need to make CHEAP army colonel uniform

[FriedCheese]

Any ideas guys? This is for a 5'6" woman, and I live in Costa Rica which doesn't have an army, so no army/navy stores....

[porkchop]

Are you looking for BDU (aka camo), normal dress (a.k.a. Army greens), or an all out dress uniform?

I have some desert camo in my closet somewhere, probably not what you're looking for.

Also here's a link for rank insignia if you want to get the real stuff.
Buy Colonel US Army Rank Insignia at Army Surplus World

[tenor_singer]

When I directed A Secret Garden, I created the officer uniforms by raiding a local thrift shop for suitcoats of similar color. I then had some of the more talented sewers modify the coats to look similar to some uniform pictures that we researched. Total per uniform: $10.00.

[ship]

What period of uniform / country?

Very important question. Watching both Man from UNCLE and an episode of Mission Impossible over the weekend and the green Army (US) of the period is both easy to get and at one point looked army when civilian. Heavy linnen/cotton dyed even odd blue jean with button pockets etc. will easily get get green for the old Army standard. Perhaps a few fake pockets sewn on where need to make it look realistic.

If my generation of military, depends also on if for field use or parade in how much starching and fold memory you wish to develop in the fabric. Got blouses from like 15 years ago that still have their memory after years of washing. That would be heard to reproduce short of endless washing and over starching and ironing if wished for the hard edge crisp look.

My generation was also woodland pattern which is now out of vogue but would be potentially possible with spray paint or other means by way of taping off and a four color pattern. This dependant on use and I would have at least two pair so once one becomes scummy or flakes off - assuming some areas would get thicker than others, you have another pair.

These ideas all assuming you don't E-Bay or otherwise internet a few pair of cammies.

IF needed to be desert type amongst it's various older and modern styles, also a question of type of show comes up. Just as a concept if comedy or over the top, one might consider dying a base color than hot gluing on a three dimensional plastic mound of some sort to the costume. Say even to the extent of buying a bunch of plastic army men and gluing or epoxying them to the fabric for it's rocks as it were within the design, and spray painting squiggle tiger stripes as it were for the random shadows. Might be a bit extreme - Army men glued to a costume, this or Halloween eyes, but as a concept, you could glue on something to make for the lighter parts of the pattern. This or see the above about making as it were stencils and spraying, inking etc those areas.

Hope it helps or gives ideas. Unfortunately I long ago gave away most of my uniforms.