#six construction

[six-costume-refs]

Hiii! Currently making Howard's costume, and I'm looking for more info on how the skirt closes AND the skirt pattern. Any help would be SO appreciated!

Hey! I have this post about some of the construction and layers.

As far as the closure goes, it’s basically an extended tab. Here’s Cassie Silva’s both open and closed:

And then the closure method goes on the overlapped section. The closure method has varied between Velcro and snaps, but you could also try magnets. (They also previously had a different closure set up using zippers for a bit, but I would not recommend it)

If you use magnets or Velcro make sure to get a stronger strength, and/or match the strength to the materials and construction you’re using. And snaps will cause stress to the vinyl so if you do use them I’d suggest using the black base as discussed below.

And this isn’t necessary, but for my own cosplay I’m planning to do either Velcro or multiple rows of snaps just to give myself some sizing range which Six has often done as well.

You can see two different placements of snaps used here:

Left is UK make, with a single snap in the middle of the waistband. Right is US make (the early 2022 style) with two black snaps on either side of the trim. This is one way the US has accommodated for potential minor fluctuations in waist measurement, like I mentioned above.

Also, note that while the black trim continues the studs do not - this is so they don’t get in the way of the closure or make things uneven or bumpy.

You also may wonder how Cassie’s skirt is staying up even though it’s not closed - there are snaps on the inside lining of the waistband that correlate and snap into snaps on the back and side of the leotard.

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The other things that are worthy of note are exactly where the closure is located and the backing of the closure. Here’s a bunch of examples of how that’s varied:

The exact placement of the closure has differed. Early iterations included the mic holster attached on top of the waistband tab (shown on Vicki Manser’s UKT costume, top far left) and the waistband closing in the front (shown on Didi Romero’s ANAT costume, bottom far left). But the current-and-definitely-best way is to have the mic holster on the main case, with the waistband tab attaching over in a way that nestles it right next to the holster. That keeps seams minimal and everything nice and stable. You can see that current system on the three furthest right photos on each row.

Finally, the base color. Originally the tabs on both sides would be a continuation of the rest of the waistband materials, just the same pink vinyl and trim (but again missing the studs as noted above). More recently they have switched to a pure black base on the space where the tab overlaps, most likely to use a more stable/strong material. It’s easiest to see that difference on the bottom row - compare the continuation of pink on both sides of Didi’s closure (far bottom left) versus the black gap that can be seen on Aline Mayagoitia, Abigail Sparrow’s CAN, and Audrey Fisher (2L-R, bottom row).

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For patterning I’ll refer you to @lightleckrereins, who has already been working on a post about that after just recently making her own.

Hopefully that’s helpful! If you need any clarification or have further questions, feel free to drop me another ask.

Credits: cassiemsilva, cassiemsilva; jainabrockpatel, cassiemsilva; vicki_manser, thisistsemaye, beccawickes, inezbudd, didiromero_8, alinemayagoitia, abigailsparrowofficial, aujeee

[six-costume-refs]

Had a costume construction question. I've noticed that in fittings for and construction of Howard's skirt (and I believe Boleyn, but I may be confusing it for something else entirely), the waistband appears to be, what I think is, cotton webbing. Do you know what material it is? If you do, is this what the vinyl is placed on top of or is it replaced by the vinyl?

It’s interfacing! It’s a material that’s used on the inside of many clothes (among other projects) to add more shape and stability as needed. You’ll often find it in necklines or waistbands to help them lay flat and maintain shape/quality as areas with a lot of stress out on them. Definitely necessary to include when making Six cosplays. There are some different types in terms of application and weight; the type that's best to use will be dependent on what materials you're using for your cosplay. For more information on all that, there’s this really good post, and if you have further questions about a specific costume/cosplay or material you can always send me another ask or DM @sixcostumerefs.

