Sparks of joy

Deary me, my Create 365 challenge seemed so feasible at the start of the year, and here we are, last day of August without even a month's worth done.

Still, the idea was to motivate me to sort things out, one of which was a new pair of trainers which were comfortable the first time I wore them, and then, for some reason, increasingly uncomfortable. After the fourth time wearing them, I stopped and put them away.

I watched a documentary featuring Marie Kondo, and not for the first time, I wondered about the concept of 'sparking joy'. The answer seems to be straightforward, a binary yes/no.

Not generally one for getting satisfaction from tidying and decluttering, nevertheless when I went to put clean knickers away, I found myself folding them into neat little shapes, then took out some knickers that I only go to as a last resort. Why was that? Did they 'spark joy'? Actually, no. They've always been too uncomfortable, with thick elastic edges. A couple of sessions resulted in balls of  jersey yarn.

I also sorted a few pairs of old socks, a couple of sessions yielding 4 smaller balls of  jersey yarn again. Soon I'll have enough to make something!

I mended a T-shirt which had a couple of small tears in it, probably courtesy of my cat Greebo, who seems unable to jump up for a cuddle without creating holes in whatever I'm wearing.

But back to the trainers. I looked at them, all turquoise and pink and light, and was surprised to find a spark of joy. But they had been cheap, probably wouldn't last long and there was no point in keeping them if they were uncomfortable, so what to do? I slipped them on again to walk around and focus on the discomfort. Something was rubbing my heels, irritating my Achilles tendons. I slipped them off and looked at the backs - they were quite high and curved in a little, unlike my heels. The centre back seam ended in a hard knob, just in the wrong place.

I was unsure if I could fix this, but on the basis that you don't know until you try, I used a stitch ripper to undo the seam where the lining joined the outer across the back of the heel, cut both outer and lining straight across and trimmed the centre back seam, before adjusting the small foam heel pad and re-sewing lining to outer.

This worked, although they may still not last long now that they are wearable!

This batch of things: 6
Cumulative total: 28

Create 365

I'm in awe of some of my arty friends, who are so productive and create such loveliness. Even some friends of mine who have been posting about what their naughty Christmas elves have been up to, complete with pictures.

Glancing through old posts, especially those from this time of year, I despair at myself; the same old aims pop up time and again. Lose weight, exercise more, earn some money, learn how to do all sorts of things, get everything sorted out, get a grip!

I spotted a post in which I talked about peyote stitch bezels around stones and the offending articles are still in the UFOs box, where I left them years ago when I couldn't decide how to create the bails. I had another look at them when a crafty friend came round for a cuppa and decided that I would not be able to get a pinch bail or even a jump ring into the beadwork, (because I didn't 'cheat' and use a strip of double-sided tape around the stone, so the beadwork is as tight as I could make it). Beaded bails it is, then.

With the turning of the year at Yule, and thinking about my recent creative impulse, I set a goal. I need to be more productive and to do a major de-stash, so I am going to make, create, renovate, repair, alter and complete 365 things.

I have an appalling record when it comes to personal goals, as they often dissolve and disappear within a month, displaced by important and urgent stuff or other interests. Given that I need to be smarter about the goal setting, I decided posting every day and having a photo of every object would be unfeasible and unsustainable, so I'll post periodically and keep a running total. Although 365 is one object a day, I probably won't complete one a day, but I shall have to try to produce more or less 30 things a month just to keep on track. If I run short of time I might start making lots of earrings (although that at least will help de-stash the beads and give me something to sell!).

I've a long list of crafty things I want to try, and have been saying for years that I should pick my art things up again.

Choreographies will count. Making/repairing elements of the garden will count. Making everyday meals will not count, nor will making a mess (something I can do with no effort at all!) I've also decided that blog posts won't count unless they are tutorials or patterns, but I do need to complete a lot of draft posts too.

So that's a major aim for the year, to bring things back into use and create lovely things. How do you think I'll do? Feel like joining me? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Belly Dance Costume on a Budget

It was with a deepening sense of gloom that I watched the coverage of the Autumn Statement. The forecast is that low and middle income 'households' who are the JAMs - a nice new acronym, the 'Just About Managing' - will find themselves worse off as a combination of inflation and welfare cuts take hold.

When you are just about managing (and especially when you are actually not managing but determined to have some belly dance space-time), it can be really difficult to justify money spent on costume for a performance, especially if your time and money is so short that this may be once a year. The temptation is to go for something cheap, preferably something which will do double duty as everyday clothing, perhaps something you already have in your wardrobe. This can be really difficult; costume should ideally look like costume. There are few instances where you can get away with everyday wear, unless your everyday wear is somewhat bohemian and full of rich fabrics, colours, textures and bling! So, bearing in mind that I'm considering amateur performances in relatively 'safe' spaces, such as local haflas, here are some tips on what you might look for, what you might get away with, and how not to waste your money.

