RENT Angel’s Santa top and belt

This Santa top and belt are for the character of Angel in a Chicago-area production of RENT that is opening soon (link in first comment). I used a wonderfully soft velvet and fur that’s hard to not cuddle up with. Because this is intended to be danced in on stage, I used some different techniques with its creation, such as not Frenching the seams, which can stiffen them, and the fur around the neckline and front edge is sewn only on one side so that, when being danced in, it can move freer and flow like the one in the film. The underarms have gussets – squares of fabric – to give a little bonus room to move. Martial artist pants (and the jeans worn by actors such as Chuck Norris – insert joke of your choice) have gussets in the crotch so the seams don’t split. The coat closes at the waist with a heavy-duty hook and eye and is left open from there on down. The fur used for this isn’t your standard crafting-quality fur. It is a high-quality, expensive fur intended to mimic not only the look of fur from a distance, but the look up close and the texture and movement. I also use a little trick in cutting so that fur, whether real or faux, that I use keeps that soft look to the bottom edges instead of being blunt. The belt is a wide elastic with hand-drawn zebra-inspired pattern with a hidden word (can you find it?) and symbolic imagery. It closes in the back with a heavy brass buckle with four slot options for sizing, though being elastic, it will be comfortable on any of them. I used elastic so it will be fitted, yet not hinder movement.

More photos are in my Facebook album dedicated to this coat and belt.

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