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im-sew-curious · 1 year ago

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Isn't it glorious?

It’s here! I finally tackled my analysis of Key’s gold Gasoline era costume, worn in his music video for the song, photoshoots, a stage performance at the Inkigayo show, and a live performance at SM Town 2022. I’ll discuss everything from the fabrics used, the gloves, the shoes, complain about the zipper, talk about whatever the heck jumps are, break down all of the tiny little types of ornamentation (including the things I don’t actually know the name for) and more.

It’s scary in the best way. Buckle up. Grab some coffee or tea or vodka and a blanket.

I want to preface this by saying that this is going to be VERY long. I’ve polled my followers and nearly everyone said they want me to get as granular as I want. So I’m doing that. If that’s not your thing, here’s your exit ramp now. I get it. This is absurd.

You can also read it on my Twitter here. It actually has a LOT of bonus photos because they only allow me to have 30 on here, if you’re interested in seeing more. It may help clarify some things, as well.

Now then. Welcome to those who are left. Let’s begin!

Costumes by Dénicheur by Seo Seung Yeon

For his Gasoline era, Key has had four costumes designed and made by Dénicheur by Seo Seung Yeon, a Haute Couture Designer House that, among other things, makes elaborate costumes for Kpop performers. They’ve got an amazing Instagram portfolio to check out. They made him a gold and black costume for his G.O.A.T in the Keyland concert, the blue and white one for the Gasoline MV, this gold one, and a cream and gold beaded jacket for the 2023 SM Town Concert.

This fashion house’s trademark is intricately beaded, appliquéd…encrusted…costumes. I was able to get some high quality photos from some of you (thanks so much!) And the more I looked, the more I discovered.

If this were a piece of art (well, it is, but not in the same way) “Mixed Media” is what I’d call it. There are literally over twenty different types of beading techniques, appliqués, various types of sequins, trims, braids, rhinestones, chains, and more.

First, I’ll do an overview of the garments themselves, and then I’ll move on to the ornamentation.

The top (it’s not a jacket, it’s not really a shirt, it’s not a tunic. So I’m going with “top”) has a very boxy torso with exaggerated wide, padded shoulders. They’re completely squared. There are straight sleeves—not too slim, not too bulky. There’s a heavily ornamented oversleeve that reaches down to about his elbows and a “nude” colored full length under sleeve. It also has heavily ornamented cuffs at the bottom the sleeve. It has an exposed zipper up the center back that goes up into a short turtleneck collar. The collar and a portion of the lower neck back region are sheer with some beading and appliqués. There are sheer spirals around his arms and in chevrons on his front and scooping around to his back.

Just LOOK AT that masterpiece

The trousers are closely cut through the waist, hips, and thighs but become a bit wider at the knee. It looks like they were made full length but are always worn bunched up over knee high boots. They close at the center front with a very beautifully set fly zipper and flat trouser hook and bar. It’s so low profile that it wasn’t until I got some 4K images that I was even sure of where they closed. It was like he had been sewn in. I wrote a whole thread about it on Twitter that reads like a mystery novel, though I already spoiled the ending for you. Sorry.

The top is made of what is probably a “nude” (aka specially dyed to his skin tone) base fabric to hold the structure, with the ornamentation stitched over top. The external stabilizing fabric is what appears to be some sort of jacquard, possibly silk.

Jacquard is a type of weave, where the fabric is made of long and short “up and down” stitches of sorts, to make a pattern. Because some of the time it uses longer “stitches” on top, it becomes more vulnerable to the fiber breaking and makes it become kind of “fuzzy” looking. This can be especially true if it’s a natural fiber that usually has less structural integrity than a synthetic one. I initially thought this had started to happen on Key’s rear, but after a very close zoom in, I think that’s just a bit of appliqué edge pulling up. I think maybe one of his mic packs is down there too, but I’m really not an expert in that. I did the research so you don’t have to, folks.

Left: A type of jacquard fabric. The shine comes from the longer top threads, contrasting with details of shorter threads. Right: Is it an applique or is it some snagged fibers? Ultimately, I think it's an applique edge.

Perhaps the most interestingly nerdy thing about jacquard is that it was originally made on a loom that led to the creation of computer programming by utilizing a sort of “binary code.” There were punchcards that showed the strands of fibers when to go up and down. Like “holes and not holes” in which to weave.

A Jacquard Machine Loom with punchcards that create the desired design on the fabric

It’s important to note that this fabric needs to have some stretch because it is also used to make his very tight fitting trousers. If it were not a stretch fabric, he wouldn’t be able to do this like THIS or…most things, really.

Even though the jacquard is stretchy, it has some structure to it. It’s used as a stabilizer in between the “flesh mesh” on the outer layer. (aka power net, stretch mesh... There are many names!) It forms the base on which the majority of the ornamentation is stitched.

Flesh mesh is a stretchy mesh fabric dyed to the performer’s skin color and is used to give the illusion that you’re seeing their skin, but it gives much more strength than just a cutout. I wrote a thread about flesh mesh and the importance of taking into consideration the performer’s actual skin tone when building them a costume here

In this case, flesh mesh allows for adornment of these areas, as well. It’s important to note that, even though it’s a separate layer over the base, it is “tacked” through all layers in a regular fashion so it doesn’t droop with the weight of all of the ornamentation.

