservations, I didn't see a belly dance night show. Oh well. Will have to head back some time in the far off future with belly dance gal pals.

Anyway, I bought a simple costume:



I probably paid too much for it, 120 YTL approx $100 US dollars. Not sure I'm that great at haggling. Lol.

There was this other gorgeous outfit at Ali Baba's, but it was going for 400 YTL for which I was sorely tempted but kinda out of my price range.

Also here's a link to my sight seeing pics. (I still need to label some of the pics)
Istanbul - a set on Flickr

[meissoun]

An interesting thing a dancer told in a German forum:
It seems to get more difficult to haggle down prices because: "If you don't take it at that price, there will come a Japanese or Russian dancer who will pay that much!"

Is there such a thing as "overcutting"? It's when you come from a country where importing costumes is expensive. So when you go to the source, everything will seem "cheap" even if in reality it's overpriced. Before we European dancers complained about Americans for ruining the prices, now there seem to be other who will pay just about whatever is asked of them. They came a long way and will not go home empty-handed "at any price"!

This dancer also reported that at that time (about 2 weeks ago) nearly all costumes at Bella's had rather small bras - because they have a new clientele from Asia...
(Hm, maybe I should go there now!)

I think ordering costumes at your own measures will be the way of the future.

MEISSOUN