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Costume research

DarthPhaeton
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Costume research

Hi All
Great forum you got here.
I'm a long time costumer (Darth Vader) and is now researching for the Perfect V. Hope you all can be of some help emoticon

Here is some pics of me in my Vader costume.
Darth Phaetons costume

Cheers all.
Dan

11/17/2007, 2:25 pm

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friendlysolarflare
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Re: Costume research

Hi and welcome to our little corner of the internet, Darth emoticon

We have several V costume experts here emoticon

(I'm not one of them)

I can recommend the thread Costume Tips for... well... uhm... costume tips

11/17/2007, 3:12 pm

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ButMadNNW
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Re: Costume research

Hi and welcome! emoticon

Nice Vader outfit. emoticon

I'm not one of the costume experts, either (though I live with one of them), but hopefully you'll find the existing costume threads to be useful. You might also be amused by my recent outing as a character I dubbed "Darth D'hanius" (only female Sith I've ever heard of):

(The diminutive bounty hunter is my nephew.)

---

11/17/2007, 3:45 pm

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Doctor Delia
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Re: Costume research

WOW, DarthPaeton, that is an extraordinary costume. I would also recommend the costume thread, but briefly, I think the best place to start is at the "V for Vendetta" website where you can read costume designer Sammy Sheldon's notes on the constuction of a V costume. She lists all of the types of fabrics and mentions where she got various supplies. Also there is a website called "Cosplay" or maybe "Cos-Play" which is dedicated to costuming. They had a lot of good suggestions. Here are also some quick tips:

Doublet- For the movie it was made with a re-creation of 17th century basket weave silk. MelindaKitty and I recommend black brocade upholstery fabric. Pattern: either McCall's #4745, Men's Civil War Tunic (much easier to sew than a doublet, and the seams correspond the those in V's doublet. You will have to contour the lower front hem and add a facing). Or you could use Simplicity #4059 Men's Renaissance Costume or a combination of both. You will probably have to change the neckline and draft your own stand collar, though. Also taper the sleeves to give it a slight leg-of-mutton shape.Tailoring is very important as this garment is very constructed. You may also have to use doublet padding.

Pants-Diagonal weave wool. I used diagonal weave stretch cotton. Any simple patttern for pants will do, just add a little extra ease around the knees so they "blouson" out over the boots.

Cloak-The original was made with a very lightweight wool/cashmere blend. You can use lightweight flannel or challis or crepe. Pattern: Butterick #4316, just eliminate the hood and change the neckline to a V-shape.

Boots- I used motorcycle cop boots from The Leather Boutique, available on e-Bay for a significant savings. They can custom tailor anything you want, really.

Hat- There is a company on e-Bay located in Canada which will make a knockoff of the real V hat, but a simple gaucho hat may work if the crown is high enough.

Belt- You'll prabably have to make your own. It's a curved contour belt so it slings low on the waist. The nickel-plated belt buckle as well as the knives are available usually on e-Bay.

Mask-is a problem. The best mask was made by DC direct, but it sold out almost immediately. Occasionally you can find one on E-Bay selling for hundreds of dollars. The cheap Rubies mask, however, can be modified by re-painting it and adding a grosgain ribbon tie to the sides. Cover the eye-holes with fine wire mesh from a tea strainer, for example, or black stockings.

Gauntlets-I used a regular black leather glove with a separate cuff made from leatherette, but the originals were custom made in Italy.

Wig- The guys at Cos-Play recommend a basic "Cleo" wig from Sepia wigs. It has a coarser texture than most and is closer to a man's hair than the usual Cleopatra or Cher wig. These wigs will usually need a haircut, though.

Other articles of V's "wardrobe" like his quilted fencing vest, grey linen blouse and apron can be easily made from regular clothing patterns. The pants he wears with the fencing vest are tighter, like fencing pants or riding breeches.

Well, those are my tips. Good luck and when you get it finished, please post LOTS of photos.

11/18/2007, 7:24 am

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DarthPhaeton
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Re: Costume research

Thank you for all off your advice. Looks like I have alot of work ahead of me emoticon

Anyone that got a decent lead onto the V dc direct mask, other than Ebay?

Love the Darth D'hanius by the way emoticon

Dan

11/22/2007, 9:44 am

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Vivified
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Re: Costume research

I contacted the DC people at one time, and the only way to get the mask is through re-sale of the item, like ebay. And they are costly, in the $700 to $1,000 range, when you can find one. Good luck!

---
"If I am good I could add years to my life. I would rather add some life to my years." - Spiritualized

11/26/2007, 6:11 pm

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Doctor Delia
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Re: Costume research

Another alternative, DarthPhaeton, might be to make your own mask. It might not be too hard given the right instructions, appropriate materials, and a Dremmel Multi-Pro for carving the facial features. After all, V's mask is basically a Venetian-style full-face harlequin mask.
There is an excellent book on mask making by Carole Sivin called appropriately, "Maskmaking." The masks shown are sort of crude, but the book explains all sorts of techniques from papier mache, to laminated paper, to plaster, clay, buckram and Celastic (plastic-impregnated fabric.) With enough time, I bet you could carve a pretty good replica of the fiberglass mask used in the movie. And of course, it would be a perfect fit.
I actually considered making my own mask because of the problem with proportion. Unless a woman is over 6 feet tall, the head is always going to look disproportionately large. For my height, a proper V mask would have to be about 5% smaller than the standard Halloween mask. I didn't have enough time, though, but maybe this winter I'll give it a go.

Also, there are other "V for Vendetta" masks availble on Ebay from time to time; these are ususally made by hobbyists. I hesitate to recommend them because the quality might not be so great. I purchased a nice sturdy fiberglass mask for about $200.00 (US). The only problem is that it is enormous. I would have to be about 6'6" tall in order for that mask to have the proper propotion. Also I feel like The Man in the Iron Mask when wearing it. If you are really tall, you might find one of these to your liking. But for me, this mask can only be a nice piece of V-related memorabilia, which decorates my study.

Last edited by Doctor Delia, 11/27/2007, 5:05 pm

11/27/2007, 5:02 pm

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