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Rating: 
Reviewed by: Hepyaddakat
(read all my reviews)
Location: Duluth, GA
Gender: Female
Age: 26-35
Visit Frequency: only at Halloween
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Title: Detailed Analysis with measurements
Date: Oct 27, 2008
First off, sewing does not daunt me - I sew nearly every Halloween costume I buy, including my kid's, and I'm REALLY good at improvised alterations. I finally purchased this costume after playing the "will it fit me" game for a couple of weeks. Here is my attempt to help other women avoid this nightmare, including lots of measurements.
Notes:
I know the package says a Medium is Adult sized 10-14, but in reality, it's TEEN-sized 10-14. Translated: That's a Ladies 6, and a skinny one at that (think bony teenage hips). If you are 5' 6" and can still shop in the Junior department, you should be okay.
The costume is actually a lot better quality than I expected. The diamonds need to be repainted, but the fabric is great, the zipper seems pretty durable and it's ridiculously comfortable. My gloves matched my costume perfectly, although they are small. As reported by others, the seams on the outside of the hat ARE sewn inside-out and the 'ears' need stuffing. The elastic on the mask is too short, the elastic on the collar is too long, and the boot covers look stupid.
But honestly, these things are actually very minimal and easy to fix; as detailed as this assembly-line costume is, you really can't beat a $50 price tag and a little sewing, considering it would cost at least $300 to pull it off in Cosplay quality.
And don't kid yourself - this costume IS form fitting to the nth degree, no matter what size it is. It's like walking around in long underwear, so if you're modest, don't buy it. Also you WILL need special undergarments: a body-shaper to eliminate pantylines and a good push-up bra are an absolute must, and a wig-cap is also essential.
The numbers:
Here is me: I am 5'7", I weigh 127lbs, and my measurements are Chest: 38" (36B), Waist: 29", Hips: 39". I'm pretty little, but I am far from stick-thin; I have a decent-sized butt/legs and I've had a baby.
I am exactly between a Ladies size 6 and size 8, and the Medium fits me pretty well. My inseam is 30" (cr0tch to anklebone) and the costume reaches my ankles with no trouble. If you're very tall or wearing extremely low-topped shoes, you will need properly matched socks.
Not only am I a bit tall, but also what they call long-waisted, and the bodysuit (torso) part of the costume is short. When I buy bodysuit/leotard type items, I have to buy what is often called "long torso" style. My measurement from neck to cr0tch is 31" and the costume, from shoulder to cr0tch, measures about 28 1/2", unstretched. When I put the costume on, it stretches vertically, causing an unflattering overstretched shapeless sack look. (However, to its credit, even at nearly three inches too short in the torso, I bent over to touch my toes and nothing tore, not even the zipper.) I lengthened it with some creative sewing (utilizing the fabric from the boot covers) but it was a complicated fix. If you're long-waisted, can't sew and don't know anyone who does, I don't recommend it.
I repainted the diamonds on the bodysuit with regular old craft paint, one coat on the black ones and 4 coats on the red ones.
Re-sewed the backwards seam on the hat. The 'ears' contain a tiny (worthless) sheet of foam rubber which I removed and replaced with a generous amount of Poly-fill stuffing, then used the foam to seal the stuffing in place. I was actually kind of impressed with the hat, as I have waist-length hair, but it looks real good with a wig cap.
The wristbands are a little loose, but my wrists are a tiny 5 3/4". I sewed the wristbands onto the sleeves to prevent them flopping up and down my arm. Also hemmed the raw edges, as the satin has a tendency to fray.
The gloves are indeed teeny, probably a child's large. I have average hands - my palm is about 3 1/4" across - but really long fingers, 7 1/2" from wrist to the tip of my middle finger. Still, the gloves fit, albeit tightly, and though I'd like them to be longer near the wrist, they do come down past my palms. The black one was sewn rather carelessly around the thumb, but once I re-did the seam properly, I could wear it.
The boot covers look dumb and probably don't fit anything larger than an American Size 7. I bought real shoes before I bought the costume. Knowing I would be using the fabric from the boot covers to 'fix' my bodysuit, I put them on for a laugh over my big ol' Size-9 loafers and wound up breaking half the elastic right away.
The elastic on the mask is too short even for my 10-year-old, but it's easy to replace. The mask itself is also too large for my face and a bit weird looking, but if you want to use it, it's made out of velour with this backing that keeps everything from fraying if trimmed with scissors. Personally I pitched it and made a new one from thin foam board.
Sounds like a lot, but I re-iterate: It's a REALLY elaborate costume and well worth such minor alterations for only fifty bucks.
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