7 Pretty Ways to Add Coverage Over Belly for Belly Dance Costumes

 

Sometimes as a belly dancer, you want a bit of coverage over your torso.

 

Maybe you have a more conservative audience, or you feel more comfortable with more coverage. And it’s perfectly fine to not show your belly to dance belly dance.

 

But sometimes it feels like options are limited. At the end of the day, it sucks if you cover up your belly so much that your audience can’t appreciate the beautiful shimmy you’ve practiced for many hours.

 

So in this post, I’ll share with you 7 pretty ways to add coverage over your belly without hiding all your movements in the order of small coverage to full coverage. Let’s get started!

 

 

Click here to learn more about the Belly Dance Costume Workshop!

 

 

#1. Beaded fringe / swag

 

This is a classical belly dance design. The beaded fringe partially covers your torso, and helps highlight your chest movements.

 

To update this look, consider having more of a beaded tassel look. Add beaded tassels where you need coverage, or create a beaded swag.

 

This works better for people who have a short torso than a beaded fringe going across your belly which gives a look of a very short torso. Learn how to make beaded fringe or swag in my Belly Dance Costume Workshop 🙂

 

#2. Applique down to belly or up from belt

I like playing around with appliques, because they are very flexible. You can attach them to go beyond the outlines of your bra or belt, as long as they stay up on their own.

 

These grape vine appliques are easy to shape and look amazing.

 

Or you can try Swirly appliques. These create such a professional-looking costume.

 

Or you can try fabric flower appliques like these. These are soft and whimsical 🙂

 

#3. Belly drape over bra

 

This is a very easy drape – simply cut out a triangular shape of fabric, and attach it to your bra so that the pointy end covers your torso. It’s a great way to add more colours or textures to your costume as well.

 

See how to make this in detail in my Belly Drape tutorial.

 

#4. Lace motifs over belly

 

I love lace because it’s so pretty on its own! Take some motifs from your lace fabric, sew them together to create a strip, and place it from your top to your belt or skirt.

 

Of course, you can make it as wide or as narrow as you like, and you can embellish them afterward as well. It covers your belly partially, and it is such a beautiful feature.

 

 

#5. Drape over torso

 

If you take a piece of sheer fabric or hip scarf, you can do so much. For example, tuck the ends like this, and you have an instant drape over your torso!

 

See more styles in my 24 ways to wear a hip scarf tutorial 🙂

 

#6. Sash

 

Similar to draping with a hip scarf, but this one is done more properly and professionally. Take strips of fabric, gather it and place them strategically to create a partial cover over your belly AND decorate the bra and skirt in a very cohesive way.

 

See how to do this in the DIY Sash Style tutorial.

 

#7. Belly stocking

 

Finally, belly stocking. Using mesh in different colours, you can make one to suit every costume you have! It offers full coverage over your torso, and you can decorate it with beads and rhinestones as well.

 

See how to make it here!

Now try out these options, and see which one works for YOUR body. It feels really good to try and learn what works for your own body and preferences, and being able to make every costume fit and look good on you is a great skill to have as a dancer! 🙂

 

Now that you have options to cover torso, is your chest adequately covered? Does your skirt lay flat over your waist without muffintop?

 

If you have these costuming challenges, it’s time to learn to make your own. Like I said, being able to make costumes fit is a great skill to have. Even better if you can make your own to fit your dance themes, troupe preferences, and most importantly, your own unique body shape.

 

My Belly Dance Costume Workshop will help you do exactly that. It shows you how to make a perfectly fitting bra, belt, and skirt to fit your uniquely beautiful body step by step. The enrollment for this workshop opens only a few times a year, and it’s opening soon!

 

Learn more and start making perfectly-fitting costumes here!

 

Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling! 🙂

 

P.S. Pin this image for your future projects!