Costumes 101

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Introduction to Costumes 101

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For a lot of fans, science fiction conventions are a great place to show off. Devotees try to outdo each other with obscure trivia about old TV shows. They compare their collections of comic books and collectibles. And others spend months -- or years -- recreating popular characters' costumes or designing original costumes of their own.

Dragon*Con is no exception -- some people spend almost every minute of the four-day convention in costumes instead of "regular clothes." But how do people make these amazing costumes? What does it take to make a costume that looks authentic but doesn't break the bank?

Elizabeth Cameron as Sir Didymus from "Labyrinth."

In this article, we'll look at costumes from Dragon*Con 2005 and cover the basics of building a great costume, whether it's for Halloween, Mardi Gras or a costume contest. You'll also learn what it takes to do well in costume competitions.

Costume Research

If you want to reproduce a costume from a movie, TV show or comic book, the first step is to do some research. This can be as simple as watching DVDs and making sketches of the costume you want to create. Even if you're making something completely original, hitting the books for historical references or ideas doesn't hurt.

Mike Johnson as a Ghostbuster.

Mike Johnson watched "Ghostbusters" and took notes when creating his Ghostbuster costume. He wanted to get the pack, trap and goggles as accurate as possible. "I freeze-framed the movie," he says, "and got points of reference in the film, and [I] measured so I [would] know how long the lenses stuck out." Johnson also looked for information online, since other costumers often create play-by-play tutorials once they've finished their own costumes.

"Firefly" fan Squirrel models a hat based
on an episode in the series.

Fans of the TV show "Firefly" have extensively researched a hat that appears in one episode of the series. The hat -- a gift from character Jayne's mother -- has become a symbol of the "Firefly" fandom. Here's what Patty Ward, who made this hat, had to say about the process:

I saw a couple of patterns on the Internet, and I kind of did a little adjusting from them [because] I knit a lot. So I got the ideas and we went around looking for colors...[W]e looked at the DVD where it has Adam Baldwin singing the song and we...really studied it.

(If you want to make your own Jayne hat, all it takes is yarn in three colors and a set of circular needles. Check out the instructions here.)

Once you've done your research, the next step is to gather the materials for your costume.

Research and Documentation Costumers are notorious for meticulously documenting their costume creation process. Throughout this article, we'll provide links to some of the costume research sites you can find online. Here are some examples:

Xena, Warrior Princess Costumes

Make a Matrix Costume

KAG Quartermasters (Klingon costumes)

Halo Costumes

Costume Supplies

A great costume requires more than just fabric. Accessories and trim can turn a good design into a great one. It's a good idea to gather as much of what you'll need at the beginning so you can make sure it actually works well together and that you don't spend more than you plan to. Good costumers are also good scavengers -- don't be afraid to be a little unorthodox.

Joe Ranger as Maximus from "Gladiator." The decorations on the breastplate are bookends and an iron trivet, and the costume required an entire cow's worth of leather.

Estea and Elaina Sanchez as Siamese from David Mack's comic book series Kabuki. Their arms are made from broken toys from the Salvation Army.

Pirates, circa mid-1700s, worn by Freddy Clements, Sharon Morgan, Chris Mueller, Keith Burgstress, Patrick Carlton, Barry Morgan, Rhonda Wade and Scott Merrill.

This group used heavy fabrics and historically appropriate patterns -- and most of their fabric came from remnant tables at fabric stores.

Rory Gentry's TIE fighter pilot costume includes project boxes from Radio Shack, PVC pipe, plumbing connectors, hoses and carved wood.

Once you've gathered your materials, it's time to get to work on constructing your costume. Read on to learn about some costume-building tricks that can make easy-to-use materials look surprisingly real.

Historical Costuming
Some costumers focus on making historically accurate clothing reproductions. Many female historical costumers keep "dress diaries" to chronicle the construction of their costume and to share the information with others, such as:

Katherine's Dress Site

The Costumes of Jenny La Fleur

Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion

Elizabethan Costume Page

Costumes by Lynn McMaster

Building a Costume

Step 3: Faking It
Lots of movie costumes require armor, jewelry and weapons that can be expensive to buy or difficult to make authentically. Luckily, costumers have come up with lots of inventive ways to make building a costume cheaper and easier.

This Jango Fett costume doesn't include any actual metal. The metallic sheen comes from silver Rub 'n Buff. Check out Armormaking for the Fiberglass Phobic or this Lord of the Rings Elven armor page for tips on making armor without learning to be a blacksmith.

Space marines from Warhammer 40K.

These costumes are made from foam cut on a CNC machine and coated with plastic. They're still hot and heavy, and the people inside can't sit down in them.

This Aragorn costume, researched at "Lord of the Rings" costume research site Alley Cat Scratch, includes an Elven brooch made from Sculpey and wire instead of silver and enamel.

Some people would rather have a completely accurate costume than resort to any cosmetic tricks. Next, we'll look at a few people who went to great lengths to build their costumes as authentic as possible.

Don't Forget the Stormtroopers

A Stormtrooper collects donations for Hurricane Katrina relief, with assistance from C-3PO.

