Blue Tinkerbell
Blue tassel belt desinged and sewn by Tinkerbell.
The black velvet crop top allowed as much belly exposure that I could tolerate for about a year. Costuming tip: Always check clearance racks in stores! You never know what you will find. I found the velvet shirt at Fashion Bug for about $4 and trimmed off the bottom. The skirt is 100 percent silk, marked down to $10 at J.C. Penney's. A silk broomstick skirt is a basic costuming element for tribal style. Photo from November 2001 by Serida Bastet.
This is my first tassel belt. I made it after I had been dancing for a year. The base is blue panne velvet, texturized with a floral motif. The pressed aluminum costume coins have a Middle Eastern star motif. Shisha mirrors are popular on women's clothing in India as a way to protect the wearer from negativity. Fake shisha mirrors were popular for a while as appliques on jeans. Another costuming tip: Always check sales at the craft store! I got lucky and found a bunch of fake shisha mirrors on sale. Sales are good. Sewing tip for making your own tassel belt: To prevent the belt sliding off while you shimmy, sew cotton material to the back. Cotton fabric will also make the belt stronger and it will hold up to wear from the weight of coins, bells, and tassels. More information about tassel belts is found on the American Tribal Style Costume page. Photo from November 2001 by Serida Bastet.
The blue and black choli was my first step toward going completely American Tribal Style. The blue sleeve material was left over from making the tassel belt and was a perfect match. This choli was the most difficult costume piece to sew because I had to modify a pattern to fit. I made two tests out of scrap material before I finally got it right. The velvet bra is trimmed with black beaded fringe and silver sequins. The head scarf was originally used as a hip scarf, my very first costume piece. Photo from November 2002 by Chenzira.
Photo from February 2003 by C.M.M.
