How to Conquer your Fear of Covering a Bra (Part 1)

Part One: Planning Your Attack

First off let me say there are many website that detail how to cover a belly dance costume bra. Here are two really detailed ones:
-Shira's Ask the Belly Dance Costume Goddess Article
-Jewel's Article (pdf)

With that said, if you're reading this article and salivating it's probably because you've already read those tutorials and the project is still very daunting for you. Fear not, assassins, every target will eventually fall. I will attempt to guide you through this mission, should you choose to accept it, and show you some helpful tips and tricks to get you through quickly, efficiently, and unscathed. I will also link to other websites to show you what I am talking about, particularly when it comes to different materials. You don't have to buy your supplies from these sites, they are just examples.


Why cover a bra? Why not just decorate straight onto the bra?
Although many dancers do this and get away with it, there are a few things to keep in mind.

-If you don't cover the bra you can only wear it with something covering the sides and back like a vest. This reduces the usability of the bra. What if it's incredibly hot out and you don't want to wear a vest? What if you have a peasant top you want to wear under the bra instead? You get the idea.
-Many dancers frown on performing in an uncovered a bra because it "looks like a lingerie bra with coins on it" and thus is considered "unprofessional"
-Covering the bra with an appropriate fabric enhances the aesthetic of the overall design.
-When you cover the bra you also add reinforcement so it's sturdier and lasts longer.
-Covering a bra also gives you the know-how to add removable fabric inside that can be washed to reduce any 'bra funk' smells.


Choosing a Bra
Being that I am a bustier dancer, my bra requirements are pretty stringent. However, it doesn't hurt for ladies of all sizes to use these high standards for a costume bra. They will carry more weight and undergo more abuse that your everyday bra, and they need to last a long time. So let's be picky.

1) Stiff, sturdy cups. Trust me. You don't want the dreaded "cutting glass" incident to happen to you. Plus you need stiff cups to support the heavy decorations.
2) If you plan to keep the side straps instead of making your own from scratch, make sure they are very strong. You don't want something that's thin, stretches a lot, or is made of lace. It won't hold up to the extra weight of the decoration and your dancing.
3)If you can find a bra with some light boning that's even better. Just make sure it's comfortable and you don't have boning jabbing you anywhere.
4) Get something that's a little bit on the larger side in the cups. They may get smaller, sometimes as much as a full cup size smaller, so keep that in mind.

TIP: Bras that are made to be strapless tend to have much more support built in than strapped bras, so look there first.

Don't worry about the color, it won't be showing. Don't worry about the shoulder straps, they won't be staying long.


Choosing your Fabric
The color of your fabric will depend a lot on what you want for your design, but the type of fabric can make your first bra easier. I find that stretch velvet is a great first time fabric for covering a bra. The stretchiness make it easier to mold to the cup, the fabric doesn't fray, and it's easy to find. It also looks very nice because of the texture of the fabric and even if you're using black it helps to get rid of the "looks like a bra" look. If you want something non-stretchy with a design, try a pretty cotton. Thanks to the popularity of quilting there are plenty of cotton prints to choose from at any fabric store.

Some fabrics to avoid are anything that frays or catches easily. Brocades can be very picky, so save those for when you feel more comfortable. Lame is shiny, but frays like crazy and the strands can catch easily. Keep in mind if you will have something like thin tin coins on your costume that those can easily catch on some fabrics, so avoid anything that will snag easily. Also avoid stiff and/or thick fabrics. Cottons are ok, but stay away from things like upholstery fabric. They can be very hard to work with on a small scale item like a bra.

I typically buy at least a yard of the fabric. I like to have lots to work with and I make sure I have enough for a matching belt. This is important if you're choosing a fabric that is very unique. If you decide down the road that you want to make a matching belt, good luck finding that fabric again.


Choosing your Decorations
There are many options when it comes to decorations. I'm going to narrow down to some of the easiest and fastest.

1) A Fancy Trim
I love to buy fun trims from Cloak & Dagger at the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire every year. This is a super fast and easy way to add some really nice looking decoration to the bra. It looks great lining the top of the bra but you can be creative and put it wherever you like. You can also find beautiful trims at fabric stores and other places online like Etsy.

2) Sew on Shisha Mirrors
You can find these online at places like this one or sometimes you can find them at a craft store. If you're handy with embroidery you can also make them yourself. This looks great on tribal and tribaret costumes.

3) Chainette Fringe
Chainette fringe is a great alternative to beaded fringe. It's lighter, more durable, and a lot less expensive. It's also much easier to find because any fabric store will carry it in stock, or you can easily purchase it online.

4) Re Purposed Dance Jewelry
This is a great way to add shine and jingle! Find an inexpensive dance belt or other piece of jewelry (such as this, this or this) and take off the parts you want. sew them straight onto your costume and voila!

5) Re Purposed Hip Scarf
Have an old hip scarf with a rip in the fabric? Find one in the sale bin? Just take the crochet part off the fabric (by cutting/seam ripping very carefully) and sew it right onto your costume. Hint: a dab of fabric glue on the thread holding the coin will help it last a little longer by preventing the metal coin from wearing into the thread.

5) Sew on Coins and Bells
You can use the thinner, lighter coins or the heavier tribal ones. Just keep in mind that the thinner coins tend to eat through thread, so dab some fabric glue on or wax your thread. Alternatively, you could link them onto a chain and sew the chain onto the bra instead. For heavier coins, keep in mind they are VERY heavy and the weight will add up. If you intend to make a full coin bra of them I suggest you save that project for later because you will need to seriously reinforce your bra to hold all that weight. Better to do something easier first and tackle that harder project later.
Bells are also really fun to use because of the nice tinkling sound they make. Make sure you put at least two bells together in a cluster and give them room to move so that they can make contact and jingle.
You can get coins and bells online but check your local craft store too. Usually you can at least find bells, if not some coins.

6) Jewelry Nick Nacks
I've found some very interesting decorations in the jewelry isle that made for great little costume add ons! Fancy chains are also fun to play with. Be creative!

Things to avoid/keep in mind:
-Cheap beaded and coined trims can easily unravel and may not stand up to heavy dancing.
-Beading is time consuming. Undertake at your own risk.
-Sturdy beaded fringe is extremely expensive and heavy. Even the sturdier stuff is delicate.
-Appliques can look tacky if not done well, so proceed with extreme caution.


Other things you will need
-Needle and matching thread
-Scissors
-Pins
-Measuring Tape
-Bias Tape or Sturdy Braided Elastic


To Be Continued...
Gear up and stay tuned for Part Two. We will be covering how to plan and prepare your bra and how to cover the bra cups. Coming soon!