Would you be able to do a Buffy Broadway/Bochum costume breakdown?
Buffy! Yes! I think I've got quite a few refs for her, let's see... while photography has developed a lot, her costume really hardly changed at all from 1988 - 2018! Other than her wig, obviously.
Starting with her base layer - hand painted, of course. Her base is sewn into a single piece, despite looking like a leotard over leggings - nothing's gonna slip or move uncomfortably onstage! As a make though, it's pretty heavy on the spandex sewing skills.
I *think* her bodice is a heavier weight stretch satin than the rest of her costume, and her stockings are a stretch lurex, the rest seems to be standard spandex. Every inch of her is painted or dyed - even her lower sleeves which seem to have been handy paint samples while painting the rest of her bodice! This is, I think, the same technique used for the "Cats" costumes, that acid dye is mixed to a paintable texture, then set with steam. Even the lurex stockings are painted! The lurex bands on the edge of the leotard have padding, obviously, this has got to be something that will dry out super fast and hold its shape well - unless they have a better option, I've used filter foam for this in the past. like literally, sold for pond filters!
We can see she has a big patch of white velcro on her chest, that's gonna connect to her display case chest box.
Her chest box is a neat little vest, the back painted the same as her arms. We can see it zips up the centre back, and the shoulders connect at the front - very discreet fastenings, but still visible in hi-res photos! On this photo of the chest box on a hanger, I think we can see there's similar fastenings on the back. The other thing I think we're seeing here is that the fabric portion is attached by velcro and snaps to the metallic band and the display case panel - allowing the fabric to be washed! sounds wise!
So the "Chrome" band and the display case panel are foam, heavily worked with the glossy bands sewn down between the more matte fabric. I suspect the matte base fabric has some stretch to it, the super chromey shiny won't. It might be leather or leatherette to be that very, very shiny yet still machine stitched. I believe there's a thin plastic coating over her display case windows, so the frame is the top layer, then the plastic window, then the painted surface, then foam board for the shape. Then all the velcro! We can see the stitches that hold the display case panel to the ribbed chrome band. There's also some stitching on the left strap - I would guess that's mic related.
Shoulders - I realise I say "foam" a lot, but there's different types of foam, different densities, different uses. I don't know if I can really describe them properly... but the shoulders are not the same material is the padding in the leotard edge! But her shoulders would be the dense, easy to cut foam as used for yoga mats (but thicker) or interlocking floor tiles... I'd say it's covered in leatherette type material that's painted and trimmed, then hinges on the top, I think we can see connections between the ends and the middle at the back too, to stop the ends flipping up. There's also rivets on the back of the centre panel which line up with the reinforced spots on the jacket. And there's a padded fabric panel around the neck, for comfort!
Her belt is straightforward - apart from her napkins. At least, that's how I've always understood her pleated shiny butt flap! I think it's actually 8 panels - the top piece above the belt - then the wide centre, a two-stripe panel, then two single stripes. They're connected by a soft pleated fabric which is the colour contrast. Is it me or are her handles particularly wide-set? Staying clear of her napkin, I guess.
Her collar is just the simplest thing! Spandex, snap at the back, heat-set studs for decoration. Disconcertingly simple! She also sometimes has the same construction as stocking tops - but not always? I'm not sure why they're sometimes missing, but the extra 3D detail looks really good.
Gloves! How's this for a convenient reference? She has leather gloves, spandex "gauntlets" and matching, attached elbows - all with the added moulded latex decorations. On the pictures of the leotard hanging up, we can see metal bars on her sleeves - there's gotta be hooks inside the elbow pads to connect them. I suspect there's two bars for different fittings - longer or shorter arms - rather than two hooks to connect, but I might be wrong there.
I can NOT find a decent look at her kneepads! but Pearl and Dinah's are there, and the construction is gonna be the same. The heavy, dense foam bowl, a fixed middle strap and upper and lower adjustable straps all covered in the lurex, and the bowl covered in the decorative leather, then a hard plastic protective cover on top.
Her skate covers / springs / slinkies are painted ombre lurex - getting that effect might not be easy! - but it's sewn over triangular profile foam to get those sharp corners.
Finally, her hat! I'm not gonna cover her wig because she's had so many, but her hat remains much the same throughout. It's a curved base, covered in painted spandex like the rest of her main costume, and tucked in the top is some - err... delicious? looking fake food! Fabric lace represents the paper doily. There's mesh on the bottom edge to allow it to be pinned into the wig securely.
I think? that's everything? I've kinda glossed over some things I've described in more detail in other breakdowns, but if you have any more questions please ask!
