| A Costume Study: Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Blue Bustle Gown (ca. 1870's) |
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Here is the costume study for the Blue Bustle Gown worn by the character of Claudia, the "Child Vampire" in the
film Interview with the Vampire, a film from Neil Jordan. A film based upon the book by Anne Rice. The
character is played flawlessly by the actress Kirsten Dunst.
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
This study page will concentrate on the Blue Silk Bustle Gown.
Books To Read:
I never found any books with this costume in it. In Anne's book, Claudia is never truly described as wearing a
gown such as this. The only dress remotely like this comes from a sentence in the book describing a "midnight blue
gown". Or that she had with her adult styled ball gowns of this era, low cut. Just so that you know, you will NOT
find inspiration for THIS costume in Anne's book, but you will find out allot more about the character of Claudia,
if you are studying her. There is a nice sizeable article in a magazine called CineFex, a movie industry Special
Effects/CGI magazine possibly also sold in comic book stores. In numer 61, March 1995, you will find out LOTS of
information about the special effects used in the film, but narry a costume tidbit. See makeup below for additional
finds in the magazine.
Visuals/Photos:
Do a search on eBay for Interview with the Vampire. Look for Lobby cards. Look for Press Kits. However, I have
not yet found a lobby card for this gown. Look out for online auctions of movie prop/costume lots. To put it
bluntly, there are very few to none in the way of publicity shots of this costume!? Making costume study on this
gown just a little difficult. Especially when you are NOT a historian. Without studying historical clothing of the
era, and how they are made and cut, you will have a hard time making this gown for yourself. Unless you only
want something similar but not dead on. This gown takes allot of study to figure it out. But if you're into historical
costume study you'll enjoy the work.
Interview w/the Vampire Album from CostumeSpy1
The Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes
ARVL Fan Club Photo Gallery from Memnoch Ball 95
People magazine "Best Parties of the Year" November 20, 1995:
This magazine has a one page color photo of Kirsten Dunst wearing the blue ball gown at the 1995 Memnoch Ball
with Anne. You only get to see the shoulder trim and a little bit of the back. How lucky miss "kiki" was to be able to
wear it to a party, not just for the shoot.
****IF ANYONE OUT THERE WAS PRESENT FOR THIS EVENT, AND HAS PHOTOS OF KIRSTEN IN
THE CLAUDIA GOWN, WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS? SEND THEM TO cinemafantasy
at sbcglobal dot net THANK YOU!!****
~~I HAVE DISCOVERED YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF KIRSTEN IN THE CLAUDIA GOWN~~~
VISIT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO CHECK THEM OUT!
Peterson's Magazine from years 1870-1880. Peterson's Magazine is a antique fashion "book" for ladies that was kind
of like the Vogue of that time. Peterson's was not a popular as Godey's I think..
Godey's Ladies book as well using the years 1870-1880. Just go on over to eBay and type in : Godey's Ladies Book
1870. Then try 1871, and so on. Most times sellers (THANK YOU SELLERS!) have big photos of the plates in the
auction description. You can try looking for these books in antique stores and estate sales.
View Costumer's Versions of this gown:
-Fellow sewers love this gown! I have found a few talented people who have chosen to re-create this gown in various
forms. It does help to look at other people's work to understand this costume better, even if they decided to take it
in a different direction. If you cannot sew, these seamstresses may be able to make this gown for you, if they make
costumes for sale.
My 1/6 scale doll sized version
Contact Nez of DarkSpectre
Crimson Vision Version
Nehelenia Designs Version(s)
Past & Present Creations Version
And as always: STUDY THE DVD!
NOTE: THERE ARE 2 DVD RELEASES OF THIS FILM, ONE FROM 1997, AND ONE FROM 2000. THE 1997
DVD IS GRAINY, AND THE FILM JUMPY. THE 2000 DVD IS CLEARER, AND THE FILM JUMPINESS IS
GONE. I RECOMMEND STUDYING BOTH. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE 2000 RELEASE HAS AN ISSUE IN
THE SCENE WHERE LOUIS & CLAUDIA ARRIVE IN PARIS IN 1870. CLAUDIA GETS OUT OF THE
CARRIAGE AND WALKS THROUGH THE HOTEL LOBBY IN AN EXQUISITE TEAL SILK SATIN COAT
DRESS AND HAT. AS SHE WALKS PAST THE HOTEL FRONT DESK, ALL THE COLORS ON HER
CLOTHING TURN BRIGHT MAGENTA, UNLESS THIS IS JUST MY COPY? JUST FYI.
Clues About Costume Fabrics:
Only clues I ever found are from the official press kit:
-"Powell chose mostly shot silk from India for the costumes."
-"Shoes were hand fabricated"
-"additional depth and shading added with paint."
-"hand dyeing of some fabrics."
My Study:
The sketches of her costume above are just to get the mind going.
As always, and I will repeat this to you frequently: If you disagree on a study point strongly, please email me. I want
this information to be as accurate as possible, and I am always open to other's opinions on a costume study. That
doesn't mean I will agree with you. ;0)
One thing that I noticed right away about studying the costumes from 'Interview' is the lack of solid information
about the costumes available. I also want to state up front about this costume two things: 1.)It's expensive to make!
2.)It takes intermediate to advanced sewing skills and lots of time. If you still want to go forward with it, then carry
on!
In General: If you decide that you love a costume from a new movie that has just been released,
BUY/DOWNLOAD ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE RIGHT AWAY WHILE THE MOVIE
IS NEW. Books, Movie Tie-Ins, Press Kits, etc become harder and harder to find the older the film gets. The older
a film gets, the harder it is to find solid information about a costume from it. One exception to this would be Star
Wars, or maybe LOTR films. Films that huge in popularity have a tendency to produce more information over
time, because of continued interest and money for new information. Lack of solid information is especially true if
the costume is not very well remembered. Now, 'Interview' is very well remembered. But even so, info is scarce.
This is what really fueled me into writing these costume studies of mine. I just got so tired of finding no info out
there. And trust me, I HAVE LOOKED. Have you ever done a search on Yahoo or Google and looked through
EVERY PAGE of the results? No matter how many came back? No matter how many days it took you to look
through all of them? LOL..Yes I did that for this costume. I may not do this for every one I study, but for this one I
wanted to. If you have a page about this costume, by all means, please email me with a link to it!
The only thread of costume evidence I ever found was on a web site called Rio's Attic. A Web site with a fan page
for the late River Phoenix. In the web site is a copy of the official press kit If you click on through to about the
third page of it, production notes of the film. On page 7 is where you will find the only pot of gold that I have ever
found online. It is mentioned here that the scenes were lit with Chinese paper lanterns. This makes color matching
hard for a costume study. Dim light. It mentions that the 1880's were the most challenging but most fun for the
designer. I'd like to point out that in the film, it states that Louis & Claudia come into Paris in 1870. I checked
with an online copy of the script, and looked in the book as well, and it is mentioned as being 1870. So, yes it is
possible of course that her inspiration from history was 1870-1880, but when I began digging and looking at old
fashion plates from 1880 and beyond that, I found nothing even close in style to Claudia's gown. I knew I would at
the very least be able to spot some similarity between the historical clothing and Claudia's even if, as it is many times
in films that the costumes are not terribly historically accurate, more fantasy driven. The fact that I could not find
evidence perplexed me. I went back and began looking at fashion plates from 1870's and low and behold I found
some of the same styles in the pleats, the gathers, the embellishments of that time. I am recommending to all to do
research on fashion in 1870 to 1879. The reason I doubt anything as a reference from 1879 and beyond is the lack
of the bustle. The bustle did not show up again until 1882-83 but it was a different style than 1870's. Claudia's (and
Madeline's for that matter) bustle is too high for an 1880's look. The 1880's began without the bustle look. From
the looks of the fashion plates, this lack of big bustle began somewhere around 1879. If you want my opinion,
1872-1873 is ideal studying for Claudia's ball gown here. The evening gowns have the off the shoulder, deep
necklines, the sweep of the trains, the deep pointed "v's" in the front of the bodices, the little skirts at the back of
the bodice. That time frame is where I am seeing this when I look at the old books. Many things remain the same
during the Victorian era, ruching, pleating, gathering, aprons and trains..it takes training your mind and eye to see
the difference between eras, just takes observation and practice.
