Bellydance garb (of the goth/steampunk variety)

[Blue66669]

Good job using textures! I like the contrasts. See about maybe using some silver or light green to offset some.

[Marietta Graziella]

I love the colors!  Green is one of my faves to work with. 

Question, though.   I was curious about using the hair elastics and tangling issues when putting them in/on.   What kind of issues are you noticing and what would you do differently?  Those that wear them, what are your thoughts?

[Blue66669]

I usually clump my yarn together, then tie the elastics around the entire clump of hair. That's the way I've been doing it for years. Then, as I apply the hair, the loopy end of the elastic goes into a part behind the elastic of my hair, then comes back up and loops around my bun.

The only thing I can figure is that singularly tying the hair onto the elastic is not only time consuming, but a tangley mess.

[Adriana Rose]

I like to put them on barettes, no tangly mess.

Or

I would put the pigtails in a bunish thing and just slid the rubberbands over the buns

Looking FAB

[Sitara]

I actually use 3 hair ties for each of mine;though I usually am making dreads, this works well for yarn too.  You can get a lot of yarn on this way.  I attach the 3 elastics together and then put the hair/yarn on the middle one only and using the 2 on the ends to wrap around my bun/ponytail.

I don't have any pictures handy at the moment, but if you want some to see what I am talking about, I can dig out my falls.

[Lady Catherine]

I thought i may share some of my goth/steampunk belly dance pictures since that is my specialty!

my biggest suggestion is to  check goodwill, I have bought so many things from there for my costuming! skirts, belt bases, bras, pants to butcher, vests!

lemme walk you through some:

First incarnation of goth: note hair falls:


also goth, belt is made with a goodwill dress cut into strips, goodwill vest i cut off, goodwill pants:


back view of goth-ness:

[Lady Catherine]

and here is the steampunk version:


first, note the tiny topper hat, belt from goodwill, small vest, I LoVE that thing! the belt has chains looped off it and keys, bells,  pocketwatches hanging on it!


next, i made a new headpiece with keys, lockets, buttons, typewriter keys, new garter pants with lace inserts, short tiered lace skirt from, you guessed it, goodwill!


next, I made a new bra. take a good-fitting bra, covered top half in antique lace, attached key and lock brads from oriental trading:


another view of bra and belt from competetion, sorry its blurry:





I hope this helps give you some inspiration!


ps, i am sooo sorry they are so biig, havent wuite figured out how to make it smaller on photobucket!

[Adriana Rose]

I donno about Tex but you sure gave me some ideas!

I LOVE fishing for good stuff at thrift stores!

[Lady Catherine]

why thanks!!     oh,,,, also, bustle!!! for steampunk, my skirts gather in the back to do a bustle-thingy@

[texanromaniac]

How do you do the bustling on the skirts?

[Lady Catherine]

hmm, i have no real good way to explain, except that i saftey pin the crap out of them!  The look is bustled skirt over longer skirt, pants, or tghts. as you can see a little from the pic by the lamp, kinda flat on the front, bulk toward the back. i wish i had back shots, sorry about that! oh, and it looks cool with tiered skirts too! main thing, there is no set pattern, just go wild!

ps, i dont sew them in place, because I know i may change my mind! 

[texanromaniac]

Haha, guess I should do my homework better, but...

Messing around online tonight I discovered that several of my fave bellydance outfits I've seen online were all created and worn by the same person!! I totally need to pick HER brain!! I guess it's understandable though, as she looks so completely different in the different outfits!!

     

[LadyElizabeth]

Haha, I totally had no idea that was the same chick!!!!  I'm definitely there with you Texasromaniac...  Her outfits rock!!

[texanromaniac]

Yeah...here's the main page for her website... http://sarcasm-hime.net

If you click on the dance link on the main page and then to photos and videos, there's some bellydance specific stuff there, BUT...if you click on the costuming link on the main page and then on finished costumes, you can see ALL the stuff she's made (bellydance, anime, goth, steampunk, tribal, etc.)...it's pretty impressive.

I can only wish I could be so creative!! I can sew decently and can follow patterns, but coming up with stuff like that, just based off of a picture...wow!!

[renfairephotog]

She posted a video of her steampunk routine. Can't really see the detail of her costume but it is entertaining.