North American Find Forecast: March 2009

The Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Valentine’s day holiday inventories are fading; while St. Patrick’s day, Easter and Prom season are on the rise. Spring is dawning here in the US, and here is your “forecast” for what you may find and convert to belly dance use in a store near you.



Red items: carry over from Valentine’s Day, and some Christmas. Price and availability are trending down. Look for: fabrics, jewelry, heart items that may embellish (think: appliqués, sequins, things that can be cut up and sewn on). Location: a clearance rack near you.

Emerald Greens: Some Christmas residuals may be out there, some Mardi Gras, but St. Patrick’s items are more likely. Prices will plummet, along with availability after March 17th. Look for: fabrics, some jewelry, embellishments will mostly be of bead variety. (No one really got into Mardi Gras around here this year due to the recession, so there may be beads aplenty.) Also, may find Purples and Golds. Location: a clearance rack near you.

Pastels: Easter and Prom are converging. Availability will rise over the next few weeks; prices will not drop until mid April. Look for: fabrics (satin, chiffon, silks), complimentary jewelry, and some convertible scarves (related posts coming soon). Embellishments may be in the form of appliqués, sequins, and brooches. Keep an eye out for shoes and sandals (again, related posts coming soon). Location: front of the store, where the “in season” items are kept.

Thrift store report: Some post-holiday and winter clearance on Red, Greens, and velvets. Remember, most thrift stores discount after 4 to 6 weeks in inventory, so seasonal finds are not as common as discounts based on time-in-inventory. Trending high on pre-Prom and pre-Easter (both price and availability). Also, continue to look for belly dance friendly items from years past: bohemian skirts, shirts with Beledi sleeves, embellished tanks -- these items will continue to surface over time; but, availability will always be “target of opportunity” due to the dependence on donations.

*This post title was edited on 3/18/09, as it really applies to North American seasons. Some holidays may be celebrated internationally, so you may be able follow those leads if you are one of my international readers. Feel free to comment if you have thoughts on this matter.

Street Skirts Hit the Stage

Isn’t it interesting how everything is more expensive when it’s “for bellydance?” By that, I mean that a simple tiered skirt hangs forlorn on a department store rack at some big-box discount store with a price tag less than $20US, while its not so distant cousin sits packed in a vendor’s truck, waiting to be displayed at an upcoming workshop with a price tag that is 3 to 5 times higher . . .



Folks, skirts are skirts. There are some that are elaborate enough to warrant vendor prices; and, you will not find those out in the wild. But, if you know what to look for, and where to look, you can buy performance worthy gems at clearance rack (“I never met a clearance rack I didn’t like!”) prices. Here is how.

Buy it to fit how you will wear it. That is, street skirts tend to be worn on the waist, and rarely fall below mid-calf; performance skirts need to fall on the hip and extend to the ankle. When buying, try them on so that the “waist” falls at your hip – look to see if the hem falls deep enough to cover the ankle and watch for “hip bumps” in the side seams. (Some skirts are shaped to curve around your hips – that doesn’t quite work when you slide them down to “below the belt.”)

Think of the possibilities. A plain black velvet skirt with a swirl panel (some call it a petal panel) shape may only look ho-hum; stick on some sequin trim along the seams and you have a bit of pizzazz! (FYI, slide the skirt over a piece of cardboard – I used my folded up cutting board. It will keep you from accidentally sewing the front to the back.)




When you get it home, try it on – with your costumes! I literally have “dress up parties” with my young daughter where we see which of Mommy’s pieces work with her new finds. And, when you buy skirts retail (vs. from dance vendors), you can often leverage a return policy.



Buy what you will ACTUALLY wear. I have a pink cotton full skirt with cute little shisha mirrors sewn on that seemed like a great idea at the time. I only wore it to class twice. I’m just not that tribal, I guess.

Basic Bedlah / Beledi Dress Storage

Your costume is an investment – normally, several hundred dollars (in $US, at least). Here are a few basic tips to help protect that investment:

1) Store them flat – do not hang. Beads have weight, and weight stretches fabrics. A dress that fits perfectly when you buy it can mysteriously grow 3 inches while hanging. Unless you really enjoy altering beaded hems, don’t hang it.
2) Store them in a protective environment – ideally, an acid free box. My personal preference is an acid free photo box. I am lucky in that I am small busted, so a photo box that sells for about $3.50US (on sale) can hold at least one half (top or bottom) of a bedlah; some beledi dresses fit in there as well. Larger boxes can be had at higher prices.
a. Why acid free? Acid eats fabric. ‘nuff said?
b. How do I fold them? Let the shape of your costume guide you: fold the belt to follow the curves of your hips. Gently place them in (fringe first), then ease the rest of the belt in.
c. How big of a box do I need? I base it on my bras – the box should be wide enough that my bra can easily fit with the cups up (i.e. the box needs to be about as wide as your shoulders.
d. They don’t make boxes big enough – what do I do?!? (AND) I really don’t want to spend money – what are my other options? Men’s shoe boxes and boot boxes (men’s or women’s) are a wonderful, larger, and often free alternative.
3) Throw in a little extra insurance – remember, Silica Gel is your new best friend!
4) Take the container with you when you perform. I tuck mine in a bag along with my change of clothes. This allows me to tuck my costume away in its protective shell after I do my quick change, protecting the beads and sequins from the ravages of transport. And, I keep a small zip-top bag in the box to hold jewelry. (Learned that one when a necklace “married” the fringe of a bra after one show.) Just remember to let your costume air a bit before tucking away for long-term storage.