Malcolm Reynolds Costume (make your own!)

POSTED BY: FongLuh
UPDATED: Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:17
VIEWED: 134539
PAGE 1 of 1

FONGLUH

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:21 PM

Ever since I saw the "Done the Impossible" documentary about FireFly and Serenity, seeing people dressed as their favorite characters at the conventions, I became obsessed with the idea of having my own Malcolm Reynolds costume to wear to one of them. The following is a list of products I purchased to make my dream a reality. Most of this stuff came from the same online store for western clothing. The money adds up, but I purchased these a little at a time.

The Coat:
Yeah, sure, you can spend $400 on an authentic brown coat ( http://www.allmoviereplicas.com/Serenity-Mal-Reynolds-Brown-Coat-Repli
cas.html ), or you can get one very similar for $60: http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=CM88&type=store&catego
ry=3940 The only downfall is that it's a lot longer than Mal's coat, so I had to cut off about 1 foot of material from the bottom, then hem the edge with a sewing machine.

The Pants:
This is a no-brainer for $40: http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=CM83&type=store
EDIT: I bought 2-inch brown ribbon for the stripe on the outside of Mal's pants. I used something called "no-sew tape" to adhere it to the pants, that basically acts like a glue for fabric (using an iron), because sewing the stripe on would have been impossible.

The Suspenders, $20:
http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=565753&type=store

The Boots, $33. I went with the Pirate Boots Brown Medieval Renaissance Mid Calf, about half way down this page: http://www.911buycostume.com/Pages/gogoboots/boot01.htm?gclid=CJPqu6Kj
7JICFRkyFQodv0Aw4Q
I ended up cutting the flap right off, so they were the perfect height.

The Holster:
This is another that you can spend a fortune on for a replica, or save a lot of money and get something similar. The expensive one is here: http://cgi.ebay.com/Firefly-Serenity-Western-Holster-Rig-Mal-Reynolds_
W0QQitemZ270177563373QQihZ017QQcategoryZ22701QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

You can find cheaper ones on eBay if you're patient. I got one for $60 that looks virtually identical to Mal's.

So far that's $200-$250.

Now, the gun... unfortunately there's only one place I know of to get one: http://www.quantummechanix.com/serenity.html It's also expensive, but obviously a must-have to complete the look.

So there you have it, one Malcolm Reynolds clone. :) Please feel free to post here if you have any better suggestions than what I provided.

EDIT: Just so you get an idea of what it all looks like together, I took a couple pics of myself:

EDIT 2: I just got the pistol today and damn it's cool. Below are a few pics of it...

In holster:

In action (w/ photoshop):

Close-up 1 (I thought the pistol looked a little TOO dirty, so check out the next pic):

Close-up 2 (I took some fine sandpaper and gently sanded some of the soot(?) off. I personally think it looks better):

RALLEM

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:36 PM

Thanks for the information

http://swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

MICJWELCH

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 8:14 PM

Very nice. Thanks for compiling all that for us.

"It’s frickin’ great." - Nathan Fillion

FONGLUH

Thursday, July 3, 2008 2:00 AM

Just posting an update so that everyone knows I edited my original post, adding info I forgot to mention, and adding pics.

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

SCATHAC

Thursday, July 3, 2008 3:19 AM

Wow! That looks great! Thanks for posting all of the info - I've been looking for stuff, not just for Mal, but a character from the 'verse in general. This is going to be a lot of help!

NTLZYJSTDNTCARE

Friday, July 4, 2008 12:22 PM

I may, err, borrow(steal) your idea for future halloweens and conventions.

not lazy just don't care (about anything but Firefly)

ARTCAT81

Friday, July 4, 2008 3:38 PM

Looks good so far! but a word of caution on the tape the hold the stripe on the pants, it doesnt work long in a hot climate, I strongly suggest sewing it on, or taking it to a seamstress.

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

FONGLUH

Saturday, July 5, 2008 2:05 PM

Oh please... borrow, steal, smuggle... do whatever you want with my info, that's why I posted it :D

As for the tape, that's a good suggestion, and I'll take it into consideration.

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

NTLZYJSTDNTCARE

Saturday, July 5, 2008 4:10 PM

Did you use the wheat coloured trousers in your costume?

not lazy just don't care (about anything but Firefly)

FONGLUH

Sunday, July 6, 2008 2:00 AM

Yep, the Wheat color is what I picked.

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

NTLZYJSTDNTCARE

Sunday, July 6, 2008 4:58 PM

thanks, I was just double-checking because the colour looks slightly different on your pics and on the site.