There are also some parts that have metallic gold applied pieces. This was probably made of a beefy metallic spandex applied on top of the base rather than some solid pleather, due to way it behaves on the body. The latter would have been way too rigid in comparison to the rest of the fabrics.

Heavy gold stretch spandex, forming a chevron on which to affix beads and other trims

Okay. Range of movement time. You know how I love discussing this. That’s because it’s the single most important aspect of costumes for dancers.

Let’s talk armpit gussets. They’re an American football shaped piece of fabric that is stitched in the armpit partially to the sleeve underarm, and partially to the torso underarm. It’s often made of a stretch fabric, but sometimes it’s out of the original “fashion fabric,” which is what we call the main garment fabric.

Gussets out of different fabrics under each underarm. You can see the gold bunch under his arm when it's at his side

It allows the performer to more easily move their arms above their chest and head to help keep the top from riding up. You can see in this photo, though, that it does bunch up a little when his arm is down, because of the extra fabric. It has to go somewhere when it’s not taut.

With this particular top, it’s interesting to note that, due to the asymmetrical decoration of his arms, one gusset is the gold stretch fabric and the other is the jacquard. That means that, either both fabrics have the exact same stretch, or his arms may be SLIGHTLY more limited on one side than the other. That’s fun! I really geeked out about this observation.

Often with jackets for dancers, they’ll have what are called “commodity pleats” around the center back shoulder area. They’re a sort of sneaky hidden accordion-like bit of fabric that stretches out during movement that may otherwise split the back open. Taemin uses them a LOT. But, since this top is so boxy, Key doesn’t need them in this instance. He already had the room he needed without any other accommodations.

They put commodity pleats in the back of most of Taemin's closer fitting jackets. I wish they'd make them the same color as his jackets, though!

With Key’s trousers, we’ve already established that they’re made of a fabric with a decent amount of stretch. But since I can’t find many good photos of his bottom half, I’m unsure about if he also has “crotch gussets.”

By this point, I’m kind of notorious as being the “crotch gusset person.”

The following posts explain them in much more detail, but basically, they’re long triangular wedges that start in the trouser crotch and taper down to nothing in the inseam. These are often put in trousers of dancers when people need a better range of movement.

I wrote about this in detail regarding Taemin’s pleather pants he wore in his Metamorph concert, as well as all of SHINee in the Your Number dance video. You can find my posts on the subject here:(Metamorph) (Your Number)

Jinki rocking a black crotch gusset in SHINee's "Your Number" Performance Video (Black Version)

Gussets allow for extra room and movement when one is trying to do extreme leg movements like squatting. Unfortunately, I don’t have many good photos of his inseam. There’s so much going on with appliqués and piecing of mesh vs jacquard, it’s hard to tell. Part of the front half of his trousers is flesh mesh, swirling around them. The other parts are the jacquard, whereas the back is all jacquard.

I saw one photo which made me begin to wonder if the inseam is a little further forward than it could be, though. That could mean there IS a gusset. I’m really not sure...I don't have official visual confirmation, but now you know more about crotch gussets either way. You’re welcome.

That seam line is up a bit more forward than usual. It really has me wondering, because that would happen if there was a gusset installed. Hmmmm.

Okay. Zipper education time. I apologize in advance. Things get spicy but I tried to tamp it down. The center back (abbreviated as “CB” in the industry) of the top has an exposed zipper. This means exactly what it sounds like: it’s exposed. You look at it, and it looks like there’s a zipper right there. It’s not hidden. Sometimes it’s a perfect match, and sometimes it’s “featured.” Exposed zippers actually become a trend every once in a while in everyday fashion.

I thought it was extremely interesting that, on this elaborate costume, they chose to use a zipper with metallic teeth on white “tape.” (The fabric on the sides of the teeth.) It was a huge disappointment for me, actually. I would have loved to have seen the zipper more carefully hidden like his fly was.

Hello, zipper. I see you loud and clear!

I have to comment a bit on what I view as the one flaw in this otherwise perfect costume. I will preface this by saying that I was not in the fitting room where this was conceived, and I don’t know about any extenuating circumstances and the reasoning behind this decision. But there a few things that I would have done differently regarding the zipper and back collar of this top if were to have made it.

But first: some zipper education. Besides exposed, there are center lapped, as well as regular lapped zippers. With the center lap, it’s like the fabric covers your zipper but you can pull the zipper down through it. Your hoodie probably has one. The regular lap zipper is more like your trouser fly in that there is one flap of fabric that covers the whole zipper, hiding it.

Top: Exposed. (Though it has a matching zipper and zipper tape.) Bottom Left: Center Lapped. Right: Regular Lapped.

Either of those types could have been used to make the zipper more discreet. I personally would have chosen to use a regular lapped zipper, which is less likely to get snagged than a center lapped zipper.

People have defended the exposed zipper by asking if it’s because it’s less likely to get caught. I very much get this argument, and, technically it’s right.

But, in my extensive experience, I don’t think I can recall a case of an exposed zipper in the back of a costume, quick change or no. It’s unattractive. (Not to mention a dead giveaway in a period garment!)

