This page describes building blocks you can use to develop your own costume.
Skirts-
Range of shapes - with or without belts
Full Circle or shaped, with or without a split
Bras & Tops-
Decoration options
Front, side, coin, fabric or built in as part of the dress
Sleeves / gloves / armbands
Contrasting colours, flounces, nets
Where, what and how many
Footwear.
A popular pass-time during and after Haflas is picking up all the dropped sequins and beads. Sometimes first detected by standing on them! Thought should be put not only to how the footwear will look with a costume and how it feels to dance in various types of footwear, but what the floor is like and what may have been dropped before you dance.
Turbans, Scarfs, Yassa Arafat tea-towels, beaded yarmulkes
Props
Sticks, Cabaret canes are very light bent reed construction usually covered in a shiny material. Heavier sticks may be used, but check the ceiling clearance!
Zils, these are small finger cymbals which can be used in much the same way as castinets to assist with defining arm movements.
Scarfs & Veils
Beware Sequins on costume when using a fringed veil or scarf!!!! Sequins can easily snag the fringes which spoils the look of your performance an potentially damages your costume.
Isis Wings, these require a large performance space to use them to their best effect. They can create some beautiful shapes, but can constrain the dance moves you can use.
Ribbon Sticks (recent Chinese influence?)
Glasses, Swords, Candles Candle lit headdresses.
And anything else you can think of! Use a prop to change the focus of your dance, help you tell a story, focus the audience attention in the direction you want.