The Casablanca Boutique intrigues from the outside, with its brightly colored coin scarfs displayed in the window and the dulcet tones of Arabic music wafting out into the street. Staying open far later than its advertised 8pm closing time, the boutique is as lively as the nearby restaurants and bars.
The store is like a museum of African, Moroccan and Middle-Eastern artifacts. One wall displays African masks and statues. Another is covered with the heavy gold jewelry worn by the Berbers. Belly-dance costumes provided the main draw for me, everything from simple cholis and harem pants, to elaborately beaded bra and belt costumes.
The owner, Mr. Alouah, does alterations and custom tailoring. The advantage of this is that any belly-dance costume can be customized to fit. I purchased a gold-beaded set and he replaced the ties with Velcro. He also took out the waist of a skirt so that I could wear it around my hips.
Mr. Alouah is familiar with many of the dancers in New Haven and can help with both clothing choices and finding belly-dance instruction. You can also sit and have a chat with him, talking about his former film career in Morocco, his family, or his frequent trips around the world. In the hour I spent in the store having my costume customized, several friends of his dropped by to visit. He also invited me back to the store any time I wanted to visit. Such personal service is infrequent in the States.