This page does a better job at showing the different bustle eras:
Bustles: Differentiate between 1870 & 1883 from Fashion Era
One of the best drawings of a bodice very similar to this one can be found in Norah Waugh's "The Cut of Women's
Clothes" Diagram LII (aka 52). This diagram will really help you to create your own patterns, altering this one
slightly to more reflect Claudia's bodice style. But you do need to be able to re-create/understand how the pieces go
together first. This is not for a beginner. I truly recommend that you create a mock up from muslin when using
drawings like these, so that you can work out all the kinks before you cut your fabric.
Further study can be found at these web links:
The Victorian Era: Fashion Era
The Victorian Era: by Eras of Elegance
La Couturiere Parisien
Victorian Study Center at Victoriana.com
Harper's Bazaar Online Magazine
With the tiny threads of costume evidence found at Rio's Attic (Thank You!) and drawing up a sketch or two and
watching the film, this is what information I have come up with. All this information helped me create my own
version of this costume in small scale (slightly smaller than 1/6 scale).
Some of the elements are only guesses, for example I STILL am unsure about what the front, sides, and back of the
underskirt have going on there. I can only guess. And, we never get to see Claudia in the process of dressing to be
able to see what type of corset(s) or undergarments they designed for Kirsten at that age. We never get to see her
feet either, just a tiny peek. So much guesswork happens on this one. All my very best favorite costumes seem to be
like this for some reason.
Here Are The Costume Elements:
The Bodice:
Claudia's bodice is very tight fitting, close to the body. It has a skirt in the back. This might also be referred to as a
peplum, not sure. It dips down in the front over the pelvis in a "V" or perhaps a squared off "V". The neckline sits
slightly off the shoulder. The back closes with several black hooks and eyes which run all the way down to the
skirts, allowing the bodice to open all the way down. There is a slight overlap on the back pieces. The bodice has:
front, side back, center back skirt, and center back pieces. There is a seam running down the center front. On
either side of the front there are at least two tucks running from the bust to the waist, they are curved. The front
ends just slightly below the waist at the sides. Along the top of the neckline edge is an insert of black fabric, it might
just be there or it could also be inserted in the seam between the sleeves and bodice, the arm hole seam. Not sure.
The bodice is highly decorated with embroidery or perhaps appliqué on the front. A laurel leaf and center flower
seems to be the motif. I can tell that it is all black, and I do see sparkles now and then while she moves so I assume
some beading is in place there. There are two leaves which meet each other at a curved angle on the center front
seam. There are three on the opposite side reaching towards the sleeve and neckline. In the back, there are two sets
of two leaves. One sits on the center back portion and the one above that sits on the side back portion. The tip of
one leaf touches the base or stem of the one on top of it. They are done in a slightly curved fashion to follow the
curve of the neckline edge. The center back portion is short, it ends at the waist. I believe that the skirt of the
bodice or peplum begins at the side back seam on either side. The side back and center back meet with the curved
seam that runs from the armhole to the waist. It's possible there are another set of tucks on either side of the center
back or side back portions, I cannot tell. The side back of the skirt is cut with the side back piece which starts at
the shoulder and ends at the edge of the skirt. There is an additional piece which is cut separately and is sewn to
the skirt and center back portions in what can only be described as "the most irritating and complex seams I have
ever done!" 8oO The skirt has pleats to gather in the excess fabric and or cause the skirt to "Wave" in the back like
it does. When I created my bodices, I:
Stitched the tucks in either side of the front pieces, then stitched the center front seam.
Stitched the curved side back/center back seam, easing in the excess and clipping after to help it lay flat.
Stitched the center back skirt to the side back skirt, then created the slight pleats in the skirts.
Then you basically have to fold the entire back sections in half to close the gap between the center back and the
center back skirt. If you do not do this just right, and go too far or do it too tight it will not lay right and will not
press out. Because of the small scale I worked on most of this was done by hand. It was just too complicated to use
the sewing machine. Then I stitched the front to the backs at the side seams. I did the same thing for the linings.
The skirts have more decoration, a daisy chain motif in black again, flowers in either embroidery or appliqué,
slightly raised. Could be beads. Then a slight dash or separation between the flower before the next. I cannot be
sure, but the skirt either ends with a narrow strip of blue silk knife pleats or is somehow gathered or given texture
there. It's unclear to me. The skirts are long enough that they are able to sit up on top of the bustled train. The
sleeves are set-in sleeves, little puffed sleeves. The hem of the sleeve is decorated with what is called a "double shell
ruffle" which has been edge stitched in black thread. The center of the ruffle has some beading. I cannot be sure
about the design. It is most likely a small flower design created with beads, one large bead in the center and smaller
beads as the petals running in a straight line all the way around the sleeve. Under it would be two draped bead
loops, perhaps slightly twisted together. It is very hard to make it out. All in black.
The Skirt:
The underskirt of this costume is very difficult to make out. It is never shown entirely. It probably closes on the
sides or in the center back. Most likely hooks and eyes. It is floor length in the back and in front I think that it hits
the tops of her shoes. Just high enough so that she won't trip on it. From looks of it, my guess is that the waist is
pleated and darted. That is what I did on mine. I knew that a gathered waist would never fit under the bodice, too
bulky. I saw that pleating it alone, was still too bulky when I made a muslin mock up. So After reviewing the notes
in Nancy's Bradfield's, "Costume in Detail", I decided to try two darts up front and two in back PLUS pleats at the
waist. And that was the ticket. You want to keep the waist very slim here. I used a self fabric bias strip for a
waistband. From the waist to the calves it is probably undecorated. From the calves down is where the decoration
begins. To me, it looks like two tiers of scalloped hem, with pleats. The first tier begins at the calves, scalloped hem
all the way around. Under that would be either blue/black knife pleats all the way around or possibly black pleats
up front and blue/black in back. The second tier begins where the first set of pleats end. Another scalloped hem
followed by a second set of knife pleats. How I decided to arrange all this into one skirt was to make a first and
second tier, for both front and back pattern pieces. I created all the knife pleats. I decided on the tiny scale I was
working on it would be too much of a hassle to do the scalloped hem, so I did the next best thing which was a row
of machine stitches in a scallop pattern in matching thread. It's not really that hard to do a scalloped hem, but on
that scale it was just too much. I didn't want to have to exaggerate them.
I stitched the first tier front to the first tier backs at the side seams.
I stitched the second tier front to the second tier backs at the side seams.
I embroidered both with the scallop.
I attached the second tier pleats behind the second tier, against the hem.
I attached the first tier pleats ON TOP OF the second tier pieces aligning the pleats just above the scallops of the
second tier.
Then I stitched the second tier to the first tier. I would suggest doing this by hand or doing this some other way
because I ended up not liking the line of stitches right across the front, but felt I didn't have allot of options.
To cover all the different layers up inside, I created a lining using my skirt pattern pieces taped together. I made
the hem to fall just above the second tier of pleats inside.
