Last Updated: 5/24/2006

Sweet T:

• Black sequined corset
  
  • Covered with black, green, dark blue, magenta and a few gold sequins--sequins are bunched rather than evenly spaced and are sparser on the sides. Many people think they are rhinestones, but holes are visible on some of them on Poster Magazine 1 and the 2004 Mick Rock calendar. In a December 1999 interview with Crazed Imaginations, Sue Blane, when asked her all-time favorite RH costume, said:
    "The first one is Frank's first corset, from The Maids. I did everything on it. I painted it, put the sequins on..."
    Please don't write me claiming they're rhinestones unless you have very compelling evidence.
  • Scoop armholes (tank top-style) in front, with straight straps in back. Straps are a separate piece from the main corset, and are not sequined.
  • Laces up the front and ties at the top in a bow with big loops. Corset has two separate black laces--each lace knotted to a bottom eyelet of the corset. The top pair of eyelets isn't used. ~13 eyelets to a side. Several pieces of boning.
  • Lined in white; a strip of white lining shows along the left side of the lacings, and a little shows at the left armhole. There is bare skin between the corset and the garter belt all the way around.
  • The bottom back and front center of the corset both come to a point (very slight at the top).
  • Ideally corset zips up the back or side so you can change quickly. Frank's may zip under the left arm.

Creation Scene:

• Dirty green surgeon's gown with red triangle on left breast (point up)
  
  • Surgeon's gowns are available at veterinary or medical supply stores. Try on-line or hit the Links page. Other options: department stores may have "Scrubs" catalogs (JC Penney's does), and many thrift stores have a "uniforms" section.
  • Mid-calf length. Standup collar; sleeves are rolled up to the elbows.
  • Two back ties, one at the neck, one at mid-back, and 2 ties that start under a green rectangle at the front waist, wrap around the back, then tie in front.) A short green string hangs from each sleeve.
  • There is a stitched vertical rip (outlined with red stitching; white fabric shows through) midway between his neck and his right shoulder, vertical bloodstain at the left from mid-chest down to the waistline, a big blotch with vertical bloodstain on the left front of the skirt (thigh-height), and several holes on the right side at about thigh height.

Post-Bedroom Scene:

• Black leather jacket with lots of cloisonne badges on it
  NOTE: Badges are positioned as on Poster Magazine Vol. 1 #2, but without the large Mao pin. If you want details on the jacket, take a look at Frank's jacket, as it looks today (we think).
  

  Front:

  • Zips up the front. Shirt-style collar (not the more common 4-tab lapels). Round flat silver studs ("nailheads") decorate the collar, and there is a small cloisonne checkered racing flag pin on the tip of both collar points.
  • Cloisonne pins decorate the upper chest: 34 on Frank's right side and 41 or 42 on his left. Most are motorcycle-themed, and they include racing flags, Triumph, BMW, Sunbeam, Jawa, Metro or Matchless, Jaguar, Panther, The Vincent, (Tri)BSA, CZ, and Norton.
    {For a photo of the badges on the left, click here. For a photo of the badges on the right, click here.
    Note that this is a picture from the poster magazine, so the Mao button (which does NOT appear in the film) has been blacked out.}
  • Silver chain hangs in 2 loops underneath the badge area on each side. On the right side, the end of the chain by Frank's arm is connected to a large round domed metal stud. On the left side, there is a large domed metal stud in the center where the two loops are attached, and two small studs placed vertically beneath the end of the chain closest to the front zip.
  • Slash pockets on both sides are outlined underneath with small round silver studs.
  • A dirty white string/lace hangs down to mid-thigh from the zipper pull on Frank's left. At the left base of the jacket is a tab that could be snapped over the bottom of the zipper with a domed silver snap.

  Sleeves:

  The sleeves are vented with zippers, and are edged with black fringe. The zippers have metal zipper pulls that look like a jump ring attached to a very small D-ring. The sleeves are decorated with patches.

  Right sleeve (top to bottom): {For a photo, click here.}

  • circular BMW patch (black circle with gold 'BMW' above circle quartered in blue and white)
    
  • dirty white number "59" on circular black patch ("59" Club)
  • "ROYAL ENFIELD" in gold on circular red patch, edged in gold, on a larger black fabric circle
  • skull with red helmet(?) and little wings on circular patch. The design is very similar to the UK Hell's Angels logo (a skull in a red helmet with little wings, usually above a yellow banner reading "Hell's Angels"); I have never seen a picture clear enough to prove that's what it is, but I've never seen another design that was close, either, and I'm almost certain one of the badges is a Hell's Angels badge. I have never seen a Hell's Angels patch for sale, but badges occasionally come up on eBay.
  • skull and crossbones on black rectangular patch

  Left sleeve (top to bottom): {For a color photo, click here.} There's also a gorgeous but HUGE black and white full-body photo, courtesy of Larry Viezel, here.
  

  • "ROYAL ENFIELD" in gold on circular red patch, edged in gold, on larger black circle (see above).
  • dirty white number "59" on circular black patch ("59" Club patches are a white 59 on a black patch; it may just be very old and dirty)
  • "TriBSA" in gold on horizontal dark blue oval patch edged in gold in the middle of a black rectangle
  • Blue circular "Triton" patch edged in gold
  • Honda Motorcycles patch (flying gold wing with "HONDA" in red under it on circular black patch)
  • gray Nazi iron eagle patch (directly above zipper vent)

  Back:

