#like. a waistcoat esque piece of clothing.

[berryunho]

AH! I have so many asks to respond to my apologies everyone I've started school again so I'm just a bit busy settling in but I'll address my inbox this weekend !! 🤩🫶

[galvore]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐑.

▸ undateables ▸ season 1

▸ second round of some much needed makeovers, selected by yours truly, coming through. ▸ once again, my taste is unmatched.

🫀|| 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐎

I'm just gonna say that these five need to wear actual fucking clothes as a premise, but moving on. I know I just criticised Lucifer for his over the shoulders coat but I never said it can't be done, when it's a lightweight coat that cuts aright at the middle of the thigh it actually looks good. It would also make much more sense for a leader to wear this sort of outfit, rather than someone working for him. Again, another three piece suit complete with waistcoat and matching tie, in a lighter palette like grey or even in a blood red. The touches of red to call back to his uniform would actually be great, especially with some expensive red bottoms.

🫀|| 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐒

Let me get him out of those stiff work clothes. They are horrible to look at, but I understand it might be a uniform. For his off time I'd like to see him in some business casual, with turtlenecks and long heavy coats and dress pants or with a loose shirt. He'd also fit wonderfully in the asymmetrical suits accessories, similar to the Dior Autumn 2019 collection. All in strictly more black than white with some squared off or rounded leather shoes.

🫀|| 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍

Again, I am tired of uniforms and they look stupid, so we're ridding him of that over hanging cloth and dressing him in flowy and ruffled shirts, all in light soft colours to complement his skintone and decorating him in jewels, gold and stones would look gorgeous on him. Coupling it all with a pair of tighter fitting pants, never to the point of reaching the level of skinny jeans, he'd end up having a Howl-esque vibe, which would fit him beautifully.

🫀|| 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍

This degenerate goes from wearing a school uniform to dressing like a damn priest almost, might not wear the cross but the vibe of the ensemble still screams cleric. I am tired of seeing him in these costumes so we are putting him in silver and leather. Rings, chains, piercings and, most important of all, studs. Spikes of varying lengths sitting on his shoulders and his wrists and maybe even his neck. What ties the look together is a nice and heavy pair of platform steel toed boots, reaching at least up to his knee.

🫀|| 𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐄

My child, my baby, who even thought that putting him in bloomers was a good idea, he looks like a miniature sailor dragging a fucking carpet behind him with those shawls. He's getting a soft pastel palette, mint greens, sky blues and peachy pinks, of oversized sweaters and shirts, with white sneakers and soft pants. If the occasion calls for it, a nice heavy collared shirt with a V-neck knit sweater, but always striving to maintain a soft appearance in both tones and textures.

[jcmorrigan]

Can you explain a little about each of your OCs fashion taste and maybe add a pic of the epitome of their style? I want to see which one is most like my own fashion preferences (if I wasn't too lazy to dress up lol)

All right, what I’m going to do is the rapid-fire. I’m gonna tell you names and what they dress like, since you were interested in finding out who matched, and then you (or anyone else) can ask further asks about anyone who looks interesting one at a time and I will GUSH

Venley (protag hero): Wears deep blues (but not navy). Likes swishy skirts, flowing sleeves, and layering. So much layering, especially leggings under short skirts.

Sophira (hero): Has a style I like to call The Worst(TM). Wears non-complementary colors. Patchwork sweaters and miniskirts. Loves rainbow tie-dye. Will not take fashion advice from Axeline and this is going to be the death of Axeline

Axeline (hero): Mostly sticks to red palettes with long coats and corset lacing but will try anything once.

Siademina (hero): Likes to pair cute blouses with bouncy short skirts. Tends to wear warmer colors or pastels.

Zefiraduc (hero): Purple and glitzy. She wants to be a famous pop star and dresses like one.

Arain (hero): Blacks and reds. If the outfit can allow her to blend pants with something skirt-ish, like a side panel, it’s an extra bonus. Always wears the fantasy equivalent of a baseball cap to go with it (and has emo bangs AND a huge ponytail).

Ailuen (hero): Mostly dresses in comfy things, tees and jeans, but when she wants to go all-out, she will pick a pink prom dress with ruffles and sparkles. A nice compromise is if she puts a fancy pink blouse over the jeans. During the planned arc where she becomes a Lawful Evil for a while, wears a white military uniform.