First, bear in mind that your costume should:

• Suit the dance style. Think about the dance - is it more cabaret or folkloric? A distinct style, or fusion? You might get away with jeans and a T shirt for Shaabi, or summer skirts for something folky or fusion, but not for something more classical.
• Fit you. Not so loose that the movements can't be seen or that it slips around or down, not so tight that it looks like you might spill out or it rides up, not so long that you trip over it, nor too short.
• Flatter you. Maximise your assets, minimise your faults, cover up anything distracting, such as large, scarred tummies and bingo wings, and look as though you are wearing the costume and not the other way around.
• Provide some visual interest and look like a unified group. I'm all for individuality, but if everyone just wears what they have or like, you can end up with every style of costume in every colour (which is what happened for the Imago dancers' first show piece. Ah well, it's all experience!). Costumes don't have to be identical, but should have some sort of richness, either in their decoration or the blend of colours and perhaps textures or fabrics, and if not all the same, then a limited set of styles can bring a group look together.)

The first thing is to assess what you have, or can borrow.

• Skirts. A skirt should be long and move nicely. Long means down to your ankles, or onto the instep of your foot, rather than calf length. Try turning in the skirt and twisting your hips to see how it moves. Ideally, you should have a skirt with a hem at least 3-4 metres long. A circular skirt will have a hem 6-7 metres long. A half circle skirt with godets (triangular inserts) can also work well. Tiered skirts used for folkloric or tribal style dance often have hems at least 9.5 metres long, roughly equivalent to a circle and a half, but if the top tier is too long, onto the thigh, it may not move well. This is often the case with tiered 'broomstick' skirts sold as summer skirts, which often do not have enough fabric gathered into the tiers to move well.
• Tops. A good basic is a close-fitting vest top or strappy camisole of fine cotton, poly-cotton, polyester or viscose jersey. This can be paired with a cropped-length tie-top of some sort, in a matching or toning colour. Make sure the tie top is big enough so that it does not ride up over the bust, and you can get a sleeker look with a top which has ties long enough to cross in front and tie at the back. Any T shirt should be close-fitting, with a deep and preferably decorated neckline. The only time I would suggest something 'blousy' would be a folk top with a gathered neckline, full sleeves and some embroidery.
• Trousers. I've seen a lot of trousers described as 'harem pants' recently, but they are really just pull-on trousers with pleating at the waist and a narrow ankle. These can work if they are made in a drapey fabric, otherwise choose some made from a decorative fabric (and more of it!), with elastic at the ankles (and long enough to cover the ankle bone). For tribal fusion, flared jazz pants, perhaps with a small over-skirt, can work well.
• Dresses. Depending on the cut and decoration, an evening gown could double as a cabaret dress. (And a dress galabeya could double as an evening gown.) A simple column or A-line summer dress with a beaded neckline might also work when worn with a matching coin belt.

Now you're in a better position to consider what you need.

Do:

• Think ahead; the earlier you start to plan and put a costume together, the better.
• Be prepared to spend some money at some point. Start a costume fund. It is possible to get a dress galabeya, which could see you through several styles of dance, for around £50.00 (although the way the currency is going at the moment, not for very much longer!).
• Be prepared to have more than one costume if you are going to continue!
• Know your size/measurements and look carefully at descriptions and pictures when buying online.
• Resist buying the first thing which catches your eye because it's cheap and looks like it will do.
• Support your local dance events and buy from souk/bazaar vendors. You get to handle costumes and try them on, and you are often effectively supporting small businesses. If the vendor travels to Cairo (for example), have a chat about the sort of thing you're looking for, what you can afford, size and colour preferences.
• Have a look at internet sites selling professional costumes. With the change in exchange rates, these are far more expensive now, but you might get lucky with a sale, and it will give you ideas.
• Keep an eye on eBay, there are bargains to be had, especially if you happen to be the right size for another dancer's second hand, quality costumes.
• Keep an eye open in charity shops for evening dresses, skirts and tops which could be adapted, and outrageous bling in terms of jewellery, providing it suits the costume you are putting together.
• Reality check. If you sew or can have someone sew for you, re-purposing clothing can work out cheaper, but there is a lot of work in a belly dance costume and you may spend more on the beads and sequins than you'd planned. Have an idea of the cost of fabrics per metre and how much you would need to make a garment from scratch, which is sometimes quicker than making alterations. You might be able to buy a lot of sequins more cheaply than salvaging them off another charity garment. Blingy jewellery which could be used as costume decoration needs either to be removable or in a mount which won't rust.
• Remember that even professional quality costumes often need some adjustment to fit your unique body!

