Costuming

 
This page is designed to give you ideas and sources on how  to make your own costumes. Let your creativity run wild when you design your one of a kind costumes. New items will be added when I run across them.  Have fun and start sewing.

Articles
Books 
Bra Construction 
Choli
Costuming Websites 
eNewsletter
Headdresses
Makeup and Decoration 
Patterns
Veils

Articles  

Belly Dance Costume Alterations to Keep a "G" Rating - by Lorraine Bier

Belly Dance Costume Care, Repair and Helpful Hints - by Princess Farhana

Belly Dance Costumes - by Salome from Orientaldancer.net

Belly Dancing Costumes - by Diaa Khalil

Blousy Dance Pants - by Salome from Orientaldancer.net

Cairo's Costume Disasters - by Leyla Lanty.  Tacky, bizarre and surprising costumes worn by Cairo's stars of oriental dance.  Plenty of photos. Article from the Gilded Serphant.

Choosing a Belly Dance Costume - by Lolaness

The Cleopatra Costume on Stage and Film - The following eight pages attempt to provide the researcher with an extensive look at how the character of Cleopatra has been visualized both on stage and in film. The paper began as a major project for The History of Theatrical Costumes at University of Illinois in 1967 and obviously continues to hold my attention.  Paper is by C. David Claudon.

Clone Yourself a Fitting Assistant - by David Page Coffin 
Every sewer needs a dress form. Here are four fast, cheap (and amusing!) ways to make your own.

The Costume - Description of American Nightclub, Tribal Fusion and Egyptian Raqs Sharqi costumes.  Great color photos showing the various costumes.  Tribal Fusion contains a section on makeup.  - from The Art of Middle Eastern Dance (by Shria)

Costume Alternation How-to-Halter to Conventional Straps - by Dawn Devine "Davina"

Costume Hints for Resale Value - by Princess Farhana

Costume Tips for Mature Belly Dancers - by Marisa Wright

Costumes - This page is to be used as a reference for you to understand costumes for Middle Eastern Dance and maybe create your own or at least find a new way to use an existing piece of costuming. - from Middle Eastern Dance page

Costumes for Various Styles of Oriental Dance - from the paper, Origins of Oriental Dance, by Me'ira 

Costuming for Competition - by Dawn "Davina" Devine

Costuming Info - from Flying Skirt website.

How to Avoid Costuming Catastrophes - article is by Jasmin Jahal

How to Make Belly Dance Costumes - by Classicalgeek from eHow

How Much Should You Pay for a Costume? Or, Wear Your Costume, Don't Let It Wear You! - by Michelle 

Making Belly Dance Costumes - by Relache

Making Wise Choices in the Belly-Dance Wear Market-place - by Susi

Making your Own Costumes - from Sevenveils website

Raqqin' the Retro: vintage belly dance costume care and repair - by Princess Farhana

The secret to getting a great fit "off the rack" - by Dahlal from OrientalDancer.net website

Shopping for Costumes Online - by Dawn "Davina" Devine

Tailoring an Off-The-Shelf Costume - by Michelle

Your First Belly Dance Costume - by Atea

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Books  

Bedlah, Baubles, and Beads
This book focuses exclusively on the "cabaret" style so common in the United States. It is about designing and crafting the elaborate bra and belt sets worn by these belly dancers. Contains hundreds of tips, hints, and directions for making contemporary belly dance costumes.
spiral-bound.

Belly Dance Costume Making - by Vicki Corona

The Cloth of Egypt: all about assuit - by Dawn Devine

The Costume Goddess Tells All
by Dina has several books in the making and book one is available now.  

• Flattering Costume for Bellydancers
  This booklet will be spiral-bound with black plastic to lie flat for use while sewing, and contain about 70 pages with 20+thousand words, 95 illustrations, 20 black and white photos, and blank figures for sketching designs.
• Easy Costume for Bellydancers
  This booklet will be spiral-bound with black plastic to lie flat for use while sewing; about 40 pages, numerous illustrations, black and white photos, a measurement chart, and blank figures for sketching designs.
• The Cabaret Belt and Bra for Bellydancers
  This booklet will be spiral-bound with black plastic to lie flat for use while sewing, and contain about 40 pages, with numerous illustrations, black and white photos, and blank figures for sketching designs.
• The Choli and Skirt for Bellydancers
• Costume Sleeves for Bellydancers
  This booklet is 60 pages, including a 24 page Photo Gallery featuring 7 designers.
• Thrift Shop Costumes for Bellydancers
• Headpieces for Bellydancers
  Ten Headbands and Headpieces
  Patterns, Illustrations, and Instructions
  Suggestions on Styling & Accessorizing Hair

Costuming From the Hip
Costuming from the Hip is a comprehensive reference for anyone who works with Middle Eastern dancewear. Dancers, costume makers, designers, and historical re-enactors will like the many illustrations, historical patterns, construction techniques, and hundreds of hints and tips. This 120-page book will take you step-by-step through measuring your body, researching your costume, laying out the patterns, fitting it, and accessorizing your creation.
Spiral-bound - 120 pages (September 1, 1997)
Ibexa Press; ISBN: 0967817005


