Captain Underpants

Background: This coming weekend is Homecoming at DS's school, which means that this week is Spirit Week. Each day has a "theme" and today's is Dress Like a Superhero. DS chose Captain Underpants.

While I thought I would be sewing this weekend, I had no idea I would be sewing a "naked suit" and cape.

The "real" Captain Underpants is bare except for underwear and cape but DS knew he'd already be stretching the dress code with the underwear-as-outerwear and wanted a "naked suit" to cover himself. We were in the mall on Friday buying him dress shoes when he declared all of this, and he went looking for such a suit at the costume store. Even if he had found one, it was going to cost at least $50, and for crappy hot polyester at that. There was no such costume to be had. I think I was relieved, even though I knew it meant I would volunteer to make one. Still, it would cost nothing but time since I already had all the materials and DS would buy the huge tighty-whities.

I started with KS 3277, women's plus yoga pants, and KS 3299, men's fitted tees and a thin white cotton jersey knit. I cut out the smallest size pants (after removing the flare in the leg and omitting the waistband), sewed them up and had DS try them on. The legs were loose so I "pinched" about 4 inches total, dividing between inseam and outseam, to make them form-fitting, and then serged some 1/2" elastic to the waist to hold them up. For the shirt, I raised the neckline to almost straight across so none of his chest would show.

I already had the red satin from another costume and fashioned a yoke-with-tie-thing to attach to a big rectangle. Easy-peasy for that one.

Next, I heated up a huge lobster pot of water, and added teabags, with a pinch of pink and yellow dyes to make a flesh color. I fished out the teabags and tossed in the white suit, stirred for about 2 minutes and pulled it out. One run through the washer and dryer and we had the naked suit.

Voila! Captain Underpants!





Speaking of Homecoming, DS is sort of letting us off the hook for the dance. Instead of renting a whole tux, he's wearing my grandfather's tux from the 1950s. Yes, *my* grandfather — who gave DH the tux (plus a white dinner jacket) many years back. DH has never worn it and so all the pieces (jackets, pants, cummerbund, bowties, braces) have hung in a garment bag in my closet for years because I knew it would come in handy one day. Who can throw out a good wool tux? DS tried it on a couple of weeks ago on a whim and it fits. I had to let out the pants waist, but the length is perfect. Pretty cool that he's wearing his great-grandfather's 50-year old tux.

I decided to take the rental "savings" and buy him a pair of black dress shoes (which is why we were at the mall in the first place), which he'll wear for his Homecoming, his girlfriend's Homecoming (different school), Senior Prom, and then Graduation. We're still renting the shirt, vest, tie, cuff links/studs — some things are just easier/cheaper to rent!