Avoid:

• Harem pants, skirts or dresses with metal coins on as part of the decoration; they will be difficult to wash.
• Costumes which claim to be 'professional' but do not look like anything which, say, Eman or Hoda Zaki, Hanan or Bella would produce.
• Anything marked as one size fits all, unless it really can fit you.
• Anything which seems to have an identity crisis. A quick look through eBay this evening resulted in a lot of yoga, Bollywood and ballroom costumes tagged as belly dance.
• Anything which looks like lingerie/underwear. This includes bras with a decorated front, but still with the stretch straps at the back. (You might get away with it peeping out the front of a tie-top or deep-fronted galabeya, but don't spend money on one unless you are sure it will fit!)

Really Don't:

• Go for Carnival, Halloween or other dress-up costumes - they're not usually designed to be danced in. Yes, that includes that set of  'endless wave' style harem pants with small clusters of beads on the points, halter top and belt smothered in coins and sequins, all for under £18.00. What a bargain, so difficult to resist, even when you suspect that the halter top will not fit (as they even point out that it won't provide full coverage for a B or C cup bust). Shown on a tiny model, it looks lovely. I know someone who bought the pants, and the loosely woven chiffon tore under the weight of the bead clusters (not that they were heavy!) and kept on tearing, before she'd even started dancing. The same goes for cheap 'tourist tat' costumes, especially if the bra cups are shaped like cones or as two circles joined half-way up by a short strap. These often also have some sort of flower, target shape or a tassel on the nipple. Just don't go there.
• Start with accessories. However tempting it is because they are cheap, little elasticated wristlets with coins or a jingly ankle bracelet are the least of your needs and may not suit the style of the costume you're putting together. If anyone wants to buy these for you, encourage them to put a few quid into your costume fund instead!

Happy costume hunting!

Further reading:
You might want to look at a previous post when I was thinking about costuming a couple of years ago.
Shira's website is full of superb information, indispensable reading!

The Bling's The Thing

I'm terribly excited to have a performance group again, after a little lull. We were quite active a couple of years ago, and started to discuss troupe costumes.  Then most of the dancers disappeared from class due to pregnancy, illness, shift and other work changes, new love interests, etc.

I'm so proud of 'my' dancers, including a couple of ladies who have really only been dancing anything from a  few weeks to a  few months. Having done a beginner's choreography last term, this one to Nourhanne's Habibi Ya Eini is pretty cute (even if I say so myself) but not very easy. They are working so hard and they are up for the challenge, although nerves are starting to kick in as the show comes closer. It is part of the Imago ethos that performance is optional and open to all abilities. This is a hafla-style show, so it's a safe place to perform for the first time.

Preparing for a performance can be scary and for your first performance, a little bit terrifying. Apart from doubts about whether you can learn and rehearse the choreography in time for the performance, the other big question is, What Shall I Wear? This is always a tricky one for beginners and casual dancers, and especially problematic for anyone not under UK size 16 and/or with body issues such as scars, flabby bits you want to keep hidden, unusual proportions and feeling so self-conscious that you may want to dance with everyone else, but blend into the background so that no-one can see you, and would fight to be at the back. Oh yes, I have all those issues, except for the last two which I'm over now, unless I have to watch myself in a mirror or on video.

Another issue is cost. If you are slim (up to a UK size 14, max!) with perhaps only A-B cups, and happy to show some tummy then it's quite easy to get a cheap, basic, far-east import costume of georgette/chiffon circular skirt, belt and bra for under £40 excluding post and packing. There are some fun, colourful costume pieces, if you can fit them.  They are marketed as One Size (don't get me started ...). They are also marketed as 'professional' and although they can look good, you should expect to pay £250 to £450 for a truly 'professional' full costume. At Raqs Britannia a few years ago, I overheard a couple of other teachers discussing how they don't let their students perform until they are at least 'intermediate' (in their book, dancing for a couple of years, not the JWAAD intermediate standard) and only then if they are prepared to buy their own 'professional' costume in the troupe colours. Not that all dancers are intermediate (whatever that means!) after a couple of years, and all very well if it's for paid, professional bookings or stage shows, but overkill if we're talking the local festival or street carnival. There's more to dancing well and being professional than the costume. A beautiful costume will certainly help you to look and feel the part, but it's what you do and how you do it that really counts!

Then there is the question of how to approach costuming a troupe. If everyone wears the same thing, the troupe can look very smart and can also help the self-conscious to feel that they are blending in. On the other hand, if you don't feel the costume suits you, it can make you feel worse and you might not dance your best, either. I was in a troupe where the requirement was for all white and I felt like a belly dancing meringue, conspicuous and uncomfortable.

Most costume decisions are about style, colour and cost, so for troupe costumes, it's a matter of finding a combination that works for everyone.

Style should be appropriate for the type of dance and choreography.  Doing ATS in a sparkly galabeya looks and feels too strange; I know, because I have done it. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and next time I shall make sure I have a big skirt and choli in my costume case! However, you can think of  'style' in very broad terms, such as everyone in dresses/galabeyas, or in a skirt and top, or wearing one or two unifying pieces which are the same style, such as harem pants and a glitterdot tie top.