Alivain (deuteragonist villain): Mostly likes red, but occasionally blue or purple. Is a villain and dresses like a villain. Outfits are very bright and flamboyant. I’m toying with an “evil circus” aesthetic for the entire team and have written down some of him acting as the ringmaster, so go ahead and add a red ringmaster’s uniform to his most-worn. I also want him to have gloves with little claws built in at one point. Capes. And he wears high heels because he likes to feel tall and glamorous.

Versafina (villain): All black all the time. Lots of leather. Prefers pants vastly over skirts because she’s a dancer/martial artist who needs the mobility; also she just doesn’t like the femme aesthetic so much. Though she does enjoy wearing the highest of high heels specifically because training in them makes her more balanced and agile, and if she takes them off, you are dead where you stand.

Phantasia (villain): White cocktail dresses. Swanky and glamorous. Usually more pencil-skirt style or form-fitting than anything that has ruffle. Slits that show off the leg are a fave style of hers. High heels for her too.

Zangary (villain): I’m not entirely happy with his design, but for now, I have him in kinda generic dark clothes with an ostentatious long lavender jacket and a black wide-brimmed hat.

Dweixyn (villain): Pink minidresses/blouses and skirts. Has a favorite trench coat that has pink lining on the inside and is darker on the outside. Always wears sunglasses, even indoors and at night, for the aesthetic and no other reason. High heels for her too.

Belador/Belladore (villain): They’re kind of a rave-themed villain so I imagine lots of mesh tops and glow sticks.

Yridel (villain): I’m not entirely sure what her style is, but it needs to show off her cybernetic limbs. That is a must.

Sherida (villain): A form-fitting red bodysuit with a black motorcycle helmet that prevents you from seeing her face. Heavy-soled boots. Steal aesthetics from Vanitas Kingdomhearts? Me? Nooooo

Lirian (villain): “Sun” palettes, with pinks and yellows and reds. But also blue sweaters and skirts (dull in hue). I toy with one of her quirks being wearing ballet shoes everywhere she goes but I’m not sure if that’s silly.

Rachneira (villain): Wears lots of black. Not just a Goth but THAT Hot Topic Goth.

Tomagi (villain): Pink sundresses, particularly with gold lining.

Calpurniko (villain): Jumpsuits, overalls, beiges and dull colors, white tees, anything she can get dirty and not cry over.

Diamandian (villain): White lace. He is cis male but comfortable enough with his masculinity that he adores ruffles and lace hems. Has a matching white parasol and a white top hat.

Maraya (villain): Victorian-esque dress...blue?...and a big ol’ black cloak that hides her appearance. Her design is still kinda under construction because I started out going one direction and then made a hard left on her character

Anastasios (villain): Tunics and breeches. Greens and browns.

Kaxhalen (villain): He is an alien warlord so I’m trying to design a silver extraterrestrial battlesuit but not sure how to make it look unique

Osmend Osmodias (villain): Shiny golden suits. Fedora that’s pulled down to cover his eyes.

Orianelle (villain): black leather that shows a lot of skin. Tanks and shorts that bare midriff. Tall black boots with heavy soles.

Siersyrei (villain): Navy blue and that’s about all I know for now, though there are reasons I’d like her to have a skirt with shorts underneath.

Clancette (B-team hero): When in civvies, wears a lot of pink “kawaii” clothing. Jackets over tanks. Lots of pins with the fantasy equivalent of Sanrio characters. Rainbow stockings. As a Magical Girl, is associated with the color pink and element of wind; her outfit has a short and wide ruffly skirt and any way a breeze can be implemented into the design is welcome.

Xar/chelyna (B-team hero): When in civvies, he wears button-down shirts and blue pants. As a Magical Girl, she is associated with blue and water, so skirts that are long and wavy and any ocean motifs. Also enjoys a blue top hat.

Loveleigh (B-team hero): Both civvies and Magical Girl clothing are red/fire-associated. Likes slinky skirts and low-cut blouses.

Fernamele (B-team hero): Both civvies and Magical Girl clothing are yellow/lightning-associated. Another pop star wannabe who dresses in glitz and glitter, with swishy short skirts.

Zelladane (B-team hero): Civvies are sweatshirts, jeans, and heavy rubber boots with a lot of dirt built on them from her gardening. Magical Girl clothing is green/plant-associated, but with pink accents. Any piece that’s green with pink flower decorations on it automatically makes me think of her.

Aoliaoma (B-team hero): Undecided on civvies, but her big character quirk is that she seems perpetually sleepy, so I could see her just forgetting to change out of her full-length pajamas that are probably black satin. As a Magical Girl, her association is black/the void, and she has a short dress meant to look like that of a traditional witch, with a pointed witch’s hat on top.

