Columbia's photo shows that the middle/side strap is attached on top of the garter belt (the other straps are likely sewn into the designated seam).
Rocky's garter belt gives some insight on the fabric - definitely stretchy (not a plain satin).
I've finally updated and digitized my Columbia tailcoat pattern. The sleeve and torso length can be easily modified for a more tailored fit. This is a Small; I'll have to do the Medium and Large separately (someday!) My poor paper patterns I made 15 years ago are so fragile. Once I digitize them I can print them out as often as I need.
In honor of Tim Curry's birthday this month (April, 2025) I made a special Frank-n-Trixie themed ensemble -
It's my basic usherette dress pattern, but I added a tie-belt (instead of the traditional skinny leather belt).
He wears white socks throughout, which makes the quick change after "Dammit Janet" even easier. Brad (and Janet) have a little over 90 seconds for their quick change during the Criminologist's speech.
Oh boy, these are gonna be hard to find! You're looking for a high heel, knee-high boot that laces up the back side of the leg. They also have a peep-toe (but you'll most likely have to create that yourself). It looks like part of the vamp is made of a shinier, patent leather - and then the rest is some sort of slightly-stretchy pleather. Most Franks just attach a different anklet to their boot so they don't have to fuss with it in their quick change before the dinner scene.
D'Orsay (pronounced "door-say") is a style of heel where the sides are cutaway on the vamp. You can read more about its 19th century origins and history here.
Terry de Havilland (aka the "Rock-n-Roll cobbler of the 70s") was an English shoe designer (1938 - 2019). You can read more about his amazing career here.
Frank's Sweet T shoes are D'Orsay style platform heels designed by Terry de Havilland. They feature a very small, triangular peep-toe opening that is hard to discern from the side view (like the red shoes below).
The modern "Lena" line by Terry de Havilland is similar in many ways, but not an exact match. Most of the newer lines have a larger, curved toe opening (like the silver shoes below).
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Newer D'Orsay styles by Terry de Havilland | Vintage peep toe shoes with a triangular opening |
I was so excited that the Space Suits who inspired mine were actually there - along with so many other people in amazing costumes. My wings were actually just left-over prototypes - one was made with 3mm foam and the other side with 4mm foam. No big deal, I don't think anyone could tell. The buckle was 3D printed by my husband. First I sprayed the vertical bits hot pink, then I over-sprayed them with a darker (almost purplish) glitter spray to get it to match the tabard.
RHS Space Suits from one of the early stage productions (before the film) - not sure what color they were, but I've seen references online that they were silver.
I'd like to curate a product list on Amazon - the best option to accomplish this goal is to create an Amazon Influencer Acct. However, I deleted my Columbia's Closet accounts on Facebook and Instagram several years ago. They were permanently deleted and not able to be restored so now I'm having to build everything from the ground up again. Amazon will look at my social media metrics before approving me - I need roughly 500 followers, but also a lot of interaction (in the form of likes and comments). So if you've got some free time and want to help me reach this minor goal please follow (and even share!) my accounts with all your Rocky Horror friends:
Columbia's Closet on Instagram
Columbia's Closet on Facebook
I guess in my original post about Columbia's Pajamas I never included her shoes. Although I can't tell if she's wearing shoes during Touch-a, you can clearly hear them when she gets up to leave the dinner table. The best time to see them is during her monologue before she gets Transduced. It's also a great capture of that ridiculously long string hanging from her waist.
They're just basic black mules (slide-on slippers with a heel).
They're also on her feet during her Eddie's Teddy verse, but so hard to see without lightening the screenshots substantially...
In the stage production the Usherette has traditionally been performed by the same actress as Magenta. In the original 1973 cast Patricia Quinn wore a pink usherette dress with an enormous Elvis Presley pin and carried a "Strawberry time" serving tray. The outfit was topped off with a fan-shaped cap (?) that read Sloane Cinema. The Royal Court Theatre (located in Sloane Square, London) was built in 1888, and for a period between 1935 to 1940 was actually used as a cinema before being closed from bomb damage in the war. The theatre reopened in 1952 and the smaller Theatre Upstairs (with just 63 seats) was added in 1969 - where Rocky Horror would premier 4 years later.
Shawn A. speculates the tailcoat was cut down from a longer coat - and I find that theory intriguing. Perhaps cut down from a Frock coat of some sort (think Abraham Lincoln style of coat). Check out that wayward button way up there on his chest (and the dangling threads of buttons past). Either way, here's some detailed photos from Mick (click to enlarge). Also great shot of the Winklepicker boots, his single spat, and the lacing on his right leg. And did someone split their pants? Hmm.
Bruce M. believes it's a vintage tailcoat from the very early 20th century and has provided this example of a tailcoat pattern from that era. He says "If you look closely at the photos, you can see it was a vintage tailcoat, probably from about 1910's. It has the characteristic 'strap' on the tail skirt as and center front seam, typical of tailcoats made from about 1810 to the 1910's. It looks like it was probably made for someone slightly taller than Richard O'Brian, so a hump could go across the shoulders. The edge of the tail was either worn and/or distressed to look very used."