Harem Costumes for Women

As soon as you hear the phrase, harem costumes for women, the images that come to mind are Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie, and an exotic belly dancer. In their billowing pants in beautiful, pastel hues, accessorized with jewelry to die for, these women are epitomes of femininity. A harem traditionally refers to the sanctuary where women reside. Entry to a harem was forbidden for men. Over time, the term took on a more lewd meaning and would refer to the group of wives or concubines of high ranking officials. Though the concept was frowned upon by Puritans, the clothes worn by the women in these harems caught the eye of the Western countries in the early 20th century. Harem costumes, especially harem pants, became a popular clothing item for women who lived a bohemian lifestyle.

Harem costumes for women are today very popular for parties. These costumes are very similar to the costumes worn by belly dancers and gypsy women. The look is more or less the same except for a difference in the footwear worn and the colors chosen for the costumes.

Arabian Harem Costumes for Women

There are some features that are synonymous with harem costumes. These include the harem pants, the heavily embellished brassiere or bustier top, sheer veils, scarfs, and jewelry. The pants are generally made of a sheer material and the bustier top is heavily embroidered or embellished. It may also be covered by a sheer cloth. Accessories include bangles, earrings, bracelets, anklets, etc.

Harem pants, traditionally a belly dance costume is loose fitting in order to allow the dancer easy movement. Also since a lot of fabric is used to make the garment, it falls smoothly when gathered at the ankle. Harem pants worn as a part of harem costumes for women can be either worn as it is, or under a skirt. If you are confident of carrying it off, you can opt for harem pants that have slits running along the sides of the pants.

Most belly dancers tend to wear bustier tops that are heavily embellished with sequins and gemstones of colors that contrast with the color of the bustier. If you are looking out for harem costumes for women, you could also opt for a wrap top that ties at the center of the midriff. These belly dancing tops are easily available at any costume store. You could also take a sheer piece of cloth in a similar color and wear it as a veil covering the face showing off only the eyes. If you do so, do highlight your eyes with proper makeup. Opt to wear a lot of kohl and eyeliner. Also wear long, dangling earrings, an anklet with gold overtones, bracelets, and bangles. Wear knit shoes that have a rounded point to complete your look.

Making Harem Costumes for Women

While harem costumes for women can be easily rented, you could also opt to make one at home. If you do decide to do so, then your most important assignment would be to make the harem pants. In order to do so, you first need to decide on a bikini top that you can modify to create your harem costume top. This is because you will need to choose the fabric for the harem pants depending on the color of the bustier. Once you have decided on the bikini top, embellish it as you deem fit. Next select the fabric for the harem pants. Choose from fabrics like chiffon, Georgette, etc. You will also need to buy a pair of pants in the same color, in a size that is two sizes too large for you. These pants should be made of a lightweight fabric. Now follow the steps given below to make the harem pants.

• First wear the pants that you have bought. Now tuck at the waist so that the pants fit you properly and gather the pants at the ankle and sew it.
• Now measure your waist depending on how high or low you want to wear your harem pants.
• Next measure the length from the waistline till the floor. This will be the length for the fabric. Also take measurements for the thigh and hip.
• According to the measurements that you have, make the harem costume pattern on paper adding 6 - 12 inches for billowing pants. To the pattern, add 2 inches to the measurement of the ankle and one and a half inches to the hip measurement.
• Now carefully, cut the fabric according to the measurements that you have. Sew the fabric on to the pants that you have bought and modified. If you want to ensure that the harem pants fit perfectly, use an elastic fastener at the waist.

This is how easy it is to make harem pants which are an integral part of harem costumes for women. You can cut out a piece of the fabric that you have used for the pants to make a veil. Now just accessorize properly and you are set to attend the belly dancing session or harem costume party that you have been waiting for.

Fancy Dress Party

Fancy dress party. Now what crosses your mind when you think of that? Fun and jubilation, correct? Not a high end tea party that has classical music playing on the side. The inclusion of the word party has within itself the feeling that it's meant to be arranged for a good time. But when you talk about a fancy dress party, it leaves no doubt in mind that, it is exactly what it means to do. The next time you're having a sort of theme party or a birthday party, why don't you consider having a fancy dress party and double the fun? And if it's the planning that is becoming a hassle and you don't really know how to go about it or plan it through, then the following article will definitely help. Continue reading for some interesting fancy dress party ideas and how to get them to work for you.

Fancy Dress Party Ideas

If it's a fancy dress birthday party that you're planning or arranging then let's just say that it's a great choice. There aren't many who look into the feasibility of making this one work and that's why the novelty of this one hasn't yet died out. Read through the remainder of this article for some interesting birthday party ideas on trying to make this one work.

Planning
The planning of a fancy dress party is not that tough. Skim through some of these options and do not forget to include them in your party. Of course you can use a whole lot of other ideas apart from these. Whatever suits you, sticks. Here are some pointers to keep in mind:

• Invitations ~ Make sure you have very catchy, very colorful fancy dress party invitations. This will set the mood for the party. Using popular characters as a card cover is one of the most popular ideas for a fancy dress party invite. You can even use catchy headings announcing the party. You can make the card as creative as you want by using different party invitation ideas like a simple dress on the cover and the announcement in the inside pages. Or you can use a collage of the popular costumes that are used in fancy dress parties.
• Decorations ~ Keeping the decorations simple is not going to be a very bad thing because the focus should be on the costumes primarily. So the normal balloons and festoons is quite alright.
• Food ~ There are no special choices for party food, especially those that are reserved for a fancy dress party. Just make sure that the food is not a distraction for the guests from the main party. Keep it simple.
• Camera ~ Do not forget to arrange for cameras! Capturing all your guests in ridiculous/funny/wacky/OTT (Over the Top) costumes is not something you'd want to miss.

Events
What are the kind of events that you can hold at a fancy dress party? Generally those that highlight the costume. Here are some ideas for the events at a fancy dress party:

• Ramp Walk ~ What better way to showcase the costumes than a ramp walk! Make a makeshift raised platform and ask the guests to take a walk. That way everyone gets to see everyone and hoot for them.
• Costume Prize ~ Hold a competition for different categories like 'The wackiest costume', 'The best copied costume', 'Best dressed couple' and so on. And then distribute prizes for the same.
• Skit/Monologue ~ All the guests have to perform a small dialog or skit portraying their character well. The person with the best rendition of the original, wins.

Costumes
There are several choices to make for in a fancy dress party costumes. Here are some fancy dress ideas to choose from:

• Famous Couples Costumes
• Medieval Costume Patterns
• Chinese Dragon Costume
• Gypsy Costume Ideas
• Vampire Costumes for Women
• Toga Party Costumes
• Mexican Costume Ideas

These are merely some of the fancy dress costume ideas that you can look into. You can dress up in any way you like - simply think of a character and go about making it happen.

And that's all there is to a fancy dress party. Throw a great one, stand at the door and holler as each guest makes an entry in. I can see it now, a great fancy dress party planned and ready for you to enjoy.