Under Suits

[Daemon324]

Now, I know there are threads that deal with Under suits (and I have done a search of them) and a lot of the Halo fans simply use a spandex/lycra underlayer or a motorcycle riding suit. Both of these I can completely understand. I am not a purist when it comes to costumes, mostly because to me taking that much time for a small detail means some no-so-great things about ones self. I myself would like to at least attempt to try to make an under layer coming close to the game version. But to do this, I need a bodysuit pattern that is not meant for spandex/lycra and I have no idea where to find one or how to make one.

Ironically, I'll likely use something similar to achieve a similar semi-realistic look on a Guyver suit I would like to make. Not necessarily all of the under layer on that exactly right either. Would take too long.

BUT, back to the point, anyone have an idea where to find such a pattern?

 

[mosarmini]

I, too, am interested, so I will be following this thread!

 

[Daemon324]

What sucks is that it's relatively easy to find a pattern for a female, but not men. Of which gender I belong to.

 

[G33k]

The difference between the men's and women's patterns is less dramatic than you might think. Buy the closest women's pattern to wat you're going for, and make a mock-up, or1st draft with it, out of whatever fabric you mean to make your final out of. BUT leave, say an extra inch of seam allowance at all the seams, and stitch it with a LONG stitching length so you can open up seams as needs must to make alterations to fit you... then you just need someone you trust to help pin those alterations in, or out to fit you. And bang: new pattern draped to fit you perfectly. Store bought patterns should always be looked at as rough starts

 

[Daemon324]

Cool. So, when dealing with say leather (fake or real) or cotton, and the pattern is made for say lycra or neoprene, how much allowance (in addition to the 1") should I allow for?

 

[Hermes]

Considering my experience with the Darth Vader Leather Parts, I would suggest you to go quite a bit more than the pattern, for it usually is made for stretchy fabric. When I make the said leather parts, after the quilting, I measure carefully the upper portion of the arm and the thicker portion of the legs. Usually those are the main problems. Then I align the quilted fabric to the usual axis of the body, and as I go around, I don´t get too fancy. I leave some allowance for the armpits, then arch the cut to conform to the biceps, and then it goes straight to the wrist.

Remember that if you have a big forearm, say, like Popeye´s, you could conform it a bit more, but the allowance you should have in the thicker parts should be at least one inch to either side, then you can sew it to be as form-fitting as you wish, just be careful that if it is too form-fitting it may burst the seams, and no one wants a Vader bursting on the seams

 

[Daemon324]

That's all god to know, even though I'm not making a Vader costume (I'm much too short), the concept still applies. What pattern would you suggest? When you make your Vader costum (and I'm using that as an example of sort of what I want) did you make pockets for say, extra padding, or use multiple layers? If you did use multiple layers, how did you get the fit right, and how did you get the pockets made?

 

[Daemon324]

If I'm adding padding, would it be better to sew it in, or make pockets to make the padding removeable and to option in putting in metal plates, like actual armor?

Either way has its dis/advantages.

 

[Darth Pinhead]

For the pockets, are you talking about shaping muscles out of furniture foam from, say, JoAnn's? Depending on the material used for the outer suit, you may be able to glue a thinner material to the inside, to create the pocket and slide the foam into that. Obviously, you would want to test the glue used (Barge contact cement?) on some scrap, to make sure it does not bleed through to the outside. Just an idea...

 

[Daemon324]

No, I mean, like a sewn pocket in between layers, and it'd be like, a hard plastic maybe. Barring that, yeah, a hard foam would work. The material (I hope) will be like a layered, multi-fabric/cloth setup. The visual layer, and the under layer, with perhaps a little zeal on my part, additional protective layers in between, like a Motorcycle suit, but so, very obviously not. I'm intending the underlayer, or the skin contact layer, if you prefer, would be like a cotton/polyester blend, or just cotton. Something smooth, and comfortable against the skin, and non stretched to prevent shrinking in the wash.