(Almost) The Last Word on Belly Dancing Costumes (For Now)

Well, the people have spoken, and it looks like I'll be going with the most favouritest/most expensivest costume, the red and gold. Want to know why? Well:

1. The ability to pair this bra-and-belt set with veils and skirts of other colours makes it way, way more useful in the long-term than either of the super-cheap options.
2. I spoke to the company and was informed that the belts on the red/gold and the black/gold are actually the same; they'd just had the model wear the belt backwards in the black/gold to show what the back looks like. (Great idea, but maybe they should have mentioned that on the site....) The black/gold immediately lost a lot of its appeal: before I had liked it almost as much as the red/gold because it was cheaper and the belt was better, but now it was just cheaper.
3. The price difference between the two ($26) wouldn't have covered the cost of getting another veil/skirt set, and I wouldn't have wanted to perform in the black/gold with the troupe. When you're dancing for tips (as I will be at our first confirmed paid gig, and am likely to be at others), you want to stand out and be shiny and eye-catching, and the black/gold would fade into black backgrounds and look kind of... dark. Like, not welcoming.
4. I think the flower pattern of the sequins works better on the red/gold than on the black/gold, where it takes on Greek Yaya overtones. Also, while I do want a black veil/skirt set for a choreography I have in mind for some undetermined time down the road, the flower pattern wouldn't suit that choreo at all.
5. Most people I talked to (including your lovely selves) seemed to feel that if I was going to buy something that frivolous and outside my budget, I might as well get the one I really, really want.
6. It's the one I really, really want.

So, Trace, I think the legendary Justification of the Black Pants has been trumped. I have managed to talk myself into dropping $175 + shipping, while earning little more than that each week, on an outfit that I will wear maybe 15 minutes a month - AND I've made it seem like a reasonable decision. That's a fair effort.

I'm going to check the hafli I'm dancing at tomorrow for other costumes, just to be sure - sometimes vendors at these things give really good discounts, especially on second-hand stuff - but barring any major developments I'll be placing my order tomorrow. Yay! I promise I'll share photos.

XOXO

Quote of the Week: 'It didn't get ridiculous until you said "body-tipping".' - Liz