The Train & Apron Front Drape:
When I began, I didn't understand HOW the three elements of Claudia's skirt went together. The only way I
could figure to do it, was to make three separate pieces, that all go together to make one combined look. I made a
underskirt which closed in back with hooks and eyes, and had two eyes near the side seams where I could hook on
the apron front rap. The back had two more eyes where I could hook on the train. That is how I did mine. I got
the idea from reading the notes in Nancy Bradfield's "Costume in Detail". Several of the gown there were detailed
as having all three pieces separate, and some connected with hooks and eyes. So I figured that is how it could be
done. The apron drape stops at the knees. It looks like the apron has a hem decoration of narrow black pleats. I
think I see above the pleats some more beading, it looks very similar to the beading on the puffed sleeves. I can spot
some beaded loop fringes. The train is very interesting to me. I can count at least 6 panels wide. The train is either
same fabric, or perhaps dyed-to-match lighter weight fabric. It is probably two wide panels sewn together in the
center back. Each panel then divided up equally into six. The train has "shirring" on cords probably which is then
"puffed" a bit to create more volume. This technique is detailed for you in the book, "The Art of Manipulating
Fabric". When I created mine, I began with a simple rectangle of fabric. I measured out six equal sections and
marked them. Then I did a narrow, tight zig-zag stitch vertically, following the marking lines. Using a blunt needle
I wove matching embroidery floss under the zig-zag stitches and knotted the thread at one end. Once all the
threads were wove into place I began to shirr the fabric. The train is edged with matching blue pleats that begin at
the waist edge and go all the way around the train to the other side of the waist edge. The knife pleats fan out
slightly on the corners, rounding it out. I'm not sure if the train is lined or not, my guess is yes, two wide panels
sewn together in the center, then turned inside out would work. Then divided up to shirr. Or maybe it could be
finished on the edges with the pleats, and the shirring cords are covered up with the trim. Every shirred line is
covered with either pinked ruffles, or double shell edge ruffles edge stitched with black. I tried mine with the
double shell ruffles and I did not like the way it looked. I had to remove all the stitching on all my ruffles, just to
re-do it in a regular running stitch. When I applied the ruffled trim looked much better like that, it blended into
the train shirring, rather than standing up off of it.
The Jewelry:
Claudia's necklace is exquisite! As far as I know, no other jewellery is worn with this gown, other than her necklace.
The necklace is strung. Probably gold findings. Probably hook/toggle or slider in back. What follows looks like
small gold spacer bead, then one bicone sapphire bead, a gold spacer, a sapphire round bead, a gold spacer, then
one bicone sapphire bead. Another gold spacer bead, and then the pattern repeats until it reaches the center. At
the center of the necklace is a pendant. Probably gold. A set in chaton of sapphire, it almost looks like a flower to
me. Pretty big too, at least 10mm in size. Coming from below the gold edge of the "flower" are three strands of
either beads or chain, I cannot tell. At or near the end of the chain it looks like upside down teardrop bead in gold,
much larger than other beads there. Finished off by some smaller beads. The necklace continues with the pattern
of bicone and round crystals and gold spacer beads.
The Undergarments:
We can only go by what was historically worn during that time for someone of her age. We will probably never
know what they looked like. Here is what you would generally expect to see underneath a gown from that era:
1.)Chemises were sometimes sleeveless, and often worn off the shoulder to be hidden under off the shoulder gowns
such as this.
2.)Drawers (open drawers) were worn during this period.
3.)Petticoats were worn during this period. Many of them elaborately decorated for evening wear.
4.)Corsets were worn. Metal eyelets were invented already, and metal hooks and eyes were being used. Corsets for
young girls often did not include bust gussets. Think of them as "training bras" of the 19th century. As a young
woman of that era you would be expected to wear a corset as you got older, so the younger the better to get you
used to wearing one.
5.)Stockings were worn slightly over the knees, often tied with bows as garters, or attached to the drawers with
button loops and garters. I believe that elastic had come into use by this period. I have read several books
mentioning the use of elastic in garments.
6.Bustle. This is where my comments above come in about the difference between bustle periods. I went with a
drawing from "Costume in Detail" and ran with it. I used a small pillow like pad at the top of my bustle, and
basically just used a pannier pattern which I adjusted for her scale that I used for my Marie Antoinette Paris
Masquerade Costume. I was confused at first between the available methods of skirt support, there was mention of
a "crinolinette" but I do not feel that it would look right under this gown. So I went with a pretty general bustle.
6.)Corset covers were sometimes worn over the corset.
With all these elements, you can pick and choose how you like to make them, what colors you want and what style
you like best. Just keep it within the period style and it will make your gown look just right. My husband
commented tome while I was working on a piece of the undergarments, "Why bother, if you're not going to see it?"
(smile)..The short answer to that would be, because without them, you'd see it. They are necessary to create the
look. Period. (ha! That's a joke too..get it? Period? tee hee).
The Shoes:
Well, there they are(n't). LOL! We never get to see her shoes, other than the two spots I noticed them shown in the
photo above. And I am unsure if that blue shoe sitting on top of the box is her shoe at all, I just happened to notice
it sitting there one day. I also noticed a very cute drawstring purse sitting near it, could be part of the original
concept for this costume. It matches her dress. Your guess is as good as mine as to what her shoes look like. But I
can tell you this: if you check out some photos of shoes from the 1870's you will find little square heeled pumps,
squared throats/ toes. Bows and decorations on the vamps. Go with that, and you can't go wrong.
Claudia's Hair, Contacts, Fangs & Makeup:
Claudia's hair is probably all her own. I doubt seriously this is a wig. Perhaps some wefts added in for fullness. But I
have read in the magazine CineFex (No. 61 March 1995) that many of the vampires wore wigs styled by Renata
Leuschner. The style is simple: all over spiral ringlet curls, falling just past shoulders, and short curled bangs with a
center part on top. I have had a hard time finding wigs that were good for this look. I stumbled across an idea
though:
Irish Step Dancing Wigs. Yeah. They are big, full curly wigs, usually a partial wig worn by Irish Step Dancers.
Check some styles out here:
Irish Step Dancer Wigs from YoungBlood Haircutters
Callahan's Imports Step Dancing Wigs
When I contacted someone at YoungBlood Haircutters, I was asking about the wigs if they are full cap wigs or a
partial. What I was told is 90% of the wigs are partials. They are meant to be worn with a hair band in front of it to
hide the seam. They do carry some that are full cap wigs. I would contact them for further information!
Other places to search for wigs would be:
Wigs.net and WowWigs.
Makeup was done by Michele Burke, who also did the makeup for Brahm Stoker's Dracula. Makeup is described
in the magazine CineFex (No. 61 March 1995): "In some of our early attempts we tried mixing some minute
amounts of metallic powers into the base to create the porcelain skin but it didn't even read on camera, then we
tried really white makeup similar to that used in Dracula and that looked too stylized and garish for our film. We
even came up with the idea of 3-D vein prosthetics but putting foam rubber veins on the faces but it proved to be
way too time consuming and looked too unnatural. We settled on using the actor's real vein patterns and drew a
network of fine lines directly onto the skin with blue tattoo coloring. We came up with the idea of using a slant
board and having the actors lay upside down on the board long enough for us to trace the natural veining, so that
when any strenuous scenes occurred where the veins would come to the surface they were just amplified. We
applied the veins to the face, neck and back of the hands adding highlights and shadows for depth. We used a
more dramatic heavier veining makeup on the Parisian vampires, because everything they did was more dramatic.
For Claudia, who had less dominant veining, the effect was done lighter. All of the vampires wore long acrylic
fingernails. The skin is just lightened with a wash of ordinary pancake makeup." Here eyes have no makeup other
than mascara, and the lips have some shine to them so perhaps a salve or gloss was used.