If it’s sewn well and tested, with the correct size lap and no loose fabric, it will work just fine. There should be a hook and eye at the top to make sure that it stays secure while dancing.

Part of being a good dresser is being methodical and purposeful, not frantically zipping something up in a way that is more prone to snagging. They keep their cool, perhaps taking a couple more seconds but ensuring that they pull it up smoothly. They use their fingers to block the overlap as they guide the zipper up.

(Random side note: I met a dresser once who preferred zippers be installed upside down for their quick changes. Hey, whatever works best for them! I wonder how they discovered that…)

I will also note that, as far as I’m aware, the only times he’s worn this costume, he didn’t need to get in or out of it quickly. I know that he wore it in the MV, the Inkigayo performance, and the photoshoot. He also performed at SM Town Tokyo 2022, though he had 11 songs during which to change between Bad Love and this. He never wore this look at his G.O.A.T. in the Keyland concert. Oh, and the collab with the Jinro frog. I’ll talk about that later.

So ultimately, all of the zipper quick change talk is for nothing. There COULD have been a chance that this was going to be worn during his concert, I suppose. But if not, in the end, I can find no reason that there needed to be an exposed zipper other than: they wanted it that way.

Sorry for that rant. I know that it was intense. I just…wish it were pretty. That’s all. I know it wouldn’t have bothered most people, but I personally think that the costume deserved better!

Well then. They arranged the symmetrical beaded appliqué motifs so they didn’t interfere with the center back line, so it wasn’t an issue being all chonky around the zipper.

Unfortunately, since the zipper was built into the neck with just the “stretch mesh,” it moves very differently than the rest of the top. It has a substantially weaker structural makeup and it can’t support itself the same, so it stretched at a different rate than the zipper on the solid fabric on the bottom. It kind of “bubbled” when he moved and it rode up.

Showing the neck bubbling, and, on the bottom left photo, you can see that there is some sheer stabilizer to ensure that the zipper doesn't just tear out of the sheer net.

It couldn’t have been helped unless that whole back neck area had been backed with the solid nude base fabric. That’s what I would have done, personally. But using the stabilizer helped a bit. Without it, it may have not lasted a performance.

I don’t know why they did it that way, but the result was rather disappointing to me, especially considering the care that was taken with the rest of the garment.

Okay. End rant. The rest of the costume is EXQUISITE.

One more thing to note is that the zipper terminates about 4” above the top’s bottom hem. It is right around where his waist is. It was built that way to ensure that he was able to move his legs and hips comfortably without getting hung up anywhere.

His knee high boots were covered with the same peach jacquard as his top, as well as utilizing the gold fabric to serve as ornamental buckled straps.

The stretch element of the jacquard is further showcased by the fact that it pulls over the boot toe smoothly, with little issue. A completely stable fabric wouldn’t be able to do that.

Now for the ornamentation. Oooooh boy. There are around twenty types of various adornments on this costume, and I thought I’d highlight some of them.

I can spy about 15 different types of ornamentation here alone.

Beaded appliques at the neckline

Heavy chains

Rhinestone appliques and/or individual rhinestone pieces

Bugle bead chevrons

Gold round beads

Yellow individual small rhinestones

Grey beads in between bugle beads

Gold and silver flat braid trim

Gold stretch fabric

Round flat decorative chain

Hanging paillettes

Dark seed beads with some of the paillettes

Gold dangling lil dudes

A sequined applique peeking out from behind a chain

Utilizing the main fabric as a chevon stabilizer as a design detail

About paillettes: these might actually be my favorites. They’re like “floppy sequins” that only have one hole at an edge. They’re made of a very lightweight plastic, so they’re virtually silent. If you wear a dress completely covered in paillettes, you’ll just hear a little rustle. In this case, his were mainly attached via dangly wires as fringe around the upper sleeves. There are a few other random instances throughout the garment where they’re stitched on individually. You can read more about paillettes in my post here.

Appliqués: There are at least three different types of appliqués in this costume:

Beaded

Lace

Sequined

Rhinestone

Appliqués are premade decorative pieces. It looks like someone hand beaded everything on the costume, but they were able to take a shortcut by using these. So no, contrary to what you might believe, there wasn't someone laboriously hand beading every single thing on to this costume.

It still takes FOREVER to invisibly stitch each motif on to the costume as well as, in this case, sometimes layer upon layer. A lot of them are attached to a net base, and in closeups, I saw how they trimmed the net away closely around the motifs.

On the top, we have the gold paisley sequined appliques. On his trousers, you can see the low profile lurex embroidered lace appliques. Bottom left, you can see the beaded and rhinestone applique. And on the right, beaded appliques. You can see that they're over flesh mesh so, when it's on Key, it just looks like he has a beaded collar.

The sequined, beaded paisley motifs are the most prominent and plentiful form of appliqués, focusing around the top’s cuffs and lower edge. They’re also heavily featured spiraling around the trousers. There are even some appliqués stitched across the seams of the trousers and top.

There are some huge, gorgeous bead and rhinestone appliqués, like this one on his right bicep that you can see in the photo above.

