#fantasy costumes
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Robin Hood: Men in Tights / Amy Yasbeck as Lady Marian
Marian’s silver wedding dress is pure fantasy, of course, with only the barest nod to anything historical–but of course, so is the movie, so that fits! And the dress is very pretty, with the silver sleeves and the decorative strips studded with little pearls. The skirt is made of some kind of substantial material with a kind of basket-weave pattern; it looks white in some pictures and a paler silver in others.
While looking up pictures of this dress, I found that it’s rather popular with cosplayers, and at least one couple actually had a full “Men in Tights” themed wedding!
@mygreatadventurehasbegun covered Marian’s gold dress from the same movie, here.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Katie Leung as Cho Chang
I’d be tempted to call this dress grey, but it does have a certain sheen to it, and it’s described as silver in the book, so here it goes! I think the combination of eastern and western style influences with a touch of fantasy works well. I love the jacket–it’s so brief that I don’t think it even qualifies as a bolero! And I like how the tiny touches of pink really stand out.
One Dress a Week Challenge
April: Black
Shadow and Bone / Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov
For the transition from the month of black into the month of gold and silver, we have this spectacular embroidered long coat, known as a kefta in the setting. (Seriously, if you’re a fan of embroidery porn, this is the show for you.) The coat itself is made of some sort of heavy textured fabric, with what looks to be a plush edging. The embroidered rays of light in gold and silver signify Alina’s unique ability as the Sun Summoner. The belt buckle features the double eagle of Ravka.
It’s hard to get a good look at the whole garment, but it comes down to her ankles and seems to have slits at the sides for ease in walking. I like her hair ornament too.
One Dress a Week Challenge
June: Grey
Shadow and Bone / Daisy Head as Genya Safin
I love Genya’s kefta, but I debated where to put it. It’s sometimes described as white, but it looked too dark to fit in with the other white dresses. I considered silver, but it wasn’t very shiny, so I finally settled on grey.
Genya’s kefta is unique not only because she is a Tailor (a rare ability) but also because she is a member of the palace staff rather than attached to the army like most other grisha. It doesn’t follow the usual color scheme, and it also appears to be shorter and lighter-weight than the ones worn in the field; compare Alina’s black kefta, which is ankle-length. The belt buckle seems to have an image of the Ravkan double eagle, like Alina’s.
One Dress a Week Challenge
May: Gold & Silver
Dungeons and Dragons / Thora Birch as Empress Savina
Let’s be clear: this is a terrible movie. A terrible movie. About the only thing that makes it watchable is Jeremy Irons deciding to throw all caution to the wind and chew the scenery with abandon. The costumes aren’t great either, on the whole; they look low-budget and stagey at their best, “local costume shop rental” at their worst.
But still, I feel like this dress shows just a glimmer of possibility for the movie to have been something better, something fun and cheesy in the vein of Flash Gordon. A bit of thought and even worldbuilding went into this costume. The dragon-claw-as-Elizabethan-ruff effect is actually kind of clever, one of the few things that goes beyond the most generic Ren Faire design.
They’ve also incorporated a few Asian-inspired elements, like the flared shoulders. I half suspect someone was watching The Phantom Menace the previous year and busily taking notes.
Pattern: Dress - Simplicity 8732. Capelet self drafted.
Fabric: 2-ply silk crepe with Liberty London tana lawn as contrast. Capelet is lined with wool/cashmere coating.
Modification: Collar and cuff are modified. Torso shortened. Hemline shortened time knee length as well. Omitted the facings and added full lining instead.
Notes:
Made this for an upcoming Harry Potter event. I have wanted the Beauxbatons uniform every since I watched Goblet of Fire. The dress collar deviates from the original. I just figured the contrast color would make the dress pop when not worn with the capelet. Can’t quite find the right metallic marble fabric they used in the movie so I settled with a navy floral tana lawn I have on hand.
The pattern is an easy make. Bodice and sleeves are cut on one piece so it’s super easy to put together. Skirt pieces pose no difficulties either.
The capelet actually took longer than expected. I wanted to make it fully reversible but it’s not so straightforward with 2 fabric that drapes completely different. It took lots of patience and silk pins to get them to work together.
Possible Improvements: To get a more authentic look I would bring the dress neckline higher and of course, redraft the collar. I believe the original dress sleeves are cut separate from the bodice pieces. The sleeves could be lengthen a bit more as well.
Pattern: Simplicity 8769
Fabric: Silk Damask with rayon/silk velvet as contrast
Modification: Added pockets!
Notes: This is a costume I made for a Halloween visit to Evermore park in Salt Lake City. My fantasy realm character is a former royal guard to the king. The robe turned out a bit regal than military but I think it works.
The pattern is fairly easy to follow. I almost always add lining to my work but opted out this time. Had I know how cold it would be, perhaps wool lining wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Possibly improvment: Lining for sure. Perhaps shorten the torso a bit.
His and Her court gowns to Labyrinth Masquerade XXII
His
Pattern: Cosplay by McCall’s Victor
Fabric: Silk diopioni, embroidered silk taffeta, silk charmeuse. Lining: Silk charmeuse
Notes:
The quality of the Cosplay by McCall’s line is amazing. I love how it comes in a larger envelope and printed in sturdier paper. The instructions are very clear which make them suitable for beginners. This pattern is rated intermediate and it seems about right. There are piping and angled seams but nothing exceedingly difficult. Keep in mind this is a fully lined robe requiring over 25 yards of fabric so there are a lot of sewing to be done.
Problem Area:
There are minor issues where the gored pieces are joined. Even if the notches are match up exactly, the seams are longer on one side. I measured the pattern piece just to confirm it wasn’t a problem due to fabric drape/thread tension/cutting. It’s not a big deal since you can easily hemmed the extra away.
Possible improvement: The finished robe is heavy and really weight on the fabric. Conisider adding interlining for more structure.
Hers
Pattern: Burda 6398
Fabric: Embroidered silk organza (outer layer), Silk Faille (skirt inner layer), duchess silk (bodice inner layer), silk crepe de chine (lining)
Modifications: Added piping and trims. Added boning to bodice.
Notes:
Burda patterns are a little difficult to follow because the instructions are translated. This is a pattern rated advanced difficulty but it really isn’t as crazy as it sounds. I did have to read the instructions for the skirt side pleats a few times before I finally understand which way they go. I think the gown turned out alright but I am not that happy with the construct. It feels like it is a shortcut pattern that gives you the look of a historical gown but lacks the finer details.
Possible improvement: Could have made this into two pieces with a boned/corset bodice and a separate skirt. Would replace built in skirt netting with actual pannier.