Ravenille (antihero): Denim jackets and pants. Lots of denim. Silver face piercings and LOTS of them.

Arisia (antihero): I specifically see her in a blue tank top, a brown skirt/shorts and chain mail overlays. Anything with chain mail makes me think of her. Also, tall heeled boots. She might also wear a mask made of chain mail that covers the lower half of her face.

Lunisia (antihero): Pink. Skirts with leggings beneath. Quirky shoes, like black patent-leather with buckles.

Rhodelton (antihero): The ugliest yellow jacket you can imagine over a T-shirt and jeans.

Phaeley (minor character, could be moved to antihero squad): Black tanks and long skirts. Slightly Goth but not that much. Always wears a black newsboy hat.

Sylvisa (minor character, could be moved to antihero squad): Almost exactly Versafina’s style except more masculine. I should probably refine his.

Dashorra (minor character): Anything that’s split right down the middle as black/white is fair game.

Victorique (minor character): Shiny silver dresses with long skirts.

Isisa (minor character): White toga and gold hair ornamentation.

Phil (minor character): Is literally a sentient pile of green slime and never wears clothes, but if he did, it’d be business suits with tacky striped ties.

Tristabelle (minor character): I usually picture her in a dark blue low-cut dress with a loose, flowing skirt, but I feel like it needs refinement.

Madwyn (minor character): I usually picture her in a form-fitting black cocktail dress, but I also feel like this could be more special.

Diceanne (minor character): I usually picture her in a pink bodysuit with gold accents that lacks sleeves or legs, so I kind of want to do something with this and the concept of tackling the issue of revealing clothing and sexism and how much choice is had in the matter so I guess her final outfit will come to me once I’ve got the arc in mind

Beccatrice (minor character): I usually picture her in a white toga, but unless she and Isisa are part of the same order or class or something, I should probably make hers different.

Sharamantha (minor character): Brightly-colored overalls (pink, green, purple) over white tees. Sneakers.

Eudarmence (minor character): Shiny gold gowns. Any shiny gold gown. Also likes shiny gold hair ornamentation. Has to be the shiniest thing in the room.

Ilyènne (minor character): Either yellow dresses with loose skirts or this specific pink blouse with a huge ostentatious ribbon on the chest that I got in my mind’s eye once.

Riaudne (plot-device character): Pink-and-silver dresses. She’s royalty, but I want to play with her culture not being Eurocentric, so I want to shake up this design somehow but I’m not yet sure how

Aelistene (plot-device character): Brightly colored minidresses (mint green or deep purple), likes hair ornaments.

Magnus (Lawful Evil villain): All white all the time. Looks very regal - jackets, waistcoats. Very masculine as well.

Janiel and Tjeron are both mooks of the Lawful Evil faction and will eventually renounce their ways, but I have literally never pictured them in anything other than military uniforms that I originally designed as black but now have changed to white for symbolic deconstruction reasons

The following characters are still under construction to where I’m not sure of their fashion style at all: Valencindri (villain sidekick), Dr. Hope Lessness (villain), Mercy Lessness (villain sidekick), Lainnhartt (villain), Soligeo (villain sidekick), Khairic Kajé (antihero), Aerokai (antihero), Tredwulfall (antihero), Burqueley (antihero), Liodax (minor character), Ririko (minor character), Ayali (minor character, possibly antihero), Lilianet (minor character), Spectra (minor character), Prettiza and Kyista (minor characters who have to wear the same outfit), Rewnoki (minor character), Delena (minor character), Jaydrey (minor character), Mejame (minor character), Shananadel (minor character), Veline (Lawful Evil), Keiandra (Lawful Evil), or Oquian (Lawful Evil).

I hope this has helped you figure out whose style you match and also see how many freaking characters I have designed and I don’t intend to stop until I have enough to fill a huge fantasy world but then I’ll probably keep going anyway because my mind is apparently hooked on designing now

[smallcowplant]

Hi! Hi! I have a bit of a history challenge question/request for advice? :) I'm wondering if you have any ideas rn of how you're going to dress your sims for the colonial/western era (thats the era im on, for me theyre just one era together though)? Idk the difference between colonial/western clothes and industrial clothes? Any advice? Appreciated even if not! :)

Hey dude!