There’s also the Lurex lace (metallic threaded) embroidered appliqués that concentrate mostly on his trousers' waist and hips. It’s low profile without any bits that might snag the top while moving. They added a few jewels to it further down once it was no longer posing any danger to snags. There are also a few flat appliqués on his rear, so as to not make sitting uncomfortable but still be adorned.

Beads and gemstones: There are also individual beads and jewels both sewn and what appears to be discreetly glued on as accents. A popular adhesive we use for that sort of application is called E6000. It bonds pretty much everything from plastic, leather, metal, rubber, and wood. It’s like a slower acting super glue, but is more flexible.

You definitely need to use this in a ventilated area or, ideally, with a respirator. The fumes are no joke! There are little chevrons made out of long tubular metallic bugle beads that were probably glued instead of stitched on. There are also round bronze beads and gold rhinestones glued to the edges of the metallic fabric.

There are little dangling gold dudes, though I don’t know what they’re officially called. There are individual sew on rhinestones. There are circular decorative flat chains. There is gold beaded fringe at the wrists of the sleeves.

Top left: gold braid, beads and chains are heavily featured. Top right: the dangling gold dudes. I don't know what to call them. Bottom left: Paillettes, hanging on gold wires on the upper sleeve hem. Bottom right: Gemstones highlighting the center of the chest, with a whole organized, beautiful mess of braid, beads, etc.

There’s gold flat “braid” trim that also looks like it has a bit of silver in it to add dimension. It’s basically like a braided ribbon, often in metallic colors. It’s used a lot in military uniforms.

And there are a few other various random beads and trims that show up amongst the circus of adornment.

The layout of the overall design is asymmetrical, with left and right arms and legs that don’t match. However, the front of the top is completely symmetrical (which is extremely impressive) except for a few rampant rhinestones that intentionally deviate a bit. Here’s an abomination I made of the sleeves next to each other to see the asymmetry more clearly.

I THINK (not based on this photo but others that aren't Frankensteined together with different perspectives) that the sleeves are actually different lengths as well.

Something that I should cover is that with garments made out of a stretch fabric, like Key’s trousers in this case, stitching on something non-stretchy (like some appliqués) can be fraught. The appliqué can keep the fabric from stretching as much as it needs to accommodate a body in it, and it might tear off.

Sometimes, we need to stretch the fabric a bit as we sew on the motif so it will look normal when a leg is in it. It may look a bit puckered when it’s not being worn. The good news is that it appears that most of the motifs in this costume are on what is most likely a mesh backing, so they probably didn’t have to deal with that headache here!

Since the motif on the Jacquard fabric is pretty small, as well as the fact that some of the appliqués wrapped across the side seams, “pattern matching” wasn’t a big priority on this. However, it’s always preferable to keep the motifs at the same horizontal height. This is a REALLY small pattern, so it wouldn't matter terribly, plus the fact that it was so covered it can hardly be seen. There WAS a point on the right side seam where the pattern did match, but the fabric slightly torqued on the left so it didn’t. All in all, it wasn’t a big deal whatsoever. If it were a bigger print though, it could have been. I made a thread about pattern matching here. It's a subject I'm pretty passionate about!

This side seam was cut so that, at a fixed point, the motif was all at the same level horizonatally at there was a part where the motif perfectly matched up to create one complete one. Because there are curves in the seam, it can't do that everywhere.

Now for a bit of a departure: SHINee and its members have done a few collabs over the years, dancing with the frog mascot from Jinro soju. SHINee did one for Don’t Call Me, Taemin did one for Move, and Key did one for Gasoline.

They dressed the frog up like Key, complete with jewels and chains! It was precious. SO GOOD. Watch it now. I also bring this up because that video was the resource I used to figure out where the gold chains on Key’s top were “tacked” (AKA stitched to keep it held down strategically.) It was a nice close-up view. Thanks, Jinro frog!

(Side note: I have made mascots before and it's ironic because they freak me out. I also refurbished a hot dog mascot that had gotten too gross after public appearances over a decade. My life is weird.)

I love how scaled-back but accurate the frog's costume was.

Through the magic of the Jinro frog, I found the answer to the question “where were the chains tacked?” Here. Enough that they still have independent swing and look natural, but frequent enough to keep them from smacking him in the face. Based on the way they move, I think that is metallic coated plastic and not actual metal. Also, for safety's/comfortability's sake! You don't want to be thumped in the chest with every move.

Here's where the chains were tacked

Someone asked me how much they thought this costume weighed. My answer?

I really have no idea…but probably not NEARLY as much as it looks? I'm like 99.9% sure the chains aren't actual metal. I’m not sure if the “jewels” are glass or plastic. The tiiiiiny “seed beads” and "bugle beads" are glass, but there aren’t enough that they would weigh a significant amount. There's a lot of gold braid on there that's very lightweight. A lot of what you see are layered appliqués with sequins and seed beads, which weigh nearly nothing. The dangling paillettes are just a light plastic.

For the garments themselves, as we’ve established, the are a few layers of fabric and mesh, which aren’t very heavy. Because of the “encrusted” nature of the ornamentation, of course, it still weighs a bit more than just a regular top, and is probably kind of rigid on the front. However, it’s not like he’s dancing around in chainmail.

