Starting out in ATS can be a little overwhelming when one sees the sheer enormity of the costuming. Tribal style belly dance has a very layered and complex look, and achieving the right balance is something of an art that takes time to establish.

This is a guide to what I consider the basics of ATS costuming.

The Bare Minimum

• A black 10+ yard skirt. The yardage in tribal skirts refers to the circumference of the hem, so a ten yard skirt is ten yards (30 feet) around the hem. A ten yard is sort of the minimum fullness for the right look, but a 15 or 25 yard is considered preferable by current standards. Ten yards was thought very full when I first started ATS many years ago, so who knows what we’ll be wearing ten years down the line! You can make your own (I don’t recommend sewing your own above 15 yards), and these can be purchased at a number of online retailers. I recommend Wendy Balisle, we’ve ordered quite a bit from her in the past and she’s always very cheerful and helpful. Flying Skirts also has lovely ten yard-ers and up.
• A pair of pantaloons. When thinking of tribal costume’s lower half, one should recall the maxim: Skirts may be optional, but pants are not. You should never have bare legs, and Melodia-style pants are a tribal fusion costuming item, not ATS, and thus, pantaloons it is. At least one pair, in the color of your choice. Satin or taffeta, either looks great on stage, and at least 2 yards in each leg for performance-grade fullness. They’re not difficult to make (though satin and taffeta are both challenging fabrics to work with for beginner sewers), but you can also purchase them. I like Belly Roll and Megha Gavin for pantaloons.
• A choli. The most basic ATS-style choli is backless, has long sleeves, and is made of panne (crushed and stretchy) velvet. There are many variations from there, in sleeve length and style (cap sleeves, cold shoulder, etc) and fabric type (cotton stretch, brocade, etc), but the basic choli will always get you looking the ATS style. You can buy these all over the web – Flying Skirts sells them, as do a number of other places. Annabella has a pattern if you want to make your own. I also sell these – email me for what’s in stock or to order a custom choli.

Performance Wardrobe

If you’re going to be performing, you’ll need beyond the Bare Minimum. You’ll find yourself adding to your wardrobe the longer you dance, in quantity and in variety.

• Skirts: 25 yarders are the staple of the ATS wardrobe. In as many colors as you can afford, but I recommend starting with a black skirt and a jewel-tone that you love. As these are pricy, buy colors that are good basics – think about what else you have to go with it when purchasing new ones. You can also get the dip-dyed style of 25 yard skirts. These are very fun: the way you tuck them can completely change how the skirt looks. Jaipur skirts are always a great addition to your collection. They used to only be available as 15 yarders, but you can find 25 yard Jaipur skirts without too much trouble these days. Wendy Balisle sells the Jaipurs and every color of 25 yarder (dip-dyed and solid) imaginable. You can also get spinning skirts – black with a band of color at the hem – at Flying Skirts.
• Pantaloons: More is better here! These can give such a fantastic pop of color to your dance, you’ll find yourself buying bunches of them. Again, start with a color that coordinates (or provides a delicious contrast!) with your skirts, and then start adding from there.
• Cholis: These tend to be the cheapest item to purchase, and are the easiest to make, so you’ll find these are the most common new addition to your wardrobe. Changing these up can really change your look, so collect a lot of variety in color, fabric, and style.
• A coin bra. Make it or buy it, but a coin bra is an essential piece. These can get very expensive, so you’ll probably only have one or two.
• A tassel belt. There is a huge variety of styles of these, so choose what calls to you. The color, the yarn, the embroidery, the coins, tassel belts are showpieces of your costume and should show it.
• A turban. Depending on your troupe, these may not be considered essential any more, but I started ATS in the old-school days before hair gardens became the norm, and I still love to rock a turban. A long piece of black fabric and a couple of accent scarves, a large flower or two and maybe some ornamentation – the ingredients sound simple. It’s in the wrapping that a turban takes its form, and learning to wrap a turban takes time and practice. Having someone to help you out here in person can be invaluable.
• A hair garden. Silk flowers on hair clips – it sounds so simple, but this look is elegant and complicated. You can add as many flowers as you like, along with pieces of jewelry or other items (hair sticks, shells, scarves, barettes, combs, etc). Hair gardens are limited only by your imagination! Your own hair may require some boosting, so don’t be afraid to add hairpieces (weaves and wigs) to your hair garden.
• Jewelry. Ah, jewelry. This is where many of us get sunk: Tribal jewelry can be very expensive. $75 for a single ring or bracelet. My suggestion for starting out a jewelry collection is to buy one or two showstopping pieces of real Afghani (or other tribal) jewelry: a necklace, cuffs, earrings, whichever. The rest can be filled in with jewelry from standard sources: accessories stores, the mall, Target, etc. Lately there’s been a surge of costume jewelry suitable for tribal dancers sold in regular mall stores. It’s a good time to fill in with some pieces from Charming Charlie or Claire’s Boutique! Feathers, beads, and shells are good “filler” pieces to keep in mind, not just our usual tribal silver metals. Remember enamels can look just as good as jewels onstage. Eventually you’ll fill in your collection with more “real” pieces, but you may always find yourself throwing on that$5 ring.

