RC1701
New Member
+++UPDATED PICTURES CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS THREAD.+++
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Greetings! My name is Cory. After circling the RPF forums a while I decided to register and post my recent costume creation that made it's first debut at MegaCon 2011. I present my gold captain's vest as seen in the Star Trek Original Series episode "Mirror, Mirror".
I am quite proud to say that the entire costume is hand-sewn (no machine aid). Much of it was eyeballed with trial and error (with many errors). I am not known for doing things the easy way but all things considered I think it came out great.
The Vest:
I had done a bit of research into different fabrics that could be used to simulate the gold/greenish fabric used in the episode. Due to time (and a bit of impatience) I ended up using something called a Kurt Adler fabric found off of eB. I was originally was going to use it for the sash until I saw and felt it in person. The vest also features a liner (the fabric name escapes me) which feels suede-like. It does a fine job keeping the chest warm but that's not why I made this outfit, clearly.
Velcro goes all the way down as a means of keeping it secure and also to give it a smooth appearance. Looking at some pictures of the screen-used piece, it appeared to also feature a hidden velcro strip. There is also a small bit of velcro to keep the "flaps" secure at the bottom which keeps hanging props from going all flimsy (very much needed when you are constantly removing your phaser). There are also velcro spots for a phaser, communicator, and dagger (more on that later).
The Decorations:
95% of the shiny things, and actually other parts of the costume, were found items at a Joanns. I prefer not saying "I'm Kirk from the Mirror Universe" so I took an individual route and created a unique set of decorations ("I'm a captain from the Terran Empire" sounds much better to me). The center decoration is actually two parts with a crescent-shaped flower thing over an elongated circular pin which was borrowed from a friend (which I will most likely have to return lest she hunts me down and tickles me into submission).
The epaulettes are again, simple fringe. I am aware that the screen used epaulettes were an antique brass type but I wasn't able to get those at a cheap enough price. Also if you look carefully you will see a thin interwoven thread, it simply keeps the fringe from going anywhere they please and keeps them in line.
The Sash:
I had originally used a long strip of gold pleather which worked for a while, but then I started to notice the gold starting to 'chip'. Also the stiffness of the material didn't allow it to 'flow' as well as the ones seen in the episode. I ended up using the pleather as a brace and then applying a gold lame over it (taped I know). A gold fringe sewn at the bottoms complete the look.
The Boots:
To give the illusion of boots that were taller than they actually were, I used a thin vinyl to create boot covers. It also prevented any awkward moments from anyone who might ask why I'd own a pair of boots that extended over my knee.... The covers are secured by that industrial-strength velcro and glued down tight. The little bit of foam is for giving the knees a bit more accent.
The Dagger:
The dagger is a resin prop (ironically) bought at last year's MegaCon. The sheath's body was made using craft wood with a carefully cut and dremeled plasticard top (shiny part). I used a chrome paint from Krylon which I think did the job very well. The inside of the sheath is lined with some material I had left over that I used for the vest's liner to keep the paint from scratching off.
------- Second Look -------
The pants are reused costume pants for other Trek costumes.
All criticism is welcome. Now that I've joined this group, I expect my costuming madness to worsen and intensify.
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Greetings! My name is Cory. After circling the RPF forums a while I decided to register and post my recent costume creation that made it's first debut at MegaCon 2011. I present my gold captain's vest as seen in the Star Trek Original Series episode "Mirror, Mirror".
I am quite proud to say that the entire costume is hand-sewn (no machine aid). Much of it was eyeballed with trial and error (with many errors). I am not known for doing things the easy way but all things considered I think it came out great.
The Vest:
I had done a bit of research into different fabrics that could be used to simulate the gold/greenish fabric used in the episode. Due to time (and a bit of impatience) I ended up using something called a Kurt Adler fabric found off of eB. I was originally was going to use it for the sash until I saw and felt it in person. The vest also features a liner (the fabric name escapes me) which feels suede-like. It does a fine job keeping the chest warm but that's not why I made this outfit, clearly.
Velcro goes all the way down as a means of keeping it secure and also to give it a smooth appearance. Looking at some pictures of the screen-used piece, it appeared to also feature a hidden velcro strip. There is also a small bit of velcro to keep the "flaps" secure at the bottom which keeps hanging props from going all flimsy (very much needed when you are constantly removing your phaser). There are also velcro spots for a phaser, communicator, and dagger (more on that later).
The Decorations:
95% of the shiny things, and actually other parts of the costume, were found items at a Joanns. I prefer not saying "I'm Kirk from the Mirror Universe" so I took an individual route and created a unique set of decorations ("I'm a captain from the Terran Empire" sounds much better to me). The center decoration is actually two parts with a crescent-shaped flower thing over an elongated circular pin which was borrowed from a friend (which I will most likely have to return lest she hunts me down and tickles me into submission).
The epaulettes are again, simple fringe. I am aware that the screen used epaulettes were an antique brass type but I wasn't able to get those at a cheap enough price. Also if you look carefully you will see a thin interwoven thread, it simply keeps the fringe from going anywhere they please and keeps them in line.
The Sash:
I had originally used a long strip of gold pleather which worked for a while, but then I started to notice the gold starting to 'chip'. Also the stiffness of the material didn't allow it to 'flow' as well as the ones seen in the episode. I ended up using the pleather as a brace and then applying a gold lame over it (taped I know). A gold fringe sewn at the bottoms complete the look.
The Boots:
To give the illusion of boots that were taller than they actually were, I used a thin vinyl to create boot covers. It also prevented any awkward moments from anyone who might ask why I'd own a pair of boots that extended over my knee.... The covers are secured by that industrial-strength velcro and glued down tight. The little bit of foam is for giving the knees a bit more accent.
The Dagger:
The dagger is a resin prop (ironically) bought at last year's MegaCon. The sheath's body was made using craft wood with a carefully cut and dremeled plasticard top (shiny part). I used a chrome paint from Krylon which I think did the job very well. The inside of the sheath is lined with some material I had left over that I used for the vest's liner to keep the paint from scratching off.
------- Second Look -------
The pants are reused costume pants for other Trek costumes.
All criticism is welcome. Now that I've joined this group, I expect my costuming madness to worsen and intensify.
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