Stay Cute in Raqswear from MissBellydance

Say Aiewaaa to more glam in your raqswear and raqs wardrobe. Enjoy these great styles as you go back to dance class this fall. From cool elastic waist based harem pants featuring cool frills to sleek pieces that accentuate your curves, these look great on so many body types. We got lots of great feedback this past summer and continue to see these are a favourite.

You can mix and match these with the black top of your choice or buy the whole set. You can wear it for class or go out for lunch between sessions in these stylish sets. Get one for you and a friend so you both can twin. It’s a lot fun. We see so much love and care in the dance world, we’re happy to be a part of it through fashion. Enjoy these fun and frilly dance class sets and let us know what you think.

-Team MBD

September 9, 2016 0

Raqswear for the Real World

Glamour is important when you’re going out on stage. But you also want to look good when you’re in class and out and about with your friends. We’ve discussed the wonderful world of bellydance workout wear and practice outfits in the past but did you know these can be worn as outfits too?

Pair these pieces with your favourite long knit jacket for the fall. Do it up with a little jewelry and cool items from your dance treasure. Let the whole world know you’re into raqs with the right kind of wear.

MissBellydance has these in lots of different styles and colours and colourways. They’re just the right price for festival season and dance class. But the fabric is limited and won’t last forever. Get these while you can and let us know what you think.

September 8, 2016 0

Flamenco Arabe Workshop – Save the Date!

In February we’ll be celebrating the Art of Flamenco with some really great dancers. Flamenco is what we and others consider a sister dance to Raqs Sharqi. You can learn more about the workshop using this link. We’ll let them educate you on the amazing footwork, hands, music and history while we focus on the fashion.

In recent years many dancers have fused Flamenco with their art. Full 25yard skirts are often used in that fusion and we’re giving away two skirts (one for the winner and one of their friends) plus two free spots in the actual workshop. It’s a great chance to be a part of this interactive learning opportunity. All you have to do is tell us why you want to learn about Flamenco or what it means to you. Winners will be picked at random and in true MBD style we’ll be giving away other gifts as entries come in. Send them via our FB page. Just post them to our wall.

We can’t wait to hear from you and to give away these great skirts. If you’re eager to get a skirt now you can grab one for your own raqs treasure chest. There’s also some great jewelry. Just take your pick here. If you register for the workshop and end up being one of the winners you will be refunded. Have a great time and let us know how much you love Raqs Sharqi and the art of Flamenco dance.

July 26, 2016 0

Wear It Well – Own your costume

We’re revisiting a very important topic, owning your costume in every sense of the word. Confidence in your great costume can be just as crucial as getting the technique right for your routine. When buying a costume, submitting your correct measurements is crucial. Any body changes or padding you’re adding or taking away is very important to the costume creator. For those that enjoy wearing bedluhs, making sure you have seen yourself from every angle will ensure you don’t have any costume malfunctions or undesired gaps in your outfit.

We suggest making a checklist each time you plan to perform in your costume.
1. Try it on as soon as you get it: If the outfit doesn’t fit or has any issues you can write to the company immediately so that things can be addressed in a timely manner. Most companies do not give refunds on custom made costumes so you’ll need to alert them quickly as they may be able to help you in other ways.

2. Look at the back of the outfit: Buy a standing mirror and make sure you see what your costume looks like from every angle. Certain dance moves may cause the costume to shift awkwardly and you’ll want to adjust your outfit accordingly.

3. Get a friend’s opinion: Ask a relative or someone close to you (even better if they are in the dance industry) to examine how you look in the outfit. They may be able to suggest a hair style, jewelry or other enhancements.

4. Do your routine in the costume once: See how it feels or moves. Doing Debke in a bedluh may require a cover up or abayah due to the leg movements, leaps and other footwork that lifts the skirt up. You don’t want to flash your audience.

5. Save it for the show: A lot of raqswear can be worn as evening wear but we suggest saving your elegant bedluhs and heavily embroidered garments for dance shows. They are quite special and you’ll want to wow your audiences with outfits they’ve never seen. If you like to wear raqs wear out, pick other less expensive items such as cool skirts, tops and jewelry that you can bellydance in for fun at parties. Save your bedluhs for your best performances.

In a future post we’ll look at caring for these heavily embroidered garments. We hope in the meantime you’ll continue to share photos from your shows wearing MissBellydance.com, all shares are entered to win prize packs all summer long.

Enjoy!

July 11, 2016 0

Schooling Your Classes on Skirts

SKC102-2T — Learn more about the Kaleidoscope skirt

There are several types of bellydance skirts. The ones we’ll focus on are long traditional ones used in performance and short ones that are often for fashion. Recently one of our favourite dancers, Aziza Nawal wore this skirt during the Atlanta Fusion Bellydance Show. It was incredible. She matched it with a lovely red wrap top and her students followed suit in gorgeous combinations, many in MBD.

It may be common sense to some but for new people to the art it’s hard to know exactly what types of skirts look best. If you’re doing a solo show, a skirt with a slit in the side is quite dramatic and accentuates your moves as a soloist. In group numbers and to give a cohesive look you’ll want to do long skirts that flow and spin as you all move. The synchronicity of it all is absolutely beautiful.

Short skirts , we suggest, are best used in a variety of art. Modern Dance, some Latin choreography, some parts of Rroma adaptations and the list goes on and on. We want to know where and how you’re wearing your skirts. Send us photos!

Thanks for reading!

