PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
|
|
Ask the Costume Goddess |
|
|
Ask the Costume Goddess:
Battle of the Hip Bulge
by Dina Lydia
The Question
Dear Costume Goddess,
I have well-padded hips and rudimentary sewing skills. I am a dab hand at sewing simple skirts and harem pants with elasticised waists, but zippers are way out of my league! Can you give me any tips about how to produce an elasticised waistband that doesn't push my generous hip padding up and over the top of the skirt, resulting in the "overflowing cappuccino" or "muffin top" look? It can be quite attractive in a coffee cup or pastry shop, but tends to detract from a bellydance performance costume!
---Generously Hipped
The Costume Goddess Responds
Dear Hipped,
Yes, tight elastic will cut into soft flesh, creating bulges where we don't want them. This is true at the hip, midriff, back and upper arm (see Flabby Arms article). If it's a problem, we have to find another way to fasten our costumes, or design them differently.
I can think of several alternatives. Making the skirt elastic looser might help, and if it feels like it might slip down, you might sew it or pin it to your hip belt or scarf.
Or avoid elastic altogether, and make a skirt closure as illustrated without a zipper. Make a casing as usual at skirt edge, but first leave an opening at seam long enough (three or four inches) for skirt to slip over hips. Use non-stretch ribbon instead of elastic in the casing, and pull it through to make your gathers, then stitch one end to casing. Try on skirt, pin opening shut, and adjust this ribbon until the skirt sits on your hips where you want it. Then stitch the other end to casing. |
|
Now you have an open seam in your skirt. Neatly narrow hem the opening by hand or machine by turning the edge under twice. Use hooks and eyes, or flat buttons and loops to close the slit. Your hip scarf or belt, and the folds of the skirt will cover this.
Ideally your hip scarf or cabaret belt will cover your hips at an angle as illustrated, with some kind of decoration at center, and this will minimize the appearance of hip bulge, if I may call it that. |
|
I hope some of my ideas help!
--The Costume Goddess
Related Articles
Other articles on this web site related to costuming ideas for dancers with full hips include:
About the Costume Goddess
Dina has been sewing for more than twenty-five
years (yes, she started as a toddler!)
She's also an artist (Maryland Institute of Art) and perfected
her sewing techniques apprenticed to various designers, freelancing
for small theaters, restyling vintage garments, and altering
wedding gowns.
Dina fell in love with belly dancing costumes upon her very
first lesson. Now the pleasure of wearing her own designs, and
seeing others wear them, offers as much pleasure as dancing. She's
become expert as well in altering those troublesome ready-made
Egyptian costumes, and modifying designs to flatter individual
figures.
She holds workshops in Seattle to teach design and construction
of cabaret costumes, and analysis of figure characteristics.
She will also give private lessons, or resize or repair a secondhand
costume. She's thus earned her Costume Goddess title. |
|
The Costume Goddess Tells All Costuming Books
Dina has published six books of her own on belly dance costuming
as well as writing nearly all the costuming section for The
Belly Dance Book. For information on her series of books, The Costume Goddess Tells All, see her web site at www.costumegoddess.com.
For reviews here on Shira.net of some of her books, see:
|
|
Costume Goddess Photos
To view a photo gallery featuring pictures of Dina, costumes
she has designed, and her friends, either click on the choices below or visit her web site:
The contents of this page are copyrighted 2009 by Dina Lydia. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is forbidden.
Copyright Notice
This entire web site is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
All articles, images, forms, scripts, directories, and product reviews on this web site are the property of Shira unless a different author/artist is identified. Material from this web site may not be posted on any other web site unless permission is first obtained from Shira.
Academic papers for school purposes may use information from this site only if the paper properly identifies the original article on Shira.net using appropriate citations (footnotes, end notes, etc.) and bibliography. Consult your instructor for instructions on how to do this.
If you wish to translate articles from Shira.net into a language other than English, Shira will be happy to post your translation here on Shira.net along with a note identifying you as the translator. This could include your photo and biography if you want it to. Contact Shira for more information. You may not post translations of Shira's articles on anybody else's web site, not even your own.
If you are a teacher, performer, or student of Middle Eastern dance, you may link directly to any page on this web site from either your blog or your own web site without first obtaining Shira's permission. Click here for link buttons and other information on how to link.
|