# Latex Costume



## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

A few weeks ago there was a Super heroes vs. Villains costume party at the bar i work at and my best friend and i were planning on going as Poison Ivy(Batman) and ShadowCat(Xmen), I was planning on making her costume out of fabric and latex; basically making a fabric suit and painting it over with liquid latex.
Due to a lack of time, money, and experience working with liquid latex the costume never happened but I want to make it for Halloween.

Has anyone here attempted to make a costume out of liquid latex and if so how did you go about it?
And is there a difference between Mold liquid latex and body liquid latex?
Any tips, hints, or other help would be much appreciated.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Make absolutely sure she is not allergic to latex before you do this.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

That much i had already figured out, she isn't thankfully


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## Johnny Thunder (Feb 24, 2006)

I haven't done that, but I hope you figure it out. Those would be very cool Halloween costumes (to this big comics geek!).


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

If there is a difference between mold latex and body latex I would think it would be only the price, mold latex being cheaper.

http://www.cementex.com/index.asp

Cementex is close by you I think and they might have old latex that they sell cheaper. The regular price is about $65 a gallon and I would think you will need that much.

Also remember, pulling latex off from body hair is very painful. Make sure if the latex soaks through the cloth you skin is coated with oil or something. Do a small experiment to see how it does first before you go for the whole body.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

i did notice the price difference when i was shopping around, that was why i was curious to know if there was any other differences between the two.
I've found mold latex for $45 a gallon

Would coating your skin with oil hinder the latex curing?
wouldn't it be a little easier to just shave off any body hair?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

You might want to see if vinyl fabric would work for what you have in mind.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Thats a good price on the latex (where?), Iam not sure about the oil on the skin but I dont think that would matter. The full body shave is up to you, my main concern was pulling hair out with the latex (I've done that, it hurts). I guess my best advise is to try something small, a glove, or just a t-shirt before you go for the whole body deal.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

Roxy: do you know where i might find vinyl fabric?
Bone Dancer: I'll find the link and post it


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Tequila325 said:


> Roxy: do you know where i might find vinyl fabric?


I saw it on line for JoAnn Fabrics, and I know I've seen it in fabric stores (typically in the upholstery section). It might be a bit thick for a costume, so you'll definitely want to look at some in person and see if it's flexible and lightweight enough to be comfortable.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

If you are looking to make a superhero type costume, then check out BelleChere's Flickr site and her MySpace site.

She's a professional seamstress who in her spare time makes some amazing cosplay costumes.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

RoxyBlue: thanks for the tip i'll take a look at the fabric but i think it may be too thick
Jaybo: thanks but i'm looking to make it myself


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Don't forget to take progress photos of this project. Good luck.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

Thanks Bone i will, should have it started before the end of the month and I don't even know when it'll be done but before Halloween for sure


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

I don't know how much body or fabric you will leave exposed. But if you use latex to cover a body part completely. It will sweat something terrible. Think about latex gloves, you know how they tend to get stuck on because of the water in them. You might want to consider something like stretch lyca. It will give you a nice smooth fit and it will breath. You can still add pads or latex ornaments for muscles or decoration. The full latex suits are not made to be worn very long. I sure wouldn't want to be drinking and in a latex suit. Just something to check into.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

I was sort of looking for something with a slick/shiny look to it so I'm not too sure that Lycra would be the ideal material, but it does bear looking into thank you


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

Tequila, 
look on ebay under zentai. they have skin tight suits that come in shiny fabric. they are perfect for what you want and they are about $35 each. I use them all the time and airbrush detail onto them.

Yes, they are fetish suits but they work great for all kinds of costumes. Put in green a and shiny along with it and see what you get.
When you order them put in the features you would like. I always get a crotch zipper (the first costume was very hard to use the restroom in) and an open face/detachable hood. you will need no hood for super hero costumes. 
Just a thought but worth checking out for what you are doing.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Mold latex contains a lot more ammonia than makeup latex... I've seen people get burns using mold/slush latex directly on the skin. Also, if you want to use latex because it's stretchy and flexible, you'll lose that when you brush it onto cloth. Latex + cloth is actually a very stiff, rigid combination because the rubber now has all the fibers embedded in it. If you want that skin-tight mobility and smooth surface, you need pure latex... and latex clothing only comes from fetish suppliers and it costs out the wizwaz. Seriously, go with lycra/spandex, you can get the "wet look" kind that's really shiny and it looks great.


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

Allen: the mettalic black looks like it might be perfect!! Thanks for the tip


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## Tequila325 (Dec 5, 2008)

Rev: would it still become stiff if the latex was painted onto a thin mesh type fabric?


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

it would be stiffer as latex really isint stretchy, its just flexible. Silicone is stretchy. That would work better.


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## funkdaddy (Aug 31, 2009)

I made a body suit for my wife one year. We used a form fitting suit in a cotton spandex blend. It is somewhat time consuming,and can be uncomfortable for the wearer, but the finished product was worth it. it is pretty easy. The wearer must stand in a position where their limbs do not touch there body. They can't wear anything under the suit and should have no body hair.The latex soaks through and will attach itself to any under clothes and/or body hair. This can make removal pretty painful. During the application process, we used sponge brushes. A blow dryer can speed things up dramatically. Once removed, get yourself some latex cleaner and shine.


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