Lastly, there are his gloves. His left one is made out of that heavy gold stretch fabric that was incorporated into the rest of his costume, and his right was also made out of a flesh mesh. From the way it behaves in this photo, it appears to be a much heavier mesh than the top and trousers.

The right glove has thicker mesh that almost appears to have a natural fiber content that is getting snagged. It doesn't completely conform to the skin like a tight flesh mesh would.

The gloves are heavily ornamented with appliqués and beads. I’m going to guess that these were actually custom made for him, which is a big deal. I know very little about glove making, except it involves a TON of pieces to be done right. Gussets in between the fingers to make them slim and elegant and such. No Mickey Mouse hands here.

Stitching the ornamentation on to gloves is pretty difficult work. You either need a hand form and a curved needle or a very brave stitcher who uses their own hand as a form (palm up.) I haven’t done that for gloves, specifically, but I have been a “sacrificial hand” for other situations. I’m so calloused in most places, I don’t really feel much anymore!

There’s one more aspect to this costume that was seen in the intro for his Gasoline Inkigayo performance: the cloak. He didn’t wear it for very long, but it appears to button across his chest to the other shoulder with snaps underneath. The snaps keep the underlap from peeking out from…under the lap.

It looks like they might have had a wardrobe emergency here, because you can see that two of the three snaps were hastily stitched on with red thread. The ornamentation is asymmetrical, mostly focused on his right side. On his left shoulder, there is a decorative beaded “epaulette.” Those are the ornamental shoulder pieces you often see on military dress uniforms.

Left: The full cloak. You can see the facing on the inside edges, made of the same fabric as the outside. I'll write about that in a bit, and I'll show you a closer view later. Top right: The red thread holding on the upper snaps. Bottom right: Metallic epaulette.

It’s hooded and made out of the same jacquard fabric as the rest of his costume, and it has a satin lining the same color as the “fashion fabric.” It appears to be about calf length. One of the photos I found actually has a shot that shows the facing, the lining, and how the hem is done. Of course, I nerded out. It’s “self faced,” which means that there’s the same fabric that’s on the outside making up the “facing.” The facing is the first ten inches or so of the inside edge of the cloak. It makes a pretty transition from the outside to the inside, without a harsh switch to lining.

Then, there’s the hem.

While attached at the top, the hem of the lining and the outer fashion fabrics are allowed to “hang out” separately while on a dress form. Because fabrics stretch out at different rates (and it also changes by the direction they’re cut from the fabric, but that’s a whole different lesson…) it’s ideal for something like this to hang on a dress form and do its thing for a day or so.

In an ideal world, you’d have a fitting with your performer and you would mark a “level line” on them while they’re wearing the cloak (and also the shoes they will be wearing. Different shoes can change a lot!)

There are several different ways you can mark a hem. You can safety pin it up the way you want it, using a ruler measuring up from the floor to keep it even. But this can be awkward and clunky.

Or you can safety pin a “level line” and say that it’s, for instance, 18” off the ground, and you’d like the hem to be 16” off the ground. You’d draw a new hemline 2” down from the pins. It's the easiest way to know what's level and then decide exactly what you want to do later.

OR you can use what I call “the poofer” which is a little measuring stick on a tripod with chalk and a rubber squeezy ball that poofs chalk into a line at a set height, instead of dealing with pins. But sometimes the chalk doesn’t like to brush away, so that’s a bit of a risk in exchange for convenience.

First, let’s talk about hemming the outside cloak fabric. Because it may have stretched out unevenly, you may have wildly different hems lengths now that they’ve been “leveled.” Let’s say we’ll leave 6” of “hem allowance” to fold up into the garment so it can be lengthened later if we need to. You’ll trim the rest of it away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve altered hem lengths on cloaks over the years! I'm always grateful to have extra.

You may want to finish the hem with a “serger” or “overlock” machine, which is the sewing machine that uses 3-4 threads to sew things, often stretch, together and kind of seals off the edges. It’s probably what stitches together the side seams of your t-shirt or hoodie or lounge pants or basically anything stretchy. It’s used to keep hems and the edges of fabrics inside garments from fraying. Sometimes people don’t do it, especially since it's inside, but it’s nice if you’re planning on altering it or if the fabric is really prone to fraying.

The cloak fabric is then thoroughly pinned and hand stitched up. There are many different sneaky stitches which grab a few threads at a time from the front of the fabric and are virtually invisible. Everyone has their favorites. My personal favorite is the “vertical hemming stitch” or “vertical blind hem.” I like it because it holds the inner hem and the outside of the cloak more tightly together than a lot of other styles. The “cross stitch” which is called the “blind catch stitch” here in this diagram is one of the most popular methods. However, I feel it can be a bit too loose some times and is more likely to be caught on something. The one downside of the vertical blind hem is that, if you pull it too tight, it’s more likely to show from the outside. It takes a very sensitive hand to get it right. The lining is usually slip-stitched to the cloak hem.

Once you’ve got your level line of your fashion fabric, it goes back on the dress form. I’m…not entirely sure I’ll do a good job explaining this because I work best with showing things with points and grunts. My apologies.

