This is not a review, per se. It’s more like a rave!
Lend me your ears, O’ gentle readers! And allow me to regale you with a tale of struggle, success and sparkles.
I was planning a cultural presentation for a huge upcoming corporate event. My collaborator suggested that we perform a beledi/saidi number. This all sounded great – until I opened my closet door and saw nothing but flashy cabaret costumes. Egads! I had sold all of my beledi gear and had to procure something appropriately folk-y, stat! I looked high and low and saw nothing but tacky, ill-fitting (and pricey!) options. Then, several of my friends from Bhuz suggested that I order my beledi dress from L.Rose Designs. So I did.
L.Rose is a godsend. For those who have never ordered from them before, it’s a small California-based company run by a dancer. L.Rose specializes in made-to-order belly dance basics. Beledi dresses, circle skirts, trumpet skirts, gauntlets – you name it!
When I ordered my beledi dress, Lora was so sweet and helpful. She entertained all of my petty questions about fit and assured me that this would be ready by my deadline. And it was! About two weeks after I placed my order, it arrived safe in the mail. How easy was that?
My beledi dress exceeded all of my expectations and was even prettier in person. I chose the regular “straight” beledi dress, with a medium neckline and 3/4 sleeves. For a fabric, I selected the black-and-silver “twilight” velvet, a velvet with tons of brilliant glitter deeply embedded into the fabric. The shine is exquisite. And I love the medium neckline, because you can wear a bling-y bra underneath, but it’s not so low-cut that you look like Freddy Mercury’s doppelganger. The dress is so versatile, you can pair it with anything from a simple sequin bra and a hip scarf to a formal bedlah. Such a tasteful costuming option for conservative venues or folkloric dance – or if you simply feel more comfortable dancing in something a little more covered.
I couldn’t be any happier with my L.Rose experience. Some of us may balk at the idea of spending a little extra money on custom-made belly dance gear. In my case, it’s the most economical option. My proportions are so petite, most stuff never fits off the rack. I have to bring everything to the tailor for repairs before it’s wearable. And even then, a lot of “ready-to-wear” belly dance pieces are still unflattering – especially the folkloric stuff. For a fraction of the price of those cheesy mass-produced beledi frocks with candy cane stripes and old lady resortwear appliques, you can get something slinky, sophisticated and tailor-made to your measurements, in your choice of cut and fabric. L.Rose satisfied not only my size requirements and my budget, but also my discerning taste!
I can’t wait to place my next order with L.Rose. VIP customer service, a top-notch product, a perfect fit and made in the USA – what’s not to love? As God is my witness, I will never buy anything off the rack again.
Carrara
I love all the items I’ve gotten from L Rose. One fantastic thing is that these clothes fit us short folks. I have numerous pairs of her bellbottoms and modified bellbottoms. I hav pairs in black and royal blue velvet. If I lose some weight, I’ve promised myself a pair in red velvet. I also have a nice leopard top arriving soon. You can’t go wrong with her items.
This is so important. Most skirts and pants you buy off the rack are one-size-fits-all. How impractical is that? Especially when you’re taller, shorter, thinner or curvier than an “average” size 6-8. After buying an already expensive costume piece, I usually have to bring it to the tailor, drop $40 for alterations, and wait several weeks to get the alterations done. Forget it!
I want to get some trumpet skirts and a pair of those bellbottoms for practice. Everything’s so fashionable and comfy. I was chasing my dog and responding to e-mails in my beledi dress yesterday! LOL
I love and adore L-Rose for their quality and their customer service. Seriously, I decided to order some accessories for a costume (arm bands, hip scarf, etc.) with less than a week before the event and they not only shipped them out within a day they even waived the rush charge for me. I recently bought costume tops for all my students who all are very different shapes and sizes and wanted different colors. We picked the same top, and they all looked so fabulous. I can’t rave enough about them!!!
Najla, that’s awesome that they were so helpful. I know how it is to need stuff at the last minute! That’s good to know that they’re so accomodating.
I’m a stark raving fangirl, but my mama taught me to be a practical shopper ;) And if you can get stuff that’s economical, fits like a glove and comes in every color and cut you can imagine, then why would you buy stuff elsewhere?
L.Rose is actually beyond reasonably priced. I’m not sure if you can get some of that stuff cheaper off the rack, especially considering the quality of the clothes.
It really is affordable. I’ve looked at fairly unexciting (yet one-size-fits-all) circle skirts for upwards of $80. Then for a shortie like me, the added cost of bringing it to the tailor? No, thanks. My friend Adina and I are doing a saidi duet and she dropped everything to order her own matching beledi dress when she saw how nicely mine fit!
I recently made my 3rd LRose order for skirts and accessories to match my Turkish multi-color bra-belt sets. I shared the shipping costs with two other dancers who are also repeat customers.
Wonderful stuff! Great colors and materials and yes, good customer service!
So good we even order the stuff in Switzerland!
Yeah, I remember all the pics of your L.Rose goodies on Bhuz. It matches your Turkish sets so beautifully!
L.Rose is such an awesome company because you get exactly what you want, every time. I’ve got a turquoise Peek-a-Boo trumpet skirt on the way. Hopefully I get it while I’m still in my home in Cocoa Beach, so my boyfriend can photograph it this weekend! :)