Rachel the Replicant Costume & Dresses

[griffer]

First, I appreciate the forbearance of the Powder Room.
I swear I cleaned the mud of my boots before I tromped in here.
********************

My wife and I have a very special place in our hearts for Halloween and fall.

We are both October babies, and our anniversary is Halloween.

That said, this year is a very special anniversary- we will be celebrating our 5 year back in New Orleans where we married.

We have gone back and forth over costumes; we want to do something special, something we can put on a plane, with a couples theme, and that reflects 'us'.

After many options, our latest idea is 'Blade Runner'- specifically, Rick Deckard and the Replicant Rachel.

I am gathering information on my costume, but I was hoping for some help/ideas for sources and solutions for my wife's hypothetical Rachel outfit.

Any guidance, ideas, wig resources, stores with quality women's vintage clothes, reasonably priced tailors in the PA/NJ/NYC area, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

This is out of the norm for FL, because this is clearly a costume for us, not daily wear. It only has to look approximate and hold up for a couple nights.
We aren't looking to make these daily wear real clothes or absolute screen accurate replicas.

Basic elements of her wardrobe are a fitted 80s/retro suit, a mantle/coat, and perfectly coiffed hair with a 'bag' (what is that net thing called??)-
Two coats from the movie-
Fur-

Brocade-

Rachel's Suits-
Grey-

Black Sequin

Grouping, including Deckard Elements-

Rachel's Hair-

Thank you...

Bartenders, feel free to move this if you deem appropriate.

 

[Paratrooper]

The hair thing is called a snood, if that is what I think you are talking about.

 

[Nashoba]

Check out Sommerville, NJ. There's a good vintage shop there called Incogneeto on Division St. Theres also a store in New Hope, PA but I can't remember what street that's on. The lady in sommerville is really good, if you tell her what you're looking for she'll dig in her storage stuff for you. She's really great

 

[imoldfashioned]

Grey-

I don't have anything particularly helpful to say but this suit looks exactly like an Adrian sketch I saw once (and can't find now). I wonder if the costume designer had access to the MGM archives? All the costumes you posted are great but I'm especially in love with this suit.

You will post pictures after Halloween, won't you?

 

[griffer]

The hair thing is called a snood, if that is what I think you are talking about.

YES! Thank you, that's it!

Check out Sommerville, NJ. There's a good vintage shop there called Incogneeto on Division St. Theres also a store in New Hope, PA but I can't remember what street that's on. The lady in sommerville is really good, if you tell her what you're looking for she'll dig in her storage stuff for you. She's really great

I will definitely try Incogneeto, and as a New Hope resident, I believe you are referring to 'Love Saves the Day'. Great shop, but the ONLY one I know for women's vintage. I will be hitting it this weekend.

You will post pictures after Halloween, won't you?

Charles Knode was the designer on BR, and he definitely was taking cues from the past when he put these together.

Rachel's future-noir look is the reason I thought the Powder Room might be helpful.

And I will DEFINITELY post pictures if we pull it together, but be warned, I look more like Bruce Willis than Harrison Ford, though.

I should post pics of our Sky Captain and Polly Perkins we did one year...

 

[Nashoba]

I will definitely try Incogneeto, and as a New Hope resident, I believe you are referring to 'Love Saves the Day'. Great shop, but the ONLY one I know for women's vintage. I will be hitting it this weekend.

Love Saves the Day! That's the place! Rather than going into NYC while I was out there we went to New Hope and Sommerville instead. I got a couple of things from love saves the day but i fared much better at incogneeto. I was terribly dissapointed though that Night Owl was no longer there

 

[imoldfashioned]

I should post pics of our Sky Captain and Polly Perkins we did one year...

Oh, please do!

 

[ohairas]

Depending on what your wifes hair is like, she should be able to fix it up without a wig. But I have seen 40's wigs out there.
She could wrap her front hair around a 'rat', pin.. and put the rest in a snood.
Nikki

 

[griffer]

it's black and she has bangs, but it is too short.

Wedgey bob thing.

When i search fo wigs on line i get overwhelmed.

 

[KittyT]

it's black and she has bangs, but it is too short.

Wedgey bob thing.

When i search fo wigs on line i get overwhelmed.

This is probably the wig you want! It includes a snood.

http://www.broadwaywigs.com/collections_1940s_laverne.html

edit: OOPS! except for the bangs part. Depending on her hair color, she could potentially wear her own bangs out, or she could make a fringe clip to add to the wig.