Colour can be a difficult call.  It's hard to find a single colour/shade which suits everyone and everyone has their favourites in which they feel happy. It wasn't until I was loading a couple of photos onto my website that I realised how much stage lighting can alter colour, so that it can become almost insignificant. I may have felt like a meringue in my white costume, but under stage lights it became changing pastel shades, light and ethereal.

I usually advise against black for stage costumes, because it's not necessarily as flattering as you'd think and you can disappear against a black backdrop or in dim lighting. It's often chosen by people who want to appear slimmer and not be noticeable against the backdrop but beware! Your audience may look at you more closely if you're difficult to see! That said, sometimes black is the only option.  I have seen a very effective use of various separates - skirt or pants with some sort of top plus a coin belt - all in black and silver. Still, the whole troupe need to be okay with the colour choice.  I tried on a black and silver cabaret dress and it made me feel as though I was going to dance at a funeral.

With a unifying style, a troupe could be in all different colours, or could select a contrasting or toning colour range. This has the advantage that dancers get a choice (e.g. pink or turquoise, or any shades of blue and green) and might be able to use pieces they already have, keeping costs to a minimum.

Photo Credit Kathryn Goddard, Capture This Moment Photography

Here's a shot of Imago Dancers performing a couple of years ago in Cardiff, in whatever we had or could lend each other of black and royal blue, with the dancer's choice of silver or gold, unified by our masks and white boas.

My first 'troupe' costume was a double layer skirt with a top which I'd used for a contemporary dance piece, years before. A couple of years later, I was due to dance in a show for Hossam and Serena Ramzy, when all the other dancers in the troupe backed out at less than a week's notice.  I had four days to select music, choreograph what would be my first solo, and put together a costume.

I made a panne velvet overdress and polysilk harem pants, and wore both a fringe belt and a coin belt.  It was comfortable, covered a multitude of sins and it's still something I wear for more casual events.

However, after a couple of haflas and other performances,  I wondered why I was still feeling much too self-conscious and realised that it was because I felt too plain. Yes, the textures were nice and I was wearing jewellery and a coin belt, but I felt like a sparrow amongst peacocks. Unless you are being seriously folkloric, it's possible that for a local hafla, there's no such thing as too much bling!

Many 'larger ladies' are told to avoid lycra and this may be true in a figure-hugging, day-to-day fashion sense. I believed it, and since many belly dance costumes use lycra, I wasn't sure what to do.  Then I found a galabeya by Hanan in my size and was encouraged to try it on.  As I came out of the changing area, the other ladies in the souk all went 'OOooooh!'. It clung to some bits of me and skimmed the rest, and the bead and sequin work around the neck with the sparkly lycra made me feel elegant and dripping with style. Also, it was very comfortable to move and dance in, and some leggings underneath would deal with my dislike of flashing my legs. (It's the black and gold galabeya I'm wearing in the troupe photo, above.)

Since then, I've become a fan of dance galabeyas, treating myself to a turquoise and gold Hanan sparkly when I saw one in my size, and made an exception to my own black and silver rules to bag a second-hand Assuit galabeya when one came up at a reasonable price on eBay. I'm now planning to make a few. How many galabeyas does a dancer need?

In the end, I am reluctant to dictate when it comes to costuming for casual dancers; it's the dancers' money, and they should have a choice, including borrowing costume or going with what they have.  However, I encourage the maximum use of sparkle. Whatever you wear, if you want to feel fabulous and sparkly instead of frumpy and self-conscious, then the bling's the thing!

The Sock Eater Strikes Again

Somewhere, in a parallel universe, along with biros, pencils and important bits of paper which you could have sworn you kept, there are herds of odd socks.

I was glancing through an article on de-cluttering recently (skim-reading as usual, so I've no idea where in the interwebs it was,) which posed the question: Do you throw away odd socks?  The article was about de-cluttering, so the expected, correct answer would have been: Yes.

As I browsed on, the question stuck in my mind.  I have quite a pile of odd socks.  They drive me mad.  I live alone in a small (admittedly untidy) cottage, so where do the other socks go?  I know they get caught in the sleeves of sweatshirts, in pillowcases and duvet covers, and occasionally knocked under the bed by one of the cats in playful mood. They stick to the drum of the washing machine and lurk there, waiting to join the next load. I've found a couple which were making a break for freedom down the back of the washing machine. I opened my dance workshops kit bag ready to go away to JWAAD Fantasia last December and found a lonely sock in the bottom of it.  I was sure I had emptied the bag, but must have dropped one sock as I hauled the rest of it off to the laundry hamper.

