The Costumer

Anne Boleyn. So controversial, so tragic. We all know her story. I even inadvertently sat upon the very place of her beheading whilst in London.

Why is it that we’re so fascinated with Anne, even today? The controversy is still rather thrilling, and the historical and religious impact of the king’s will to divorce his wife to marry her is completely undeniable. Modern perceptions of Anne Boleyn also paint her as cunning and intelligent, if not almost forgivable. Then there are her clothes.

As a lady of court and later the king’s lover and then wife, Anne Boleyn would have had continual access to only the best garments of her time. Only one famous contemporary portrait of Anne exists (unknown artist), though it seems as though later eras might have influenced what we perceive as Tudor-era fashion today. Therefore–I propose a battle of the Boleyns, between two modern portrayals–Natalie Dormer (The Tudors) and Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl).

From a costuming/adoring fan perspective, Dormer’s version wins overall due to the variety of clothing used. Granted, the show has more air time than the movie, but Dormer’s version of Anne displays clothing for every season and occasion. Regarding accuracy, however, the show indulged, taking advanced embroidery from later portraits of Anne, which were actually painted in style and fashion contemporary to the Elizabethan artists who painted her.

What are your thoughts?

When I think of fabulous costuming (especially in a professional sense), my mind always comes back to the elegant yet stunning dress worn by Inara in the brilliant but short-lived Firefly series. The garment, which is comparatively understated for the fictional ball to which it is worn, is a golden-ivory gown.

The dress was constructed and fitted for Morena Baccarin, who portrayed Inara Serra in the series. It was made partially from costume designer Shawna Trpcic’s wedding gown.

Several Browncoats (Firefly fans) have created their own versions of Inara’s gown. One of them was even able to solicit advice from Trpcic. Here are some of the best examples. These talented seamstresses were kind enough to share their stories on how they made the dresses:

• Inara’s Gold Shindig Dress
• Maggie’s Costume Site

For those interested in owning the original piece (pictured above), you can bid to own Inara’s ball gown. Bidding starts at $2,500.00. If you can afford it–bid. If not, just keep flyin’ like the rest of us!

Over the years, I’ve observed and purchased a lot of historical pieces for specific outfits and events. Researching the historical accuracy of clothing is actually a very large undertaking, and enthusiasts often run into a few problems, including

• Research time - as in there’s a large amount of it involved
• The historical fact/truth doesn’t match what they wanted. This rang true for my amazing Irish heroine outfit, which belongs in a fantasy novel more than in history!
• The construction of the attire is very costly and time consuming.

The best way to avoid these problems is to go right to a person and/or business who knows the facts. Here are a few tried and true resouces to help you out.

Reconstructing History. Kass, this company’s proprietor, is truly a researcher. If she doesn’t know the answer to your question, she’ll find it. Kass is particularly resourceful regarding historical Irish clothing, a favorite area of mine and a topic which would otherwise have a void in the historical garb community. RH sells historically accurate garments and offers information on how to make your clothes using genuine materials and dyes.

The Society for Creative Anacrhonism (SCA). If you have the time and energy to research historical garb, these folks can help you. Your local SCA chapter will help you make a basic tunic to participate in events until you are ready to make something more reflective of your historical persona. Be forewarned–the SCA is particularly notorious for having a lot of sticklers, so don’t go to them unless you are seriously committed to being historically accurate and to the letter.

Premier Designs Historic Clothing. If you’re interested in owning an Edwardian or Victorian gown, check out PDHC.  Please also consider researching undergarments in particular if you have an interest in this subject.

Here is an example of a well-researched piece from this era, including undergarments. I’m amazed that she dressed herself in this–for costumes this complex, I usually call in another person!

First the disclaimer. Last night when I was playing RockBand 2, I was looking at my avatar, which looked like an exaggerated version of me. She was curvy but not ‘fat,’ and I realized something: no matter how small my size, I’ll always be an hourglass. I could one day be a size two, but I’ll still be an hourglass. That said, I had a sad realization that despite all of my weight loss, I’ll just never be Catwoman. On the other hand, women that can pull off a Catwoman outfit will probably never look as good as I do in a corset, so it all evens out in the end.

If you do have the figure to wear a Catwoman outfit, flaunt it! Be a sexy feline femme fatale. While not everyone looks like Halle Berry, women who work out kind of earn the right to do something fun like this, in my opinion. Catwoman outfits can garner a decent amount of attention at comic book conventions, and my advice to consider wearing one also comes with the caveat about unwanted attention from creepy guys…as in you might get that.

The costume: If you can make the costume at home, do it. I’ve learned from the Convention Fans blog that the sharpest costumes are often home made by some rather talented fans.  That said, not everyone (self included) is a master seamstress or tailor. Here are a few resources. Also, keep in mind that Catwoman has had several incarnations in the comic books and movies, so you aren’t necessarily tied to Halle’s belly-baring getup.

Overall, the most accurate costume seems to be the Deluxe Adult Catwoman Costume , which looks just like the recent film version. Other versions include the full catsuit and even the original comic book (blue) version. Make sure you purchase or create clawed gloves, mask and appropriate shoes (we all know that real superheroes can run around in heels ranging from wedge to stiletto, ladies).

If you’re kind of okay with your child being equated to a comic book sex object, check out the child’s version of the costume. I’m okay with posting this because it actually covers a lot more skin than most child-hoochie clothing sold in stores today.

How to/DIY: In the below tutorial, you can learn how to make a Catwoman costume yourself. Men: you’ll enjoy the little demonstration at the end of the video. In my personal experience, others tend to appreciate DIY costume materials when they are done well, so give it a try!

