[adamjthompson]

I am working on putting together a Phantom costume to wear to a ball. I have the cape and just ordered the mask. I also have the gloves, black pants and black shirt. I am going to try to get a dark red vest to wear.

I've noticed that there are several variations and costumes the phantom has worn over the years, so I think what I have for the costume will work pretty well.

My problem is the hair. As far as I can tell, the phantom did not usually wear a hat. He had long black hair that was slicked back.

I have short (buzzcut) brown hair...any suggestions? I can't seem to find a wig that will work...

[Set_Buildin_Dad]

Check out the costume the phantom wore on opening night. There are great photos of it in the book about the musical.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Phantom-Opera-Owl-Books/dp/0805017224/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206551218&sr=1-13

There is anothere photo that was excerpted from the book that graces the cover of this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Opera-Gaston-Leroux/dp/0352317167/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206551074&sr=1-10

Basically the Phantom wears a tux with a cape and a fedora. I used this as a costume a couple of times and it worked out really well.

[Phantom On A Budget]

My kind of thread.

The general rules for a Phantom costume are:
- Black cape (optional)
- Black coat (optional)
- Black pants
- Black boots/shoes
- Hat (optional)
- Waistcoat
- Dress shirt (generally white, but color optional)

There are many, many different variations of the Phantom costume, Adam. It sounds like you have your own take on it, which is good. If you want any ideas or references, please take a look at my website. There is a great deal of information there regarding costuming and makeup for this character.

Several versions, including the original novel, Lon Chaney's silent film, Claude Raines' film, Robert Englund's film, Ken Hill's stage show, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage show all feature the Phantom with a hat (usually a fedora or like felt hat). If you are going with the cape and waistcoat, not wearing a coat of any kind, I would not suggest wearing a hat. But again, if you think it'll look good, go for it.

Hair is entirely up to you, seeing that you've created your own look for the character anyway. Most versions feature short hair, but there have been long-haired phantoms in the past (Robert Englund comes to mind). You can go without a wig and be perfectly fine, but if you're looking for a specific style of wig I may be able to come up with a few ideas. Generally speaking, costume-quality wigs are quite cheap looking, but for $30 what else can you expect? They are usually the perfect solution for the occasional costume. High quality, natural looking wigs are hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I actually learned to construct theatre wigs in order to make myself a stage replica for my ALW Phantom costume. Not something I'd suggest to anyone unless they're insane like me.

[adamjthompson]

Thanks for your help guys. Here are the photos of the final costume:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47947&l=61dd6&id=516985399

Overall, I was pretty pleased. I spent less than $20 on it, and not much time, either.