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"Your reputation precedes you..."
As soon as I saw Van Helsing in the theatre, I knew I HAD to make this costume. Anything to own another corset! The movie's plot was
sketchy, the dialogue comical, but the costumes saved this movie. The style seems to be Old-World Europe meets modern dominatrix...intriguing.
Peasant Shirt
This was a super easy piece to make...I think I made this in about an hour one morning before class. I used a basic peasant shirt pattern found in any renaissance pattern pack. I did however substitute red lacing with tasseled ends for the elastic
in the neckline. I got really lucky and managed to find cotton printed with an embroidered-look pattern. I would eventually like to remake this now that I have better photos of the undershirt.
Corset
I didn't have time to go through the ordeal of making a corset from scratch, so I found a reasonable substitute underbust corset on eBay. It's satin, not leather, but it works. The shape is the same, and I
chose not to add the flaps on the bottom. I am currently working on a stomacher piece which will snap onto the front of the corset. This will both cover the busk, as well as have all the studding and buckles
on it.
Velvet Bolero Jacket
This was probably the hardest piece to construct, simply because of the time-consuming handstitching involved. Also, it was extremely hard to figure out all the designs on the jacket and how they fit together.
There are virtually NO reference images of the back of the jacket, so I had to guess what the trim design looked like at the back of the neck. (This ended up not mattering, as it was hidden under the hair of my wig!)
For this piece I chose to use a dark red rayon velvet. I had a child's bolero jacket pattern and drafted the split bell-sleeve pattern-piece from scratch. The jacket is lined in cotton...this ended up being totally
necessary, as rayon velvet frays like crazy! This way all the stray ends stay inside the jacket and out of view. I then hand-sewed approximately 7 yards of woven gold trim onto the front, sleeves, and back of the jacket.
This took FOREVER (10+ hours)...but it was worth it, since I love how it all turned out.
NOTE: I later noticed that the underarms of the jacket are slit (probably for mobility) and that there is a notch in the bottom center of the back. For costuming purposes these aren't necessary, as they may lower the structural integrity
of the garment.
Accessories
Belt: I bought this for like $4 at a JC Penney's super clearance sale. Bonus, it was already studded!
Boot Covers: I would like to construct boot covers that will snap onto a generic pair of tight-fitting black pants. I've decided to make these from black ultra-suede cloth. I'll probably design them around a pair of boots I already own and extend them
up to the upper thigh. I have yet to count all of the buckles on Anna's boots, but I think there are a LOT. This will be a pretty extensive project.
Necklace: I'm still looking for the right kind of pewter spacers and cross pendant for the necklace, but the chain looks to be a leather thong or a satin cord. Pretty easy once I find the beads/pendant.
The Wig
I LOVE this wig! I bought it off eBay from a seller named instabeau. It's a dark brown color with a few highlights, just about as close as I could get to Anna's hair color without dying my own. I didn't even need to style it, just out of the bag and onto my head!
Last updated July 18, 2005.