Claudia's fangs are custom made by the company GA Enterprises. All the vampires wore veneers that covered all
eight of the upper front teeth fitting tightly against the gum line. The veneers were made paper thin and hollow so
as not to interfere with the actor's speech. Because the teeth were so fragile many sets were made for each actor.
For many of the scenes a short version was used because it was easier to wear them and act, and you would just
catch little glimpses of the fangs. For the scenes where the action was more intense the longer versions were worn.
Vamp Fangs will make you some custom fit Vampire fangs. What you should look for in some fangs would be as
described in CineFex No.61 March 1995, " We came up with a three-tooth design that not only elongated the
canines but also the teeth directly behind them, all in all six teeth were changed. Neil suggested that we exaggerate
the teeth even more by making them needle like and having a hook or point on the ends." This set is very similar
to the design that you will find used in IWTV.
Contact Lenses: I'm not sure if Claudia's character called for contacts or not. In the CineFex magazine it is written,
"Contacts were created by body tech. They used contacts with wider irises with less white showing for a more
animal or feral look for rage action scenes. Armand wore golden, Santiago wore near black. Lestat, blue-grey." They
tried to stay clear of the monster-like lenses and mostly just used them to accent the eyes of the main characters.
See my page here for suggestions on getting yourself into contacts, and the Vamp Fangs web site also carries special
effects contacts. In general, you can expect to pay minimum, $30-$40 PER EYE for good contact lenses.
Costume Fabric Suggestions:
I suggest that you look for taffeta acetate if you cannot afford silk taffeta in the huge amount of yardage you will
need to create this costume. For example: to create just 8" of knife pleats (each pleat being about 1/4" wide/deep), I
needed a strip of fabric that was 24" long! At least 90% of my silk was used up making long strips of bias, and on
grain strips for decorations. So that being said: you're going to have to seriously consider the cost factor here before
you attempt this one. The silk taffeta I chose was changeable/iridescent/shot in midnight blue and black. It cost
$30 PER YARD. 80) So now you see, if you come to a yardage estimate for what you will need to make this up
how costly this one can be. I needed every last scrap (and I mean every bit) of 2 yards of 60" wide taffeta to make 4
tiny costumes. Just something to think about. I color matched my silk taffeta to some taffeta acetate sold at the
local Jo-ann's one time it was a PERFECT match. It was called "Glitz" and was sold for $4.99 a yard.
That's my secret spy cell phone camera there! My silk taffeta has the staple in it, and the taffeta acetate is laying on
top. Exact match. If you want to spend $30/yd then go with Fabrics.net silk taffeta, in color #6153. Or perhaps
even #6145. There was another source for this taffeta and it was slightly less expensive ($27/yd) but when eBay
upped the storefront fees for sellers they closed. They are located in the fashion district in NYC and they are great,
but they won't sell online apparently, even though I was told that they were going to several years ago. Total
bummer. They did tell me they will still sell to me via snail mail, but I like the instant gratification of online
shopping! The name of the merchant is Sample Dyeing, LLC and they were selling the exact same silk as fabrics.net
was, this I know because I bought a color card from fabrics.net and all my swatches from Sample Dyeing, LLC
matched/had the same numbers as the fabrics.net taffeta. My guess is that they stopped selling retail to the public,
after a short stint on eBay. Now the fabric can be purchased through other retailers at a mark up of $4 per yard.
The only other source for silk taffeta I ever found was a little storefront on the east coast called, "Delectable
Mountain Cloth" located in Vermont. They are limited to what they sell via the online store, you had better call
them and or be prepared to send them a color sample. They sent me a card of swatches and one of the silk taffetas
they had was an exact match to Claudia's. Blue with a slightly peacock hue and black. $40 per yard I believe. I
seriously spent three years just tracking down the perfect fabric for my creation! I can't believe how hard it was.
You could throw a rock and hit that green and black silk worn by Madeline! But not Claudia's. I wish this page was
around when I was looking. =0) I hope it helps YOU.
Books To Help You Make This Costume:
How to Make Sewing Patterns by Don McCunn
Patternmaking for Fashion Design (4th edition) by Helen J Armstrong
Draping for Fashion Design (4th edition) by Hilde Jaffe & Nurie Relis
All About Silk: A Fabric Dictionary & Swatchbook (Fabric Reference Series, Volume 1) by Julie Parker
Textiles for Early Victorian Clothing: 1850-1880 (Spiral-bound) A Workbook of Swatches by Susan Greene
Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston
Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860-1940 by Janet Arnold
The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington
The Little Corset Book: A Workbook on Period Underwear by Bonnie Holt Ambrose
Corsets & Crinolines by Norah Waugh
Waisted Efforts: An Illustrated Guide to Corset Making by Robert Doyle
Victorian Jewellery by Margaret Flower
Sewing Victorian Doll Clothes by Michelle Hamilton
Bead & Sequin Embroidery Stitches by Stanley Levy
Shoes and Slippers: From Snowshill Collection by Althea Mackenzie
Construction Hints, Patterns & Tips Found:
(These will be added as I stumble upon them)
Patterns Found:
Laughing Moon Mercantile Patterns
Truly Victorian Early Bustle Patterns
Butterick 3418
Butterick 3765
Butterick 4157 (out of print)
Butterick 4254
Butterick 4411 (out of print)
Butterick 3737
Butterick 6884 (out of print)
Butterick 4669 (learn how to sew a bodice with skirts)
Butterick 3012 & 3011 (out of print)
Vogue 7252 (out of print)
Ageless Patterns #1030
McCall's 4107 (learn how to sew a bodice with skirts)
McCall's 4624 (a cape pattern that will show you how to shirr) (out of print)
McCall's 4861 (out of print)
Simplicity 5726 (when you get there, type in the pattern number)
Simplicity 7215
Simplicity 9764
Simplicity 9769
Simplicity 5457
Make your own patterns from slopers: Butterick 6092
Fellow Costumer's Tips and Comments
From Nez at DarkSpectre:
Patterns Used
Truly Victorian 416 Ball Gown Basque bodice
Truly Victorian 208 1870 Trained Skirt Ensemble Skirt A.
"I closed up the front instead of adding buttons and made it back lacing. The bottom of the back edge with its box
pleats made for a very close peplum looking flap for over the top of the train that could be embellished. You
still have to add the arm trim details but this came out with that perfect off the shoulder fit and small pufffed
sleeves that we're looking for. Also, the patterns are a dream to custom fit as the instructions with the pattern
are specific on this and easy to follow, but I still recommend a mock up made first. I flat lined mine in heavy
trigger and used a mix of steel and plastic boning. This thing came out TOUGH in the end!
For the skirt and apron I used Truly Victorian 208 1870 Trained Skirt Ensemble Skirt A. Reason being there is
enough extra fabric in the train to fit over a bustle. I made a pleated ruffle for the bottom of the skirt
and used the apron from view b omitting the fringe trim and back drape. I made my back drape (train) from 120"
long 60" wide taffeta on shirring cords (mine was 5 panels wide though and not 6 which is not correct, but
worked for my application well) and attached this separately to the waistband of the skirt/apron combo with hooks.
All was embellished appropriately. I did find that the train absolutely must have to be either lined with the
same taffeta OR backed with crinoline before shirring to give it appropriate volume, especially when making shirrs
appropriate to a grown womans backside.
We went a round a bit trying to compensate for the weight of the train all being placed on the waistband of the
skirt and came up with a good plan b: Attaching the train over the skirt and directly to the corset with hooks to
stabilize it. Apparently this worked well, I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Also if someone stepped on it it
most likely wasn't going to go anywhere."
