Harem Pant conversion

There are some things I am willing to splurge on: a well beaded bra and belt, a good silk veil, a beledi dress that is a “one-step costume.” But, harem pants do not fall on that list. Here is how I made a pair for about $6US and some tips so you can, too.

When shopping, start at a thrift store or clearance rack. (“I never met a clearance rack I did not like!”) Then:

1) Look for the for a pair of loose fitting, elastic waist pants in a material that breathes and a color that is USEFUL to your wardrobe. Washable fabrics are even better. I was very lucky and found this pair of black rayon “beach pants” for $4.99US at the local Good---- store.

2) Bring or borrow a rubber band or pony tail tie. You will need it to try the pants on.
3) Check to see that the pants are at least 5 inches longer than you need. I am lucky, because I am short; so, this happens more often than not.
4) Also, be sure that the pants have a full leg to the ankle.
5) When you try the pants on, slip the rubber band / pony tail tie over your foot and use it to gather up the pants leg. This will let you see how the pants will look if you modify them. If you like the look, buy the pants; if not, keep looking.
6) There are two methods of converting these to harem pants:
a. NO SEW: When you need to wear them, slip the rubber band / pony tail tie over your foot and use it to gather up the pants leg. Betcha didn’t think it would be that easy, huh?
b. Some sewing: 1) cut a piece of elastic that is about .5 to 1 inch bigger than the circumference of your ankle. This allows room for overlap and keeps the cuff from being too tight. 2) stitch the ends of the elastic together. 3) turn the pants inside out. 4) slip the elastic band over the cuff of the pants. 5) fold the cuff of the pants over the band and stitch into place.
7) Save the money you spend for something more valuable to YOU!

Camisole conversion

If is one law about costuming, it would probably say, “You can spend money, or you can spend time.” Here is a sewing project for those of you with more of the latter.

Moderate sewing skills needed.
Estimated project time, 4 hours.
Estimated total cost: $20US

Start with one off-the-rack camisole. I found this one on a clearance rack (“I never met a clearance rack I didn’t like!”) for about $7US. This one featured an underbust seam and gathered cups, making bra conversion easy.

What it looked like when I started:



Steps for bra:
1) Carefully cut the camisole to follow a line one inch below the cups, so that you have enough fabric to fold up and under the bra line.
a. Note 1: It is better to cut further down (reducing the remaining fabric that can become your scarf or belt) than to skip on the bra. Trust me on this one.
b. Note 2: if your cami has two layers (mine was thin silk and slippery satin), it is a VERY good idea to pin or tack-stitch the layers together just below the line you will cut. This will keep them aligned when you make your skirt. Again, trust me on this one.
2) Since this cami was silk, I sewed some grosgrain ribbon along the raw edge of the fabric. (By the way, this is one way to recover if you cut too high in step one.)
3) Sew bra cups into the top if desired.
4) Fold the bottom edge of fabric up and under. Sew into place.

5) I wanted this bra top to fit tightly, so I added elastic along the back from side seam to side seam.

6) I then covered the elastic in craft felt. Any soft, non-fraying fabric that is sweat friendly will do.

7) Embellish as desired. Here, I made some tassels accented with sequins, I made some bows out of trim, and I covered the straps with the same trim.**

Steps for scarf / skirt:*
1) If you cami had two layers of fabric, align and pin or tack-stitch them together.
2) If desired, sew some grosgrain ribbon along the raw edge of the fabric.
3) Fold the top edge of the fabric over and under to make a hip band. Sew into place, adding elastic if you wish.

4) Embellish as desired.

Here is the finished product:


* You can also cover a belt if you have enough fabric and patience. I did not.
** There are those of you who will roll your eyes and say “Christmas trim, not AGAIN!” Please understand that this is not intended to be a “professional costume.” This is intended to be a costume for haflas or informal performances, made by those who are new to performing and who do have more time than money to spend on costumes.

Silica Gel is your new Best Friend

You have probably thrown away thousands of these little packs in your life; but you may never want to do that again. They come in boxes of shoes, with furniture, in new purses, even in medicines and some foods. And, their purpose is to KEEP THINGS DRY.

As a dancer, you have costumes and accessories that you want to protect from sweat, humidity, errant water bottles, etc. If you were to tuck one of these little marvels in the box where you store your bedlah (because, yes, you want to store it in a box – look for a future post on that topic), then it will silently protect your beautiful and expensive costume from damage. And, if you were to be sure you took a large one along when you perform, you can make those quick costume changes and just stow the costume with the packet (for a few hours at least) without worrying about damage from perspiration. My family is now trained to save every one they find, so that all of my costumes can be protected. I even keep one in my dance bag that I take to class – because ballet shoes can harbor moisture that can damage veils and hip scarves, too.

So, only follow half of the directions on the packet. “Do NOT EAT!” But, please do not throw them away!