At this point, I'm honestly not too fussed about getting cc together for gen6 + gen7 bc I literally just realized that I accidentally deleted most (if not all) the cc I had downloaded for gen5.....I take file folders of cc out of my mods folder periodically to free up space in my game for other saves....rip. I'm currently just going thru the motions of not wanting to redownload everything.....while also losing all desire to open the game at all!! Lol!!

HOWEVER

I don't want to be a total loser and I'm gonna answer your question! Kinda!

*Disclaimer: Ya' girl is not about total....or even partial tbh....historical accuracy when it comes to my HC! I love history and historical fashion, but I mix-and-match cc from all over the web nine times out of ten!*

EDIT: THIS IS ALL TOO MUCH AND DOES NOT ANSWER UR QUESTION LOL I'M SORRY

When I think colonial, I think puritanical New England/Quakers, with their bonnets, heavy shift dresses, boots and a penchant for detestable behavior! Tricornes and waistcoats also seemed to be very popular among men.

It's a bit hard to find cc for any gen that is set in colonial America, bc these restrictive fashions were defined by LOTS of layers! Petticoats, aprons, and lots of chest coverage (bc god forbid anyone knew u had collarbones, u filthy harlot!!) Lots of historical cc, while gorgeous (I love you cc creators thank u for blessing me w/ur creations) favor rococo/southern belle-esque aesthetics (obviously, bc they're much more aesthetically pleasing than layers of gravy-colored fabric)

!! Which u can kind of get away with bc these styles actually WERE seen and worn in colonial America

Really, what it boiled down to was where you lived and how much money you had. (And mostly, who your dad was.) If you have, say, a wealthy family (of garbage people), their daughter might be bedecked in gorgeous frocks and day-dresses like those seen above. If you have a poorer family (of different, but ultimately probably still garbage people), you'd probably wear dull colored dresses and drooping bonnets (and hope that a bunch of your peers wouldn't rat u out to the nearest church as a witch to get some sweet sweet validation and attention in general)

@historicalsimslife, @javitrulovesims, @budgie2budgie have some beautiful pieces that I think you could definitely work into semi-colonial looks!

I would link directly to some of my faves of theirs, but I'm on mobile! (Also, if you just scroll through sssvitlans 'historical' tag, you'll find some good stuff too!)

When it comes to western cc, there's sadly not a TON of strictly cowboy-driven creators out there! There are some, don't get me wrong! If you go through sssvitlans 'western' tag, there's some real winners that I downloaded without a second thought!!

Before I get into some of my inspo for cc hunting, please know that a lot of our perception of cowboys/the wild west comes from Hollywood and spaghetti westerns! And even though young Clint Eastwood is an entire snack and a half

he is NOT what most cowpokes looked like (not gonna get into how many cowboys were decidedly not white or straight but for the record, most of them were neither white nor straight lol)

Here's some Looks that I'm all about and that I used as CC-hunting inspo

Think neckerchief's, leather, vests, and trousers. Oh, and suits. Clothes in the Wild West were not mass-produced---if you needed new duds you had to make your way to a tailor. That's why you might see historical photography/films show their cowboys in suit coats/vests/dress pants....it wasn't for the fashion! It was because they were buying everything second-hand! The fancier the clothes, the harder to sell (if your main source of consumers is a bunch of guys who work long hot days out in the desert)....thus, the resell prices were cheaper

As for women! If she's out in the West, she's going for comfort and the basics---I mean, as much as she can with the restrictive fashions and general cultural/gendered norms of the day

Think muted colors, long skirts, belts, buttoned or high-necked blouses! There can be some overlap here with early Victorian looks, but keep it simple!

As for the industrial age, I honestly just consider that gen of the HC to be ripe for overlapping all the beautiful Victorian/Edwardian CC that the likes of @historicalsimslife and @retro-pixels have blessed us with! Corseted gowns, high necklines and beautiful hats!

I mainly look for inspo in the films I watch and the books/articles I read! Pinterest is a great tool to inspire some creative thought when it comes to CC-hunting. You might find the perfect blouse/trousers in a completely modern CC post. It just takes a little bit of a journey!

If u want like....a Wild West inspired CC lookbook....I could do that! I've actually been considering it for a bit lol

[snowy-weather]

Top 5 favorite pieces of clothing?

1. Probably my black with grey pinstripes waistcoat. It goes with a lot of my skirts and shirts. XD I always wear it when I wanna wear something comfortable or can’t think of anything else to wear. 