Thank You Nez! I can't wait to add your photo!
film Interview with the Vampire, a film from Neil Jordan. A film based upon the book by Anne Rice. The
character is played flawlessly by the actress Kirsten Dunst.
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
This study page will concentrate on the Blue Silk Bustle Gown.
Books To Read:
I never found any books with this costume in it. In Anne's book, Claudia is never truly described as wearing a
gown such as this. The only dress remotely like this comes from a sentence in the book describing a "midnight blue
gown". Or that she had with her adult styled ball gowns of this era, low cut. Just so that you know, you will NOT
find inspiration for THIS costume in Anne's book, but you will find out allot more about the character of Claudia,
if you are studying her. There is a nice sizeable article in a magazine called CineFex, a movie industry Special
Effects/CGI magazine possibly also sold in comic book stores. In numer 61, March 1995, you will find out LOTS of
information about the special effects used in the film, but narry a costume tidbit. See makeup below for additional
finds in the magazine.
Visuals/Photos:
Do a search on eBay for Interview with the Vampire. Look for Lobby cards. Look for Press Kits. However, I have
not yet found a lobby card for this gown. Look out for online auctions of movie prop/costume lots. To put it
bluntly, there are very few to none in the way of publicity shots of this costume!? Making costume study on this
gown just a little difficult. Especially when you are NOT a historian. Without studying historical clothing of the
era, and how they are made and cut, you will have a hard time making this gown for yourself. Unless you only
want something similar but not dead on. This gown takes allot of study to figure it out. But if you're into historical
costume study you'll enjoy the work.
Interview w/the Vampire Album from CostumeSpy1
The Costumer's Guide to Movie Costumes
ARVL Fan Club Photo Gallery from Memnoch Ball 95
People magazine "Best Parties of the Year" November 20, 1995:
This magazine has a one page color photo of Kirsten Dunst wearing the blue ball gown at the 1995 Memnoch Ball
with Anne. You only get to see the shoulder trim and a little bit of the back. How lucky miss "kiki" was to be able to
wear it to a party, not just for the shoot.
****IF ANYONE OUT THERE WAS PRESENT FOR THIS EVENT, AND HAS PHOTOS OF KIRSTEN IN
THE CLAUDIA GOWN, WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS? SEND THEM TO cinemafantasy
at sbcglobal dot net THANK YOU!!****
~~I HAVE DISCOVERED YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF KIRSTEN IN THE CLAUDIA GOWN~~~
VISIT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO CHECK THEM OUT!
Peterson's Magazine from years 1870-1880. Peterson's Magazine is a antique fashion "book" for ladies that was kind
of like the Vogue of that time. Peterson's was not a popular as Godey's I think..
Godey's Ladies book as well using the years 1870-1880. Just go on over to eBay and type in : Godey's Ladies Book
1870. Then try 1871, and so on. Most times sellers (THANK YOU SELLERS!) have big photos of the plates in the
auction description. You can try looking for these books in antique stores and estate sales.
View Costumer's Versions of this gown:
-Fellow sewers love this gown! I have found a few talented people who have chosen to re-create this gown in various
forms. It does help to look at other people's work to understand this costume better, even if they decided to take it
in a different direction. If you cannot sew, these seamstresses may be able to make this gown for you, if they make
costumes for sale.
My 1/6 scale doll sized version
Contact Nez of DarkSpectre
Crimson Vision Version
Nehelenia Designs Version(s)
Past & Present Creations Version
And as always: STUDY THE DVD!
NOTE: THERE ARE 2 DVD RELEASES OF THIS FILM, ONE FROM 1997, AND ONE FROM 2000. THE 1997
DVD IS GRAINY, AND THE FILM JUMPY. THE 2000 DVD IS CLEARER, AND THE FILM JUMPINESS IS
GONE. I RECOMMEND STUDYING BOTH. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE 2000 RELEASE HAS AN ISSUE IN
THE SCENE WHERE LOUIS & CLAUDIA ARRIVE IN PARIS IN 1870. CLAUDIA GETS OUT OF THE
CARRIAGE AND WALKS THROUGH THE HOTEL LOBBY IN AN EXQUISITE TEAL SILK SATIN COAT
DRESS AND HAT. AS SHE WALKS PAST THE HOTEL FRONT DESK, ALL THE COLORS ON HER
CLOTHING TURN BRIGHT MAGENTA, UNLESS THIS IS JUST MY COPY? JUST FYI.
Clues About Costume Fabrics:
Only clues I ever found are from the official press kit:
-"Powell chose mostly shot silk from India for the costumes."
-"Shoes were hand fabricated"
-"additional depth and shading added with paint."
-"hand dyeing of some fabrics."
My Study:
The sketches of her costume above are just to get the mind going.
As always, and I will repeat this to you frequently: If you disagree on a study point strongly, please email me. I want
this information to be as accurate as possible, and I am always open to other's opinions on a costume study. That
doesn't mean I will agree with you. ;0)
One thing that I noticed right away about studying the costumes from 'Interview' is the lack of solid information
about the costumes available. I also want to state up front about this costume two things: 1.)It's expensive to make!
2.)It takes intermediate to advanced sewing skills and lots of time. If you still want to go forward with it, then carry
on!
In General: If you decide that you love a costume from a new movie that has just been released,
BUY/DOWNLOAD ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE RIGHT AWAY WHILE THE MOVIE
IS NEW. Books, Movie Tie-Ins, Press Kits, etc become harder and harder to find the older the film gets. The older
a film gets, the harder it is to find solid information about a costume from it. One exception to this would be Star
Wars, or maybe LOTR films. Films that huge in popularity have a tendency to produce more information over
time, because of continued interest and money for new information. Lack of solid information is especially true if
the costume is not very well remembered. Now, 'Interview' is very well remembered. But even so, info is scarce.
This is what really fueled me into writing these costume studies of mine. I just got so tired of finding no info out
there. And trust me, I HAVE LOOKED. Have you ever done a search on Yahoo or Google and looked through
EVERY PAGE of the results? No matter how many came back? No matter how many days it took you to look
through all of them? LOL..Yes I did that for this costume. I may not do this for every one I study, but for this one I
wanted to. If you have a page about this costume, by all means, please email me with a link to it!
The only thread of costume evidence I ever found was on a web site called Rio's Attic. A Web site with a fan page
for the late River Phoenix. In the web site is a copy of the official press kit If you click on through to about the
third page of it, production notes of the film. On page 7 is where you will find the only pot of gold that I have ever
found online. It is mentioned here that the scenes were lit with Chinese paper lanterns. This makes color matching
hard for a costume study. Dim light. It mentions that the 1880's were the most challenging but most fun for the
designer. I'd like to point out that in the film, it states that Louis & Claudia come into Paris in 1870. I checked
with an online copy of the script, and looked in the book as well, and it is mentioned as being 1870. So, yes it is
possible of course that her inspiration from history was 1870-1880, but when I began digging and looking at old
fashion plates from 1880 and beyond that, I found nothing even close in style to Claudia's gown. I knew I would at
the very least be able to spot some similarity between the historical clothing and Claudia's even if, as it is many times
in films that the costumes are not terribly historically accurate, more fantasy driven. The fact that I could not find
evidence perplexed me. I went back and began looking at fashion plates from 1870's and low and behold I found
some of the same styles in the pleats, the gathers, the embellishments of that time. I am recommending to all to do
research on fashion in 1870 to 1879. The reason I doubt anything as a reference from 1879 and beyond is the lack
of the bustle. The bustle did not show up again until 1882-83 but it was a different style than 1870's. Claudia's (and
Madeline's for that matter) bustle is too high for an 1880's look. The 1880's began without the bustle look. From
the looks of the fashion plates, this lack of big bustle began somewhere around 1879. If you want my opinion,
1872-1873 is ideal studying for Claudia's ball gown here. The evening gowns have the off the shoulder, deep
necklines, the sweep of the trains, the deep pointed "v's" in the front of the bodices, the little skirts at the back of
the bodice. That time frame is where I am seeing this when I look at the old books. Many things remain the same
during the Victorian era, ruching, pleating, gathering, aprons and trains..it takes training your mind and eye to see
the difference between eras, just takes observation and practice.