Team MBD

May 27, 2016 0

Fashion Updates from MissBellydance.com

CS126a-6T — Beilasi worn by Karma Karmelita of Atlanta

With BDFW2016 under our belts we’re ready to get going on to the next big thing. In the meantime we’re showing you some of the items that were a big hit at the week’s event. That includes spinning skirts, casual lifestyle raqswear and printed ensembles.

Printed skirts are always a hit in this genre of dance. We see that they are being used not only in raqs sharqi/bellydance but in modern dance and modern art as well. These designs tell a story as they swirl with the dancer and float effortlessly across the stage.

If print is not your thing, try this in a variety of other colours including solids.

CS362-3T — Spinning Spirit worn by dancer Karma Karmelita of Atlanta

Next week we explore the cool fabrics that can be found in lifestyle wear from MissBellydance.com. Don’t miss it! Subscribe to our blog.

May 2, 2016 0

Spring and Summer Deals of the Week

Stick around all this week and next for Deal of the Week. Get an extra 10% off cool, colourful and creative costumes. You’ll use code DealWeek2016 and choose from 3 costumes that week in the sale. It’ll be awesome, you can even get one for a friend.

As we head on into the breezy days of spring and hot summer nights, dancers will travel to festivals and big events around the globe. These costumes we are offering will be light and comfortable cuts and designs that are easy to roll up into your suitcase and take on the road. We’ll have fashion bags and other carry alls soon that will let the world know you’re a serious dancer and keep your fashion stash on board. We’re excited about the fun summer festivals. Tweet us, post a photo and let us know where you’re going in your MissBellydance.com ensembles, accessories and costumes.

Check out this week’s deals.

Adaasania comes in several colours.

Crystal Casbah is a timeless classic in raqs art.

April 11, 2016 0

BDFW 2016: Designers That Dance & Are Devoted

Another great thing about Bellydance Fashion Week will be our featured designers, Eshta and MissBellyDance.com are actually people who are ensconced with their dance community and customers. Both designers attend events, go to shows and are a part of the dance world. When you buy from them, you can guarantee that they are not doing cookie cutter designs and working based on one body type. They are going the extra mile to provide something you’ll love and can be proud to wear.

Eshta Amar creates stunning, beautiful costumes that do not compare to anything else in the industry. Look closely at her work and see the fabric, intricate details of the skirt and the uniqueness in her work. No other designer is doing what she does. She creates costumes for a variety of dancers, her work is featured on many top talent and loved raissat all around. Her Etsy store is also a testament to her talent. Another awesome attribute is that she isn’t terribly expensive. Imagine, someone working diligently on a costume just for you and you didn’t pay $2,000 for it. That’s a bonus! Check out her work here and engage with her online. We’re excited to have her with us in a few weeks.

MissBellydance.com is looking out for every student and teacher in the world. You want some colourful dance pants, hipscarves and custom made professional wear for troupes? You can come to the team and they’ll get to working on it right away. The CEO, staff and volunteers work really hard to create something that is affordable and looks and feels good to wear. They specialize in plus size and petite. There is also custom sizing available and ultra fast shipping for those last minute needs. With MissBellydance.com you get quick service and people ready to cheer you on as a sponsor and fan of your raqs team.

Meet Eshta and members from MissBellydance’s team this coming month at Bellydance Fashion Week. Join us for the panel discussion which will feature dancers, MBD and others. On the weekend, Eshta will be in town for classes and costume discussion. This will be the meeting of the minds! Register here!

See you soon!

Team MBD

March 22, 2016 0

All Dressed Up

This month and next it’s all about holiday parties and gathering with friends for spectacular shows and events. We’re already sharing some of the unique cultural holiday festivites scheduled in our community including Yalda, Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve/Day. You also want to look amazing during the evening club scenes and we’ve got several outfits that’ll work for you as raqs lifestyle wear.

Throw a Coat Over It!
If you’re like us, we’ll throw a coat over anything and take it off to reveal something fun and cute…putting some thought into our garments. Most places will be warming the atmosphere so have no fear wearing a skirt or shorter sleeved top to an event. You’ll be happy you did when you start dancing. Our suggestions for this week include clubbing it up in this cute wrap top and skirt. It’s oh so cute.

This ensemble comes in this gorgeous black and white winter print. You can also mix and match to fit your preference. Add a statement necklace or rhinestone jewelry to the set for added bling. This also makes a cool gift for the party goer in your life. Retails at a low price and can be custom made if you give us a call.

Let us know what holiday parties you’re attending this year and where you’re dancing. We’d love to feature it. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Keep Shimmying!
Team MBD

November 23, 2015 0

New Costumes for November

Happy Harvest everyone! It’s that time of year when we gather together to be with friends, do fun things, dance and enjoy the spirit of friendship. That also means holiday shows…and lots of them. This year we have a variety of bright colourful spinning skirts and tops to match the mood of the season.

Our new prints are bold and colourful. We’ve gone beyond the traditional deep reds to more vibrant hues, golden tones, slate greys and even yellow. Each skirt has a matching top with either elastic on the bodice edges so that it stretches to fit comfortably or adjustable ties. The waistline in the skirt is also elastic.

Be sure to grab these quickly before they’re all gone. Makes great troupe wear and knowing how creative our friends and fans are, you’ll find a way to make it something you could wear everyday. We want to see that. Place your orders by clicking here and here. We’ll get these out to you as fast as we can.

Thanks for reading!
Team MBD

November 2, 2015 0