Legally Blonde 2023 Costumes part 4

Legally Blonde 2023 

Costumes part 4

Murray Bridge Players & Singers

Cheerleader - McCalls 7641 Jacket & Simplicity 9340 unitard

McCalls 7641

Partially lined, fitted zip front jacket and coat, have attached skirt and overskirt and gathered sleeves with sleeve head. Contrast collar, lapels, and cuffs. B: Contrast peplum, decorative buttons. Belt has contrast tie and appliqué.

Pattern Sizing:
6-14 & 14-22 paper or digital
I made size 20 view A without the peplum

toile

Fabric used 

Pleated pink Lamé, block fused with Universal Interfacing before cutting out. Both from Spotlight 

Red/black glitter dance spandex from Tricia’s Discount Fabrics 
Black satin and pink acetate lining from the stash
Silver plait braid, fringe from costume shed.
Heavy buckram

I wanted a jacket with a high stiff collar and cuff detail. I omitted the centre front zip closure because I wanted it to be open.

I added the silver braid and made my own pattern for the fringed epaulettes.
The cuffs are not from this pattern.

Collar stitched to the back bodice

I recycled some buckram vampire collars from a couple of dog costumes I had cannibalised for something else. The dog collar made a perfect stiffened cuff cone shape and it was already covered in black satin. I lined these new cuffs and the garment collar with the red/black glitter lycra.

I needed the actor to have a good range of movement so I also added underarm gussets in a deep u shape to the jacket and lining.

The jacket has buttonholes sewn at the hem of the centre front, these fasten to the buttons on the unitard I also made so the jacket stays in place and does not ride up when the actor is dancing.

As this will go into the costume shed when the production is over I added a second option for closing the front. I tied some twisted silver cord to two silver buttons leaving a space between them. the buttons can be inserted into the front buttonholes and the cord holds the front closed.

Simplicity Unitard 9340

pull on test run

Lycra spandex with a silver geometric holographic foil on antique gold background from Spotlight, has been in my leftover stash since 2019.

Final costume version

Fog finish holographic Lycra Red on black.

2 way stretch velvet

Silver Plait braid from stash and a cotton sateen skirt taken from another costume.

First version without the skirt

On the final version I did an invisible zipper at the centre back so the actor can put it on easily and so the neckline doesn't stretch. 
Design changes
I made a test run from one fabric with the seams that are included in the original design to get the fit correct. 

I then added a high waist seam so I could split the unitard into the bodice and shorts and use two colours for the design effect I wanted. The front bodice is cut on the fold so there is no centre seam but the back still has the seam for the zip.
I sewed cotton tape to the centre back seams edges first to stabilise before adding the zip.

Originally there wasn’t a skirt but the actor didn’t feel comfortable in the fitted velvet shorts and requested a skirt the would go over the top of them. I used a cotton sateen circle skirt I had removed from the bodice of another dress. The skirt was in my stash and when I went looking for some black satin I came up with this. The skirt was the right length and had the sheen of satin but also the stretch so I just sewed it onto the waistline of the unitard. 

Sateen skirt

I added two pleats to the front to make it fit. These created a front panel for me to add the embellishments I had initially planned on.

For the edge binding I cut 3/4” strips of my red Lycra. I sewed the unitard together leaving the side seam and centre back seam open.

I stitched the binding to the unitard with the right sides together around the armholes using the overlock and just very slightly stretching the binding. 
I rolled the binding to the wrong side and then sewed the raw edge down with a narrow zigzag. 

Kamui Hat

PDF down load pattern from the web site www.kamuicosplay.com
Plumber cap, Magician Hat (Top Hat), Big Witch Hat, Peaked Hat, Straw Hat & Cowboy hat.

The instructions are basic. There is explanation of what angle to use to cut the edges of your foam pieces based on the arrows printed on the pattern. You cut the foam out with either a straight edge or 45 degree angle depending on how the pattern piece with be attached to its neighbour. 

There are clearly listed points in alphabetical order to match up on each pattern piece but no written instructions as such. It is a very visual logical process.

I started with the peaked cap which is like a dress uniform military hat.

I lengthened the sides to get the height I wanted then change the crown to an oval shape. 

I made the hat with EVA foam using contact adhesive to glue it together. I covered this with silver glitter foam for the band. I made the brim from the foam then drafted a pattern and sewed a sleeve from the spandex to go over it. I glued the brim to the hat then applies the braid to cover the joins. 

The feather is poked through a hole in the foam and hot glued in place.

I made a heavy paper test run first.

EVA foam from Spotlight

glitter foam from Cheap as Chips

Red/black glitter dance spandex from Tricia’s Discount Fabrics 

metallic silver braid and burgundy braid from stash

Rehearsal photos by Jason McCullough