LED costumes can be a challenge to maintain, especially ones that will need to be washed fairly often. To protect my electronics and make the dress easy to fix or update, I put almost everything onto an under-dress.
I made this out of stretch cotton fabric so it hugs my body and doesn't create too much bulk under the dress. It would also work well to put the lights on the outside of a corset or a slip.
To get the perfect lines, I turned my dress inside out and traced it onto the fabric, transfering the darts and seam lines. My dress is a pretty simple pattern so this wasn't too hard.
Pulling this on over my head in a hurry would be a great way to break all the wires, so I added a side zipper to my under-dress so I can put it on like an apron. This will minimize breakage a lot.
I didn't want to run the wires all the way around my body, so added a couple of connectors that go across the zipper to plug in my battery and the strips on the back.
In hindsight, I realize that if I'd put the zipper on the other side seam I could have avoided this problem.
I added a battery pocket on the center back, near the top so it can be changed while I'm wearing the dress without too much fuss. I also added an on/off switch between the battery and the rest of the project using a short USB C cable with a switch inline.
I also encased the Feather inside a piece of clear 1/2" heat shrink tubing. This will protect it from snags and from sweat.
The fourth connector goes to the "splat" lights in the hem of the dress. I added a long wire to the LED strand with a connector at the end that runs up between the dress lining and the fabric, so it's hidden and the connector emerges in the right spot.
I took some time to stitch down ALL the components. It's easy for wires that are sticking out to get caught on something and pull out, usually right before you're ready to go onstage or walk down the aisle. A stitch in time can save your whole night.
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