You mark the lining to match the level where the hem of the fashion fabric ends. You decide how far up from the bottom of the hem you want the lining to end (in this case, 4”.) So normally, you think you'd fold it up 4", right? Ha! You subtract two inches from that number. This means you’ll be folding up only two inches of lining. But, since we will be stitching it 4” up from the hem, that means there’s a floppy extra two inches. (Cue Advice.) What’s that for? Now I have to tell you about “jumps.”

Jumps are a sneaky trick. This method is used in suit coat hems and sleeve linings as well. Basically, they’re a way to give a little bit of wiggle room with the length of the lining to hem interaction.

After the fashion fabric is hemmed, you hand stitch the lining 4” up from the hem. You have two extra inches of lining. One extra inch of lining is pressed down so there’s an extra inch of “underlap". This photo (top right) showed me that they had done this to Key’s cloak. You can see it stretched out with the pressed line on the left, and it is folded over on the right.

Left: The "self fabric facing" at the center front inside of the cloak. Top right: The cloak hem showing the underside of the "jump" (left) and it down in its "resting" position (right). Bottom right: the "poofer." They're marking a level line.

If you want to get even MORE granular, that is considered a “soft press”, which means that the iron steams and very lightly rests on the fabric. A “hard press” is what it sounds like. Squish that lil dude and steam the heck out of it. That line is never gonna come out.

Okay. Enough of that. I can’t believe myself.

I could literally discuss this costume inch by inch, but I think I’ve covered it enough that you can peruse it yourself if you’d like and kind of know what you’re looking at.

I deeply admire and respect the, perhaps, 100+ hours of craftspersonship that it took to make this stunning costume. Don’t even ask me what it cost to make!

Do check out the Instagram of @denicheur.official where you can see other costumes they’ve worked on for groups like IVE, Enhypen, Stray Kids and more. They’ve got an amazing portfolio to drool over.

I hope you’ve gained an even greater appreciation for this gorgeous look, and the knowledge you’ve gained here can go forward with you as you enjoy future costumes! And thanks so much for sticking with me. I hope it was worth it!

#Shinee key #Key shinee #kpop #kpop costume #kpop costumes #Key #shinee #costume design #costume construction #costumes #gold costume #costume analysis #fashion analysis

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onlinemarketing222 · 12 days ago

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Why Digital Marketing Is Essential in 2025

The business world is changing more quickly than ever in 2025. The way we market and expand businesses has fundamentally changed as more individuals spend time online. No matter the size of your organization, digital marketing is now a must rather than an option. Selecting the top digital marketing agency in Allahabad is therefore more crucial than ever.

Let's examine why digital marketing will be crucial in 2025 and how it might benefit your company.

1. Everybody is online

More than 5 billion people will be using the internet every day by 2025. Nowadays, almost all of your clients look for goods and services online. Before making a choice, they check Google, social media, YouTube, and review websites.

Therefore, you are losing out on a sizable audience if your company is not available online. A team of experts from Allahabad's top digital marketing agency can make sure that your company ranks where your clients are searching.

2. Results-oriented and economical

Digital marketing is far less expensive than conventional marketing techniques like radio, TV, or print ads. You may spend less money and reach more people.

Thanks to clever digital strategies, even tiny firms can now compete with big brands. A well-thought-out campaign from an expert Prayagraj digital marketing business can increase your leads and ROI (return on effort).

One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is that you can track everything. You can see how many people saw your ad, clicked your link, visited your website, or made a purchase.

This helps you understand what works and what doesn’t. The best digital marketing company in Allahabad will give you regular performance reports so you can make better business decisions.

3. Communicate with the Correct People at the Appropriate Time

The goal of digital marketing is to reach the right people, not just more people. By using technologies like social media targeting, SEO, and Google Ads, you may connect with your interested clients according to their region, age, hobbies, and behavior.

This results in more conversions, higher-quality leads, and less effort spent. A trusted digital marketing institute in Allahabad is adept at using these resources for faster business growth.

4. Enhances Brand Reputation and Trust

Customers will have more faith in companies with a strong web presence in 2025. They examine internet reviews, social media accounts, your website, and even your response to comments.

5.The Future Is Mobile Marketing

Nowadays, the majority of individuals access the internet via cellphones. Everything takes place on mobile devices, including online booking and buying. Your company must thus be mobile-friendly.

Digital marketers make sure that all of your content, advertisements, and website are mobile-friendly. The top digital marketing agency in Allahabad ensures that your brand functions quickly and looks great across all platforms.

6. Local SEO Helps in Local Domination

Local SEO, or search engine optimization, is essential if your company is based locally. When a local person searches for your product or service, it helps your company show up at the top.

For instance, your company needs to appear first when someone searches for "top doctor in Allahabad" or "best salon in Prayagraj." Here is where boosting your business profile on Google and local listings is where an Allahabad digital marketing agency can really help.

7. Digital Marketing Continues to Change

The digital world is always changing. New technology, trends, and platforms are always emerging. In 2025, what worked in 2023 might not work. Businesses thus require a workforce that is up-to-date and flexible.

To keep you ahead of the competition, the top digital marketing firm in Allahabad will always employ the newest technologies, fashions, and approaches.

In conclusion

Digital marketing will be important in 2025, along with Whether you want to attract new customers, grow your brand, or increase your sales, digital marketing offers the tools and strategies to help you reach your goals.

