Frank's Sweet T Heels

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).

Newer D'Orsay styles by Terry de Havilland	Vintage peep toe shoes with a triangular opening

Mick Rock was on the set during the filming of Sweet Transvestite so there are a lot of photos taken directly on the set while filming. 

The lab shoes seem to be identical, except in solid black. The boots are also peep-toe. And the floorshow heels seem to have some slightly different shaping, but are also made by Terry de Havilland (see them here).

Frank's Sweet T Corset (Research)

Frank's corset is one of Sue Blane's unique master-pieces.  It seems like a simple deal, but the straps are deceptively closer in the front (which emphasizes Tim's masculine shoulders) and then attach far apart in the back - almost in the armpits!  You just can't achieve this look with a simple scoop-neck tank.

By my count, the corset has 12 (maybe 13?) sets of eyelets - and the 7th and 8th sets are closer together (typical of Victorian style corsets that laced separately from the top and bottom and tied together in the middle).

Frank's laces start at the bottom and tie off at the 2nd set of eyelets (the first is left unlaced); but there is no connecting lace between the bottom two eyelets so you'll want to cut and knot the ends before lacing up.  Once you've adjusted your laces  to fit I recommend tying a double-knot under the bow.

The corset - like most of Frank's wardrobe - looks distressed and worn.   Some sequins have fallen off and left shiny glue remnants of their existence, and the original binding along the top edge (still visible down the center front and bottom) has been removed exposing the white lining and a slightly frayed edge.  It also looks like some boning has been removed, though you can still see the channels.  Judging by the way the fabric wrinkles, I think the only boning left in the corset is along the eyelets in the center front.

I have separate blog entries for my Research on the Sequins, Embellishing Frank's Corset and Frank's Corset Pattern (which I need to adjust the eyelet placements).

Sequins on Frank's Sweet T Corset (Research)

This is my research for choosing the sequin colors that I did (see previous post: Embellishing Frank's Corset).  I also looked extensively at the photos in the Mick Rock book.  There may be occasional specs of gold, but mostly I see silver - the blurry frame actually makes it easier to see the colors.  It's one of those things where it just comes down to your own interpretation and preferences.  There is no right or wrong; it's all subjective.  Do your own research and trust your own judgment.

Embellishing Frank's Corset

I made this in the wrong size so it became a perfect candidate for a demo.  There is boning down the center front, and some additional boning in the side fronts (though it looks like Tim's no longer has any boning there, it's just to help it last longer and wear better).  The underarm seams are left raw to expose the white lining, though you could bind them if you prefer.

I used black, fuchsia, dark blue, teal and silver sequins in the smallest size (I would avoid red and gold).  I applied liberal dots of glue all over concentrating the density closer to the edges.  Initially I placed one sequin on each glue dot.  Then realizing at that pace I would be at it for the next 14 hours, I decided to dump a handful of mixed sequins onto the glue drops, shake it all around, and let the sequins cluster naturally; it looks more  natural.  I would imagine a performer may need to repeat the process as needed - I'm sure over time they may start to flake off.  But I think that's what is going to give it that "worn in" look that Tim's seems to have.

I think mine could use even more embellishing!! 

Frank Gloves (Research)

This is the best screen capture I could get of Frank's wrist. There seems to be 3 buttons of some kind on the inside of the wrist. The seam runs down the pinky side of the gloves - common construction method and easy to find in patterns. You'll want a fabric with some stretch, but it doesn't need a lot. Vogue 8311 and Vintage Vogue 8608 both have nice styles, but neither are long enough. You can find glittery fabric pretty easily around Halloween, or you might get lucky at a thrift shop finding a glittery top to cut up. Knits may curl a little when you cut the fingers, but shouldn't unravel. Make sure you secure all your stitches if you cut the fingers off anything.

Frank's Corset Pattern

This is version 1.0 because it is my first attempt at sharing a pattern. My drafting skills are a little rough around the edges, and I downright stink at trying to write out directions. You'll need a little bit of sewing know-how (how to use bias tape, and how to install a zipper). All seam allowances given are ½". The top edge is designed to be left raw to expose the lining, and I would just stay-stitch that. The center front and bottom edges should be edged with double-fold bias tape. Boning channels can be created in any seam by stitching the seam allowance down and inside the center front channel. You can treat the fabric and lining as one - you can even cut them out together. You will of course, need to cut 2 of every piece. I strongly recommend making a mock-up out of some scrap fabric so you can work out any adjustments or alterations.

For about $4 you can submit your .pdf online to Kinko's to be printed full size. If you encounter any errors, or have any thoughts on how I can improve this design please feel free to contact me. Eventually I would like to make more of my patterns available and offer more sizes.


I only have these 2 sizes, but a 42 would be easy for a seamstress to size up from the size 40.

Size 38
Size 40

Duct Tape Pattern

I've yet to come across a suitable pattern to create a Frank corset. I think his is actually a medical corset worn backwards. Can't find those very often, either.
You'll need a friend (that you trust) to help you with this. First, cover your torso with a plastic bag. Next, using strips of duct tape, cover the torso - snugly. If you raise your arms above your head, you're going to reduce your chest size.

Draw on the corset and any seams you want to make a note of. Make a mistake? Slap on some more tape and draw it again. Then carefully cut the duct tape form off.

Cut out your pieces and flatten them on some scrap fabric. Carefully trace the pattern shapes and add seam allowance where necessary.
Corset in a hurry? Replace the plastic bag with a tight-fitting cotton t-shirt and repeat the same duct tape process - using black duct tape! Trim out your design without creating any seams, split it up the front, and use a hole punch to make the eyelet holes. The cotton shirt will make a comfortable lining and won't unravel.