Thanks to cavx for the name. This is the build thread for my male Ripley costume from Aliens. Because Ripley is a bad*** and because everything she's wearing is completely unisex anyhow, I decided to put this costume together. First finishing up a so-so version for Prometheus and finishing it for real for Dragon Con. So here's what I've got so far.
I picked up this jacket on ebay a few days ago. The collar is a little oversized, the ribbing is worse for wear, it's missing the extra pockets, and the liner is the wrong color, but it's a pretty darn good match to hers. Especially considering that Wested, the makers of the original jacket, can't even come close to making a replica this good. As far as I can tell it's a Schott motorcycle jacket from the 80s. It's missing a zip-out liner and looks like it used to have a snap on shearling collar as well. The back design and front pockets are dead on and the storm flap is on the correct side.
Underneath is a plain white t-shirt and for now some place-holder pants that I just dug out of a box I haven't opened since high school.
The watch is a Seiko, but not the right kind. I don't have the hundreds of dollars to shell out on the correct one. I plan to find a watch with a black face and a similar band and make the outcropping button thing with some aluminum bar stock.
Lastly and most importantly, the shoes. I wasn't able to get the correct Alien Stompers in my size, so I went with an arguably better alternative. The Reebok BB6600.
The soles (not counting the bottom) are identical to the Stompers, and in my opinion the white leather is more accurate than the light grey anyway. These have a higher top as well that matches the screen worn shoes better than that of the released Stompers. My plan for now is to paint the red sections dark grey (white for the ones near the toe), paint on the red stripe around the heel, make a new red tongue out of vinyl, and add the flap over the laces, the grey straps, and an extra 3 inches or so to the top all with vinyl. I just picked up my vinyl and liner fabrics today (as well as the t-shirt) for a grand total of $5.
The shoes are expected to arrive on the opening weekend of Prometheus, I'm hoping sooner rather than later. The modifications won't take long, and I plan to make the tongue ahead of time.
The long term plan is to remove the entire upper from the soles, take each piece apart, make a pattern, and modify that pattern to be accurate, then remake both shoes from real leather and reattach them to the original soles. The end result will be the first ever completely accurate pair of Alien Stompers. It's a lofty goal, but I'm confident I can pull it off.
I'll probably also document my pulse rifle build here as well. I've got a plastic airsoft Thompson already, I'll pick up a SPAS-12 airsoft and scratch build the stock, handle, and casing, unless I can find a kit for dirt cheap.
For those of you who are big fans of the movie, is it known if Ripley's jumpsuit was custom made, or is it an off the rack item?
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