I was doing laundry for a friend who was in hospital a couple of months ago, and found she had an even worse problem with odd socks than I did.  While sorting through her socks, I found that some were designed as complementary pairs; a pair of white socks, but one would have a blue heel and pink toe, the other a pink heel and blue toe. I'm not sure I would be able to cope, although I do like subtle jokes. I saw a pair of navy blue socks with a picture of a red light on the left ankle and a green one on the right years ago; I should have bought them. Anyway, I'm quite happy for others to do as they please, but I like my socks in matching pairs.

I know a few people who really don't care about matching socks and just take the first two which come to hand. They could be making a fashion statement (anything I wear is cool), a lifestyle choice (because they really can not be bothered to pair up their socks), or are so busy (e.g. being laundry maid and everything else to husband and young children) that any clean socks in the drawer when they need them is a win.

Should I just throw odd ones away?  The thought of just tossing them out and adding to the landfill makes me shudder. What a waste, when, if their pair really has been taken by the sock eater,  they could be made into sock puppets, draft excluders, cat toys, toy stuffing, used as dusters or decorating rags .... I have a pile of old, threadbare socks somewhere, waiting for a second life.

I've just taken some dry socks down off the laundry airer and there were nine pairs, no odd socks. Maybe I have a second pile of odd socks somewhere, which contain the pairs to those in the first pile. Or maybe I have a sock eater living in the cottage somewhere, ready to strike again.

Hip Scarves 1: General Notes and What to Look For

I get regular questions about where I get my hip scarves and various other class props, and what do look for, so I thought I would transfer and update the information from my class handouts, creating a little series of posts on the subject of belly dance clothing and accessories, starting with hip scarves and coin belts.

Once the belly dancing bug has bitten you, probably the first thing you’ll want is a hip scarf or coin belt. Wearing a scarf decorated with beads and coins makes you more aware of your hips and the urge to have a little shimmy just to hear your hips jingle is irresistible. Traditionally, a dancer may just have tied a scarf or shawl around her hips.  Heavy hip scarves, glittering and jingling with coins and beads look, feel and sound wonderful when you’re dancing.  They may seem expensive, but considering the work that goes into them, not to mention all the beads and coins, they are generally good value for money, and you tend to get what you pay for.

At the bottom of the scale, many scarves are made of fairly light chiffon with fewer coins and perhaps not as well finished, and are often narrow and not long enough to go around larger hips.  However, these light scarves can be great for slender beginners and children, as they’re cheap, light and often nicely jingly.

At the top end of the scale, scarves are heavy with beads and coins, long and deep and made of heavier crepe georgette.

In between, there is a large range of materials, shapes and decoration.  Here are some ideas of what to look for:

Fabric         Chiffon, crepe georgette, stretch velvet/velour, mesh, assuit, crochet, lamé …

Shape         Rectangle, triangle, curved, or some fancy shape.

Size           Look for details, or look at the picture for how it’s tied, to check how long and deep it is.  Some sellers give details of how long the decorated part is.  If you’re slim and the decorated part is much longer than your low waist/hip size, it could be difficult to tie.  If you’re big, a short scarf may just about tie, but not give good coverage.  Beware some of the photos with the scarf tied around a dummy and with no size details - some of the dummies only have 32" hips.

Coins          …Or are they large sequins (paillettes)?  Generally gold or silver, but some are mixed and some are copper (rare and more expensive!)

Beads          Some scarves have no coins and this is preferred in some classes and workshops, where the noise of a lot of people in loud coin scarves would make it impossible to hear the tutor or drummer.  Most of the larger beads are metallised plastic, which is actually better – less likely to cut and break the thread that’s holding them, lighter, and safer underfoot if they do come off.  Some Indian belts have intricate beaded designs which look beautiful, but tend to spill their glass (ouch!) beads everywhere.

Stitching     Difficult to tell even when you hold a scarf, let alone from a picture.  Sometimes the thread used to string the beads and coins is so soft, the coins cut through it very easily.  If you have beads and coins falling after the first couple of uses of your scarf, take some time to sew through all of the bead and coin dangles, to reinforce them.  Tedious, but necessary.  Use doubled thread and sew a knot in between each dangle.  I'll do another post looking specifically at care and repair.

Hip scarves from different countries have various characteristics, but these aren’t absolute rules and fashions come and go:

Egyptian        Simple rows of coins, or beaded loops and dangling bead and coin fringes.  Generally the largest in terms of length and width.  A recent fashion is for beaded dangles sewn into the centres of flower-shaped sequins, covering the main section of the scarf.

Turkish         More use of crochet work to attach the coins, particularly panels or triangles of lattice/netting, which allows the coins to bounce and jingle (and sometimes get caught and tangled, too!).
Indian           Often intricately beaded or very light, with just a couple of rows of coins.
Chinese/Hong Kong       Lots of large sequins/paillettes.  A row of colourful plastic translucent ‘stones’ on braid along the top edge is a current fashion.  There are also some available now with massive sequins, very flashy!  I have also seen some Egyptian style scarves on some of the wholesale export sites, which makes me wonder how, in the end, anyone can be sure of the provenance of their hip scarf.

