Black Canary – DC Comics (Classic Version)

Made for: Dragoncon 2009

Background: Thought this would be fun to do. This started out easy, then turned a little more complicated than I expected.

Journal Entries: Read more at my Classic Black Canary tag

Related Costumes: Modern Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Batgirl

Patterns Used:
McCalls 5006

Bodice:

Around the time I started this I was also working on Sally Jupiter, so as I was looking for a bodice to wear under Sally I was also hoping whatever I could find I could also use for this Black Canary. Well I ended up with two bodices, neither were exactly right for Black Canary. One of them I ended up with was a cheap Leg Avenue costume… didn’t look great, but it was the right shape. So I cut it apart and used it as a basic pattern to make my own. I basically made a bodice that ends around the waist out of black cotton, canvas, and spiral steel boning, with built-in bra cups. Then I made an outer layer that includes the lower “briefs” section made out of 2-way stretch vinyl (leftover from Mara Jade). I sewed the outer stretch layer to the interior layer at the top, flipped it right side, then sewed the crotch seam together. I put grommets in the back for a lace-up closure.

One note about the construction is that I mistakenly cut the stretch vinyl in the wrong direction – so it doesn’t actually stretch. Oops. LOL. It is a bitch to get into because of that because that bottom “brief” section that was supposed to stretch, doesn’t!

Jacket:

The jacket was the easiest part – I used a pattern. Navy blue satin lined with dark blue lining material.

Accessories:

My blue tights are from welovecolors.com, fishnets from my earlier Black Canary. I was going to save money and wear my old Black Canary wig with this up until about 2 weeks before the con, I found a wig I thought would be perfect. The pic on the website looked more like 40s waves but I ended up getting was a lot more 80s “curly crimpy” LOL But I went ahead with it. I’ve gotten a good bit out of use out of the wig because I ended up using it for Sarah Sanderson too. The boots were my old Imperial Officer boots, I just made the toppers (out of vinyl) to wear with them.

History:

I haven’t gotten to wear this a lot, mostly due to the fact that I’m scared I’m doing to destroy it while getting into it, since the bottoms don’t stretch very well!

As of 2025 I’m sure this bodysuit is now trash. Every other pleather/stretch vinyl thing from this era is dead, and knowing I used leftover Mara Jade fabric, and the Mara Jade suit finally gave up the ghost in 2020, I know this one is no longer wearable too. I’m just too scared to go look at it and face the fact is came apart after I only got to wear it twice and didn’t even get to do a proper white backdrop shoot!

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