The Origins of the Belly Dance Costume Fabrics

A clear summary of belly dancing attire would be impossible to present in a single blog article. In this section, I’ll take a more scholarly approach and discuss the historical evolution of the traditional three-piece bedlah clothing fabrics, the fabric is most often associated with contemporary belly dancing.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution

Fabrics were highly valued prior to the advent of mass manufacture because of their skilled production and high market value. It may be difficult to fathom a period when weaving was done at the speed of human labor in our present, fast-paced environment. People used to retain a modest assortment of clothing before the industrial revolution. Fabrics were stitched precisely for each piece of clothing fabrics to save waste. Hand sewing was then utilized to ensure that clothing lasted as long as possible.

The answer to the question, “What did dancers wear before 1700?” is straightforward. In other words, they wore everything they could get their hands on. Their attire would be representative of both their location and social standing.

Quality would be determined by a number of things. The superior fabric would be available to those who are wealthy or powerful. The maker’s ability in stitching and ornamentation would also be critical. It is possible to create something exceptional out of something apparently commonplace, such as a piece of cloth.

Prior to 1700, most dancers primarily danced for friends, family, and the wealthy in their community. If one is discovered, one may be given the chance to participate in more renowned competitions or perhaps on the court itself. If they were selected to perform for notables, they would be given formal dancewear.

Professional performers are becoming more popular in regard to tourist travel and the Grand Tour

Improvements in technology, urbanization, and transportation fostered growth in the attractiveness of these locations throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period, an increasing number of individuals left their little villages to explore the outside world. As the industrial sector expanded, people from the countryside started to migrate to the city in search of work.

Many tourists travel to Istanbul, Turkey, and Cairo, Egypt to view the historical treasures. Initially, these visitors were wealthy individuals (typically males) on “The Grand Tour,” or a trip to major destinations in and around the Mediterranean.

Many of those who took part in these historic travels considered their road experiences as important educational opportunities. However, for the people who live in the cities along these roads, it meant greater opportunities to earn a livelihood via the trade of commodities, the renting of housing and food, and the provision of entertainment.

Throughout this time period, travelers’ reports, both written and visual, became increasingly consistent and complete. The picture postcard and, subsequently, the trip snapshot made major contributions to the visual recording of historical events and happenings in the decades that followed.

The majority of these early Grand Tour travelers, as well as following steam-powered visitors, most certainly visited Cairo, Egypt. Even a quick examination of postcards from a single place reveals a diverse spectrum of individual clothing choices, ranging from urbane Fellahin and Gahwazee to rural Ottoman Turkish. Postcards may depict dancers in historical costume, even if the dancers themselves are not visible.

The rise of industrialization set the scenario

The arrival of the industrial revolution expedited the expansion and development of cities. Everything we have now is a result of industrial revolution technology.

The tools required to construct the city and its transit system, the equipment required to effectively cultivate and collect food, and, of course, the capacity to create fabrics rapidly enough to clothe the inhabitants. Clothing is only one example of how industrialization reduced the cost of necessary commodities.

Professional dancers may now consider obtaining the components required to build a stunning costume in order to impress an audience. This would eventually lead to dancers wearing uniforms to denote their function onstage.

The Bedlah’s Origins

The bedlah costume’s fundamental parts developed in the West as a form of fantasy clothing that quickly became an immediate visual shorthand for identifying an old lady from the Ottoman Empire’s governed provinces. Salome, Thais, Sheherezade, Semiramis, and many more opera heroines wore clothes like these.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of Salomes who performed on stages across the world in the first two decades of the twentieth century established the image of a “belly dancer” for decades.

Professional dancers all around the world were wearing this bra, belt, and skirt outfit in no time. Egyptian dancers who perform in nightclubs for tourists and locals adapted the outfit style popularised on European opera stages and named it the “bedlah,” or professional working dancer’s uniform.

Modernity and taste in terms of technology and flavor

Since then, technology has enabled considerably quicker and more dramatic changes to occur. Technological breakthroughs have affected the evolution of the belly dancing costume as we know it now during the previous 120 years.

When synthetic fibers were initially employed, a number of crucial things changed. The introduction of polyester chiffon in 1958 enabled dancers of all socioeconomic backgrounds to create and wear flouncy, see-through skirts. Spandex joined the squad in the 1980s, offering dancers flexible gear that nonetheless hugged their bodies.

Past Events and Timeliness

In recent decades, the range and accessibility of fabric, decorations, and even premade clothes have increased. The industrial revolution enabled increased productivity, innovative fiber development, woven and knit fabric manufacturing, and efficient worldwide transportation.

In addition to these technical achievements, several other significant events have substantially aided our capacity to examine the past for insights. Dancers may be seen in a number of media throughout history. Including online videos, broadcast television, color films, black and white films, and even silent films. We may glance through visual magazines, diaries, and the odd journey postcard as we travel through time. We’ve previously shown artists’ grand tour paintings and sketches, as well as trip notebooks, novels, and travelogues authored by those artists.

In conclusion

Throughout most of recorded history, costumed dancers performed. The first specialized dancing clothing was popularised by wealthy courts in the world’s major cities. The court presented the dancers with one-of-a-kind outfits to wear while dancing.

Because the cost of raw fabric fell substantially during the industrial revolution. Dancers were able to purchase their own distinctive outfits for performances.

In the nineteenth century, urbanization, tourism, and the advent of the entertainment business drove creative workers to begin wearing the part.

The “oriental dancer” outfit popularised by Western theatre and opera was adopted by artists all over the globe more than 120 years ago. Transcending the domain of fiction to become a style that continues to this day. The costume is always changing as a consequence of technological advances in fiber, fabric, and discoveries.

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