Washing a Costume

Sometimes, your "workhorse" needs some love.

After a recent performance, I realized that my beloved gold bedlah had gotten a little "funky."  I had been using it about 3-6 times per year, and over the last 3 years.  I had always been careful what I ate in the days before dancing (onions and garlic just pour out of my skin); but, it was time.

Then, as I changed after the performance, I realized one strap was literally hanging on by a thread.

So, off to the bath and rehab unit!

Steps for washing a costume:

1. Carefully remove all hooks, eyes, velcro, snaps, safety pins, or other things used to fasten the costume.
2. Remove any padding in the bra or belt.
3. Inspect the lining and decide whether to keep or remove it.  (In my case, it was coming apart and needed replacement.  If the lining is particularly think, you may want to remove it anyway, to speed drying.  And, if the wash alone does not freshen your costume, a new lining can really help.)
4. Place the costume in a bucket with tepid water and a squirt of a gentle soap like Ivory liquid.  (This is what I use for my street bras, by the way.)  If you are concerned about the effects on the sequins and beadwork, test an armband or hidden edge of the belt first.
5. Stir the water gently, agitating the costume.
6. Let the costume soak for about 15-30 minutes -- no longer.
7. Pour the water out of the bucket and through a strainer to catch any beads that come loose.

The water will probably be the color of weak tea.  My friend, mentor, instructor, and favorite purveyor of costumes, Scheherezade, calls this "Cairo Dust."

8. Gently add clean tepid water, swish it gently and let it soak to rinse for about 5-10 minutes.

9. Drain the water through a strainer.

10.  Repeat if needed. NOTE: usually at either the first or second rinse, the water will start to look like it has glitter in it.  This is most likely the lining from the beads.  Shorter soaks, faster rinses and fewer washes will minimize this,

11.  CAREFULLY drape the costume across a drying rack, preferably a wooden one, arranging the costume so that it is well supported and reshaped.  If you don't have a drying rack, you can lay it on a counter on a towel, changing the towel often so that it does not stay wet.

12.  Once the costume is thoroughly dry, you can reattach the fasteners, restore any loose beadwork, and reline as needed.

13.  For interim cleanings, the best thing is to lay out your costume to air immediately after each performance.  A drying rack is, again, the best way to ensure air circulation. Some dancers spray a mist of 1/2 cheap vodka and 1/2 water onto the lining. Avoid laying the costume in the sun, however, as this can fade the fabric and trim.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Long ago, about seven years before I set foot in a dance class, before I started sewing again, and when I was a teeny 32 A, I took a job in retail.  I was desperate, because the economy decided it was a great time to have a recession, right when I was just out of college.

I wound up working at the local Leggett over the Holidays as a temporary clerk.  Because they were desperate, and because I seemed like I learned quickly, they decided I would be a “floater.”  I would show up for work, and they would put me where they were understaffed.  The Holidays ended, but the recession didn’t.  Fortunately, they let me stay.

So, I floated between departments for a while.  Then, Inventory time came in the Lingerie department.  Even the regular staff hated this chore.  The very reason that made the department wonderful made Inventory horrible: We had a wonderful Buyer who knew her Brands and ensured we had an inventory to fit almost anyone.

This meant there were hundreds of styles and over a thousand bras to sort and count.

Retentive, organized me loved it!  I volunteered to help there, counting carefully and quickly learning how to read the style codes, how to understand the sizes, and all of the Brands (at least ten) that we carried – and that was just the bras.

When Inventory ended, they asked me to stay.  I wound up working there about a year, earning my first TWO Professional certifications, from Bali AND Playtex, and became a Certified Fitter.  I still have the measuring tape from Olga; but, the certificates stayed on the walls after I left.  I wish I had kept them.

I learned a lot, not just about Brands and fit, but also about the women who wear them.  Even a few men, as I had the delicate honor of helping a young, tentative drag queen try to find something in that conservative store and conservative environment.

One of the things I learned is that shopping for bras is one of the most painful, nerve-wracking things women do.  Many avoid it because they think it is better to have a poor fit than to go through shopping again.

It is time to change that. 

Come with me to understand that garment you wear everyday.  Let me help you see what it is telling you about fit, and what to change to make it fit better.  We might even have some fun along the way.

Will you join me?

Bra: An Owner’s Manual, by The Practical Dancer

Working Table of Contents  (This will be updated as I add more material.  As sections are posted, they will become hyperlinks.)

1. Introduction

2. Let’s call it “shape,” not “size”

3. Signs it is time to buy new bras

4. Fit issues, and how to fix them

5. Preparing to shop

6. A note about brands and shapes

7. In the fitting room

8. Making the purchase

9. The longer test drive

10. Careful cleaning = longevity

Caveat dancer: A Public Service Announcement about Online Vendors

We all hate getting cheated.  We are devastated when we pay money we worked hard to save, only to be cheated out of it by fraud.

And, when the fraud is taking our money for a costume, or other dance purchase, it hurts ten times worse.

Now, imagine that the item in the photo used for the fraud was one of your creations.  That is the pain some of my friends feel right now.  Online “Vendors” are using photos of the other people’s costumes, veils, etc. to try and sell YOU an item the online vendor does not have and will not have.  All they have to do is take your money, then run to the other end of the internet.

Fraud will happen, sadly.  But, here are some tips on how to tell the good vendors, the REAL vendors, the REPUATBLE vendors from the fake ones.

