why simple costuming is so effective

I ran across this video of U2 last night..I’m wondering how many of us were inspired to look up bellydance classes after this tour ? 

What stands out to me is her excellent dancing but also the divine simplicity of her costume.  What appears to be a chiffon panel or circle skirt, a lurex veil, and I can’t quite get a good look at her bra/belt set but the long strands that are swinging hypnotically look like the Christmas garland beading we use on our trees.

This is encouraging because I myself am lured by lavish designer bellydance costumes that cost $800+ ..but then after you see one or two they all start to look like the same catalog page.  When I was dancing full time in San Francisco there were very few venues where I would have wanted to wear an $800 costume.  Smoke, drinks, dirty floors..not worth it.  But imagine costuming as simple as this where you put together your own signature pieces ..

When  I started making veils and skirts for dancers that was always the goal, to make items that would coordinate with many different types of costuming whether it was heavy metallic coin bras or glass beaded beauties..or even a velvet choli top and jingly hipscarf.  Where is our dance headed if we need to pay $800 for a designer costume to impress?  Can’t the same be achieved with just good dancing?  I’m posting some photos of very simple costuming I’ve used over the years, many items I bought used or picked up because they were not spandex and were out of style.  I hope to see more of this type of costuming again.  Dancers, the spandex costuming is beautiful..but doesn’t this video remind you of the ‘retro’ bra/belts with circle skirts?