Some dancers find that bead and coin hip scarves are too heavy, distracting or not appropriate for their style of dance.  Alternative hip decorations include:

• Elasticated beaded belts with graduated bead fringes are also available, but most only stretch to approx 40” hip.
• Fabric belts with embroidery, dangles or fringe, for example to match a galabeya in the same fabric.
• Shaped, stiffened belts with fringe, which could be part of a bra and belt set (bedleh).
• Chain belts, ranging from lightweight decorative chains with a single row of coins or small bells to heavy metal.
• Accent overskirts, such as petals, panels and stretch fabric mini skirts.

For a more tribal look, scarves and belts tend to be layered.  Crochet, embroidered or devoré velvet scarves may form a base, with or without fringe, under a tasselled belt which may also feature cowries, shisha (glass mirrors), beaded rondelles (guls), chains and Kuchi coins and pendants.

I always have some hip scarves to borrow when I'm teaching.  I've never forgotten my first lessons, when my teacher happily lent me a hip scarf and I watched, fascinated by the way her beads and coins moved as she turned and did a fast hagallah back up the room. The start of my love affair with hip scarves!

Sales and Sequins

Someone was complaining to me a few months ago that they seemed to wait ages for a hafla and then three come along at once ... and then they didn't have a thing to wear.

It can be difficult to know what to wear for a hafla if you are going to watch and dance in the 'disco' bit at the end, but aren't performing. Obviously, you're not going to sit around in bedlah (a bra/skirt/belt set).  They are generally casual parties, but with the sheer amount of bling being worn by dancers and audience, it's easy to feel under-dressed.  So if you generally wear some sort of belly dance skirt and top for class, you could wear that, with extra jewellery.  If your classwear is usually yoga pants and a T shirt, and the only other dress you have is more suitable for a prom/wedding/night at the opera, then you need to invest in some party wear. Don't wait until a week before the next hafla (which is actually only 3 weeks away), the January Sales are a good place to start.

What to wear depends a bit on your personal style, but here are some suggestions:

• Go for fluid, luxurious-looking fabrics - satin, chiffon, velour, crushed velvet, lurex knit.
• Look for tops which feature sequins and beading, or to which you can add sequins and beads.
• If you like trousers, look for flared or wide-legged evening trousers, such as palazzo trousers, which seem to be making a comeback at the moment.  Harem pants are still fashionable too, and stretchy jersey trousers can also be used for class.
• Skirts and dresses should be long - ankle length.  Go for something with enough fullness to swirl as you move, or a straight cut, with decorated side slit(s) to provide room for movement.
• You are surely not going to dance in killer heels?  Look for sequinned and beaded sandals or ballerina flats.
• Charity shops can be another good source at this time of year, with the pre-Christmas influx of last year's party wear that doesn't fit any more, or has been seen at several parties already, or the results of a new year wardrobe clear-out.  Staff are sometimes reluctant to remove what's in the window, but you can remind them that the most important thing is to make the sale and take the money.
• Look out too for dress jewellery such as diamante or crystal necklaces or brooches. You know you've got too much bling if a) you fall over under the weight of it or b) you can illuminate distant objects.
• Don't forget your hip scarf.  Or layer a coin belt over a lurex scarf. Or wear all three.

A friend of mine went to a hafla last year in a dress she'd picked up very cheaply.  It was a fairly plain, straight-ish, sleeveless black dress, but with brightly beaded panels extending down each side of the neckline onto the bust.  Teamed with sandals, bangles and long earrings, with a veil as a stole, she could wear it to any party.  Add a black and gold bead and coin hip scarf - instant belly dance goddess.

Dance Kit Check!

Off to Cardiff yesterday to perform at the Masquerade Belly Dance Ball with some of the lovely women who come to my Imago Belly Dance classes.  For two of them, this was their first belly dance performance; one has only had a couple of months of classes, and is feeling seriously challenged but resolutely goes for it. We must have danced the piece about 25 or 30 times, but there are still some sticky points, made worse by nerves, anxiety and frustration; everyone working so hard to get it right.  It's a relatively short, simple choreography with a lot of repetition, but it's slow and slinky, which needs muscles and control.  And we're wearing masks and using feather boas.  My workroom is adrift with white feathers and bits of glitter. At the end of rehearsals, the room looked like an explosion in a chicken plucking plant.  It's amazing there are any feathers left in the boas. (Admittedly they were cheap, but even so, seriously underwhelming in terms of quality.  Even doubled up, they are straggly and fluffy.  Both of my cats have also tried to kill them; they may be a heap of feathers, but they're obviously not dead enough yet!).
I'm an old hand at performance, but I still get anxious trying to remember all my kit. I packed a small suitcase for the Cardiff show, and received comments from the assembled company in the house at the time that they took less for a week's holiday (though I can't work out how!)  There are a few haflas coming up too, so here is my current and commented list for dance kit:

Body: Costume(s).  I wear everyday clothes for travelling in, with an extra coat or sweater for later. Check you have all the bits of the costume for all your pieces, clean, mended if necessary, admired from all angles in a mirror to ensure you're not unintentionally revealing anything, and rehearsed in to ensure there are no problems. Remember that beaded belts and skirts are designed for dancing, not sitting around in.   If you're wearing bedlah, you might want to take a galabeya to change into for sitting around and perhaps the dancing at the end, or if not, then a ...
Costume cover-up, even if it's only a large silk veil.  And a veil is also a nice prop to shimmy around with at the end, too.

Appropriate underwear!  Note; match knickers/boy shorts to the colour of the skirt.  I like to take a change of underwear, so that I can change into something fresh and dry to avoid getting chilly on the drive home. 
Props.  In this case, mask and boa, and a spare mask and boa in case someone forgets theirs. (I know, I'm just a mother hen!)
Sagat (aka zills, finger cymbals), if you like to play them while shimmying around with if there's a disco at the end.  (If you see me playing air sagat backstage, you know I'm having a few pre-performance nerves!)
Jewellery. Earrings, necklace, bracelets; something to max the bling which won't catch on the boa or mask.
Other bits like emery board, lip salve, moisturiser, body glitter and bindis.
Talcum powder, to try to stop the boa sticking to my sweaty hands!
Small towel and/or wet wipes or similar.
Feet: Dance shoes to match costume.  I might take two pairs, one ballet, one 'ballerina' flat.  I took only the latter to a hafla last year, and they were so grippy on the mucky tile dance floor, I could hardly move!
Face: Make-up and mirror.  For a local show, it's best to go ready made-up; there's seldom a dressing room with a mirror, reasonable light, space and time to do a good job.  We went up to Cardiff quite early and did our make-up in the canteen while we were waiting for our food to arrive.  Note, if you're travelling any distance in make-up, you'll probably still want to touch it up.  If you're in fantasy make-up, be prepared for some strange looks at motorway services when you wander in looking like Dr Who extras! 
Hair: brush, comb, hair clips (hair bands and so on just slip off my head), hair ties, flowers,braids, tikka, dreadfalls, whatever, etc.
Mending kit, with thread to match costume pieces, safety pins, scissors
And various 'handbag' bits such as:
Money, keys, business cards, diary and pen
Phone (with charged battery)
Camera (with charged battery and a spare SD card ... and spare battery in case the first goes dead.)
Music, spare copy on CD
Bottle of water
Address, directions and notes on parking
Tickets, if these have been sent in advance
A copy of the choreography notes (I often go blank!) and tech sheet.

Both my cats get rather upset when I pack to go somewhere, and start being a bit obstructive ...

I don't care if your sparkly galabeya is in here, this is currently my bed.

One Size Doesn't Fit All, Revisited

(Apologies in advance a) that it’s a bit of a rant and b) that all measurements are in inches – just feeling my age a little!)
A recent shop conversation got me started on the clothing sizes issue again.  I was chatting to three other women (like you do …). Coincidentally, two of us were size 10, two were size 24.  Two were 5’1”, two were 5’9”; we covered the permutations for the four parameters short/tall thin/fat.  To somebody watching, we looked probably like OiIo.  The young, bored assistant looked at us as if we had all crawled out from under a rock.

Size of a top?
(Disdainfully) It says on the label - Large.
How large is large?
Size 14.
These skirts?
Well they’re elasticated, one size.
What does that mean?
One size fits all.
But the elastic on this one only stretches to about 40 inches, so that’s at most a size 14/16? ….

Too small for the size 24s and potentially too loose for the size 10s.  They all appeared to be the same length - too long for the 5’1, too short for the 5’9”.  I doubt the sales assistant cared, but 4 women x 2 items of clothing = 8 potential sales.  Score for the store = 0/8.  And I don’t care if they can order one in (what might be) my size, or have something made to measure.  It would have to be absolutely perfect to make me forget about making it for myself.

I first encountered the 10/small, 12/medium, 14/large when I was a teenager.  I remember my much younger and slimmer self, at a time when size 12 was average, hating that at size 14 I was considered Large.  It was like name-calling.  You’re large = you’re big, you’re fat.  So a 16 would be Extra Large and beyond that?  Huge, giant, gargantuan?     I used to wonder whether very slender women at the other end of the scale minded being extra-extra small?  Come to think of it, I’m not sure there was much in the range of size 6 clothing then.  If you were that small, you probably had to shop in the children’s department!  At least the range of available sizes has improved since then.

Anyway, size 14 isn’t Large!
The average size for UK women is now 5’4” 14-16 (Bust 39-41”, waist 32-34”, hips 40-42”*).