This page does a better job at showing the different bustle eras:
Bustles: Differentiate between 1870 & 1883 from Fashion Era
One of the best drawings of a bodice very similar to this one can be found in Norah Waugh's "The Cut of Women's
Clothes" Diagram LII (aka 52). This diagram will really help you to create your own patterns, altering this one
slightly to more reflect Claudia's bodice style. But you do need to be able to re-create/understand how the pieces go
together first. This is not for a beginner. I truly recommend that you create a mock up from muslin when using
drawings like these, so that you can work out all the kinks before you cut your fabric.
Further study can be found at these web links:
The Victorian Era: Fashion Era
The Victorian Era: by Eras of Elegance
La Couturiere Parisien
Victorian Study Center at Victoriana.com
Harper's Bazaar Online Magazine
With the tiny threads of costume evidence found at Rio's Attic (Thank You!) and drawing up a sketch or two and
watching the film, this is what information I have come up with. All this information helped me create my own
version of this costume in small scale (slightly smaller than 1/6 scale).
Some of the elements are only guesses, for example I STILL am unsure about what the front, sides, and back of the
underskirt have going on there. I can only guess. And, we never get to see Claudia in the process of dressing to be
able to see what type of corset(s) or undergarments they designed for Kirsten at that age. We never get to see her
feet either, just a tiny peek. So much guesswork happens on this one. All my very best favorite costumes seem to be
like this for some reason.
Here Are The Costume Elements:
The Bodice:
Claudia's bodice is very tight fitting, close to the body. It has a skirt in the back. This might also be referred to as a
peplum, not sure. It dips down in the front over the pelvis in a "V" or perhaps a squared off "V". The neckline sits
slightly off the shoulder. The back closes with several black hooks and eyes which run all the way down to the
skirts, allowing the bodice to open all the way down. There is a slight overlap on the back pieces. The bodice has:
front, side back, center back skirt, and center back pieces. There is a seam running down the center front. On
either side of the front there are at least two tucks running from the bust to the waist, they are curved. The front
ends just slightly below the waist at the sides. Along the top of the neckline edge is an insert of black fabric, it might
just be there or it could also be inserted in the seam between the sleeves and bodice, the arm hole seam. Not sure.
The bodice is highly decorated with embroidery or perhaps appliqué on the front. A laurel leaf and center flower
seems to be the motif. I can tell that it is all black, and I do see sparkles now and then while she moves so I assume
some beading is in place there. There are two leaves which meet each other at a curved angle on the center front
seam. There are three on the opposite side reaching towards the sleeve and neckline. In the back, there are two sets
of two leaves. One sits on the center back portion and the one above that sits on the side back portion. The tip of
one leaf touches the base or stem of the one on top of it. They are done in a slightly curved fashion to follow the
curve of the neckline edge. The center back portion is short, it ends at the waist. I believe that the skirt of the
bodice or peplum begins at the side back seam on either side. The side back and center back meet with the curved
seam that runs from the armhole to the waist. It's possible there are another set of tucks on either side of the center
back or side back portions, I cannot tell. The side back of the skirt is cut with the side back piece which starts at
the shoulder and ends at the edge of the skirt. There is an additional piece which is cut separately and is sewn to
the skirt and center back portions in what can only be described as "the most irritating and complex seams I have
ever done!" 8oO The skirt has pleats to gather in the excess fabric and or cause the skirt to "Wave" in the back like
it does. When I created my bodices, I:
Stitched the tucks in either side of the front pieces, then stitched the center front seam.
Stitched the curved side back/center back seam, easing in the excess and clipping after to help it lay flat.
Stitched the center back skirt to the side back skirt, then created the slight pleats in the skirts.
Then you basically have to fold the entire back sections in half to close the gap between the center back and the
center back skirt. If you do not do this just right, and go too far or do it too tight it will not lay right and will not
press out. Because of the small scale I worked on most of this was done by hand. It was just too complicated to use
the sewing machine. Then I stitched the front to the backs at the side seams. I did the same thing for the linings.
The skirts have more decoration, a daisy chain motif in black again, flowers in either embroidery or appliqué,
slightly raised. Could be beads. Then a slight dash or separation between the flower before the next. I cannot be
sure, but the skirt either ends with a narrow strip of blue silk knife pleats or is somehow gathered or given texture
there. It's unclear to me. The skirts are long enough that they are able to sit up on top of the bustled train. The
sleeves are set-in sleeves, little puffed sleeves. The hem of the sleeve is decorated with what is called a "double shell
ruffle" which has been edge stitched in black thread. The center of the ruffle has some beading. I cannot be sure
about the design. It is most likely a small flower design created with beads, one large bead in the center and smaller
beads as the petals running in a straight line all the way around the sleeve. Under it would be two draped bead
loops, perhaps slightly twisted together. It is very hard to make it out. All in black.
The Skirt:
The underskirt of this costume is very difficult to make out. It is never shown entirely. It probably closes on the
sides or in the center back. Most likely hooks and eyes. It is floor length in the back and in front I think that it hits
the tops of her shoes. Just high enough so that she won't trip on it. From looks of it, my guess is that the waist is
pleated and darted. That is what I did on mine. I knew that a gathered waist would never fit under the bodice, too
bulky. I saw that pleating it alone, was still too bulky when I made a muslin mock up. So After reviewing the notes
in Nancy's Bradfield's, "Costume in Detail", I decided to try two darts up front and two in back PLUS pleats at the
waist. And that was the ticket. You want to keep the waist very slim here. I used a self fabric bias strip for a
waistband. From the waist to the calves it is probably undecorated. From the calves down is where the decoration
begins. To me, it looks like two tiers of scalloped hem, with pleats. The first tier begins at the calves, scalloped hem
all the way around. Under that would be either blue/black knife pleats all the way around or possibly black pleats
up front and blue/black in back. The second tier begins where the first set of pleats end. Another scalloped hem
followed by a second set of knife pleats. How I decided to arrange all this into one skirt was to make a first and
second tier, for both front and back pattern pieces. I created all the knife pleats. I decided on the tiny scale I was
working on it would be too much of a hassle to do the scalloped hem, so I did the next best thing which was a row
of machine stitches in a scallop pattern in matching thread. It's not really that hard to do a scalloped hem, but on
that scale it was just too much. I didn't want to have to exaggerate them.
I stitched the first tier front to the first tier backs at the side seams.
I stitched the second tier front to the second tier backs at the side seams.
I embroidered both with the scallop.
I attached the second tier pleats behind the second tier, against the hem.
I attached the first tier pleats ON TOP OF the second tier pieces aligning the pleats just above the scallops of the
second tier.
Then I stitched the second tier to the first tier. I would suggest doing this by hand or doing this some other way
because I ended up not liking the line of stitches right across the front, but felt I didn't have allot of options.
To cover all the different layers up inside, I created a lining using my skirt pattern pieces taped together. I made
the hem to fall just above the second tier of pleats inside.
