Balthier Vest

Commission for a client. Includes vest only.

<-------------- Costume this way!

So, I am a HUGE fan of Balthier's costume and I was very excited when this commission came up on my schedule. I was particularly interested in this commission because it involved some costuming techniques that were pretty new to me, and I always like a challenge! Onto some details!

All of the complex designs in the front have been painted on. I'm generally not a fan of painting, but for this particular project, it meant the difference between a reasonable price point and an incredibly expensive piece of clothing. This is the first time that I've painted something that wasn't a stripe or just a standard all-over solid color, and I'm very happy with the results!

I didn't want the vest design to be completely flat, so I added some leather borders. The borders have been beveled, dyed, then hit with a dusting of gold paint to match the rest of the vest design. They were then top stitched to the vest with thick upholstery thread and an extra long stitch length. The borders around the armholes also have some small tooled details

The vest opens and closes in the back, via a series of snaps. There is also a modesty panel that velcros in to place. As a side note, I'd like to recommend the snaps from McMaster-Carr. Unlike snaps I've gotten from Jo-Ann's or Tandy, the shanks are much longer and really well suited for thicker fabrics. Check them out: [link]

Thanks for looking!