The "Cosuming" pages.

Hello, and Greetings to all you Star Trek / Klingon Enthusiasts!

After having seen the Star Trek the Movie, ST2, and ST3... (*and having lost my Qi-Dar made costume to thieves*) I decided to create a reasonable copy of the Klingon costume my own self.

I think I got fairly close!

It looked close enough to the original that people still can't tell the difference, and not too many knew I copied my first one when making this one.

Here's the start of one of many projects.

< The "Officer" style pattern laid out on the floor in the rust brown cotton fabric backing.

* I derived this pattern from a tight fitting long white t-shirt and marker . . . and several hours in front of a mirror while watching Star Trek very closely. I drew the pattern on the shirt while I was wearing it.

Then I copied the pattern to brown material, and cut it out.

Then I started making the strips to apply to the shell. I use a small diameter twine stuffed into the folded edge to give it the raised look.

< a officer uniform collar 'dickie' I made for my second style costume: That plastic material I used below the collar is harder to find than horse feathers these days! . . . It was very hard to have the bravery to cut the hole in the only piece I had!

Here's putting the outer covering on, in the medium grey vinyl strips. This was the "Enlisted" version, in gray heavy cottom material as a backing. I did several of these. You can't see it here, but I used a small twine inside the underfolded edges to make the raised lip on the strip.

Keep sewing the folded edges with the twine in a straight as possible line. . .

NOTE : The top armor is NOT flat. It is pinched at the outer edge.

This is so the thing will lay flat across your shoulders.

< Now add the trim, I cut strips from a thin flexible plastic table place-mat. This one was a female top made for a friend. It's an open front v-opening upper armor type. Note the shoulder apulets. They are folded pieces of the same material as the strips.

< The almost finished product with a dark gray backing. All it needs now are the 'greeblies' that you see on screen made up for it and the bottom silver edging put on.

< Adding edging to the uniform main part. It's strips cut from cheap white plastic table-setting mats and painted with silver "plastic" paint. This particular example is in real Italian glove leather. Yeah, it'$ $pendy!

A set of 'greeblies' made from wood dowel shoved into RitDye colored rubber hose, .042" wire strung around it with a center spring of .010" wire, and decorative flathead stud-buttons with the four teeth cut off. Rather complicated to make but simple enough. I purchased these ready-made for a good size chunk of my wallet. I made several more myself.

The chest tube I made is a sewn together strip of the same material used for the vest, carefully sewn first inside out, then turned right side out and stuffed through with a foam core while doing so. It's not so easy with the first one. The second one goes much faster.

On the subject of thingies, here's the strap ending adornments for the shoulder strap, to hang the chain for the holster. These are hard to find. If you are good with wood carving you can make these on your own though.

This uniform type also uses this (below) antique purse latch, 1.5" x 2" that came in two pieces. It's used as the center front connector to hold the chest tube. Finding these is nearly impossible.

< The other style of top shoulder part finally done, this one being the "open front". The 'gold' adornments are polished brass 1" tube segments (a hobby store find) and the claps is an Eisen #3900 purse latch (below).

This holds the collar tube ends in the front.

<These are the resin molded spine plates originaly from "Sgt. Fang" > I believe. I have previously had several sets saved up from a mass purchase. I just glued them to a strip of 2" wide belt webbing strap (looped at the bottom for the belt to pass through) and fastened heavy duty snaps to them on the top-most spine plate inner side. They stay on good and are flexible enough to be usefull.

I had a company in Seattle cotracted to make my boots. They are the only irreplaceable part of the uniform. Here's images of the result. Starting with the images of the 'Paramount' screen used Klingon boots shown at Las Vegas The Experience...as shown here.

I had the boot maker copy that pattern and had these made to fit my 10-1/2 EEE feet:

< I added silver painted plastic 'armor' side pieces cut from the same place-mats as the top edging, and a sculpy formed toe-horn with a threaded insert epoxied into them. The toe horns screw on from inside the boot.

as seen next...

Others in my group also had thier own boots made by the same company ( sadly .. now no longer in business --> 2-3-2003 ) before and after I did... and the duplicates started rising in number.

Now on to the next part - Making the Gauntlets!