Reputable vendors will have:

1.     Actual contact information on their Facebook page or website.

2.     Links to websites that will work when you click through.

3.     Links to the sites where they list with eBay or Etsy, where you can check their reputation.

4.     A solid reputation with your friends or online forums.  They may even have an established online presence on the internet forums (Bhuz.com, Bellydanceforums.net), and Facebook groups.  You may even find out that the person behind the business is a friend of a friend. Which is how I met the lovely Silkdancer, who was kind enough to let me use her FB page as an example of signs of a REPUTABLE Vendor:

I learned about Silkdancer through friends.  I checked her reputation at Etsy.  I saw raving recommendations from happy customers, both there and on Facebook.  I saw my friends happily credit her in their photos where they posed with her veils.  She offered great customer service when I asked questions, and never, ever rushed me to make a purchase.  I ordered a veil and was delighted.  And, I should disclose that I met her and she is even sweeter in person!  I am happily waiting for my second veil from her!  Silkdancer exhibits all of the “good” traits one wants to see in an online vendor.

Which is why I get angry when I see other “Vendors” use her photos to “sell” “their” goods.

Now, without getting into specific “Vendors” who prompted this post, there are some red flags to watch for:

1.     Lots of photos, with few descriptions.  If you are really selling something, you tend to advertise it.  You’ll have details like sizes, shipping costs, and payment methods accepted.

2.     Divergent styles.  Costume makers have a definite “style” – if you are reading this, you can probably tell the difference between tribal and cabaret, and maybe even the difference between an Abla and a Bella.  Someone who makes hand painted veils typically does not also make bedlah with skirts.  (They might; but, there would be stylistic traits that unify the pieces.)  If it is a dance clearinghouse, that is one thing – but, if it looks like a contemporary, well made piece, next to a contemporary, completely different well made piece, something is up.

3.     Cheap prices.  If it seems too good to be true, it IS.  $106 for a fully beaded dress?  Really?  With shipping?  From some unspecified country to your (oh they never asked?) country?  Warning sign!

4.     Blurred water marks.  It probably means they stole the photos.

Now, when “real” Vendors are just starting out, they may not have all of the “good” signs.  Not all reliable Vendors have all of the good traits; not all of the scary ones have all of the bad. But, starting with a free site like Facebook and suddenly having hundreds, if not thousands of photos of costumes at rock bottom prices that can be made in any size . . . 

Watch out, dancer, somebody’s after your money.

Some notes and thoughts about my weekend away at Art of the Belly

1. This is an awesome festival that is well run and full of talent.  I heard about it via word of mouth, and wanted to pass it along for you to consider attending.
2. Festivals can be overwhelming.  I did the exact thing I was warned about when I first went to another East Coast festival, and signed up for a pile of classes.  But, I planned out lunch breaks, did not perform, and chose sleep over partying all night.  (Having a cold made those choices easier.)
3. Scouting around your location ahead of time makes #2 easier.  Knowing there was a kitchenette in the hotel and a small grocery run on the way there allowed me to stock up on essentials for my diet.  What I should have done was to also phone screen restaurants to find GF friendly options and to check for latex glove use.  (I am horribly allergic to latex.  Eating food prepared with them can send me to the hospital.  Thus, if they use the gloves, I have to eat heavily cooked foods, which also tend to be the ones with wheat.  Thank goodness one restaurant was really sympathetic and modified a dish for me!)
4. Take advice from Ozma's Costumes: take extra paper and pens to lend, say Hi to your classmates, and if you see someone in more than one of your classes, introduce yourself!  I made some new friends this way; and, making friends like this in a prior workshop was how I even found out about this festival!
5.  If you see a dancer after a performance, and you enjoyed his or her performance, say so!  And, introduce yourself!  You may make more friendships this way!
6. FAAAAAAAAAAAAAHTIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEM!  I spent 6 luscious hours with her over the weekend.  I swear: you can learn more from just watching where she places her big toe than you can in many other 6-8 week classes.  She is warm, and supportive, and wonderful.  If you know a teacher you love and don't have ready access to is teaching at a venue like that, go on and take several classes with them while they and you are there.  She built on concepts over the weekend, so it became more of an intensive and less of a workshop.
7.  Sometimes, it is wonderful to just study and watch.  I did not perform, which I think made the festival FAR more relaxing for me.  Instead, I was able to take in the bulk of the show.  (Some classes clashed with the show; but, you can't do everything.)  It is hard work to sit there for hours at a time when the show started at 12, you got there at 2, and it runs until 10.  This is where some planning ahead (see #2) can save you.
8. Support every dancer.  Every one!  There will be dancers whose nerves show, props that misbehave, costume issues, and even visible lack of rehearsals.  It happens at every show and it has happened to everyone of us.  Still, your smile in the audience may be the thing that reenergizes them.  My favorite thing about this festival was the lack of competitiveness and the incredible support each dancer showed the other dancers.  THIS is the type of event we should have.  If you want that experience, you have to create it by providing that support to others.
9. Ask questions without shame!  I ask a LOT of questions when I study, because I want to get as much out of the course as I can.  As Fahtiem said, "You paid for me!"  The question you have is probably shared by others.  And, people will probably come up and say that after class (more ways to make friends!).  Plus, it can help the instructor to grow in their teaching style.
10.  Sometimes, taking the same workshop a second time can be a worthy investment.  I confirmed this with at least 3 of the ones I took this weekend.  While the concepts were the same, the instructors had new exercises to drive them home, a new perspective on the topic, or a new way to convey the information.  Teachers (the good ones, at least) grow too.  You may be amazed at how they have grown since you last studied with them.