Davina's Costumer's Notes

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Belly Dance Costuming Supply Sources

Blog-Nov-2013-BarIt’s Thanksgiving day 2013, and I find myself feeling thankful for living in a land of abundance. So today, I’m sharing my favorite online resources, the ones that I am most thankful for and go back to again and again. Each of these suppliers was instrumental in supplying materials for multiple projects in my upcoming book, Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut. Happy Thanksgiving!

Velvet and Velvet Ribbon
Jo-Ann’s has great sales – so when they are rocking an amazing sale, I stock up on velvet ribbon. I love the contrast of texture between the matte cotton of the assiut and the depth and richness of the velvet pile.  www.joann.com

Silk Dupioni
Practically the largest selection of colors. This company is local to me, so going over to their store is always a delightful selection. This is also a great source for white silk in a variety of weights in color and white ready to dye. www.thaisilks.com

Spandex Fabric
Make a comfortable, but stretchy dress to wear with your assiut bedlah – like the gorgeous dress designed by Poppy Maya and worn by international dance instructor, Sara Sharpnell. One of the biggest offerings of spandex are available via the internet from Spandex World. spandexworld.com

Rhinestones
Rhinestone Guy has a huge selection and fast service! If you work with rhinestones a lot, be sure to order one of their rhinestone sample cards so you can select the best colors and shapes for your products from the comfort of your home. www.rhinestoneguy.com

Rings
Interested in those sexy x-back tribal style bra closures? Here’s my favorite source for O-rings in four different finishes. Fast and accurate delivery.  www.pursesupplydepot.com

Unusual Bra Sizes
If I have a customer who requires an unusual size, this is where I go. Their website allows you to conduct searches by size, saving time. Sign up for their mailing list – some of their sales are excellent.  www.barenecessities.com

Tribal Bra Components
I love coins, chains, and all sorts of lovely tribal jewelry components. I find myself going back to Paul at Tribal Bazaar over and over again. This is my go-to source for coins, filets, kuchi jewelry, and more. www.tribalbazaar.com

(PS – special thanks to model Sara Sharpnell and costume designer Poppy Maya for this photo. Photograph by Alisha Westerfeld)

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Assiut: Actresses and Dancing Ladies

The bohemian life. In the 1910′s and 1920′s, excess and fun, decadence and pleasure, the quest for riches and fame sculpted the taste of the wealthy, powerful, and famous.  During this era, actresses and dancing ladies posed for portraits, advertisements for plays, movies, fashion, and beauty products.  They slunk across screen magazines, pouting languidly with the perfect seductive slink of their bodies, echoed in the glittering drape of assiut shawls. This shawl would send encoded messages that could easily read by a sophisticated consumer of cultural iconography.  Assiut represented luxury, travel, and the bohemian lifestyle, inspiring the viewer to fantasize about the qualities sensual pleasure, feel the echoes of exotic locales, and above all, recognize the status and privilege. During this era, If a sitter was unprepared, many high-end professional photographers of the day would have an assiut shawl in their collection of props to pull out and artfully drape about the shoulders of their sitters.  Here are photos of four working artists of this era, a small sampling of this type of image which often appeared in fan magazines, on trading or post cards, and as large posters for theater lobbies.  Enjoy!  ~ Davina

Carmel-Meyers-Opera-Singer-

Carmel Meyers – French Opera Singer

Paulina-Sark-5in

Paulina Stark – American Modern Dancer

Ann-Forest-Acress-Danish

Ann Forest – Danish Silent Film Actress

Gabrielle-Ray-English-Actress

Gabrielle Ray – English Theatrical Actress/Dancer/Singer

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Five Essential Shopping Tips for Buying Vintage Assiut

Vintage-Assiut-Bar-WEBPrices, conditions and availability of vintage and antique assiut vary wildly and are always in a state of flux.  The key to getting the best deal is to be as prepared and knowledgable as possible. Here are my top tips for anyone who’s delving into the world of antiques to purchase a vintage assiut shawl or garment.

1 – Know what you Want. Do you want a museum quality piece to treasure? Are you looking for a vintage piece in good condition to use and wear? Do you have plans for cutting apart a piece for a costume?  Is the color important? Before you seriously begin shopping, having an idea of both what you want and what you don’t want and this will help you hone your searches both in person and on the web.

2 – Do the Research. Assiut comes in different shapes and sizes, colors and qualities.  There is always a few assiut shawls, robes, and garments available, but they are becoming increasingly rare.  It’s important, especially when shopping on the web, to learn to discern the differences between modern, vintage, and antique assiut in pictures.    Not everything market vintage is, so buyer beware.  There are numerous spellings and names for assiut, so be sure to build the most effective search terms possible.

3 – Establish a Budget. Nothing is worse than seeing “the perfect piece” buying it, and then being resentful of the cost.  Before you go shopping for assiut, look at your funds and set a price cap.  The antique market varies radically, and the same quality piece can sell low or high. Be realistic, this is vintage cloth, and the days of $10 deals from unaware dealers are a thing of the past.   Visit auction and sales sites such as eBay, Etsy, and Ruby Lane to see what the price range is currently to set a realistic budget for yourself.  And remember, try to resist the urge to get caught up in the thrill of a hot auction.  Having a budget will help you stay focussed and realistic.

4 – Be Prepared to Wait. This is an axiom of the world of antiques.  There is always another  assiut shawl available for sale somewhere.  Although antique assiut is becoming increasingly rare, there are always new pieces emerging from collections, so even if you lose out on an auction today, there will be another opportunity in the future.

5 – Don’t be afraid to Negotiate. No matter if you are shopping in person or on line, don’t be afraid to negotiate with a dealer on the price.  In some instances, the seller may not realize what they have, and you can point out flaws such as holes, splits, and discolored patches.  This is one place where your research will pay off. Knowing what is a fair price for the moment.

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