The Train & Apron Front Drape:
When I began, I didn't understand HOW the three elements of Claudia's skirt went together. The only way I
could figure to do it, was to make three separate pieces, that all go together to make one combined look. I made a
underskirt which closed in back with hooks and eyes, and had two eyes near the side seams where I could hook on
the apron front rap. The back had two more eyes where I could hook on the train. That is how I did mine. I got
the idea from reading the notes in Nancy Bradfield's "Costume in Detail". Several of the gown there were detailed
as having all three pieces separate, and some connected with hooks and eyes. So I figured that is how it could be
done. The apron drape stops at the knees. It looks like the apron has a hem decoration of narrow black pleats. I
think I see above the pleats some more beading, it looks very similar to the beading on the puffed sleeves. I can spot
some beaded loop fringes. The train is very interesting to me. I can count at least 6 panels wide. The train is either
same fabric, or perhaps dyed-to-match lighter weight fabric. It is probably two wide panels sewn together in the
center back. Each panel then divided up equally into six. The train has "shirring" on cords probably which is then
"puffed" a bit to create more volume. This technique is detailed for you in the book, "The Art of Manipulating
Fabric". When I created mine, I began with a simple rectangle of fabric. I measured out six equal sections and
marked them. Then I did a narrow, tight zig-zag stitch vertically, following the marking lines. Using a blunt needle
I wove matching embroidery floss under the zig-zag stitches and knotted the thread at one end. Once all the
threads were wove into place I began to shirr the fabric. The train is edged with matching blue pleats that begin at
the waist edge and go all the way around the train to the other side of the waist edge. The knife pleats fan out
slightly on the corners, rounding it out. I'm not sure if the train is lined or not, my guess is yes, two wide panels
sewn together in the center, then turned inside out would work. Then divided up to shirr. Or maybe it could be
finished on the edges with the pleats, and the shirring cords are covered up with the trim. Every shirred line is
covered with either pinked ruffles, or double shell edge ruffles edge stitched with black. I tried mine with the
double shell ruffles and I did not like the way it looked. I had to remove all the stitching on all my ruffles, just to
re-do it in a regular running stitch. When I applied the ruffled trim looked much better like that, it blended into
the train shirring, rather than standing up off of it.
The Jewelry:
Claudia's necklace is exquisite! As far as I know, no other jewellery is worn with this gown, other than her necklace.
The necklace is strung. Probably gold findings. Probably hook/toggle or slider in back. What follows looks like
small gold spacer bead, then one bicone sapphire bead, a gold spacer, a sapphire round bead, a gold spacer, then
one bicone sapphire bead. Another gold spacer bead, and then the pattern repeats until it reaches the center. At
the center of the necklace is a pendant. Probably gold. A set in chaton of sapphire, it almost looks like a flower to
me. Pretty big too, at least 10mm in size. Coming from below the gold edge of the "flower" are three strands of
either beads or chain, I cannot tell. At or near the end of the chain it looks like upside down teardrop bead in gold,
much larger than other beads there. Finished off by some smaller beads. The necklace continues with the pattern
of bicone and round crystals and gold spacer beads.
The Undergarments:
We can only go by what was historically worn during that time for someone of her age. We will probably never
know what they looked like. Here is what you would generally expect to see underneath a gown from that era:
1.)Chemises were sometimes sleeveless, and often worn off the shoulder to be hidden under off the shoulder gowns
such as this.
2.)Drawers (open drawers) were worn during this period.
3.)Petticoats were worn during this period. Many of them elaborately decorated for evening wear.
4.)Corsets were worn. Metal eyelets were invented already, and metal hooks and eyes were being used. Corsets for
young girls often did not include bust gussets. Think of them as "training bras" of the 19th century. As a young
woman of that era you would be expected to wear a corset as you got older, so the younger the better to get you
used to wearing one.
5.)Stockings were worn slightly over the knees, often tied with bows as garters, or attached to the drawers with
button loops and garters. I believe that elastic had come into use by this period. I have read several books
mentioning the use of elastic in garments.
6.Bustle. This is where my comments above come in about the difference between bustle periods. I went with a
drawing from "Costume in Detail" and ran with it. I used a small pillow like pad at the top of my bustle, and
basically just used a pannier pattern which I adjusted for her scale that I used for my Marie Antoinette Paris
Masquerade Costume. I was confused at first between the available methods of skirt support, there was mention of
a "crinolinette" but I do not feel that it would look right under this gown. So I went with a pretty general bustle.
6.)Corset covers were sometimes worn over the corset.
With all these elements, you can pick and choose how you like to make them, what colors you want and what style
you like best. Just keep it within the period style and it will make your gown look just right. My husband
commented tome while I was working on a piece of the undergarments, "Why bother, if you're not going to see it?"
(smile)..The short answer to that would be, because without them, you'd see it. They are necessary to create the
look. Period. (ha! That's a joke too..get it? Period? tee hee).
The Shoes:
Well, there they are(n't). LOL! We never get to see her shoes, other than the two spots I noticed them shown in the
photo above. And I am unsure if that blue shoe sitting on top of the box is her shoe at all, I just happened to notice
it sitting there one day. I also noticed a very cute drawstring purse sitting near it, could be part of the original
concept for this costume. It matches her dress. Your guess is as good as mine as to what her shoes look like. But I
can tell you this: if you check out some photos of shoes from the 1870's you will find little square heeled pumps,
squared throats/ toes. Bows and decorations on the vamps. Go with that, and you can't go wrong.
Claudia's Hair, Contacts, Fangs & Makeup:
Claudia's hair is probably all her own. I doubt seriously this is a wig. Perhaps some wefts added in for fullness. But I
have read in the magazine CineFex (No. 61 March 1995) that many of the vampires wore wigs styled by Renata
Leuschner. The style is simple: all over spiral ringlet curls, falling just past shoulders, and short curled bangs with a
center part on top. I have had a hard time finding wigs that were good for this look. I stumbled across an idea
though:
Irish Step Dancing Wigs. Yeah. They are big, full curly wigs, usually a partial wig worn by Irish Step Dancers.
Check some styles out here:
Irish Step Dancer Wigs from YoungBlood Haircutters
Callahan's Imports Step Dancing Wigs
When I contacted someone at YoungBlood Haircutters, I was asking about the wigs if they are full cap wigs or a
partial. What I was told is 90% of the wigs are partials. They are meant to be worn with a hair band in front of it to
hide the seam. They do carry some that are full cap wigs. I would contact them for further information!
Other places to search for wigs would be:
Wigs.net and WowWigs.
Makeup was done by Michele Burke, who also did the makeup for Brahm Stoker's Dracula. Makeup is described
in the magazine CineFex (No. 61 March 1995): "In some of our early attempts we tried mixing some minute
amounts of metallic powers into the base to create the porcelain skin but it didn't even read on camera, then we
tried really white makeup similar to that used in Dracula and that looked too stylized and garish for our film. We
even came up with the idea of 3-D vein prosthetics but putting foam rubber veins on the faces but it proved to be
way too time consuming and looked too unnatural. We settled on using the actor's real vein patterns and drew a
network of fine lines directly onto the skin with blue tattoo coloring. We came up with the idea of using a slant
board and having the actors lay upside down on the board long enough for us to trace the natural veining, so that
when any strenuous scenes occurred where the veins would come to the surface they were just amplified. We
applied the veins to the face, neck and back of the hands adding highlights and shadows for depth. We used a
more dramatic heavier veining makeup on the Parisian vampires, because everything they did was more dramatic.
For Claudia, who had less dominant veining, the effect was done lighter. All of the vampires wore long acrylic
fingernails. The skin is just lightened with a wash of ordinary pancake makeup." Here eyes have no makeup other
than mascara, and the lips have some shine to them so perhaps a salve or gloss was used.
