Melodia Pants - the Perfect Tribal Belly Dance Pants?

Tribal belly dancers already know about Melodia belly dance pants - go to any Tribal performance and you're bound to see them! Melodia Design is a small designer in Southern California, but her dance pants have taken the Tribal belly dance world by storm.

There's a very good reason why Melodia pants are so successful - they may just be the perfect belly dance pant!

First and foremost, Melodia pants manage to look surprisingly good on all shapes and sizes, in spite of the close fit around the booty.

It's the combination of the material - which has enough lycra to hold you in but doesn't squeeze you into lumps and bumps - and the wide flare from the knee, which balances the shape above.

It makes sense: after all, we all know that bootcut jeans are best for curvy girls - these are the bootcut shape taken to the extreme!

Second, Melodia pants are well made of good fabric, so you know they're going to stand up to the rigours of dance class (and performance).

Dance pants are ideal for classwear because they let the teacher see your legs, and they're not restricting. But let's face it, who really feels like a belly dancer in trackpants or yoga pants? Melodia pants combine the coolness of cotton with lycra's ease of movement, yet they don't look boring. The wide flares can be tied up, tied together or left alone, and even though they're designed to skim the floor, you won't trip. The skirted version even has a pocket!

The other advantage of Melodia-style pants is that they work for both classwear and performing, because they're one of the few costumes that look good and feel genuinely comfortable at the same time.

One tip - if you're buying them for performing, do a "sweat test" first! Any costume that fits around the crotch can develop ugly sweat patches in inappropriate places. It's more likely to show on light colors, so if you have that problem, stick to darker colors, wear something underneath, or add a hip scarf strategically placed to hide that area.

Melophoenix belly dance pants are an exciting collaboration between Melodia and Phoenix Rising Designs.

The pants are Melodia's classic shape and material,with Phoenix Rising artwork designed to flow with the shape of the leg.

These peacock pants are a typical example.

They also make tie tops and sleek ghawazi coats to match the Melophoenix pants, so you can buy a ready-made costume or a very professional-looking class outfit.

Their website is Phoenixrisingartists.com.

Melodia pants have been so successful, there's a plethora of lookalikes on the market. Not all have the same quality of fabric or stitching, or as good a cut - but they're also cheaper, and easier to find!

Like Melodias, you'll find styles with an attached skirt or scarf - do think about how you're going to wash the pants if there's fringing or beading involved! - and with mesh or lace sections, or slashed legs.

If you're buying them for classwear, do check the material - a cotton blend is always healthier and more comfortable.

Overall, Melodia-style belly dance pants are a sassy mix of the exotic and the practical - just like most belly dancers, actually...

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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Photo thanks to Pink Kitty on Flickr.