It should be used in your actual cosplay, between your lining material and your external materials. So if you’re working on Howard, your waistband from inner to outer layers should be lining->interfacing->externally facing base*->velcro for closure where required->pink vinyl. Your skirt would be lining->interfacing with boning->buckram**->pink vinyl->cutouts panel.

*Six has started using a black for that base, but they’ve just used more pink vinyl in the past:

(Look at the skirt closures/mic holsters - Abigail Sparrow’s Breakaway 3.0 skirt was pink all around, while Aline Mayagoitia has a plain black base between the closure and mic holster) **Buckram is a stiffened fabric used to give more shape and structure. Very often used in theatre and dance costumes and is one of my favorite materials to work with. More info here. It's very necessary for Aragon, Boleyn, and Howard skirts and is a big part of what helps them keep their shape. For best use it should go between the boning layer and vinyl layer(s), like I spelled out above for Howard.

[six-costume-refs]

hi!! idk if you've answered this already, but how many panels does the boleyn skirt have? it's difficult to tell. thanks 🥰

Eight! And it’s patterned like a hi-lo circle skirt, just cut up into the eight panels and with seam allowance added.

[six-costume-refs]

Okay I'm doing a Six inspired cosplay for NYCC this year, and I've come to use your stuff for multiple multiple references so first, THANK YOU. Secondly, I'm basing my (Star Wars mashup) cosplay off of the pink alt costume, you have it written down that it's two parts but put on at the same time. Have you seen any photos of it either on the rack / not the actresses; or a photo of the back? I appreciate any help you could give!!

Hey!!! I’m so glad to help!

Yes, there’s actually a great pink alt resource on this:

Zara MacIntosh did a takeover where she shows her whole process of getting into costume and exactly how that works. Very helpful both for shots of the back of the costume and for understandings its’ construction. That section of the takeover starts here and continues for several more stories. It’s all saved in the “Zara 2021” highlight on @/sixthemusical. It doesn’t show much of the side, but there’s a few good photos here.

These show a few different construction methods. On the left and center photos, the top is separate while the peplum and main skirt pieces are attached to each other (there’s snaps on the front and sides and on the left photo they are already snapped together to be put on more easily, but you can see that they’re unattached in the back). Meanwhile, right shows a different style with the top and peplum attached while the main skirt is separate instead. Right is technically an Aragon photo, but they have the same construction method and I just have clearer photos of that change for Aragon than I do for pink alt. Older pink alt and Aragon costumes, including most pre-lockdown, had the peplum attached to the skirt with top separate. Newer, since about spring 2022, have become standardized with the peplum usually attached to the top instead and main skirt separate.

You can see a little bit of what I meant with the pieces being separate but attached before they’re actually put on in that takeover. There’s also this tiktok from Esme Rothero which shows the whole process with her silver alt. Different design of course, but same principle.

I‘ll also refer you to a few posts about some construction and design changes in recent pink alt costumes: 1, 2, 3

Also….Star Wars and Six mashup? Aka my two favorite things? That is a brilliant combo. If you feel comfortable sharing photos of the finished costume I would love to see them!

[six-costume-refs]

Cyber Monday Deals for Six Materials (US)

Hey y’all! A few of the materials that would be great for Six cosplays are on sale today. These are all from Joann in the US; I’m not sure if international shipping is available. I haven’t finished looking through all of today’s sales yet and will likely reblog with updates as I find more. A full post is also coming with what I’m using for my black alt and suggestions for other costumes. This is just what I saw on sale today.

Please note that these are NOT all stage accurate. We all have different preferences in what materials we would like to work with, what our budget is, what our skill level is with different materials, and how stage accurate we want our colors and/or materials to be. I try to reflect this in my recs and as such I included links to materials that could work well for a variety of different intentions or skill levels. I did try to note a few of those disparities and am happy to answer asks about different materials, but ultimately use your own discernment for what works best for you!