Claudia's fangs are custom made by the company GA Enterprises. All the vampires wore veneers that covered all
eight of the upper front teeth fitting tightly against the gum line. The veneers were made paper thin and hollow so
as not to interfere with the actor's speech. Because the teeth were so fragile many sets were made for each actor.
For many of the scenes a short version was used because it was easier to wear them and act, and you would just
catch little glimpses of the fangs. For the scenes where the action was more intense the longer versions were worn.
Vamp Fangs will make you some custom fit Vampire fangs. What you should look for in some fangs would be as
described in CineFex No.61 March 1995, " We came up with a three-tooth design that not only elongated the
canines but also the teeth directly behind them, all in all six teeth were changed. Neil suggested that we exaggerate
the teeth even more by making them needle like and having a hook or point on the ends." This set is very similar
to the design that you will find used in IWTV.
Contact Lenses: I'm not sure if Claudia's character called for contacts or not. In the CineFex magazine it is written,
"Contacts were created by body tech. They used contacts with wider irises with less white showing for a more
animal or feral look for rage action scenes. Armand wore golden, Santiago wore near black. Lestat, blue-grey." They
tried to stay clear of the monster-like lenses and mostly just used them to accent the eyes of the main characters.
See my page here for suggestions on getting yourself into contacts, and the Vamp Fangs web site also carries special
effects contacts. In general, you can expect to pay minimum, $30-$40 PER EYE for good contact lenses.
Costume Fabric Suggestions:
I suggest that you look for taffeta acetate if you cannot afford silk taffeta in the huge amount of yardage you will
need to create this costume. For example: to create just 8" of knife pleats (each pleat being about 1/4" wide/deep), I
needed a strip of fabric that was 24" long! At least 90% of my silk was used up making long strips of bias, and on
grain strips for decorations. So that being said: you're going to have to seriously consider the cost factor here before
you attempt this one. The silk taffeta I chose was changeable/iridescent/shot in midnight blue and black. It cost
$30 PER YARD. 80) So now you see, if you come to a yardage estimate for what you will need to make this up
how costly this one can be. I needed every last scrap (and I mean every bit) of 2 yards of 60" wide taffeta to make 4
tiny costumes. Just something to think about. I color matched my silk taffeta to some taffeta acetate sold at the
local Jo-ann's one time it was a PERFECT match. It was called "Glitz" and was sold for $4.99 a yard.
That's my secret spy cell phone camera there! My silk taffeta has the staple in it, and the taffeta acetate is laying on
top. Exact match. If you want to spend $30/yd then go with Fabrics.net silk taffeta, in color #6153. Or perhaps
even #6145. There was another source for this taffeta and it was slightly less expensive ($27/yd) but when eBay
upped the storefront fees for sellers they closed. They are located in the fashion district in NYC and they are great,
but they won't sell online apparently, even though I was told that they were going to several years ago. Total
bummer. They did tell me they will still sell to me via snail mail, but I like the instant gratification of online
shopping! The name of the merchant is Sample Dyeing, LLC and they were selling the exact same silk as fabrics.net
was, this I know because I bought a color card from fabrics.net and all my swatches from Sample Dyeing, LLC
matched/had the same numbers as the fabrics.net taffeta. My guess is that they stopped selling retail to the public,
after a short stint on eBay. Now the fabric can be purchased through other retailers at a mark up of $4 per yard.
The only other source for silk taffeta I ever found was a little storefront on the east coast called, "Delectable
Mountain Cloth" located in Vermont. They are limited to what they sell via the online store, you had better call
them and or be prepared to send them a color sample. They sent me a card of swatches and one of the silk taffetas
they had was an exact match to Claudia's. Blue with a slightly peacock hue and black. $40 per yard I believe. I
seriously spent three years just tracking down the perfect fabric for my creation! I can't believe how hard it was.
You could throw a rock and hit that green and black silk worn by Madeline! But not Claudia's. I wish this page was
around when I was looking. =0) I hope it helps YOU.
Books To Help You Make This Costume:
How to Make Sewing Patterns by Don McCunn
Patternmaking for Fashion Design (4th edition) by Helen J Armstrong
Draping for Fashion Design (4th edition) by Hilde Jaffe & Nurie Relis
All About Silk: A Fabric Dictionary & Swatchbook (Fabric Reference Series, Volume 1) by Julie Parker
Textiles for Early Victorian Clothing: 1850-1880 (Spiral-bound) A Workbook of Swatches by Susan Greene
Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston
Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860-1940 by Janet Arnold
The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington
The Little Corset Book: A Workbook on Period Underwear by Bonnie Holt Ambrose
Corsets & Crinolines by Norah Waugh
Waisted Efforts: An Illustrated Guide to Corset Making by Robert Doyle
Victorian Jewellery by Margaret Flower
Sewing Victorian Doll Clothes by Michelle Hamilton
Bead & Sequin Embroidery Stitches by Stanley Levy
Shoes and Slippers: From Snowshill Collection by Althea Mackenzie
Construction Hints, Patterns & Tips Found:
(These will be added as I stumble upon them)
Patterns Found:
Laughing Moon Mercantile Patterns
Truly Victorian Early Bustle Patterns
Butterick 3418
Butterick 3765
Butterick 4157 (out of print)
Butterick 4254
Butterick 4411 (out of print)
Butterick 3737
Butterick 6884 (out of print)
Butterick 4669 (learn how to sew a bodice with skirts)
Butterick 3012 & 3011 (out of print)
Vogue 7252 (out of print)
Ageless Patterns #1030
McCall's 4107 (learn how to sew a bodice with skirts)
McCall's 4624 (a cape pattern that will show you how to shirr) (out of print)
McCall's 4861 (out of print)
Simplicity 5726 (when you get there, type in the pattern number)
Simplicity 7215
Simplicity 9764
Simplicity 9769
Simplicity 5457
Make your own patterns from slopers: Butterick 6092
Fellow Costumer's Tips and Comments
From Nez at DarkSpectre:
Patterns Used
Truly Victorian 416 Ball Gown Basque bodice
Truly Victorian 208 1870 Trained Skirt Ensemble Skirt A.
"I closed up the front instead of adding buttons and made it back lacing. The bottom of the back edge with its box
pleats made for a very close peplum looking flap for over the top of the train that could be embellished. You
still have to add the arm trim details but this came out with that perfect off the shoulder fit and small pufffed
sleeves that we're looking for. Also, the patterns are a dream to custom fit as the instructions with the pattern
are specific on this and easy to follow, but I still recommend a mock up made first. I flat lined mine in heavy
trigger and used a mix of steel and plastic boning. This thing came out TOUGH in the end!
For the skirt and apron I used Truly Victorian 208 1870 Trained Skirt Ensemble Skirt A. Reason being there is
enough extra fabric in the train to fit over a bustle. I made a pleated ruffle for the bottom of the skirt
and used the apron from view b omitting the fringe trim and back drape. I made my back drape (train) from 120"
long 60" wide taffeta on shirring cords (mine was 5 panels wide though and not 6 which is not correct, but
worked for my application well) and attached this separately to the waistband of the skirt/apron combo with hooks.
All was embellished appropriately. I did find that the train absolutely must have to be either lined with the
same taffeta OR backed with crinoline before shirring to give it appropriate volume, especially when making shirrs
appropriate to a grown womans backside.
We went a round a bit trying to compensate for the weight of the train all being placed on the waistband of the
skirt and came up with a good plan b: Attaching the train over the skirt and directly to the corset with hooks to
stabilize it. Apparently this worked well, I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Also if someone stepped on it it
most likely wasn't going to go anywhere."
Thank You Nez! I can't wait to add your photo!
http://www.elvenhippiegypsy.com/cinema-fantasy.html
Limited Edition Historical, Film and Fantasy Costumes for Dolls or Display