2. I have a black sweater with a fox (fav animal) on it. It’s super cute and really warm for the winter months. 

3. My black lolita-esque dress with small red polka dots. I always wear it with a tick black petticoat under it. It’s the most lolita thing I own, though still not super lolita. XD 

4. My Wednesday Addams dress. It’s based on her dress with the white collar but it’s black with a picture of Wednesday on the front surrounded by bats and potion bottles. it’s a little short so I always wear leggings or shorts under it. 

5. I almost never wear pants but I do wear shorts sometimes. I have a pair of black high-waisted shorts I really like. I prefer shorts and pants that are high-waisted, I think they look better and are more comfortable. 

[broadwaybydesign]

Totale Finsternis: Costuming “Tanz der Vampire,” Part I

EDITOR’S NOTE: I pride myself on accuracy, so when there’s an error, I’ll do my best to correct it. As such, please see my updated post here!

Welcome back, everyone! As promised, we’re going to be diverging quite a bit from the shows and costumes I’ve looked at in the past in order to try something completely different. There are a lot of costumes here, so I’m going to structure this a little differently and try to look at a whole production in each of the two posts, rather than splitting them up by character. There’s a simple reason for this: the costumes are so detailed and so original, that they either need to be taken as a collective, or else each costume needs a full post...and I don’t think I could manage that!

But what I can manage is to look at the overall Vienna production and give my thoughts on this über-eclectic production with its classic camp, gothic horror, and rock musical elements. I’m really glad to have been turned onto this musical, because as those who follow the main blog know, one of my other hobbies is a vampire-themed RPG. I admit that I had never seen the original Roman Polanski movie upon which the musical is based, but the musical is apparently a pretty good take--and for good reason, since Polanski himself created and directed the original production.

I linked the plot summary Sunday in the preview post, so I’m going to just jump in to some of the amazing costumes that were conceived by Kentaur, a Hungarian costumer who has worked on a number of European productions (many the equivalent of off-Broadway, but quite a few mainstage), as well as the ever-fascinating Sue Blane. Let’s take a look!

Where to even begin with designs like these! To start with, I absolutely love that the 19th century inspirations are on full display: we’ve got hoop skirts, we’ve got riding cloaks, we’ve got morning coats, we’ve got (in the background) large and decorative hats, and on the main character (Graf von Krolok as played by Thomas Borchert) at stage left there is what appears to be a hybrid of leather and brocade on a waistcoat. In fact, let’s take a little closer look at our main character in another scene:

This entire costume is spectacular, and shows the characteristic mixing of styles that makes a Sue Blane production so utterly fascinating to analyze. The waistcoat definitely has a combination of fabric and leather, giving the Graf a hard-edged appearance that even the pale makeup and prosthetic fangs wouldn’t have accomplished on their own. The pants/trousers are leather-esque (I doubt they’re entirely leather; as I’ve mentioned before, stage costumes need to be able to breathe a little bit because of the heat of the stage lights) and give off a very masculine feel. The riding cloak (more commonly a cape, but as I recall, a cape generally doesn’t have as much luxury put into it) is simple in a way, but the rich crimson satin folds and bunches to create a mixture of light and shadow that is absolutely necessary in a dark production like Tanz der Vampire. 

I also love that the color of the cape’s interior is so dark a red; remember that this is a production about vampires first and foremost. The crimson puts one in mind of the blood the creatures are compelled to drink in order to stay alive, and that’s a good choice in costumery; playing on what people expect to see is not always a bad thing, especially when you want your production to have an element of pastiche, that is to say, an element of mix-and-match that you do not necessarily find with traditional theatre. The color also provides a fantastic contrast to the rest of Graf von Krolock’s costume, which is done in shades of black (and black does have shades...try matching a set of black socks for proof!), deep purples, and a few hints of very deep blue on the waistcoat.

The waistcoat itself is quite different, and I like it. Rather than a simple, straightforward cloth cut, Ms Blane has added a bit of beadwork that you might not otherwise expect in a male costume. As I’ve mentioned several times, however, that’s...really not unusual for her. Everything about this costume is designed to have a bit of a wow factor; it may not be the most visually appealing costume, but it will be the most visually stunning costume on stage. In that sense, it puts me in mind of Ms Blane’s master production work on The Rocky Horror Picture Show: the idea here is to go for over-the-top camp rather than going for a specific style, as one of Ms Blane’s costume sketches shows:

It would be wrong, however, to say there is no overall theming and that the costumes of the Vienna production are simply a pastiche of vampire tropes. The costumes for the vampires fit that mold, but I think there is a good reason for this: in dealing with a dark subject and trying to make it a bit humorous (this is a Roman Polanski production, after all), it is important to inject that humor into the costumes as well. None of the vampires look ridiculous, as the first still shows, but they are visually different. It’s an effort to make the macabre into the mundane, and it’s done spectacularly well--all the while maintaining the Graf’s look as intimidating and frightening.

