I need help on making Uniforms

[Itchygomba69 0]

OK me and Alana (My G/F) are gonna go as TOS characters for halloween, I was wondering if any of you know the best Material to use to replicate the shirts and skirts they had on the series, to get an authentic look

[Madame Butterfly 0]

I sew quite well and have made alot of costumes for people.

 

The biggest advice I can give is don't go cheap.

 

Spend the money on good fabric.

 

You may be able to find out on a website what they used for fabric types, it's the colors that maybe hard to duplicate.

 

 

If you are making them yourselfs, the patterns will suggest fabric types. It's been my experience that the adult costumes list nicer fabrics, as they will most likely be worn more often.

 

 

Edit: Also, use a decent pattern. Simplicity has the easiest and most detailed patterns to follow.

 

Vogue typically has the hardest.

 

McCall's is middling.

Edited August 24, 2005 by Madame Butterfly

[Kor37 9]

Why don't you just buy the costumes? They look pretty authentic and are easily available.

[Itchygomba69 0]

Why don't you just buy the costumes? They look pretty authentic and are easily available.

348624[/snapback]

 

Cause I dont like to do stuff the easy way

[Takara_Soong 4]

Why don't you just buy the costumes? They look pretty authentic and are easily available.

348624[/snapback]

 

Cause I dont like to do stuff the easy way

348651[/snapback]

 

And the ones that are sold don't look very authentic. The material is wrong, the colour isn't great (ie bright yellow instead of mustard for Operations) and the sewing leaves much to be desired.

[Madame Butterfly 0]

Takara has a good point.

 

Right now fabric shops are getting in good sturdy, warm fabrics for fall sewing.

 

The colors will be very close to Trek colors and hopefully you can find something soft and comfy but sturdy.

 

Summer is NOT a good time to find fabrics.

[HRH The KING 0]

The ones that are sold and those home made ones tend to be the wrong colour and are ludicrously oversized. They look ill-fitting and ridiculous.

 

StarTrek.COM features uniforms for sale on it's website.

 

Check these out. TOS shirts. One sold out just now, but it'll be in stock eventually I'm sure:

 

The Official Store

[Madame Butterfly 0]

I beg your pardon King, but a "homemade" costume is tailored to fit you perfectly.

 

Buying something off the net will not fit you as well as something made especially for you.

[HRH The KING 0]

Well if it's made properly with the right colours and fabric, then yes it will fit perfectly.

 

The problem is that some of the homemade or bought Starfleet uniforms I have seen (especially those from VOY) have not looked very good.

[Madame Butterfly 0]

Well if it's made properly with the right colours and fabric, then yes it will fit perfectly.

 

The problem is that some of the homemade or bought Starfleet uniforms I have seen (especially those from VOY) have not looked very good.

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Well yes, that would be the fault of the person PURCHASING those items, would it not?

 

Not the fault of the person sewing them.

 

So how many home made have you seen and how many real have you seen?

 

Meaning how can you compare from a photo and a television screen

 

Different mediums.

 

Also, the ones that are ill fitting are made by those who don't know how to sew OR, they are the ones bought over the net and are unisize.

 

Meaning for someone who is in good shape, the belly won't look unusually large, or the crotch won't hang low, or the sleeves won't be too long.

 

If you have the costume tailor made, those things won't happen.

[HRH The KING 0]

So how many home made have you seen and how many real have you seen?

 

Many.

 

I saw loads of them at a premiere showing of Star Trek Voyager.

 

They looked awful.

 

I've also seen the high quality uniforms at Forbidden Planet.

[Madame Butterfly 0]

King, what you see on a website and what they are like once they're taken out of their cheap plastic wrappers when they get home are two different things.

 

Obviously you've never had the experience of buying something from cataloge or the net and then getting it home and it's nothing like what you thought it would be.

 

 

Joe, I suggest you hire someone to make the costumes for you, and be an active participant in it. Meaning, ask for fabric samples and color samples and choose.

 

I'm sure there's someone at Paramount costumes who give you exact colors that were used in costumes so that you can get very close to color. The difficulty with color matching is that the fabrics are done in dye lots, thus there are subtle differences with each dye lot, meaning colors will never be exact. Also I suspect that the colors were made especially for the show, and so once the show is over, it will be most likely that that dye has been retired.

