The Care and Feeding of Costumes

by Michelle

How do you take care of your expensive belly dance costumes so that they'll last for years and look great through countless shimmies, isolations, and spins, not to mention road trips? I've tried many different ways of storing my costumes and now share what has worked best for me.

Bras and Belts (both cabaret and tribal)

After each performance, I lay my bra and belt set face down to air for at least a day. This allows any sweat to evaporate and helps keep the costume smelling fresh and prevents moisture from in any way damaging the costume. I tend to dab on scented oil when dressing for a performance (it helps me feel pretty) and that scent tends to transfer to my costumes which makes for a pleasant feeling of anticipation when I open my costume box to see beautiful sparkles and smell beautiful scents. I always check for lost or loose hooks and eyes or beads before storing my costume and repair them so they'll be ready for the next show, even on a moment's notice. I will sometimes wear a light powder bronzer on my torso and chest if I'm performing on stage under bright lights and this can rub onto the lining of your costume. Technically, you can sponge-clean the cloth lining, but I just don't take the chance. I shower before putting the costume on, wear my pretty scented oil, and air my costume after wearing and they all look great, even after many years.

I have found the best storage for my bras and belts is also a pretty one: decorated (or plain brown) paper hat boxes. By paper, I really mean they are cardboard, but they come in a wide range of diameters, are deep enough to cover the most curvy of bra cups, and usually have a handy draw cord that keeps the lid on an allows you to carry it like a handbag. I have found these hat boxes at Target and Hobby Lobby and they cost anywhere from $4 to $15 depending on how big they are and whether you've found them on sale. I usually go for a mid-size box. First I lay my belt around the inner circumference of the box, then fold the back-straps of the bra under and lay the bra cups-up in the center of the box. I also keep accessories like any matching jewelry, headbands, etc. (You may notice from my "Packing Your Performance Bag" article that this is the self-same storage box which I pack in my duffel.) I like the paper boxes because they allow the costume to breath, i.e., they allow any sweat to evaporate and prevent moisture from tarnishing beads, rhinestones, etc. You can throw a scented sachet in the box, or even a few of those silica gel packets from various purchases to help absorb residual moisture. The boxes stack neatly and if you label them on the outside, its easy to pick out the right costume when preparing for a show. That being said, one of my troupe members, Kat, has discarded the hat box after arriving for a show--a troupe show where we were all wearing the same turquoise cabaret set--a show in a city 60 miles away from Albuquerque , to open her box and find not the turquoise costume but a red one! She has since stored all her costumes in clear plastic suitcases that have nifty little handles. These are imminently practical, much more durable than paper, and avoid any wrong-box choices. They do not, however, breathe and I really like the way the pretty boxes look in my closet. You decide which works better for you. Whatever box style you choose, the point is to keep the costume from hanging haphazardly off a hanger and prevent it from being battered around in transit.

Beaded Dresses

I also air my beaded dresses, leaving zippers open and spreading them out as much as possible. I suppose you could hand wash them, but again, why take the chance? Even if the fabric of the dress gets a little sweaty smelling, you can use Febreze (or similar product) which is a spray-on odor remover. Bless the inventor of that stuff! I also check my dress after each wear to make sure seams haven't split.

Beaded dresses can also be stored in boxes. However, even with the stretchy knits, you can develop creases from a dress sitting too long in storage. Instead, I prefer to hang my beaded dresses, though not on a standard plastic or wire hanger--the hanger won't last a month under the weight of the dress. I buy the heavy wooden hangers for my beaded dresses and hang them--not by the shoulder straps--but rather folding them in half over the cross piece of the hanger. This keeps them from stretching through the arm and neck holes.

Veils

I primarily use silk veils, but the method of storing all veils is pretty much the same. As with my costumes, I always air my veils after performing. No, I don't sweat on my veils, but many restaurants or clubs allow smoking and nothing retains the reek of smoke like silk. Silk veils can be hand-washed in cold water, though rayon veils and any veil with sequins or other intricate work may not appreciate being wet. When I iron my silk veils, I use a medium setting and a light spritzing of spray starch to restore its body. I then lay them over a chair or bed until they've cooled.

To store my veils, I gently fold them and place them in ziplock bags. I make sure and keep a lot of air in the bag when I close it to keep the veil from being mashed completely flat. I store all my bags of veils in a drawer. I tried for a long time to keep them on hangers, but they inevitably fell off, scrunched up on the end of a hangar, or hooked on other costumes. The plastic bag method does not leave veils perfectly wrinkle-free, but it does protect them, it's easy to find the color you're looking for, and makes it easy to pack them in your performance bag.

Take good care of your costumes off stage, and they will take good care of you onstage!

Farfesha Belly Dance © 2004