Most Stormtrooper costumes look impressively real -- and impressively identical. Comprehensive tutorials available online cover everything about making them, starting with the basics of vacuum forming (the method used to make each piece of a Stormtrooper's armor). Professional-quality costumes are a requirement for membership in the 501st Legion -- a Star Wars "bad guys" costuming organization. (Good guys can join the Rebel Legion.)

Realistic Costumes

Steven Borhand's brother Chris told us about the Chewbacca costume shown below:

His costume is all real human hair, every bit of it. 84 yards of human hair. Got a fur undersuit first, combed it back, the hair stitched under it and the fur combs over the hair to hide the seams...We made a life mask of his face. It's got springs and hinges in it so when he forces his jaw down, there's a piece that goes under his jaw and it opens it up. The hair's all glued onto the mask. He's even got blue contacts to match Peter Mayhew's eyes, because his eyes are really green.

Steven Borhand as Chewbacca.

Stacy's Aragorn costume features approximately 60 pounds of handmade chain mail. Stacy purchased wire from Home Depot and made a crank that allowed him to twist the wire into rings. He cut the rings apart manually and then made a shirt and leg armor from them. You can learn more about making chain mail at The Chain Mail Connection.

Wade Finch as Captain Jack Sparrow.
He drafted his own pattern for Jack's coat, since all the commercial patterns had the seams in the wrong place.

Once you've researched and built your costume, you're on the home stretch. But the finishing touches are what can make your costume really stand out from the rest. Read on to see how some costumers have added details to their costumes.

Masters of Disguise

Left, Duine Jefferson and Theresa Kelley as Mrs. Brisby and Nicodemus from "The Secret of NIMH." The masks are foam covered in fur with eyes made from sunglass lenses. The photo on the right is of the same women -- this time as badgers from "The Wind in the Willows."

Costume Details

Step 5: Adding Detail
Details can make a costume more accurate and more real. Some costume contests even have pre-judging periods in which the judges get a closer look and evaluate each costume's workmanship and authenticity. The makers of these costumes put lots of effort into the smallest details.

Joe Sanchez as Boba Fett in a vacuum-formed costume with a fiberglass pack. He hand-painted the pieces to make them look authentically distressed. You can follow this tutorial if you'd like to make your own Boba Fett costume.

This Green Lantern costume includes a handmade ring with a battery-powered light.

Richard Catharris as Tim the Enchanter
from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

Richard dyed pieces of unbleached muslin red and black, then washed them together to get the correct look. He dyed and washed 12 yards of fabric, including pieces cut into long strips, to get the best tattered effect.

This Anakin Skywalker costume includes an Italian leather vest over a crinkled cotton tunic and custom-made gloves. Glove details include a serpentine belt from a car and custom-made metal buckles.

So, you've made your costume. Now what? Next, we'll talk about entering your costume into a masquerade.

Makeup

Some costumes, like this character from "Sin City," aren't complete without makeup. These particular effects used rigid collodion for scars and putty wax for building up the chin and nose. You can learn about special effects makeup at Makeup-FX.com.

Masquerade: Tying it All Together

Some people make costumes just for the fun of it, but others can be relentlessly competitive. Science fiction conventions typically host masquerade competitions, and Costume Con dedicates itself exclusively to competitive costuming.

Sometimes, winning a costume competition depends on the preferences of the judges, politics and popularity. Most costumers, however, agree on some basic tips for doing well -- called Rotsler's Rules of Masquerade.

Masquerade winners usually break new ground in costuming instead of re-creating popular costumes. They pay close attention to detail and prepare for anything that could go wrong in the masquerade. They also pay attention to the masquerade rules, especially since breaking the rules can lead to disqualification.

The Island of Misfit Toys - King Moonracer, the Elephant with Pink Spots, Charlie-in-the-Box, Dolly and the Cowboy who Rides an Ostrich.

At Dragon*Con 2005, the group named "Best In Show - Master Class" recreated the Island of Misfit Toys from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Participating in the group, known as Making Mischief, were:

Holly Frey as King Moonracer
Thom Stanley as the Cowboy who Rides an Ostrich
Heidi Pritchett as Dolly
Trisha Clayton as Charlie-in-the-Box
Lisa Lang as the Elephant with Pink Spots

The group's handlers were Brian Frey, Lili Bilbao, Heather Pritchett, Stephanie Phillips and Brian Rich. Handlers helped the group dress and get on and offstage safely.

King Moonracer, made from foam that is both sewn and glued together and then covered with fleece.

Moonracer's wings.

All of the costumes have removable heads. Some also have removable hands and arms.

Charlie-in-the-Box.

Charlie has a real wooden box. His hands are detachable, and his head is made of a batting helmet covered in foam and fleece. A layer of pantyhose over the fleece allows spray rubber to adhere to it.

Dolly has hands shaped like mittens and hair made from yarn.

The group's handlers dressed as elves. Details on their costumes included elf shoes with curled toes.

If All Else Fails...
If all of the research, materials and effort seems like too much work, just go to the nearest food court and ask for spare boxes. With scissors, tape and magic marker, you can still make an award-winning costume.

Andrew Duncan and Todd Sayre as cardboard robots.
Winners: Judges' Favorite, Hall Costume Contest,
Dragon*Con 2005.

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Costumes 101: Lots More Information

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Costumes 101