The work on the costumes for the human characters is no less impressive and visually appealing. Take, for example, the red dress worn by the female lead, Sarah (Marjan Shaki). It’s a hoop skirt that flows and bends and is in a shade of crimson that is rather similar to the cape worn by her captor, the Graf. It’s not an exact match, however, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s intentional; by making the dress a bit lighter, there’s a slight sense of innocence granted to the character that isn’t present in the vampire holding onto her. There’s a closeup from another perspective, this time of the dress resting on a chair, that lets us look a bit more in-depth (adapted from a still from the production company):

While the stage lighting here gives us a more rust-color, the image from earlier does show that it’s a bright, vibrant red. The dress overall is in satin, which is quite appropriate for the era in which the musical is set, and it has a flowing effect as a result. The bodice/bust is decorated with quite a bit of beadwork, though not much in the way of jewelled adornment; that doesn’t surprise me, because I associate a Sue Blane production with focusing more on beading than jewels (in part because she started out with low-budget productions, and designers tend to remember those lessons their entire career). There’s also a bit of fringing available, which I think is Ms Blane’s way of giving a subtle nod to the stage productions of the era Tanz is set in. Early theatre’s easiest way of making a gown look fancy was to add fringing to the external portions of the dress, and in this case we see a bit of it on the hoop skirt/bell of the dress, as well as earlier on Ms Shaki’s arms where the dress is supported. I’ll have more on the Red Dress when I do the Paris review because it’s an even more spectacular example, but I thought it important to give some attention to the Vienna original as well!

There’s one more group scene I want to take a look at from the Vienna production. This one showcases quite a few of the human characters and it’s interesting to look at for a couple reasons. One, there doesn’t appear to be quite as much pastiche as there is in the costumes for the vampires that started out this review, and two, Ms Blane has done something to the costumes here to give them a very muted appearance:

For those who are familiar with classic 19th century-set musicals like Les Misérables, many of these may look a little bit familiar. The common tropes of underclass clothing are present here, but through her use of color and design, Ms Blane is making quite clear just how ordinary these people are. There is little to no adornment on any of the costumes, and they are presented as they come: there are wrinkles in the barmaid’s apron, the jackets on the men appear to be dusky and dusty at the same time, and everything is just so much more simple than the costumes for the vampires or the Sarah character. That’s by design; when you want to draw a stark contrast, you need to do that through your use of color and fabric choice. Notice I didn’t say any of these costumes look cheap because they absolutely do not. Rather, they look simple by comparison, and that’s a positive. These aren’t designed to be the more memorable pieces, and indeed that helps us to remember the pieces on Sarah and the vampires. The one exception here is the Alfred character (played by Lukas Perman) in the red coat; it’s still a relatively simple, muted design, but it does stand out and ties in to the red theme we saw earlier with Sarah’s dress and the Graf’s cape.

Also, I really dig the strands of garlic that are being worn by about half the ensemble members in this shot. It’s a nice hat-tip to the classic trope of vampires being unable to stand the smell of garlic, and while it may be a part of the book of the musical, for Ms Blane to somehow make them appear even more silly than the idea of garlic as vampire-bane itself is really an accomplishment.

Tanz der Vampire is a campy, raucous musical that has a costume designer and set of costumes to match. I like that the vampiric costumes are a pastiche of different designs, while for the most part the mortal designs are quite a bit more subdued. In some ways, it makes me long for the Austrian production reviewed here to do a national tour in the United States; the English translation of Tanz spectacularly flopped on Broadway, but that had more to do with the timing (it debuted scant months after 9/11 when the theatre was already seeing reduced sales) and the controversy surrounding the casting and design (read a bit on Michael Crawford’s role if you want more detail). 

But I think that the musical as costumed by Sue Blane could do quite well here if ever given the chance. I know any number of people in the theatre community who got their start doing Rocky Horror midnight showings and paying homage to Ms Blane’s costume designs in the movie and original stage show. There is real potential for this to become a cult classic in the States if it were put on by the right people and used the right costumes--preferably an updated version designed by Ms Blane herself.

That about wraps up my Vienna review. Later on this week, I’ll take a look at another of the successful productions of Tanz, this time the Paris production entitled Le Bal des Vampires. It got mixed reviews from the foreign press, but Paris Match certainly enjoyed it and heaped praise on the costume design, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be an interesting review!

