It’s been a while since I had a FAQ Friday to post!
Today I wanted to talk about something I initially did not think was important, but now would never skip it – the test run.
When I first started costuming, finishing a costume was often at the 11th hour, and since I often shipped my costumes to the hotel ahead of time, half the costume (the part that was finished) would get shipped, while whatever I was still working on would go in my carry on or suitcase. As a result, I rarely EVER saw my completed costume until I was putting it on at the hotel. This was the norm, in fact at one point I decided it was “bad luck” to put on the whole costume before the con.
I carried on like this til around 2003. The reason I finally stopped is two-fold – first, I started taking progress photos, which I hadn’t done up til then, which of course made me want to put on everything I had for a decent photo to share on my blog.
Second, I had a couple of near-disasters when things didn’t work right at the con. Things like my Lina armor or my Ocha make-up.
So I gave up the “its bad luck!” idea and started trying on as much as I could before I left. It didn’t necessarily STOP the near-disasters, but it gave me a better time and place to be able to fix those things.
When I do a test run, I put everything on (except makeup, unless it’s a special makeup) and look at myself in my full length mirror from all angles. I walk around the house. I take pictures, both with my phone and a regular camera, with flash and without. In doing all this, there’s a few things I’m watching for.
1. Fit
This one is obvious. Whether you made it or bought it, you have to try it on and make sure it fits. And even if you can get into it without a problem, you want to look for other issues. Are you having a lot of wrinkling at the crotch that doesn’t look very good? Are the armholes too tight and could potentially start cutting into your armpits after a few minutes? Does that seam placement look weird?
I always recommend taking photos because it gives a view of yourself and your costume, more like how another person would see you. The angle will be different from how you see yourself in the mirror, and you can see exactly how your butt looks in that costume, haha.
2. Ability to Walk
I know for myself, sometimes I figure out a way to make something and my husband will question it, “Will you be able to walk in that?” And I’m always like… yeah, of course! But the thing is, you’re never sure until you have it ALL on and how everything works together. The knee armor pieces seemed fine on their own but once you also have the cape on, suddenly you’re getting tangled up.
I like to walk around the house, spin a few times (which is also just plain fun, of course), and see how easy it is for me to pick up any long, trailing costume pieces. This is also a good time to decide if I think I need shoe inserts.
It’s also a good way to figure out if a piece of your costume is not going to stay in place after walking for a bit! What seemed fine standing still in front of a mirror, and posing for a camera, can start shifting around as you walk. Things like boot covers or arm bands, or belts. It’s better to realize you need to sew something down, or add some velcro, while you’re still at home, than on the convention floor.
I also take the time to make sure I can sit! Maybe not sit comfortably, but at least make sure it’s possible.
3. Pain
This is a big one. Sometimes it’ll take a few hours of wearing something before you realize it’s painful, so when you’re doing your test run, be on the lookout for ANYTHING that is even the slightest bit uncomfortable and play it out in your head. How will this feel after 4 hours? Is there anything you can do to make it more comfortable? Can you back it in foam? Do you need pack moleskin, bandaids and use them as a preventative measure?
For me, I’ve gotten to where I can tell during my test run how long I’m going to be able to wear a costume. “I’m going to be able to do about 3 hours in this thing,” and I’m usually right. (Sadly my tolerance level has gone way down as I’ve gotten older!)
4. All Props/Accessories are Secure
This goes back to #2 – walking around can cause costume pieces to shift. But doing a test run at home you can also find that the shoulder pieces you thought would stay on fine are pulling the fabric down too much and hanging too low, and could possibly fall off! Now you have time to reinforce them. If your costume has large pieces, try walking through doorways to see what your clearance is.
I like to jump around and shake, as silly as that sounds – but it’ll put the costume through a test that’s similar to being jostled by other people at a convention. If something falls off during the jostle test – I know I need to go back and find a better way to attach it.
5. Transparency
Looking at yourself in the mirror, your costume may look fine – but what happens if someone takes a flash photo of you? Or if you’re backlit? Does your costume suddenly become see-through?
This is especially important to do with white or light-coloured, or thin fabrics. Bodysuits are the worst offender. That’s why I like to take test photos to see how things are going to look.
When I have a costume that may be see-through, my first line of defense is good underwear. I have some nice skin-tone underwear I can wear with just about anything, and even if the costume is still see-through, I know nothing is really being “seen.” Slips are a great option for thin skirts/dresses.
Bodysuits are the hardest thing to deal with because you can’t wear just anything underneath them without having extra lines and wrinkles. I realized as soon as it arrived that my Padme Snowbunny suit was pretty see-through, and I had enough time to order a second bodysuit to wear underneath it. Between the two and a body-stocking, it worked great. When I’m making something out of white or light-toned spandex, like Emma Frost – I use two layers of white and a layer of nude lining. If you’re making anything fitted out of a stretchy material, always hold one layer up to the light and stretch it out to see how opaque it is! That way you can plan for lining it.
6. Lighting
One thing I always look for in my test run photos is how the colours in the photo look. Does my fabric look too shiny when hit with a flash? Do my metallics match up ok, or does one reflect light more than the other, make it look dull? Does my subtly-purple-to-the-eye wig become blindingly violet under a camera flash?
While there’s not a ton you can do to fix something like that at this point, you can know what camera settings make your costume look best and make sure you get some photos where everything looks the way you want. If you’re working one-on-one with a photographer, you can also pass on that information to them! Better to know beforehand than be disappointed with all your photos after the con!
In conclusion…
So those my thoughts on doing a test run. It doesn’t head EVERY problem off at the pass – unexpected problems can still arise, and sometimes there’s just not time to even do a test run when you’re trying to finish something on a tight deadline! It’s just so much easier to be able to fix something at home with all of your tools & sewing machine than frantically trying to fix something in a hotel room when you’re already late for a photoshoot. (Been there, done that.)