Dying a trenchcoat

By bobrulz666. 27/11/12, 04:07 am

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted much. I've tended to just lurk the forums and discussions on tips.
I've finished making a BlackJack cosplay minus a wig and stitches for the face for one of the days for next year's Auckland Armogeddan unless something else comes up then I'll use it. For another of the days I'm intending to go as Vash the Stampede.
Would you reccomend that I go through with my current plan to get a normal trenchcoat and dye it red, if so how am I going to do this and what dyes/paint should I use for it.
Or fork out $200 for a pre made coat. Adding all the straps won't be difficult and the rest of the cosplay I will work out over the next year.

By 80486. 27/11/12, 10:51 am

Dying a trenchcoat is probably not the way to go. Trench coats are generally not cheap. You probably won't save much over the $200 pre made coat.

If you go the dye route, you'd need a coat that won't shrink during dying. That means one without any internal construction or lining, and preferably machine washable. Then there's the question of how well the fabric takes dye. You need to find out what kind of fibre the coat is made from, then select an appropriate dye for that fibre. Spotlight has dyes for natural fibres (cotton, wool, linen), and polyester.

Assuming the dying goes well, you still have to modify the coat because Vash's coat is not a trench coat. Significant modifications are required to the collar, front closure, and shoulders. A certain amount of clever cutting and sewing would be required. You might have to buy a coat several sizes too big to have enough fabric left over for the modifications.

By Tatsuhime. 28/11/12, 02:53 am

http://mydisguises.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/vash.jpg Dying a trenchcoat Vash

This may help for a visual reference :3

By **Duckeh**. 28/11/12, 03:21 am

Have you thought about trying to make it as another alternative? You have the time to slowly work it out. (: I would not recommend dying a coat unless you check what it's made out of and know it will dye. Some fabric just won't take the dye.

A quick ebay search has returned a coat that's only $75usd, but I'm not sure what the quality would be like.

By Pura. 28/11/12, 11:02 am

I too was gonna suggest looking on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vash-Cosplay-Costume-Custom-Made-Lotahk-/360375893237?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e813bcf5

$75 USD, maybe not brilliant quality, but it would be more accurate than a trenchcoat.

Or here's another one at your $200 price that's got a bit more to it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trigun-Vash-the-Stampede-Cosplay-outfit-Tailor-made-G811-/350634272117?pt=US_CSA_MC_Outerwear&hash=item51a36e6575

Kinda saves the whole dying/modifying/making process.

By bobrulz666. 28/11/12, 12:47 pm

Wow that's amazingly cheap. With the shipping added it's about half the price of any other coats I've seen The trenchcoat was only going to work as a base. I found a decent fabric that would be good for all the add ons like the front and all the straps and cutting out the lower parts of the trenchcoat would have works towards the shape as well. But as you say I'll check to see what dyes work for the trenchcoat, if they work.

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