Thread: Purple Pharonics - Short and Curvy!

Type: Full Costume

Style: Oriental

Costume Size: Not sure of size, or not applicable

Seller's Country: Australia

Status: Available

This was my first professional costume! Still oh-so-sparkly, plenty of life left in her.

Summary:
Bra underbust up to 40", currently set at 34" cups 6.5" height, 7.5" width, 8" diagonal.
Skirt (heavy Lycra): UH relaxed 31.5", LH relaxed 38".
length: 33" in front from the V, 36" down the back, 35" at the sides
Includes: skirt/belt combo, bra, detachable sleeves, cuffs, headband, veil
Asking: $450 includes postage anywhere (this is heavy!)



Detail: The colour is a in bright, royal violet-purple, hard to capture, but probably between the two colours shown in the photos.
Lots more photos here, including close-ups, just click on the individual links.

Bra
underbust up to 40", currently set at 34"
cups 6.5" height, 7.5" width, 8" diagonal.
halter 20" around (sewn together for now), shoulder straps 17" each, meeting in a 'V' at the back; each of those has some room to adjust.

Skirt (heavy Lycra):
UH relaxed 31.5", LH relaxed 38".
All lycra, and very stretchy, with the current elastic you could probably push it out to 48" or even 50" all round (with muffin top!). I could wear it easily with 38" - 40" UH, and 44" - 47" LH, could also easily change the elastic to go as small as the relaxed measurement. It can also be taken in along the front seam to potentially go as small as 29" UH, 36" lower hip/thigh, but may hang rather than hug the lower body.
length - 33" in front from the V, 36" down the back, 35" at the sides - it seems rather short, but apparently that has more to do with the original design, and I've found that the heavy lycra seems to make it longer on (you can see from my photos that it's touching the ground, and I usually take a 36" all round finishing just above my foot.)

It is a "Queen of the Seas" model, originally made to sit low on the hips with a waist strap coming from centre front, over each hip, and re-connecting to the skirt above each butt cheek. I didn't like that look and took the strap off, but still have it if you want to reconnect it. It also had a heavy lycra swag in the front over a high centre split, which I changed (see 'adjustments' below).

Cont. in next post...

oooh, me likes!!!

Disclosure:

* The paint is coming off some of the coloured beads (as per all Pharonics - one day they'll change beads, I hope!) and some of the sequins, but, as per usual, not noticeable unless you're looking for it.
* Cups appear a little crinkled until you get the bra on (came to me that way) - I've tried fitting the bra around styrofoam balls etc, but unless it's on, the flexible fabric cups just sit the way they want to. Still, they provide more than adequate support, as you can see from my photo's!
* There are a few snags in the lycra skirt and sleeves where diamante chain has caught the fabric.
* All large crystals are intact and present, and as far as I can see, all small ones too. I've managed to find a total of three diamantes missing from the copious quantities of diamante chain.
* All beading intact and tags still attached.
* I have changed the design slightly from the original!
* There is some minor discolouration from bronzer on the bra lining.
* No unusual smells that I can perceive.
* While I keep my costumes aired and stored well away from pets and as such there shouldn't be any evidence of them anywhere near the costume, I must let you know that I do have cats in my house.

This is a well-loved and well-looked after costume, but definitely not new - I picked it up second hand as my first professional costume. That being said, it has a heck of a lot of life left in it! Sparkles like crazy, even in low light. The only reason I'm selling it is because I've decided I don't like the lycra skirt/belt combo look on my body shape.


Adjustments I've made from the original:

Bra
* hooks moved to fit my underbust.
* strap configuration changed to make a halter strap (stitched together, easy to unpick)
* strap start/end points moved by lifting up edge of lining and repositioning ends.

Sleeves
* removed from bra straps, added hook/eye to make them able to be attached/removed as wanted.
* made some small silk-chiffon triangles to pin inside sleeves whenever I wanted the drape effect. Not permanently attached.

Adjustments cont.

Skirt
Basically, I changed the skirt from a 3-insert mermaid skirt with front split, to a 4-insert fish-tailed skirt (back centre insert piece larger than the other three) with no split
* removed waist strap
* temporarily removed front medallion / applique (that central beaded/sequined piece is one separate piece, easy to move as required!)
* removed heavy front lycra swag/drape (piece of beaded lycra that hung from the medallion/applique at the waist)
* removed small central back insert/gore
* added large back insert - used the front lycra swag to make a larger insert/gore in the centre back of the skirt (unstitched part of the back central seam to do this).
* joined the top of the front split seam up
* added the original small back insert piece to the lower half of the central front seam
* added silk chiffon drapes to replace the heavy lycra swag
* replaced the front medallion/applique to cover the top edge of the chiffon drapes.

Headband, anklets/armlets, veil - unchanged. If you really wanted to, all these changes could be reversed as I didn't cut anything, simply unstitched seams or made new ones.

Okay, I think that's everything!

edit - I did miss one thing - I'm very open to trades!

Originally Posted by SaNoorah

oooh, me likes!!!

me too's!

Originally Posted by lisashimmy

me too's!

Had a feeling you would. Too bad we couldnt split the cost

Ooohh!! This is soooo meeee.... Very interested...

Questions: What is the under cup meausurement on the front?

Would this fall off of a 35" UH gal??

Originally Posted by BernieV

Ooohh!! This is soooo meeee.... Very interested... pming you!

Lmk when you are done with the costume

Im going back and forth i shouldnt

Originally Posted by BernieV

Ooohh!! This is soooo meeee.... Very interested...

Questions: What is the under cup meausurement on the front?

Would this fall off of a 35" UH gal??

I usually take a 12" undercup across the front, and this fits alright, so probably 13" (I'll measure it shortly when I don't have paint on my hands!)

As it is now, I'd expect the skirt to fall off a 35" UH unless there's one heck of an hourglass under it! The skirt can be taken in along the front seam - I currently have it pinned there (measuring for another person earlier), and the waist band is 29" UH relaxed... 6 inches of stretch should be enough to hold it up, but you could always put another elastic casing inside to help.
It is a heavy skirt, so the more roundness in the hips to help hold it up, the better :)

I am about as curvy on the bottom as a board... Drat! It's always like that with the pretty ones!!

Gotta pass.... Boo!!

this is gorgeous, SuperBunny!

the cup is too small for decency for me, though :( ...

Would you consider a trade?

and the award for most detailed post goes to.... :)

so how would a 36" UH and 39" LH do with this?? also small D?

Sanoorah, at a guess it would just fit as is, but take in the front seam and it should fit a lot better!

Corrina, I'm absolutely up for trades

Monsoon - LOL! Actually I had all the info in an email to another dancer, and gosh darn it, I put all that detail into the email, so I just copy-pasted it here!

I don't think I could undo anything that you did without complications. I give you kudos!

are the pics in this thread how the costume looks now?

I'm going to pass on this one. I saw your other post after this one, and love the black and red one more. It's a gorgeous costume though, just can't justify two purchases/trades though at the moment!

Originally Posted by SaNoorah

I don't think I could undo anything that you did without complications. I give you kudos!

are the pics in this thread how the costume looks now?

Yes :) All recent pics, since the modificiations.

If Naiya doesn't mind - here's how it used to look (different colour).

Originally Posted by superbunny

Yes :) All recent pics, since the modificiations.

If Naiya doesn't mind - here's how it used to look (different colour).

thanks, that was perfect, totally makes more sense.

now, I need to think....

Bump - still available, all trades (including partial) considered, as are offers.

Back from holiday, and this gorgeous costume is still waiting to find a new home...
I will happily consider offers and trades, very open to doing a deal with someone!!

bump