You may obtain professional assistance, a higher profile, and long-term success by collaborating with Allahabad's top digital marketing agency. Select a reputable Prayagraj digital marketing firm and services now if you're prepared to expand your company online, and you'll be amazed at the impact.

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971518k · 8 months ago

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Starstruck 2023 (스타스트럭) [review]

tw: poverty, child labour, alcohol misuse, domestic violence, emotional and physical violence, manipulation

starstruck is a romance web drama directed by park sunjae and kim hoongwang. adapted from the novel "Star Struck" (스타스트럭) by Ha Tae Jin (하태진). you can watch the drama on iQIYI, bilibili and youtube.

disclaimer: the review is based solely on my opinion on this drama. since my job title is related to evaluation and i love theatre, i wrote this review to practice my skills in evaluating screen and theatre plays. the review is not sponsored. the bias occurs in my review process as i am focusing on evaluating zuho’s performance. my identity and experiences influencing my opinion on his performance. lastly i am an advocate for queer rights. the review has some limitations. i am evaluating the series through westernised/european lenses and a privileged perspective that is a reflection of my experiences. moreover, i am still learning the terminology and techniques used in theatre. i am sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. english is not my first language, so i hope i am not too difficult to understand, but please let me know if i can clarify anything for you. finally, my profile is a safe space for lgbtq+/queer people, so i am not tolerant to whatever queerphobics and haters comment on my posts.

the storyline describes the situation in which seo hanjoon (kim in sung) has been in love with his childhood friend, jo yoojae (baek zuho), for years. he never confessed his feelings for him because knew his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. it didn’t matter because hanjoon never even dreamed of confessing to him. misunderstandings were a part of their relationship and hanjoon was forced to confess his feelings for yoojae. their living situation is an issue that they have to deal with. yoojae is living under a toxic and abusive family environment and hanjoon is a survivor of child labour. he works to support his mother and cover his basic expenses and academy tuition costs/fees. his parent misuses alcohol and they live under poverty.

starstruck has been criticised by queer and non-queer people for having a predictable plot and not having a clear storyline. the bad script and the short episode length are not enough to keep the show going. i agree with this point.

in this review, i am focusing on evaluating baek zuho’s character, jo yoojae. apologies for not evaluating any other character development, but it takes time to write a good series review. jo yoojae is an interesting character development. yoojae is rounded, meaning that he captures the audience’s interest and attention. yoojae has a complicated life. the audience gets the information about his motives and his actions which lending the story more credibility. zuho shows interesting moments in the series as he experiences conflict (internal or external). zuho reveals how he experiences anger, jealousy, anxiety or love. for example, zuho’s character has codependency issues. he can’t handle the fact of him not having to deal with loneliness.

however, zuho kind of failed to make it clear to the audience how he bottled up his feelings. personally i think the directors failed to guide him through the plot. for example, yoojae keeps on hurting people because he took after his parents (starstruck, 2023). it means he grew up with emotionally unavailable parents. people who are toxic, narcissists and attention seekers. so yoojae is perpetuating the trauma that comes from his parents and his childhood memories.

yoojae is selfish, jealous, possessive and has codependency issues. he doesn’t understand that hanjoon has set boundaries for himself because he doesn’t want to be hurt. youngjae is not living through the loneliness either. deep down yoojae wants to be seen, heard, loved and cared.

yet the script shows little detail in his character and actions. there are small changes in character growth. for instance, yoojae is absolutely right in his opinion about escaping domestic violence and leaving his parental house. but i was not convinced by the way he executed his own character development. as someone who has been in this situation, i was suffocating myself. my mental health was so bad and had to take care of it for quite some time. It's a topic for another day. i would loved to see zuho in a state where the situation was very much different from what it was depicted at the series. I wished he had more time to practice his craft.

despite the lack of a strong character development, zuho’s character becomes the center of attention and makes the story interesting to watch. overall, zuho’s is both dynamic and rounded character that i like because he is so engaging and relatable that I empathize with that character.

considering that the character is a bit more complex than the others I would like to make suggestions on zuho’s acting abilities in the futurte. zuho failed to show chemistry with his co-star in the series.

in this case, zuho can use the "feel the role" and “become the role” technique for improving his craft/acting skills. the first technique is the core part of the Stanislavsky Method, which is based on the idea that actors should "experience" the role they are playing. the second technique is the “psychological gestures’, the concept designed by Chekhov to help actors find their particular role. it is a method that emphasizes imagination and movement in acting. preparing for each new character, actors need to use their imagination, intellect, and emotions and explore a range of physical expressions like gesture, movement, rhythm, and vocality. the actors then express their inner life through their body. in this case, zuho could have read about queerness, visit queer places and talk with different people in these spaces. by this logic zuho would have had a better understanding of queerness.

last but not least, I have identified prominent themes and underlying messages conveyed by the drama. I use an example in this review, the absence of queerphobia. there is no depiction of actual queerphobic behaviour or any other form of discrimination against hanjoon and youngjae. i understand that hanjoon is closeted queer person. what about youngjae? my assumption is that he explores his sexuality and feelings. it feels like the series is written by a elitist point of view. the development of the characters in the story needs to be done in a more realistic way and not in a fantasy setting like this one.

the production value is good but I am not providing an in-depth analysis of this one because it takes time to write a good review. to summarise, zuho’s performance is very interesting and i recommend you watching <starstruck> in your spare time.