 

It may cost you more, but having them tailor made simply means they'll be far superior than others out there.

Edited August 25, 2005 by Madame Butterfly

[HRH The KING 0]

Obviously you've never had the experience of buying something from cataloge or the net and then getting it home and it's nothing like what you thought it would be.

 

In the context of a Starfleet uniform, from the ones I've seen on sale online, they don't look right even when they are displayed on their websites, so it would make no sense to buy them because they won't look accurate when they arrive at home either.

[MrPsychic 1]

An interesting note, none of the First Contact uniforms you buy will be correct. The main company that Paramount uses for fan uniforms messed up. The undershirt dickie is too small on all of them. If you made your own, then it would be correct. Also, the uniforms I've seen lack the colour stripe on the sleeve right above the wrist.

[HRH The KING 0]

Look, these are the type of people I'm talking about.

 

Do these uniforms look accurate? I don't think so:

 

Click For Spoiler

[Madame Butterfly 0]

King, now you're proving my point, not yours. B) B)

[HRH The KING 0]

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there who really are excellent at making Starfleet uniforms at home.

 

But it's important to remember that if you are planning to make one, you must be experienced enough with fabrics and tailoring to make it look accurate.

 

Obviously whoever made the costumes for those unfortunate Germans, was not one of those experienced people.

 

So you either find someone who can make a good one for you, or buy one of a high standard, although it might be expensive.

 

I'm not attacking or criticising anyone, but I saw parts of the movie "Trekkies" the other day, and it had me practically foaming at the mouth.

Edited August 25, 2005 by HRH The KING

[MrPsychic 1]

I think we're getting away from the main point. It feels good to do something with your own hands, to look at it and be proud with what you've done.

[HRH The KING 0]

I think we're getting away from the main point. It feels good to do something with your own hands, to look at it and be proud with what you've done.

 

Maybe so, but you are trying to recreate something from a TV show and if you don't get it right, then it looks bad.

 

Madame Butterfly is excellent at making costumes and outfits, but not everyone is as talented as she is.

 

If you aren't, then you'll end up looking like those people I posted a picture of.

[MrPsychic 1]

Knowing my luck, I'll end up with a staple through my hand from a staple gun. And I was even using a staple gun!

[Madame Butterfly 0]

I think we're getting away from the main point.  It feels good to do something with your own hands, to look at it and be proud with what you've done.

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I have a bit of a side sewing business Wally, so I completely understand what you are saying here.

 

To get a good quality costume it will have to be done with thought and some money.

 

Whether or not Joe knows someone who will make it for him, or if they will hire out, I'm not sure.

 

Last year I made a "Link" costume for someone, and it was very frustrating in getting things "just right". It definitely took time to go and find all the exact materials to replicate it to the wearers satisfaction.

 

In fact, they have just recently asked me to make another one for them, just a differenent variant. B) B)

[Madame Butterfly 0]

The ones that are sold and those home made ones tend to be the wrong colour and are ludicrously oversized. They look ill-fitting and ridiculous.

 

StarTrek.COM features uniforms for sale on it's website.

 

Check these out. TOS shirts. One sold out just now, but it'll be in stock eventually I'm sure:

 

The Official Store

348747[/snapback]

 

No offense to anyone who has these shirts, but the fabric is way too shiny, thus showing it's cheapness. They most likely cost them $5 - $9 to make and are making a killing on them.

 

You can get a much better one at a fabric store. B) B)

Edited August 25, 2005 by Madame Butterfly

[Madame Butterfly 0]

Look, these are the type of people I'm talking about.

 

Do these uniforms look accurate? I don't think so:

 

Click For Spoiler

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B)

Are those that group of people who thought the mother ship had come to get them, but they had to be wearing the right type of sneakers? B) B) B)

[HRH The KING 0]

I saw that comet that those lunatics thought was leading a spaceship.

 

I think I saw the "Starship Wacko" following it. B) B)

[Itchygomba69 0]

to let everyone know Im not looking on spending a ton of money, @ halloween Parties, I like to get drunk I just want to make my own, if it gets ruined, then oh well, not a big investment