The genius guys over at IndyMogul took on a robot challenge and built this awesome robotic guy. This is a great example of the kind of fun you can have making a costume (and hey, sometimes parents are great resources, too). Costumes can be as fun or detailed as you like.

For those who have an interest in spirituality and nontraditional religions, please check out my new blog, Merry Meet . It’s also hosted by the folks at Today. Thanks!

Recently, the Los Angeles Times did a ‘best of 2008′ list as many publications tend to do. One of their top items caught my eye. It is worth reviewing the fact that there are rights and permissions battles being fought every day regarding Star Wars. No, the Wookiees aren’t looking for reparations from the Empire, but Andrew Ainsworth, an original prop designer for the series, would like to retain his rights to publish replicas of the storm trooper helmets he made back in 1977. Lucasfilm already won $20 million in a lawsuit against Ainsworth, and as of April, the rights battle was being fought in Britain.

As an aside, I purchased the Stormtrooper Fathead for my fiance for Christmas this year. (He wants Stormtroopers in our wedding; I said no and this was his licensed consolation prize .) Stormtroopers are everywhere–not to make Lucas paranoid, but it’s true. They’re everywhere, many of them floating around without licenses.

What do you envision when you think of Santa Claus? I was just recalling a walking tour I went on years ago, which took place at Winterthur in Delaware. Aside from giving an excellent tour of the estate and gardens, the guide gave an illustrated description of the origin of Santa Claus. While most of us know the basics, there are some sordid details unknown to most–some Santas are mean. Others leave gifts in wooden shoes. In the UK, sometimes Santas wear green instead of red. French Santas tend to be more traditional, specifically in their costuming–almost like red wizards!

Whatever your perception of Santa might be, have a great holiday season.  ~The Costumer

Ah, yes. My roots in costume love go back rather far. In fact, I always adored the masculine flamboyance of The Beatles in their Sergeant Pepper’s outfits. Aside from the general awesomeness that comes with simply being The Beatles, these costumes represent a lot of things. Firstly, the generally fashionable idea of taking an old style and updating it. This military trend is rather common in British fashion, though not uniquely British. Secondly, the shiny fabric and brilliant colors represent the psychedelic era, making this costume set era-specific. The costume also shows that the band are individuals making a group, with slight differences in the costuming. Lastly, just look at George’s hat. Need I say more?

A wardrobe malfunction occurs when a piece of clothing does not work as intended as far as providing full and consistent coverage. The most frequent type of wardrobe malfunction involves the accidental exposure of a woman’s breast to the public. You might think a wardrobe malfunction could never happen to you (especially if you’re a guy), but that simply isn’t true.

In truth, every time you don something you might categorize as a ‘costume,’ your chances of experiencing a wardrobe malfunction triple. (Not a statistical fact; The Costumer’s estimation only.)Wardrobe malfunctions are almost always caused by one problem.

Problem: Lack of preparation. Ever notice that most wardrobe malfunctions occur when a celebrity is wearing something extra fancy or special? Performers like Janet Jackson have wardrobe fittings and wadrobe assistants, but in truth, they don’t always dance around in a ‘dress rehearsal.’ Think about it–how often do you dress up in full wedding attire for a wedding dress rehearsal? You don’t! The same goes for celebs and other famous guests (see J. K. Rowling below) who trust the wardrobe department to make them look nice. Wardrobe malfunctions happen frequently for people wearing costumes because of lack of preparation.

Solution: Perform a trial run. This is very important! People often wait until Halloween night, the big wedding day, prom  night, or a LARP event to try on their appropriate gear. Bad idea. You’ll want to allow yourself time in advance to identify anything that makes the costume uncomfortable or tweak it as necessary. Ladies should be specifically aware of bra lines and colors–is a strapless or sports bra needed for the outfit or costume? Men–what kind of underwear is most comfortable and appropriate? Example: During our trial run for a recent LARP, my fiance’s belt completely malfunctioned. His informal costume kilt was buckled, but a little big. Without the belt, it might have fallen right off! Fortunately, we identified the problem ahead of time and replaced the belt.

Expert’s tip: Make sure you can move comfortably in your garment. Perform the motions you would normally make in the costume (especially important for LARPers, dancers, performers, fencers, and more). You should also do a trial run with make up to ensure lack of allergies and the rate of smudge.

Addendum: I am including the below as a specific example of a wardrobe malfunction because it shows two things. 1) That wardrobe malfunctions can happen to normal people, especially writers, and 2) That Fox News is biased and thinks that a wardrobe malfunction is in any way relevant to J. K Rowling corrupting good little right wing children.

There are many reasons for people to play video games like Rock Band, The Sims, Fable 2, and World of Warcraft. It’s a great way to relax and lose yourself in another world; there’s the entire experience of story/lore, music, and interaction with other players and NPCs. Adventure! Fantasy! Escape! Even the ability to play in teams or guilds with real life friends! These are all phenomenal reasons to play. Then there’s my main reason: the costumes.

I spent about twice as much time on World of Warcraft yesterday as I might have otherwise due to my continual fascination with my character’s clothing options. I find this to be true in the other games mentioned above. Second Life was even more addictive as the clothing choices are endless in terms of style (and rating).

Oddly enough, I do find myself ignoring ’sets’ of armor and other gear in Warcraft in favor of whatever performs best, so I suppose there is a limit to my obsession and I remain truly devoted to helping my character not die as frequently as she could. I do, however, keep screen shots. I know, I’m a screencapping nerd. Were you surprised?

Well, all Star Trek fans know that female Ferengi are not allowed to wear clothing. That’s why YouTube’s AndorianGal went around wearing nothing but money at a convention. When it came time for a show, however, she did a “female Ferengi strip tease.” That meant putting the clothes…on! Check it out. Totally hilarious, and scandalous in every quadrant!