 

[griffer]

oh, but the PRICES!

 

[KittyT]

oh, but the PRICES!

Well you could always get one of the longer styles located at http://www.maxwigs.com/the-40s-c47/ and then she can style it. Unfortunately, most cheap wigs just don't style all that well, but it might be possible.

 

[Story]

MONKEY BUSINESS, in Chestnut Hill. PM me if you're coming down.

 

[ohairas]

Are her sides long enough to put in rolls? She could try hair-do clip ins for the back,
http://www.hairuwear.com/
They are also on the bay cheaper and you can get human hair as well. If these are two pricy, then get some fake hair at Sally Beauty Supply to clip in and throw in the snood.
Great wig you found Kitty!

This is the wig that I have for Scarlett, only in brunette of course. I was able to get the rolls in pretty easily, and I don't think it would be any trouble getting a faux bang in the front with a rat on this one. http://cgi.ebay.com/Strawberry-Blon...ryZ60188QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Pic of me as Scarlett. I couldn't make the rolls very smooth tho because I didn't want to brush out the curl anywhere else. On her it wouldn't matter.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1221/620711067_848c397e73_o.jpg
Here's on of me with faux bang and bun. The bang was actually a "chignon" that I took the clip off of. The bun is a ponytail that I did the same.

Nikki

 

[Honey Doll]

For the costume pieces you may try the Ebay shop TopRunway. If you email Cynthia a q off of any of the pieces, that you are interested in having something done custom she will likely accomodate. The prices are reasonable and she works from your own measurements. I've had her do a couple completely custom things and she has done good work for me. She is willing to reproduce from photos. I had her do a 40s styled suit from only a pic of a pattern. She charged me about $130.

Honey Doll

 

[griffer]

Honeydoll, that sounds like a GREAT lead!

Thanks!

 

[Honey Doll]

email addy

Griffer

Here is Cynthia's email addy for you rather than searching for the store

cle8182@gmail.com

Post some pics of the two of you for us to enjoy!


Honey Doll

 

[griffer]

Honey Doll-

You were right, Cynthia is very responsive.

My wife was in awe of the site.

I have been looking, but haven't ordered yet, from asian bespoke tailors, and so she was excited that there was someone who provided a similar service for women.

I contacted her through ebay and she sent me her email.

I have already sent her an email description with as many screen caps and other pictures as possible.

Whether she does the 'Rachel' dress or not, my wife may order at least the pencil rockabilly pencil skirt she has in her store.

Erik

 

[griffer]

Update-

So, my wife sent me some links, and we tried to tackle the wig issue.

After loking at the film and screen shots, I don't think it is a rat roll or curl, but more of a center part, flattened bun hair style.

I am sure my terminology is wrong but it looks like the hair is brought up and folded around combs toward a center part. It even looks like the bangs start WAY back on her head and some are actully pulled over the part. I wish i could find better screen caps, but watching the film it is pretty clear.

Odds of that in a cheap wig are tough. I am sure broadway could make one, and I willask them for a quote, but I bett it'll run abotu $200.

We found these two, the first being preferred. They are not screen accurate, but they capture the profile and image, I believe.

Just sweep up a bit more on the sides, trim the back, and clip it in a snood.

http://www.buycostumes.com/Category/128/Product/31869/ProductDetail.aspx

Or another option, that gets the alterna-future vintage vibe without being a perfect match-

http://www.buycostumes.com/Search_All_pin up wig/Category/0/Product/18445/ProductDetail.aspx

Both are cheap anough to 'roll the dice on'.

Thoughts?

On the suit, Cynthia can match the pattern at TopRunway, but not the material.

I will ask her tonight if I can send her material. The suit really needs to be shiny. The original was a thick silk, almost a sik tweed, with snakes skin accents. It made for a very shiny suit, but overall a simple pattern.


Thanks to all for your continued help on this project.

FYI- Incogneeto is sadly out of business.

Next step is to print out the screen caps and morgue photos to start shopping them around my local contacts for ideas.

 

[ohairas]

OH! That first wig looks perfect! I'd go for it! A hint would be to slice out a bit of her natural hair on the sides to slick back over the wig to make it appear more natural. Even if she has to color that hair with some wash out product, (try Sally's). They have hair color sticks that are kind of like make up that might work, or black "halloween" spray.
Nikki