Vinyl/vinyl dupes Yaya Han Cosplay Collection 4 Way Metallic Fabric - this could potentially work as a replacement for the colored vinyl for Aragon, Parr, black alt, silver alt, or Boleyn (this is more of an emerald and between the lighter and darker shades we see in Six). It is not a holographic material but it works well if you’re alright with that. Note that it is a 4 way stretch material. Performance Stretch Apparel Fabric Silver Electric - this would work very well as a replacement for the vinyl used for silver alt. It is holographic and is what I would use if I made a silver cosplay. Note that it is a stretch material. Yaya Han Cosplay Collection 4 Way Stretch Vinyl Fabric - this could work very well for black alt. It is a shiny vinyl like the show uses. Note that it is a 4 way stretch material. Yaya Han Cosplay Collection 4 Way Faux Leather Fabric - this works well for black alt as a cheaper alternative, but it is a matte pleather rather than the shiny vinyl used onstage. Note that it is a 4 way stretch material.  Yaya Han Cosplay Collection Low Stretch Faux Leather Fabric - this works well for black alt as a cheaper alternative, but it is a matte pleather rather than the shiny vinyl used onstage. This is the low stretch alternative to the previous. Note that it is fairly thin and needs backing/structure to work for Six. Black Smooth Faux Leather Sportswear Fabric* - this is what I’m using for my black alt cosplay. It is a pleather and not a shiny vinyl, but it has a nice sheen to it. There is a subtle texture to it but it’s significantly less noticeable in person than that picture shows and doesn’t bother me. Not perfect if you want stage accurate, but I personally really love it for black alt. Sequins/sequin dupes Apparel Stretch Velvet Fabric Black Foil - this could work as a replacement for the sequin and mesh panels on Seymour’s skirt and leotard. Note that it is a stretch velvet.  Special Occasion Fabric Confetti Dot - available in shades that could work for Boleyn, Cleves, Howard, Parr, and teal alt. This works as a replacement for the sequins, but still needs black mesh over.  Metallic Dot Fabric* - available in shades for Aragon and black alt. This works as a replacement for the sequins and mesh for black alt, but Aragon may need a separate layer of mesh over depending on your tastes. Leotards/skintone materials Skin Tone Tulle Fabric* - This has a fair bit of color range in the medium-dark skin tones. Note that it is a tulle so it’s not particularly opaque and may or may not work depending on your comfort/intended use. Structure Fusible Buckram

* = denotes a material I’m using for my own black alt cosplay

[six-costume-refs]

Is Howard the only costume that has a bunch of different construction variations? And why so many in the first place (obviously not in a bad way, I mean isn’t it better to have one consistent construction variation for future costume makers?)

Howard isn't the only one, there's a ton of material and construction variations for almost every single costume. The Six materials are incredibly unique so there's been years of trial and error to see what construction methods work best to get the look they want! At this point in time it's been long enough that things are mostly becoming standardized within the same studio/makers,* but there have still been some tweaks even in the newer productions.

As for why they're not consistent...as far as Six goes, there's no one who oversees costume construction across every single production to standardize that. This may sound surprising since Gabriella Slade is the costume designer for every production, but costume designers doesn't actually typically oversee construction! The designer's job is to design the costume and then construction is up to the actual makers. Designers have some influence over the actual costume to make sure that it matches up with their vision for the costume, but that's more about the materials and general silhouette of the costume. Ultimately, it's up to the individual teams making that costume to interpret those designs and decide the best way to construct them based on their own expertise. Even so, a lot of the construction has become standardized across different productions, but we still have differences like those that can be seen in Howard!

I detailed all those changes over time as they were experimenting around with different methods and as different makers used different methods. There have been five different primary individual makers or studios have worked on the Howard 2.0 tops, so that’s why so many were listed. 

But yes, those some changes exist among every principal costume and some of the alt as well! 

*Currently every Australia costume (seemingly minus Cristina Filomena Pollard’s) is made by Nigel Shaw, every US Tour/Broadway/NCL is made by John Kristiansen, and then the UK has fairly consistent costumers for 2021/22 costumes.