(*Source: Fashionworld, part of J D Williams & Company Ltd.  They have done a lot of research into clothing sizing and specialise in providing clothing in larger sizes as well as different lengths.)

There has also been quite a shift in clothing sizes over the past 30 years, particularly in the waist measurement.  When I was a teenager, size 14 was generally 36-26-38, (although the ‘ideal’ was 36-24-36), so 10” between bust and waist size was usual.  Now 7” seems to be the norm, much to the annoyance of those with curvy hourglass figures.  Were I the same size today as I was when I was 18 (I wish!) then I would be wearing a size 12.

The difference implied by the words Average and Large is enough to make you forget that there’s only nominally 2” difference between sizes. Sizes may also differ by 2” between one manufacturer and another.  And then there’s fashion ease, the designers’ idea of how loosely or tightly a garment should fit, another 2” or maybe more.  Plus or minus 4”, (that is, roughly 10%), may be insignificant or may be the difference between something fitting, or not.

In the end, the clothing size label is only a guide, but we get hung up on sizes and measurements, as if we’re defined by them.  Our bodies’ measurements, in all their variations, are just numbers reflecting our individuality.  My advice is, know your measurements, carry a tape measure, try things on in any size you think will fit (if it’s available!) … and remind shop assistants that one size does not fit all, and a size 14 is not Large!

One Size Fits Nobody?

Although this blog is supposed to be about things which amuse, inspire and interest me, sometimes the inspiration to write comes from not being amused at all. One of the things which makes me growl are meaningless size descriptions and the lack of real measurements for clothing and accessories which abound in online shops.  This is especially true on eBay, but it happens elsewhere too, including descriptions from some companies who really should know better.

Consider the following descriptions, gleaned from a few trawls recently:

• One size.  Usually used to describe something stretchy which covers a range of sizes, or which doesn’t come in fixed sizes.  So, not one size at all.
• One size fits all.  No, it doesn’t, don’t be silly.
• One size fits most.  Might be true, but what about those whom it doesn’t fit?
• Small, medium, large, extra large. On further reading, you might find this means sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, but are these UK or US sizes?  Even ‘standard’ UK sizes differ by up to 4 inches, and that’s without counting any fashion ease.
• Plus size.  Which then turns out to be a size 18.
• Long.  How long?
• Big.  (Oh, please.)  How big?

Some potential customers who are really interested might get in touch with the seller to ask for exact measurements, but for most items, I’d bet most people won’t bother.  Sellers, do yourselves and your customers a favour – provide a size chart, or get a tape measure, and use it to provide real measurements.

Any colour you like ...

Living out in the back of beyond as I do, my window shopping is frequently of the virtual kind, using online catalogues.  Like real window shopping, it's a source of interest and entertainment, but you get descriptions and zoom-in features too. Some of the descriptions leave me wondering who writes this stuff?  Do they get to handle the clothes they’re describing?  Take three tops, apparently the same shape and length.  One is described as a blouse, the next a tunic, the last is a dress.  Everything seems to be described as ‘stunning’. What does it do, hit you over the head and leave you mildly concussed?

I find the colour descriptions most intriguing at the moment.  It’s mid-August, and the winter catalogues are here.  I love colour, but some collections leave me with an impression of greyness.  Clothing to blend in with the typically overcast British skies.  Given the standard warning that colour reproduction may differ between monitors and lighting conditions in outdoor shots may change how the colour looks as well, you’d think consistent colour descriptions would be important.  Granted, some of the muted shades at the moment are difficult to describe, but the copy writers seem to be taking a distinctly inventive approach to using colour names.

For example, khaki might be anything from dark olive green to a greyish beige which I would normally describe as taupe.  I’ve seen a shade I would think of as aqua described variously as sky blue, turquoise, sea green and celadon.  A collection of similar blue-green shades are described variously as teal, cedar, emerald, (never seen an emerald this colour), green, peacock and petrol blue.  A quick search for other teal items results in soft teal, in other words, a light blue-green somewhere between sea foam and duck egg blue.  Also a dark or dusky teal describing a muted, greyish green which no self-respecting duck would include in their plumage.

Very dark blue might be navy, midnight, night blue or ink.  Ink may also be a very dark purple or a dark grey-blue, although the latter may also be gunmetal or steel blue.

Searching by colour, I find that beige is also natural or linen. White seems to include ice, winter, ivory, ecru, string, cream.  Pale yellow isn't yellow, but lemon or straw.  Grey can be light, dove, pearl, marled, lead or charcoal.

Black is just black, though, isn’t it?  Oh, but this item is ‘deep black’.  And look, there’s a ‘pale black’ as well, which is a more a more interesting way of saying very dark grey.

I'll stick to brighter or richer colours which stand out from the clouds in their shades of dove, pale black, lead and ink, lifting my spirits in our drab winter weather.