Reference list

#bl kdrama #bl drama #starstruck #kdrama #queer series #lgbtq series #korean lgbtq series #zuho #zuho sf9 #baek zuho

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janetjacksonseo · 2 years ago

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mastersindigitalmedia · 2 years ago

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SEO copywriting is one of the most important skills any content creator can learn. When you create SEO copy, you are writing for two different audiences: users and Google. Read in this guide how.

#SEO Copywriting #GoogleNEW! Updated with Statistics 2023 #SEO

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bubbiegunter · 1 year ago

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SEO copywriting is one of the most important skills any content creator can learn. When you create SEO copy, you are writing for two different audiences: users and Google. Read in this guide how.

#seo #AI for writing #chat gpt

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blogger-1111 · 2 years ago

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Why Digital Marketing is Important in 2023???

Let’s start by understanding what digital marketing is all about before we dive into why it’s so important. In the rapidly evolving landscape of business and technology, one thing stands out as a true game-changer – digital marketing. In 2020, we stepped into the digital age with full force, pushed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift has led businesses to adapt to digital methods for their survival. Every business wants more clients and customers, right? Well, that’s where Digital Marketing comes in handy. It’s like the key to attracting people and creating leads.

Digital marketing means promoting your brand, service, or product using the internet and digital gadgets like phones, computers, and tablets. It’s made up of different parts, including content marketing, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, influencer marketing, and more.

Now that we’re clear on what digital marketing is, let’s talk about the importance of digital marketing in 2023.

Reach a Larger Audience

Cost-Effective

Targeted Marketing

Measurable Results

Provide Flexibility

Increased Engagement

Increased Brand Awareness

Competitive Advantage

Improved Customer Experience

Reliable Lead Generation

1. Reach a Larger Audience

When you advertise on TV or in a magazine, it’s hard to control who sees your ad. You might have some idea about the people who usually read that magazine or live in a certain area, but it’s mostly just guessing. However, with digital marketing, you can discover and target a very specific group of people who are likely to be interested. For instance, you can use social media to display ads to a particular group based on factors like their age, location, interests, connections, or activities. Alternatively, you could utilize methods like PPC or SEO to display ads to individuals who have searched for certain words related to what you’re selling.

2. Cost-Effective

Digital marketing is more affordable than traditional marketing, which is ideal for businesses that have limited funds and resources. With digital marketing, your small business can start the process immediately. You have complete control over how you spend your money, targeting certain marketing streams depending on your needs. The reason behind its easy affordability is the low investment techniques such as SEO, Content Marketing, etc. Some techniques, usually at the beginner level, come at no cost. Other techniques are paid, but the charges are lower than any traditional marketing technique like SEM (Search Engine Marketing). SEO is cheaper than SEM and focuses on organic traffic. So having a good Content Marketing strategy can help you in all aspects of Digital Marketing. Digital marketing helps you track day-to-day campaign performance, so you know what channels are performing well and which aren’t, helping you optimize your campaign budgets for high ROI. You only need to conduct some studies and then try any of the types of digital marketing mentioned above.

3. Targeted Marketing

Digital marketing allows you to pinpoint your audience with precision. This means you’re not wasting your resources on people who might not be interested in your product or service. Instead, you’re focusing on those who are most likely to engage and convert. This kind of targeting leads to higher efficiency and better results. Whether it’s showing ads to specific demographics on social media or using keywords to appear in search results for people looking for exactly what you offer, digital marketing lets you be where your potential customers are.

4. Measurable Results

One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is that it’s like having a dashboard that shows you exactly how your efforts are working. Unlike traditional methods where you’re left wondering if your ad in a magazine brought in any customers, digital marketing gives you concrete numbers. You can see how many people clicked on your ads, how many liked your posts, how long they stayed on your website, and much more. This data helps you understand what’s effective and what needs improvement, allowing you to adjust your strategies for better outcomes.

5. Provide Flexibility

Digital marketing isn’t set in stone. It’s flexible and adaptable. If something’s not working as expected, you can change it quickly. Let’s say you’re running an ad campaign on social media and you notice it’s not getting the response you hoped for. With a few clicks, you can adjust the targeting, and the content, or even pause the campaign altogether. This flexibility helps you stay quick and adaptable in a business world that is changing quickly.

6. Increased Engagement

Digital marketing isn’t just about sending messages to your audience; it’s about engaging with them. Whether it’s through interactive social media posts, engaging videos, or informative blog articles, digital marketing methods encourage your audience to participate. They can like, comment, share, and even contribute their own content. This two-way communication builds a stronger connection between your brand and your customers.

7. Increased Brand Awareness

Being seen and recognized is crucial for any business. In the vast online world, digital marketing helps your brand stand out. With consistent and creative messaging, your brand becomes familiar to your audience. They start recognizing your logo, colors, and style, even if they haven’t made a purchase yet. This familiarity can turn into trust and loyalty over time.