Gabrielle's Bitter suite dress

 Recently I added to my collection the Gabrielle’s costume worn by Renée O´Connor in the episode “Bitter suite” from season 3. 

I am not very fanatic of the musicals, but in this case, “Bitter Suite” was the best musical episode of the whole series, there’s no doubt. The costumes in this episode are all based on the Rider-Waite designs of Tarot cards. Gabrielle was The Star, then The Empress, and then The World with the last costume, the reptile dress. This dress reminds me a Greek style wedding dress.

The dress is composed of a pale white chiffon fabric which has a seam under the chest and reaches to the feet. The most iconic part of this dress is the reptile chest piece that is awesome, probably real crocodile skin. Indeed, the costume is described in the “It’s a Wrap!” COA as “Gabrielle’s Reptile Vest Costume”.

Photoshoot

The Xena dress

First sorry for the delay. Ive been very busy these lastest weeks and finally today I get time to update the blog.

Today, I bring to you some close up photographs of the Xena costume dress prop replica made of the american propmaster called Todd Coyle. Also, I would speak about the history of this dress and the evolution of the production of it.

Complete Xena leather costume 

This is a never worn leather dress made 16 years ago in 2002. The quality of this costume is awesome, fully detailed and very well made. Ive bought a few months ago on eBay from a seller who took great care of it during all these years. The seller has always been very kind to me and it is not the first item that I have bought from her.

It is made up of two different parts, the leather corset that include the chakram hook and the resin medallion. The skirt is composed of several leather strips with 9 rivets per strip and behind of them two rows of wide leather strips. Also, to simulate Xenas brilliant grey undies, Todds decided to add in the inner part some wide fabric strips as the ones in the original undies from Xena costume.

Medallion detail close up

Since the tv series started Todds Costumes had created these kind of Xena costume using some original screenused costumes he got on his hands. Therefore, the proportions and sizes of each piece are identical to the original

His earlier work was a raw leather design of it with some small mistakes that after he modified them and got a realistic costume like Xena has. My costume is one of those, it is made of a genuine heavy dark reddish brown leather with the characteristic medallion of the warrior princess made of flexible resin.

Corset close up

Nowadays, I was told about his recent work and we dont know exactly why, but the quality has become deficient and the final result has varied a lot in relation to his beginnings. The leather used isnt the same quality and the thickness is smaller than the ones made years ago and the leather cut isnt as accurate as before. However, Im sure it will become again a great propmaster as he was known arround the world.

Todds Costumes tag inside the back part

Xena Amazing Dress and Armour

Hi guys,
Today Ive gonna make a really quick post sharing some lastest photos Ive taken this days of my Xena Costume dress and armour replicas.

Here weve got the complete Xena outfit, with an original shield prop in the left side and the gaunlets and armbands in the back.

Xena back armour detail and shield.

The amazing breastplate made of fiberglass from Todds costumes with leather inside the breast part.

Xena dress medallion that fits perfectly with the dress.

Other side of the breastplate detail.

Back part of the dress and back plate armour and shoulder guards.

Hope I can update the blog more often.

Thanks for watching and see you soon!