My name is Martine, but on stage I call myself Drama Tique, and I’m one of Klaugen`s regular customers. In this post I`m going to write a bit more about one particular project that Kristine and I has worked together on.
But first I’ll tell you a bit more about who I am and what`s important for me as a customer. I am a student, and I study drama at NTNU. I`m also an actress and a burlesque artist. And I actually wrote my BA on the subject of Norwegian burlesque back in 2021. Now I’m a member of a drag and burlesque group here in Trondheim, where I’ve done quite a few shows these past years.
I also must mention that I am 163 cm tall and a size XXL if not bigger in most items of clothing. Big, curvy, fat, whatever you choose to call it, I`m bigger than the average. But that does not stop me from showing off my body on stage. Why? You ask. Because why not!
It is really important to me to convey the message that every size and shape can be beautiful, sexy and seductive. And I know Klaugen agrees with me. That is also what she has helped me with during this project. It`s really important to know how to accentuate a body in the best possible way. And I’m pretty sure we managed to do so. I absolutely love the results.
I wanted a three-piece costume. A jacket, a skirt and a train that could be taken off easily. I wanted the skirt to be high waist and that the entire outfit would accentuate my hourglass figure. Some golden details were also a must. And I wanted them both around the edges of both the jacket and the train. As well as everywhere else she saw fit.
…a bit of a demanding customer lets be honest.
The easiest way to explain this was to try to draw the entire thing for her, to show her how I pictured it. And despite my somewhat questionable drawing skills, she did pick up on what I was looking for, and started working on it right away.
The first thing we did was to choose the color of the jacket and the train. At first, I was quite adamant that I wanted a strong color red that would essentially light up the room and the stage. But Kristine had her own ideas. And I am so glad that she shared those with me. Cause when I joined her in picking out the right fabric and color it became quite clear that a deeper tone of red was the way to go. As it gave of a way classier look than it would if we were to choose a red with more orange in it.
We also agreed that puff sleeves was the way to go on the jacket. It worked as a nice way to give it a bit of an edge, and a feeling of authority, without stopping it from being sexy. Cause the great thing about it was how it balanced out my hips in a flattering way. We also met up quite a few times to make sure that the fit was good for the jacket and it`s sleeves. I’m really glad that we did so, because it all fits me perfectly. And the golden details with the buttons, the seam around the edges and chains on the shoulders made it all even more perfect.
The length of the skirt also me came a hot topic at a point. Me being my height, it’s important to get the right length. It can`t be too long, cause then I’ll look shorter than I really am. At the same time I don’t want it to be so short that my belly or too much thigh shows in the beginning. Leave them wanting more and all that. So we measured and adjusted it many times. In the end it came out just how I wanted it to.
In the end we had to take look at the train. I wanted it to be able to open up in the front during my performance. And that was not an easy task. If we chose to do something that was too hard to open, I might not be able to do it on stage, or I’d might ruin it. At the same time, it shouldn’t be too easy to open either. Cause what if it fell off when it wasn’t supposed to. So we tried a few different options and landed on press buttons as the ideal choice for this one. They are just the right kind of easy to open, and it worked wonderfully during all three shows. Still does. And if they were to fail at some point, they are easy to replace as well. Oh! And I have to mention the pearls! Did you know that she sat for 5 hours, and hand sowed every individual pearl on to the train, because I was scared they would fall off on stage? That’s commitment!
The whole thing turned out great, and I’m so happy about it. The skirt with the black top gave an illusion of a smaller waist than what I really have. It was accentuated with the red band from the train. My hips and shoulders was well balanced by both the train, the shape of the skirt and the jacked. Which gave me a sense of feminine authority, and that’s exactly what I wished for.
What a fun project, and what a result. I love the outfit, and I think the audience did to. So thank you so much to Klaugen/Kristine for our cooperation, and for an outfit I’ll be using for many performances to come.
XOXO
Drama Tique 😉
Klaugen 
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