Stay tuned!

[broadwaybydesign]

Totale Finsternis: Costuming “Tanz der Vampire,” Part I (UPDATED)

As noted, I made an error in attribution in my previous review of the Vienna revival. While the analysis is the same, the name of the designer (Kentaur) has been updated along with removing my commentary on Sue Blane. For an analysis of the Blane designs of the Paris production, stay tuned for tomorrow’s post!

Welcome back, everyone! As promised, we’re going to be diverging quite a bit from the shows and costumes I’ve looked at in the past in order to try something completely different. There are a lot of costumes here, so I’m going to structure this a little differently and try to look at a whole production in each of the two posts, rather than splitting them up by character. There’s a simple reason for this: the costumes are so detailed and so original, that they either need to be taken as a collective, or else each costume needs a full post…and I don’t think I could manage that!

But what I can manage is to look at the overall Vienna production and give my thoughts on this über-eclectic production with its classic camp, gothic horror, and rock musical elements. I’m really glad to have been turned onto this musical, because as those who follow the main blog know, one of my other hobbies is a vampire-themed RPG. I admit that I had never seen the original Roman Polanski movie upon which the musical is based, but the musical is apparently a pretty good take–and for good reason, since Polanski himself created and directed the original production.

I linked the plot summary Sunday in the preview post, so I’m going to just jump in to some of the amazing costumes that were conceived by Kentaur, a Hungarian costumer who has worked on a number of European productions (many the equivalent of off-Broadway, but quite a few mainstage), with inspiration from the original Vienna designs of Sue Blane. Let’s take a look!

Where to even begin with designs like these! To start with, I absolutely love that the 19th century inspirations are on full display: we’ve got hoop skirts, we’ve got riding cloaks, we’ve got morning coats, we’ve got (in the background) large and decorative hats, and on the main character (Graf von Krolok as played by Thomas Borchert) at stage left there is what appears to be a hybrid of leather and brocade on a waistcoat. In fact, let’s take a little closer look at our main character in another scene:

This entire costume is spectacular, and shows the characteristic mixing of styles that makes a production such as this so utterly fascinating to analyze. The waistcoat definitely has a combination of fabric and leather, giving the Graf a hard-edged appearance that even the pale makeup and prosthetic fangs wouldn’t have accomplished on their own. The pants/trousers are leather-esque (I doubt they’re entirely leather; as I’ve mentioned before, stage costumes need to be able to breathe a little bit because of the heat of the stage lights) and give off a very masculine feel. The riding cloak (more commonly a cape, but as I recall, a cape generally doesn’t have as much luxury put into it) is simple in a way, but the rich crimson satin folds and bunches to create a mixture of light and shadow that is absolutely necessary in a dark production like Tanz der Vampire.

I also love that the color of the cape’s interior is so dark a red; remember that this is a production about vampires first and foremost. The crimson puts one in mind of the blood the creatures are compelled to drink in order to stay alive, and that’s a good choice in costumery; playing on what people expect to see is not always a bad thing, especially when you want your production to have an element of pastiche, that is to say, an element of mix-and-match that you do not necessarily find with traditional theatre. The color also provides a fantastic contrast to the rest of Graf von Krolock’s costume, which is done in shades of black (and black does have shades…try matching a set of black socks for proof!), deep purples, and a few hints of very deep blue on the waistcoat.

The waistcoat itself is quite different, and I like it. Rather than a simple, straightforward cloth cut, Kentaur has added a bit of beadwork that you might not otherwise expect in a male costume. Everything about this costume is designed to have a bit of a wow factor; it may not be the most visually appealing costume, but it will be the most visually stunning costume on stage. While this may be an homage to Sue Blane’s original designs, I have no doubt about the originality of Kentaur’s work here. It’s sophisticated and smart while still being a bit whimsical and fun!

It would be wrong, however, to say there is no overall theming and that the costumes of the Vienna production are simply a pastiche of vampire tropes. The costumes for the vampires fit that mold, but I think there is a good reason for this: in dealing with a dark subject and trying to make it a bit humorous (this is a Roman Polanski production, after all), it is important to inject that humor into the costumes as well. None of the vampires look ridiculous, as the first still shows, but they are visually different. It’s an effort to make the macabre into the mundane, and it’s done spectacularly well–all the while maintaining the Graf’s look as intimidating and frightening.

