Vintage Bellydance Costumes

A Tumblr dedicated to badass vintage bellydance costumes and other related garb - whether in photograph, painting, or print.

[bellydanceclassics]

Scans from the “Rakset El Wedaa” press book, in 1954.

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A gorgeous spread of Samia Gamal

[khanjar-deactivated20180211]

Samia Gamal

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Pretty. 

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Leopold Carl Muller, The Almeh's Admirers, 19th Century. 

It is kind of nice how tits are not being hung out in this one....That I can see, anyways. 

Most "almeh" that would be dancing in the streets, or in public, are in fact Gwahzee dancers - this was apparently done in order to avoid persecution and stigma. I really haven't been able to find much literature on almehs as they were understood to be (high-class entertainers, sometimes called courtesans or courtesan-equivalents). Can anyone recommend some literature for me?

[saraia]

Vintage bellydancer

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Check out that two toned skirt!

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I was hoping to do a theme week with the legendary Princess Banu, but since I'm in a prop choreo class, and our next class is about Cane/Saidi dancing, here's my favorite cane clip, featuring Pirncess Banu! I love this Rainbow Bedlah, and the sleeves, coordinating with the skirt, are so nice! It's got a bit of a lower cut, like you would find in many Turkish costumes.  Note that the hem of the skirt and the sleeves have a sequinned trim? That make them sparkle and flash on camera. Seventies, maybe?

Edited to Add: Just noticed that the fringe is extra long in front, so again, despite the thigh-high slit, and the lowcut top, and the lack of a body stocking (Turkish dancers rarely wear them), she still has a veneer of 'modesty' or 'covering'

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With male bellydancers! Traditional costumes, vintage costumes! See the zeffas, the pot dances! The bedlahs and the tunics and the pharaonics! Snakes, Isis Wings, and so much more! Also some of the classic stars of the Western world of Bellydance!

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Ghwazee Dancers, from two unknown prints (top), and David Roberts, (bottom). The latter circa 1846. These sorts of prints are regarded as a little more accurate and a little less fantastical as some other Orientalist artists. I think it's interesting to see how our dance costumes have 'evolved' and changed - what elements remain, and what have changed. 

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Hollywood actress Eleanora Parker, Most likely 1950s. 

I'm sorry I can't provide more information, but apparently she never appeared in a film in this get-up. What makes it stand out to me is the use of the Dowry Necklace (the series of upturned crescents) in her costume - It's, you know, an actual piece of Egyptian Jewelry. While I'm not sure about its origins, you can find many Golden Age Egyptian Dancers wearing Dowry Necklaces, or have the necklace incorporated into their costume (emblazoned on assuit, or as a bellydrape)

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I'm pretty sure these are turkish dancers both pictures - aren't they lovely?I would say this might be late 70's, 80's. 

[moniledebeaute]

Aufseherin, Tänzerin und Musikantin by Wilhelm Gottlieb Hülmann.

Khuzmal-kai-seray, Aufseherin des Harems. Eine Tänzerin. Eine Musikantin.; o. re.: Tab. 5. zu: A. L. Castellan “Sitten, Gebräuche und Trachten der Osmanen”, Leipzig 1815.

Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig

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Dancers in the harem: Harem tends to conjure western fantasies of sexually available women milling about semi-clad, but in fact, harem simply denotes the sex-segregated living quarters that belong to the women of a household. These dancers and musicians would not be playing in order to titillate a male audience, but to entertain the women in the harem. Egyptian bellydance/raks sharqi originated from country dances where women would dance, and men would play the music. Turkish bellydance/dans orientale originated from the harems of the Ottoman Empire.

For costume nuts, this is 19th Century dancewear, so while suitable for a historical performance, anyone wanting to be SCA friendly would have to look earlier.  

[wander-er-lust]

[saraia]

Samia Gamal

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Samia rocking out Samia-style. Check out the matching beaded cuffs!

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Some vintage Jamila Salimpour - I really love the mixture of the paisley harem pants with the gold bedlah. This might have been taken in the 70's, but it could still be a costume today - the bellydancer's version of timeless. I also like the styling choices - note the kuchi-ish earrings, the bangles and armbands as opposed to matching gauntlets, and the updo. And, well, it's also a fabulous pose. 

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A little something for BellyThoughts and BigtimeBellydance - Chelo Alonso in "Terror of the Red Mask." (1960)

From the 'unveiling' to the actual costume, the similarities to bellydance (and pseudo bellydance, to be honest) make me squee. Haven't we all seen modern bellydance gowns very nearly identical to this? From the cutouts to the dangly bits? 

I really love the sleeve treatment - note the under arm being cut out, to avoid any unsightly stains. The sheer skirt - just, so pretty. And given the Orientalish music, and not just a veil dance, but a double veil piece? Hollywood pseudo bellydance, folks. 

Even the character Chelo plays is a "Gypsy woman" named Karima. Mhm. 

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I love this clip so I wanted to feature it on its own - Diane Webber and her troupe, "The Perfumes of Araby" at a festival in 1976. This costume is similar to the one in the last post, with the tunic over her torso. It also provides a variety of 70's costumes! Look at those harem pants beneath the skirts! The skirts! The hipscarves! The coin bras and cholis! The live music!

/explodes from all the costume goodness

Here is a page with a more info on the troupe, past and present: http://www.anaheed.com/perfumes.html

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For Amslammin, some more West Coast Vintage in the for of Diane Webber! The first photo on the right is Diane in "The Witchmaker." Diane starred in a number of B-movies, some of which featured her dancing. In "The Witchmaker," she was creditted as "the Nautch of Tangiers." Nautch is an Indian term for a dancing girl (it has a connotation of being a derogatory term), and Tangiers is in Northern Morrocco.....so....I think it's supposed to be a play on "Whore of Babylon." But that's a good ole-fashoined B-movie for you!

Clip of her dancing at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvP4bccdeik

The second is Webber in action - note the tunic she wears that covers her torso. The photo is from a performance at Caltech in 1977. 

And a little something extra: A costume gallery that includes some detailed shots of the interiors of Diane Webber's costumes!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.382890951785202.91570.100001929023653&type=1

[vintagebellydance]

As requested, I'm happy to provide examples of everything requested last week as a way to celebrate 200 followers!

For BrotherObtuse, since we don't get a lot these, some vintage 1970's male bellydancers!

The first image has often been labelled as John Compton, but I'm pretty sure it isn't him. But jesus, what a captivating image! That is what we call "Presence!"

The second image is of the group Al Fellahin, taken in 1978. The dancers are, in order, Takem, Najib, Rick Dillenbeck, Jamal, and Roberto. I'd like to note the headwear and the tops the men wear. Like their female counterparts, there isn't any direct references to certain cultural costumes, but a bit of a hodge-podge of different elements. 

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OMG!

Over 200 followers! You like me! You really like me!

To commemorate such a historic occasion, I will cede the next week of posts over to you fine ladies and gents!

But in order to do that, you must first let me know what you want! Would you like to see more bellydance album covers? Orientalist art? Seventies/Sixties bellydance? West Coat vintage? Egyptian costumes? Turkish costumes? Hollywood Fantasy costumes from films? I gotta know! Please tell me?