Costumers on Instagram

Today on Reddit in r/bellydance, someone from Canada asked where they could buy decent yet affordable costumes. They were obviously quite new and wanted to buy a costume for an upcoming performance. Buying costumes can be a bit of a challenge if you don't know where to look. Many beginner dancers settle for cheap costumes found in party supply stores or in seconhand shops. Those costumes are not meant to be danced in. They don't provide support and don't fit right, nor do they last very long (from personal experience). A few people, including myself, chimed in suggesting to eith visit the online store, bellydance.com or to message costumers on Instagram. There are so many costumers on Instagram these days. Many of them utilize Instagram as a profile and webiste to receive orders from customers. These days, I have three costumers I order from. Whenever I want to place an order, I go through their profile and select a cosstume I want made. Then I send the a message. I send them the picture of the costume, my measurements, any changes I'd like made and delivery info. Once the order is placed, they let me know how they'd like me to send the payment. I quite like this method instead of a separate website. This way, I can follow the designer and stay updated on new design offerings. Many designers also follow their customers and will interact on their posts as well. Sometimes, they'll share customer videos if the video features their products. Both parties gain from the interactions. The costumer gets direct feedback about their designs and see clients wearing them. The buyer gets bragging rights and exposure if they are dancing in the video. Another benefit of using Instagram is that it is free. Websites can be costly to maintain. Though some may argue it is not "professional", Facebook and Instgram can effectively satisfy the core needs of the designers for free. Making costumes is very expensive. When serving a narrow niche such as bellydancers, it may neccessary to find ways to cut expenses wherever possible. Neverthless, Instagram became the chosen platform for many Bellydance costumers.