Once again, I'd like to say what a great job you did. You look the real deal.

not lazy just don't care (about anything but Firefly)

FONGLUH

Monday, July 7, 2008 1:39 AM

Thanks! Hearing that makes it worth the trouble (oh.. and I'll be getting Mal's pistol this week! )

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

RALLEM

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 8:43 PM

bump

http://swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

FONGLUH

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 11:49 PM

Thanks for the bump :) Check out edit #2!

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

RALLEM

Thursday, July 10, 2008 1:00 AM

I think if I went to a convention like this and I hope to some day that I would want to dress up as either the sherrif in the "Train Job" or as the captain of the scrapping ship in "Out of Gas." Just my opinion, but I don't want to be like others and that is why I would like to belong to a purple belly club.

http://swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

RALLEM

Sunday, July 13, 2008 1:29 AM

bump

http://swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

FONGLUH

Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:05 PM

*sigh*

I have to sell Mal's pistol. I'm broke and I have no choice. I love the thing, but oh well. If you're interested in buying it, here's the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT
&item=150272189065

Biddings starts and $100 after 10 PM EST, 7/17

wuh tzai chien shr ee-ding ruh dao shuh-muh run luh bah

VIOLYNS

Friday, July 18, 2008 12:35 AM

And if you want to make your own pants, I found the Laughing Moon California Pants pattern works very well. http://www.lafnmoon.com/california_pants.htm

I also used a brown ribbon for the side, but I sewed it on.

-----
~mia
"I will never cease to fly if held down."

Serenifly Costumes http://serenifly.tripod.com

OUT2THEBLACK

Saturday, July 19, 2008 4:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by violyns:
And if you want to make your own pants, I found the Laughing Moon California Pants pattern works very well.

http://www.lafnmoon.com/california_pants.htm

I also used a brown ribbon for the side, but I sewed it on.

-----
~mia
"I will never cease to fly if held down."

Serenifly Costumes
http://serenifly.tripod.com

" Laughing Moon California Pants " ?

That's Hysterical !

'Course , if you make 'em for Serenifly purposes , maybe they should be
'SHINY' Moon (California) Pants...

Violyns , canz you gimme a little Sax with that ?

A little Sax , some Violyns , and a Whole Lotta Shiny Firefly Love...

SOMAHOLIDAY

Friday, September 12, 2008 2:09 AM

Nice job with the costume! Got a few ideas to add. First off, there are now cheap (respectively) replica browncoats on ebay. You can see one here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/FIREFLY-COAT-L-Captain-Malcolm-Reynolds-costume-ja
cket_W0QQitemZ180261272203QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Furthermore, I got a very cheap holster on ebay that looked really similar to Mal's (only ten bucks), but the problem was that it came without a belt. So, after searching for about two hours, i found this belt... it looks almost identical to mal's:
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/british-militaria/uniform-acces
sories/fantastic-army-issue-2inch-leather-537804.html

Lastly, i managed to get my pistol just a bit cheaper than normal on ebay... it was still pretty damn expensive though. Hope this helps.

BALLSEY

Sunday, January 4, 2009 5:40 AM

Hi guys those websites look great, but theres 1 small problem, im British, buying from an American site would mean i pay a small fortune in import tax and the exchange rate isnt what it was, does anyone know of any UK or even European Union based websites so i can save a bit of money?

DEARBAMBI

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 7:56 PM

Hi. I know that your posts on how you made your Mal costume is pretty old but I have just now found it and it has been immensely helpful to me in putting my costume together. I was wondering if you don't mind telling me what size coat did you order? I am a girl wanting to be Malcolm so I am not sure how to convert to men's sizes. I ordered the boots you suggested and just got them today. How exciting they are perfect except for the flap. Did you do nothing except just snip them off close to the seam? Well once again thanks and keep flying!

Everything's shiny
Bambi

CPLROBERTS57THOVERLANDERS

Monday, September 12, 2011 2:29 PM

Not to butt in, but I've found a great place for the coat, trousers, and suspenders. It's an ebay store for re-enactment attire and their civil war era clothes are spot on for Mal's look.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/dapowerce/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25
&_trksid=p3686

Can't stop the signal...

MALCHICK

Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:17 AM

I've just begun putting together and making the bits I need for a Mal Crossplay ... the boots are the only thing I'm having a problem with, since women's boots suck, and my feet are apparently too weird-sized for men's boots ... You don't happen to still have the site/brand of the boot toppers/spats you found, do you? Or an approximation? I have found a few almost-acceptable options, but would like to confirm I get good ones that aren't going to slip down my calves...

Thanks!!

Shiny.
Lets Be Bad Guys <3