  • The back has red block letters painted along the top, obscured by a big red/yellow snarling tiger's head patch (snarling towards Frank's right shoulder); the letters "ROY" and "ELD" can be seen on the upper left and lower right sides of the tiger (probably "ROYAL ENFIELD"). Ashford Wyrd and Shawn Anthony showed me a Triumph tiger patch, and it's a match.
  • Below that is a white rectangular red, white and blue-lettered TRIUMPH patch which is sewn slightly overlapping over a British flag (actually, it's not an actual British flag--the red stripes are all the same width; the stripes in a real Union Jack are different widths).
  • There is one patch at the bottom left of the jacket back: a yellow circular patch with arced lettering along the top and a vertical object; the fellow who owns what is probably THE jacket states it's a Sylvester the cat (think Warner Brothers) patch, and the (warning! extremely large!) black and white side view photo from Larry Viezel appears to bear him out (peek through the fringe: the cat's white tummy, black arm and gloved hand, and the letters SY**ES are visible).
  • There are three patches in a vertical row centered below the flag: a circular white patch on top, a middle patch with a red circle with yellow winged "M" on a black square field), and a horizontal rectangular patch with some sort of wing design (Moto Ducati).
  • There are also two patches, one above the other, on the bottom right. The bottom of the two is a Rock N Roll Special square patch with a a blue triangle (point up) in a white circle; the patch above that is a white circle with Warner Brothers style Road Runner pointing to the right with the words "Beep Beep!" (quotation marks on the patch).

Dinner:

Before dinner, take off your half-finger gloves and pearls.

• Velvet/chiffon long-sleeved dinner corset
  {For photos from the film, click here or here.}
  This is the one costume I've actually had a chance to look at closely in person and where I can refer to the costume itself if there are questions...keep in mind that many of the details do not show up on screen or in any photos I've seen, though you may find them on the DVD.
  To look at enormous photos of what the corset looks like now (warning, it has faded a LOT!), click here.
  • Long-sleeved, scoop-necked chiffon shirt, topped with (and sewed to) a velvet back-lacing corset. The velvet has a complicated swirling paisley pattern on it; the colors have faded over the years, but there are different colors (though they are nearly impossible to see). It's visible in the photos: no, it's not the nap of the velvet, and it's not your eyes playing tricks on you. I recommend you find a sheer and velvet bodysuit to use as a base.
  • The shirt has big black shoulder pads and both underarms and the left elbow are ripped out.
  • In front the corset has a "neckline" that is a very wide "sweetheart"-type V--it is lowest in the center front, then swoops up over the bosom on both sides like the top of a valentine, skimming under the nipples. In back it is straight across at about mid-back.
  • The bottom of the corset curves low over the abdomen and the lower back, and is cut high at the sides, revealing bare skin between the corset and the garter belt. The shirt fastens up the back with wide lacing to about mid-back (corset sides are ~-3-4" apart) and above mid-back with black soutache button loops (Frank's left side) and small 3-D round plastic iridescent buttons with an included shank. Only the top two buttons are fastened. (I strongly recommend against using soutache for button loops; it ravels.) The opening at the buttons is edged with what may be the same lace material that has the flowers on it (see below).
  • On a separate black netting back, six embroidered silver flowers and tendrils and more jewels cascade down from the right shoulder of the corset to below the left bust. This appears to have been an embroidered fabric that was appliqued onto the corset: some of the flowers are not complete. The netting fabric extends over Frank's shoulder, and there is one flower on the back. Most people make the flowers too large. They are actually quite delicate. There are no stones actually on the flowers.
  • Both corset and shirt, front, sleeves, and back, are spangled with white rhinestones, both alone and grouped into diamond-shapes. The single rhinestones are faceted six-pointed stars (like a star of David); the "stones" in the groups are not faceted, but rounded (like little bumps), and there are two distinct types: 3x3 squares, and diamond-shaped groups (not square, but rhomboid, with round stones grouped around a narrow pointed-almond shaped center). The rhinestones are set in metal pronged backs which are glued onto the corset. I strongly recommend against just gluing rhinestones on a costume you're going to wear every week, unless you plan to keep replacing them; many of the rhinestones have fallen off over the years.
  • There are also at least 3 large (about an inch across) shiny black oval sequin-type medallions with a cutout pattern that are positioned as "leaves." These are easiest to see when they catch the light. By the time I first saw the costume myself in 2000, the black sequin "leaves" (ovals) had all pretty much broken off, though a few pieces are still attached. The largest one left is maybe 1/3 of an oval. It looks like they were ovals with maybe a -+- center (like a plus sign but with two of the arms longer, with each set of arms, a short axis and a long axis extending to the edges of the oval).

Floor Show:

Put pearls back on (or use different, more silvery pearls). The pearl coating is coming off one or two revealing that the beads underneath are pink (!).

• Red satin floor show corset
  • Slightly faded strapless corset with red eyelets. Lined in white. Laces 2/3 of the way up the front (7 or 8 eyelets laced; ties at the top) with black lacing and fastens up the center back (looks like hooks).
  • There is a wide gap between the two corset halves, which are cut straight across, and leave the nipples mostly exposed. The corset is much lower in back than in front, sloping down rapidly under the arms to midback. Several pieces of boning.
  • Corset is trimmed front and back with red sequins, a few black ones and possibly at least one other color. Sequins are grouped more thickly along the front opening of the corset and under the garlands decorating the bust.
  • There are several looped garlands of red bugle beads over the bust, extending onto the side panel under the arms. There are 5 or 6 large garlands and 2-3 small per side, with sequins, including several black ones, sewn closely together under them. At least one garland on either side is darker, though I can't tell if it's deep red or black.
  • Corset is edged with red ruffly satin material at the top front (but not the back) and all the way around the bottom. Along the bottom a thin black lace ruffle is sewn above the ruffle in the seam between the corset and the bottom ruffle. We found thin ruffly edging in the trim department at the fabric store; I think it's meant to trim curtains.
  • Each side has two attached red crinkly garters (not metallic) with center seams. For a side view of the corset, click here.