The work on the costumes for the human characters is no less impressive and visually appealing. Take, for example, the red dress worn by the female lead, Sarah (Marjan Shaki). It’s a hoop skirt that flows and bends and is in a shade of crimson that is rather similar to the cape worn by her captor, the Graf. It’s not an exact match, however, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s intentional; by making the dress a bit lighter, there’s a slight sense of innocence granted to the character that isn’t present in the vampire holding onto her. There’s a closeup from another perspective, this time of the dress resting on a chair, that lets us look a bit more in-depth (adapted from a still from the production company):

While the stage lighting here gives us a more rust-color, the image from earlier does show that it’s a bright, vibrant red. The dress overall is in satin, which is quite appropriate for the era in which the musical is set, and it has a flowing effect as a result. The bodice/bust is decorated with quite a bit of beadwork, though not much in the way of jewelled adornment There’s also a bit of fringing available, which I think is Kentaur’s way of giving a subtle nod to the stage productions of the era Tanz is set in. Early theatre’s easiest way of making a gown look fancy was to add fringing to the external portions of the dress, and in this case we see a bit of it on the hoop skirt/bell of the dress, as well as earlier on Ms Shaki’s arms where the dress is supported. I’ll have more on the Red Dress when I do the Paris review because it’s an even more spectacular example, but I thought it important to give some attention to the Vienna original as well!

There’s one more group scene I want to take a look at from the Vienna production. This one showcases quite a few of the human characters and it’s interesting to look at for a couple reasons. One, there doesn’t appear to be quite as much pastiche as there is in the costumes for the vampires that started out this review, and two, Kentaur has done something to the costumes here to give them a very muted appearance:

For those who are familiar with classic 19th century-set musicals like Les Misérables, many of these may look a little bit familiar. The common tropes of underclass clothing are present here, but through her use of color and design, Ms Blane is making quite clear just how ordinary these people are. There is little to no adornment on any of the costumes, and they are presented as they come: there are wrinkles in the barmaid’s apron, the jackets on the men appear to be dusky and dusty at the same time, and everything is just so much more simple than the costumes for the vampires or the Sarah character. That’s by design; when you want to draw a stark contrast, you need to do that through your use of color and fabric choice. Notice I didn’t say any of these costumes look cheap because they absolutely do not. Rather, they look simple by comparison, and that’s a positive. These aren’t designed to be the more memorable pieces, and indeed that helps us to remember the pieces on Sarah and the vampires. The one exception here is the Alfred character (played by Lukas Perman) in the red coat; it’s still a relatively simple, muted design, but it does stand out and ties in to the red theme we saw earlier with Sarah’s dress and the Graf’s cape.

Also, I really dig the strands of garlic that are being worn by about half the ensemble members in this shot. It’s a nice hat-tip to the classic trope of vampires being unable to stand the smell of garlic, and while it may be a part of the book of the musical, for Kentaur to somehow make them appear even more silly than the idea of garlic as vampire-bane itself is really an accomplishment.

Tanz der Vampire is a campy, raucous musical that has a costume designer and set of costumes to match. I like that the vampiric costumes are a pastiche of different designs, while for the most part the mortal designs are quite a bit more subdued. In some ways, it makes me long for the Austrian production reviewed here to do a national tour in the United States; the English translation of Tanz spectacularly flopped on Broadway, but that had more to do with the timing (it debuted scant months after 9/11 when the theatre was already seeing reduced sales) and the controversy surrounding the casting and design (read a bit on Michael Crawford’s role if you want more detail).

But I think that the musical as costumed by Kentaur could do quite well here if ever given the chance. I know any number of people in the theatre community who got their start doing Rocky Horror midnight showings and paying homage to Kentaur’s costume designs in the movie and original stage show. There is real potential for this to become a cult classic in the States if it were put on by the right people and used the right costumes–preferably an updated version designed by Kentaur himself.

That about wraps up my Vienna review. Later on this week, I’ll take a look at another of the successful productions of Tanz, this time the Paris production entitled Le Bal des Vampires, and this time costumed by Sue Blane, the costumer of the original Vienna production (but not, as I thought, the revival!). It got mixed reviews from the foreign press, but Paris Match certainly enjoyed it and heaped praise on the costume design, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be an interesting review!

Stay tuned!

So there you have an updated review. Like I said, much of my commentary stands, but I wanted to be sure to get proper credit and attribution out to Kentaur. If you’re reblogging my Tanz der Vampire post, I’d appreciate if you also reblogged this correction, and I’ll edit a link into the original post as well!