Optional But Fun

Ready to add more? Here’s some more things to think about:

• Banjara cholis and skirts: These almost always need altering to fit Western bodies, but they are absolutely worth it. The current trend in ATS is to take the skirts (heavily embroidered at the waistband with bands of color forming the skirts) and slit them down the side seam, then add a tie to the waistband so that they can be worn as an overskirt. This is a great look, simple and elegant. And it looks fantastic with the heavily embroidered Banjara choli! Heavily embroidered, patchwork cholis that are so ornamental and so beautiful, you won’t even need a coin bra. Keywords to search for on ebay when looking for these pieces: banjara, rajasthani, rabari.
• Metal cup bras: Once in a Blue Moon is the premiere maker of these. I’m not sure if they invented them or made them famous, but these metal bra covers are a lot of fun. A little more fusion than ATS, there’s some great potential in using sculpted metal borders as part of a coin bra.
• Ghawazee coats: Again, not strictly an ATS style of costume, but great potential. These are more folkloric – of that SCA fake-tribal of the late 90s – but I have always loved them and love wearing them (probably because of my SCA fake-tribal of the late 90s background!). Tightly fitted coats made of striped or solid fabric, sometimes geometric patterns, they’re loosely based on the lithographs of 19th century Ghawazee dancer costumes. They require an undertunic/shirt rather than a choli, and generally one will forgo the coin bra with these, depending on the cut.

And lest we forget:

Footwear

This is often neglected in costuming guidelines, but it is important. Protecting your feet is essential to your longevity as a dancer. Wearing appropriate footwear to your venue is a large part of that. True story: I once literally spun a hole in my foot at a workshop when drilling spins and turns in bare feet on a wooden floor that wasn’t as ideal as it could have been. So take some time to visit your local dance supply shop. They probably won’t have any idea how to help you, but here’s a place to start:

Lyrical or modern dance shoes. These are a key piece, in my opinion. There’s a huge variety of footwear designed for lyrical dance that allows the foot flexibility needed for ATS, thanks to the split sole. Capezio and Bloch are two major producers of dance footwear, and both make quality products. There’s also Leo’s, Dance Now, and So Danca. I’m a huge fan of Capezio and have been for many years. Expect to pay $20-30 for a good soft-sole shoe, and $30-45 for a hard-sole.

• FootUndeez, which are like little sleeves for your feet – stretchy with a leather sole, and available in some truly awesome patterns (including tattoo, animal prints, and skull and crossbones). These cover only the ball of your foot, but they can twist if you’re a little too scuffy in your foot placement, so give them a try and see if they work for you.
• The next thing to try is Capezio’s half-sole Sandasol. Leaving your heel free like the FootUndeez but wrapping around your Achilles for extra stability, you may find you prefer this style.
• Capezio Breeze: This is a recent addition to my footwear collection, and I really like them. They cover the whole foot, much like a ballet slipper, and are mostly mesh with a bit of leather. Not appropriate for outdoors, but great for keeping your foot safe on smooth flooring. The Capezio Freeform is similar to these, but with more leather than mesh.
• Ghillies: You may find Irish dance shoes work best for you. They are generally a little more durable than the above three styles of shoes, work great on grass, but not really for concrete or other rough surfaces. These are a lace-up style shoes, and I didn’t really care for them even when I did Irish step dancing, but give them a try. You may find you prefer them.
• For outdoor or rough-floored performances, you’ll need something with a little more protection. Capezio Agility Gym or Pedini, or Bloch’s Elastosplit Grecian sandals (look very similar to the Pedinis). Danshuz Hermes sandals have long been a belly dance staple, but I don’t care for the lace-up style. Pedralta over in the UK has made a belly dance version of the Hermes sandals that are supposed to be better to dance in, but I’ve never tried them and can’t personally vouch for them. Check out split-sole jazz shoes for a hard-sole but danceable shoe. They’re often called “jazz booties” or “jazz boots” and are available in nude or black, both of which work as part of your dance costume. I usually prefer a nude-colored shoe, but that’s just me.

And there you have it! A very brief overview, I realize, but it will get you started. I think photo examples may be in order for this essay, so I will try to get in and add some later.