Uniform Details

Just in case it ever comes in handy, there is a difference between lanyards and aiguillettes on 19th century military uniforms. And this is a true difference, not a semi-imagined one like "epaulettes" and "epaulets" (Tangent: I have learn that the fabric epaulet is technically called a passant). On military uniforms the lanyard is the cord that connects epaulette to the collar. A aiguillettes is a cord that connects epaulette to collar, and has an end that hangs down from the collar. This end has some form of metal tip (or "needle" hence the french word "aiguillette", meaning "little needle") on it. Without this "needle" it is a lanyard, not a aiguillettes. Both reenactors and historians are very adamant about this distinction. Utena has a lanyard.

My lanyard for Utena is made from the same cotton based trim as the epaulette gold, which meant drowning it in fray check before cutting. The biggest catch for her lanyard was they solid part that would attach to the triangular piece at the collar.

To make this bit, I pulled the metallic end off of a paintbrush, and cut off the end with the bristles. This had to be made to match all the rest of the gold on the costumes, so was covered in yellow fimo then painted: first with flat, then with metallic acrylic paint. When everything had dried I filled half of the tube with hot glue, and twisted the cord into it.

The three triangles at the collar were made the same way, with fimo and paint, but the sizes were arbitrarily decided. I painted them up, let them dry, then went to put them on the collar and found they were much to tall! I was afraid I'd have to make them all over again, but fimo is not rock hard after it is baked. In this case, this was a positive thing. I trimmed down the triangles, and repainted them without any problem. To keep them in place and low profile, I glued tie take pins to the backs.

The last bit of these decorations was the green jewel at the top of the coat. This was made by circumferencing a flat bead in fimo, then baking it (thankfully the green did not melt during that process. I would have been better served to do this before adding the clay, but after it was baked I decided I want to remove the silver backing. That was easier said than done, but when it was complete I had an opening behind the green in which the top most gold button could sit. 

This construct was painted to match the rest, then the entire conglomerate was strung together. Once the other end of the lanyard was glued to the epaulette all these details were said and done!