Embellished Bras: basic techniques, (workshop in a book)
by Dawn Devine Brown, with photography by Barry Brown
Not yet available (note, purchased my copy at Rakkasah, 2003)
Ibex Press, 64 pages, 2003
ISBN 0-9678170-6-4
$20.00

From Turban to Toe Ring
by Dawn Devine Brown, Barry Brown
From Turban to Toe Ring is a guide for designing and making tribal-fusion belly dance wear. This style, which originated in the San Francisco dance community and has spread world-wide, is fast becoming one of the most popular costuming options. Tribal-fusion costuming is an assemblage of design elements pulled from many different tribal, rural, and nomadic peoples from North Africa, across the Near and Middle East, and as far away as India. Surface design techniques, articles of clothing, and jewelry components are fused together to create a look that blends all of these items into an exciting and uniquely individual image for each dancer.
102 pages, spiral-bound
Publication date March 2000
Ibexa press, ISBN 0967817013


Oriental Costumes Their Designs and Colors
by Max Tilke 
This is an eBook with great photos and information on costumes.

The Style File
It is a pleasure to introduce my latest publication - The Style File. With more than 50 illustrations jammed into 40 pages, this little book provides the reader with a handy reference for identifying a wide variety of Middle Eastern dance costume styles. Unlike previous books, this booklet provides a vocabulary for dance costume through illustrations and text.
by Dawn Devine Brown
Ibex Press, 40 pages, 2002
Price $9.00

Search Amazon for more books on belly dance costuming

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Costuming Websites 

The Art of Middle Eastern Dance (by Shira) - Ask the Costume Goddess, (very in-depth page on costuming) 
Costume Definitions - site defines period costumes
Costume Goddess - tips and tricks 
Costumer's Manifesto - ancient Egyptian costume links
Crochet for Bellydancers - Free Crochet patterns for handcovers, zill covers, bead and coin necklaces and more. - from Joyful Dancer Fiber Arts Gallery
Hanezebs Costuming hints & help - this section of Hanezeb's site is dedicated to help beginners and advanced dancers in costuming.
History of Costume - Index - by Braun & Schneider - c.1861-1880
How to Make Belly Dance Costumes - variety of videos on making costumes
What Were They Thinking - Belly dance costumes that make you wonder...

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eNewsletter

Costumer's Notes - This monthly eNewsletter features articles, links, reading lists, product reviews and more.  Edited by Dawn "Davina" Devine Brown, publisher of "From Turban to Toe Ring" and "Costuming from the Hip".

Bra Construction 

The Coin Bra - by Annabella

Constructing a 'Cabaret-Style' Costume Bra - from Anthea's website

Variations & Techniques - part 2 of The Coin Bra - by Annabella

Choli

The Choli - by Annabella

Headdresses

Custom Headgear - FAQ's from Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide.

Head-dresses and Turbans - from Institute of Draped Clothes

How Do I Tie My Scarf? - from Modest Clothing.com

Six Simple Steps to the Perfect Turban - by Sukara

Tribal Turban Wrapping Guide - from Desert Rain (note: this is a pdf file)

Tying the Turban - by Dawn Devine Brown and Barry Brown 

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Makeup and Decoration

Brightening Your Performance with the Right Stage Makeup - by Nuriya

Choosing the Right Foundation - by Makeda from OrientalDancer.net website

Customs of Middle Eastern Makeup and Decoration - FAQ's from Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide.

Eyeshadow Techniques - by Makeda from OrientalDancer.net website

Henna Tattooing (Mehndi) - FAQ's from Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide.

Know Your House: how to make sure your face matches your performance space - by DeVilla

Navel Jewels - FAQ's from Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide.

Performance Pretty: caring for your skin - by Princess Farhana

Belly Dance Patterns
In this section are websites that contain directions and patterns on making Belly Dance costumes and websites that sell Belly Dance patterns.  Have fun creating your own costumes.

Costume patterns & Instruction

10 Yard Tiered Skirt - instruction and pattern from Annabella's site.

Beaded tassels - instructions on how to make beaded tassels

Costume Tips: harem & cabaret skirt - pattern and instructions on making harem pants and a circular skirt.

Costume Tips: Rafiqa's accent overskirt - pattern and instructions on making four point accent skirt from the Sheikhani Dance Troupe of Colorado Springs.

Ghawazee Coat - pdf file contains instructions and pattern by Durrah

Online Patterns - links from Shira's website

Simple Caftan - instructions & pattern on how to make a caftan.

Where to buy Belly Dance patterns

B.D. Patterns - patterns for skirts, tops, pants, dresses, coats and more.

Belly Dance Costume Pattern: where to get them - info from Shira's page.

Madame X Costumes - a few patterns listed

Pattern's by Atira Fashions -  These patterns can be ordered from Artemis

 

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Veils 

Costume Tips: full circle cape - costume Tips from the Sheikhani Dance Troupe of Colorado Springs.  Instructions on how to make a circle cape veil.

Making a Semicircular Veil - instructions from Shira's website.

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