This has been cosplayed quite a few times because all the pieces just kind of came together a few months back. There is no real central theme to this costume. The dress is a pink latex dress, the mask lights up, the hair is a huge clip in ponytail, the backpack is a stuffed robot, the eyes are feathered fake lashes, and there was a light up bubble gun at one point before it broke. Since I have worn it quite a few times here are just a few different times it has been worn. It is always a fun time!
Of course my friends: Lisa Ann as the Riddler is pictured in the two below, which were taken for Cosplay Tuesdays at Sushi Samba on South Beach, Miami.
Below Lisa Ann and I are dressed up for the May Beat and Greet fetish party held by Fetish Factory every year.
Another shot at Sushi Samba, where you can really see me glow
And finally a full shot of Lisa Ann, Me and Erica Stanley getting ready to go out. Say Hi to the Riddler and Jessica Rabbit! (also featured is my deceased bubble gun!
We always have a fun time dressing up especially when we are going out.
For the asian themed fetish party I decided that I wanted to be something other then another geisha. With the help of a friend I was able to walk around basically naked and cosplay a sushi girl. The sushi was made of felt and actually glued to my body (which was terrible to get off later, but so worth it!). It was the most comfortable I have been in a costume, aside from the shoes.
Enjoy!
Although I didn’t want to dress like a geisha some lovely friends of mine did a great job at it. (Below Left to right: Me, Lisa Ann and Erica Stanley)
While we all have to suffer to look beautiful I definitely did for this costume. The sushi was pulled off piece by piece and I had spirit gum stuck on me for days. I would suggest if you plan on using massive amounts of spirit gum make sure you have tons of remover available or be prepared to spend days and many showers trying to relieve your skin. Plus if you get near anything it will stick to you and in my case make it look like bruises because of the black sheets I have.
Hope you enjoyed. Like always, comments and questions are welcomed
While at Comic-Con 2011 this year in San Diego I not only saw a ton of amazing costumes but I was able to cosplay a character from Tron, disk and all. My costume was made by a friend of mine and if you are interested feel free to check out his website and contact him to make you your very own Tron costume as well.
The disk is attached by magnets and lights up as well. The vest was modified with EL-wire and the rest is all me! Enjoy!
Here we are at the con. My friend Rob at my sideKim, Rob and Iand a nice close up…
Here are some more times I have cosplayed this outfit to show different options for hair and makeup.. It is always a fun outfit and always captures the imagination of everyone around me..
So today I wanted to talk about costume design. This is something that I have become passionate about and I guess have always had an interest in. When I decided to start working with latex it was really because I thought it would be less expensive for me to play around and make my own stuff then actually buy things. Then it turned into much more then a hobby. Now, I am taking the skills and research I have done to the next level and actually creating costumes from the designs I have been coming up with. The trick is to have an idea and build from there. (Also, having a place to wear costumes on a weekly to monthly basis has made this dream much more plausible for me)
So let’s talk about what I have been planning this month. The two really big ideas I have had are to do a cyberpunk light up extravaganza and steam-punk theme costume.
Cyberpunk theme costume:
Pink latex tube dress with a black lightning bolt (Honour, nice to have a few pieces that are from people so I can really use them later for my own designs)
Light up bubble gun
Light up gas mask
Black industrial boots with big buckles and light up shoelaces
Fiber optic light up hair extensions
Fishnets and gloves (probably the short fingerless latex ones I have made)
Put this all together with some cool futuristic makeup and crazy hair and voila!
Full black latex catsuit (Murray and Vern, yet again not made by me)
Black latex cincher with locks on the sides (Lip Service)
Brown gloves
Aviator goggles
Awesome mechanical robot hand pendant on my necklace
A harness that has mechanical wings attached on the back
Yet again cool makeup and hair and BAM! I have a really cool steam-punk theme costume (well I also have to make the mechanical wings)
It all starts with an idea and once that it put into motion I feel like the next step is just finding the pieces to fit and make the entire picture you have in your head.
In the past my process has been pretty simple actually. The first step is always to think up a theme. Last Halloween I decided I was going to be the Bride of Frankenstein. There is my starting place. For me it is always important to understand the character or history behind the theme I choose so I watched the original movie to get an idea of what she looks like and how she acts. Next step is to formulate the pieces I would need to make this a possibility.
Me as the Bride
Finding a picture of here was a big help to making the list of accessories I would need to transform myself
1. A wig
2. Long white strips of fabric
3. Bandages for my arms
4. Heavy costume makeup
5. Boots
6. Any finishing touch pieces I would like to make it feel more real
Hello DIY-ers and Latex enthusiasts,
Today I wanted to talk all about gluing latex. I have done a ton of research before actually trying anything out but there is nothing like experience to really corroborate your findings.
So let’s start at the beginning. (Also feel free to check out my podcast Nerdy Latex and the episode this week where I show everything that is talked about here dealing with glue and latex)
All About Glues
When I decided to start making latex accessories I took some time and really looked at pieces that were already made. Obviously they were not sewn together like most normal fabric fashion wear. Instead you could notice that most of the latex fashion is actually glued together. Well that would make my life alot easier, or so I thought. The first thing I had to ask myself was what kind of glue was being used. Of course not just anything would work but I quickly learned that there is such thing as rubber cement but then came another dilemma, which was that most of the research I was doing was for designers who are from the UK and the rubber cement they use is not readily available over here in the states. So the one I was looking for was not the same thing and I did eventually find the name to a great adhesive but then couldn’t find it anywhere. I was looking for something called, Best Test Rubber Cement. I kind of gave up looking at the local craft stores until I found an actual art store online (and later found in their physical store) and just had to wait for it to be mailed to me. Thank you Pearl Art Supplies (this is the rubber cement here).
This is the glue that I have been using while making gloves and the few other pieces I have been experimenting with recently. There are two different kinds of rubber glues that you can use to work with when it comes to making latex fashion. They both are good and can really be used based on the person’s own preference.
Water Based Glues:
These are glues that are not as flammable and have a lesser chance to curl the latex when applied. Takes quite a long time to dry as well and both sides of a piece being glued must have the glue applied for it to bond to itself. This type is good for use on seams that do not get alot of stress because over time it can become worn and turn white and even break if you use in a high stress area, like the seam on a skirt. The guise of this type of glue is known in the states as Liquid Latex. You can find it really at any art store or theatrical warehouse. Also try online, I was able to find some here.
Solvent Based Glues:
This type of adhesive has a solvent within the glue mixture. In the case of the Best Test it is mixed with Heptane (). This is considerably a harder adhesive to work with because it will curl the latex when you apply it. It is best to wait until both sides are dry and sticky before putting them together to get a better long lasting bond. This would be the type of adhesive to use on any kind of seam and can create a waterproof bond that will be difficult to get apart if you mess up. For this kind of adhesive it is good to get a solvent that you can mix with it to thin out the glue in a separate container to use for thinner latex sheeting or just to not overwhelm a seam.
Bestine is the solvent that is made for Best Test and that is what I use. In a separate container I will put a small amount of the solvent and add the glue, cap and shake until I get a thinner consistency to work with.
Gluing Techniques:
There is really no right or wrong way to actually glue onto the latex but the preparation is actually the key to the success of it all. It is very important to clean the latex in the places where you will be gluing. If this is your first time I would suggest to take two small pieces to practice with, just so you get a feel for how this is all going to work.
The way I do things is simple. I have my seam and use a cloth dipped in the solvent and lightly clean where I will be gluing. After a few minutes of letting this dry I get my glue and apply it to the seam as evenly as I can. A great way to make sure it is evenly spread is to use a credit card along it just to make sure the entire area is covered. When using a solvent based glue, like Best Test, it is good to wait about 5 min for the glue to get sticky and this also gives the latex a chance to uncurl. Don’t worry if your seam does curl, that is normal. If you are finding it hard to uncurl the pieces it may be beneficial to either dilute the glue a little further with the solvent for next time or even use a tape to hold latex in place and keep it from curling too much. After the 5 min have passed slowly put the pieces of the seams together until the entire seam has been attached. You can either use your fingers to pinch it or even a wooden roller to smooth and makes sure there is no bubbling. Make sure you take your solvent soaked cloth and clean the seam of any excess glue.
The hardest part is waiting at least 24 hours before putting any significant pressure on the seam though. I guarantee after that time period though if you try to pull the seam apart you will probably cause a rip around it before actually getting it apart.
That is really about all you need to know when it comes to gluing seams for latex outfits. When it comes to zipper or snaps though there is another process because you need to reinforce the seam around the zipper to keep the damage done to it from the stress while it is used. I will be sure to provide an entire tutorial about that process because it can be very time consuming but if done right can really make all the difference in the lifespan of an outfit.
Thanks for checking out all about glues this week and keep checking back for any cool articles I find or other tutorials that may help. Also make sure to watch my podcast Nerdy Latex where you can see me working on my own latex fashions in preparation for a full costume to wear to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Happy Latexing everyone!
Today I will be explaining how I made a pair of latex bikini bottoms. The important thing to take away from this week’s dilemma is that it is important to have patterns and measurements or you could end up cutting away too much of your sheeting which you cannot get back later. The best thing I would say is to go to a fabric store and get some patterns you like so you have something to work with.
To start I did trace one of my old bikini bottoms right on the latex. The problem I ran into was when I actually had the piece cut out and tried to fit it on myself to test before I went any further and it didn’t. What I forgot to take into account was that the bikini bottom is made form stretchy material and so is much smaller of a piece then what I would need for my latex piece. Thankfully I thought quickly and was able to cut a few strips from my transparent sheeting to add some straps along the sides.
After having all the pieces cut and ready to go it is time to glue. First the latex must be cleaned with a mineral spirit or thinner. Then the glue is applied. I will get into further detail next time all about the techniques and process when gluing, but so you know now it is normal for the latex to curl while the glue is being applied. The trick is waiting for about 5 min for it to dry and then attaching the two sides together. Once that has been assembled it is just a waiting game. It seems very tempting to try and get the new piece on as quickly as possible but it is usually best to wait about 24 hours to give the glue a chance to set before applying any stress.
If you are asking if I do this, well personally no but that is because I am still trying things out and I will be the first to tell you that repeated stress on a newly glued seam will definitely cause it to deteriorate really quickly and create a tear or even come apart. More on that later though.
The finished product. The cool thing for me was trying it on because it fit. Of course I had to alter the finish work a bit but in the end it looks pretty cool. In the future I will have this piece to work on with some detail work, like adding a seam with pre-cut latex.
For now I will have to say farewell, until next time..
Check out my first post on making latex accessories here. This was my first try ever and rather successful. I posted this up on the Nerds In Babeland blog so check it out!
Jess DP
We always have a fun time dressing up especially when we are going out.
Jess DP
