Janet Weiss Lingerie

My Janet Weiss costume posts are my most popular blog posts. All five posts are listed below.

1. Janet Weiss Makeup & Hair
2. Janet Weiss Accessories
3. Janet Weiss Lingerie (THIS POST)
4. Janet Weiss's Pink Dress
5. My Janet Weiss Dress

Janet is wearing a traditional 3 piece set of lingerie: a bra, a panty, and a slip. Click pic for bigger.


BRA
I have seen a lot of people perform Janet a lot of times. 99% of Janets will not have the petite frame and exact breast size of Susan Sarandon. Bras have changed a lot over the decades (now, stretch fabric is king). I do not recommend trying to find an exact match of Janet's bra. If you find it, it won't fit. Like shoes, wearing an ill fitting bra on stage is just a bad idea all around. Janet is wearing an ill fitting bra (the band size is too large so the band rides up at the back).
Janet's underwire bra is in a cotton-like fabric that has no shine. It has a flat trim on the cups but the cups are solid and not lacy. The back panel edges have elastic zig-zagged on. The top edge of the back piece curves up to meet the straps. The bra clasps at the center back. The straps are shiny with a straight edge that is dotted. There is a three-dimensional rosette between the cups.
If you are a woman and A to D you might have some luck finding such a bra at places like Kmart, Target, and Walmart. Demi or pushup styling are appropriate. A smooth-cup tshirt bra can be modified by adding the cup trim (common at sewing store).
For everyone with larger breasts start with bras that are white and fit properly. Minimizer and full coverage bras will not look right as cleavage is essential. Such women may prefer higher quality bras because I sure do in which case just make sure it's white and has cleavage.
For men, get an old white bra at the thrift store that fits around the chest and is non lacy. Take out the underwire if you like.


UNDERPANTS
Janet's panties are a white brief style that sits below the waist ("hipster"). The leg is a low brief "conservative" leg. The panties have side seams and there is lace detailing on the front (in V shapes) that end at the side seams.
The most important thing for Janet's underwear is that you can wear it without your bits being visible or falling out. Larger women may prefer a full brief or a french bikini. Consider getting the matching panty to your bra, or get a plain opaque panty you can modify with the same lace as your slip. For stage work definitely wear a second pair of underpants underneath (or underneath pantyhose). This goes for women and men. The under pair should be light colored and have a smaller "footprint" than your Janet panties. On stage men should wear a dance belt but a fitted thong or bikini brief in a smooth fabric might be fine. Mens thongs are commonly available, get one that is seamless in the front. Women usually wear a smooth flesh colored thong under pantyhose for stage work.
Janet does not reveal her private landscaping. Make an effort to do the same.

SLIP
Janet is wearing a white half slip. The fabric may be a cotton voile as it has no sheen, and it wrinkles. It is a couple of inches shorter than her dress hem length and falls from the natural waist. The slip has an elastic waist. There is a slit of about 6 inches that is located 1/4 away across the front panel. The lower edge and slit of the slip is finished in a scalloped lace that appears to match her underpants.
You can make a slip yourself using your seat measurement, two rectangles of fabric with extra allowance for the elastic casing at top, normal seam allowances on the sides, and a narrow hem. Half slip tutorials are commonly available.
The slit adds some difficulty but I intend to make a slit using some instructions I have from continuously bound cuff slits and I'll let you know how it goes.
You could by a modern slip from Target etc but they are a nasty shiny nylon, and have a rounded vent.

That's it for today! Stay tuned for details on Janet Weiss' pink dress.

Janet Weiss Accessories

My Janet Weiss costume posts are my most popular blog posts. All five posts are listed below.

1. Janet Weiss Makeup & Hair
2. Janet Weiss Accessories  (THIS POST)
3. Janet Weiss Lingerie
4. Janet Weiss's Pink Dress
5. My Janet Weiss Dress

Some more Janet Weiss analysis, this time we're looking at accessories. Click the pick for bigger.

CARDIGAN
Well I only had to check the entire internet but I found a reasonably accurate Janet cardigan here
It is white (snow white, not off white), crew neck as in buttons all the way to the neck and has no collar, and long sleeved (raglan). It is a fitted shape and hip (low hip) length. Feel free to compromise on any of this other than the long sleeve if your dress is also long sleeved. For instance a long sleeved no collar zip up sweater might look quite accurate.
You might have better luck finding a new white cardigan that meets these requirements if you look in the warmer months as white cardigans tend to look great with summer dresses. Go places where dorky people shop.
Cardigan patterns are also pretty common if you can find a suitable cotton knit. Her buttons are pearly white (semi-transparent).

PURSE
Janet carries a white purse on a chain. For the wedding she wears it shoulder length then later it is shorter like a handbag. Perhaps it is the type that you can rethread the chain through a loop on one side and attach it back to the beginning to make a strap one half it's original length. See pic for evidence.
This handbag is a simple envelope clutch rendered in a patent leather or vinyl. Shiny white vinyl is commonly available at fabric stores and there are patterns available (modify to make flap reach the bottom and for chain loops and good luck working with vinyl... use an awl).
Handbag chain is best bought at bead stores but many fabric/craft stores now have jewelry items. The chain is silver colored. Purse closure seems to be a magnet (ie, not a buckle). White handbags have been out of style for quite some time but besides the thrift store you might have luck at places like Ross. Put your hershey bar in your bag.

SHOE
Janet's shoe is a white mary jane with about a 2" heel. The key thing here is that again it is snow white and fits well. Any heel height is acceptable but for stage performances I would recommend a character shoe - it will look really close and you will be able to perform in it.

JEWELRY
Janet's gold name necklace is available in a screen accurate rendering. Get your own name or get Janet, damnit. Walmart has a 14K gold version for $70. You can find goldtone versions, like on Etsy for $16.
Janet is also wearing little gold hoop earrings. I heartily recommend hinged sleepers but any kind of plain hoop one inch or smaller will work fine. If you don't have pierced ears don't bother with earrings.
Janet is of course wearing her new engagement ring. It has a round "diamond" and a thin gold band with two lines etched each side. Get something tacky.

Note About Pantyhose
As you see in the shoe picture and throughout the movie, Janet is sometimes wearing pantyhose. When she is shown close up in her underwear (with Rocky in the tank), she is clearly not wearing pantyhose. For those of you who were never old fashioned ladies, underpants are worn under the pantyhose or omitted (that would be less old fashioned). I do recommend that women wear pantyhose to perform on stage (unless you're in trousers) across the board. This provides some modesty and will make your leg color more uniform and can help with thigh rubbing (if the pantyhose fit correctly). This is all a story for another day but my point is I do not consider pantyhose part of Janet's outfit to emulate as she may or may not be seen wearing them and based on her underwear situation, would not actually be wearing them. Susan Sarandon wore pantyhose because the shoot location Oxley Castle was cold as hell.
Choose high quality pantyhose, either heavy-duty hose such as Oroblu or those designed specifically for dancers.

Janet Weiss Makeup & Hair

My Janet Weiss costume posts are my most popular blog posts. All five posts are listed below.

1. Janet Weiss Makeup & Hair  (THIS POST)
2. Janet Weiss Accessories
3. Janet Weiss Lingerie
4. Janet Weiss's Pink Dress
5. My Janet Weiss Dress

Hi! Halloween's coming up so I imagine lots of other people are working on their costumes and halloween look... because I am! Here is a pic of our heroine, Janet Weiss. Click the pic for bigger.

HAIR: Janet curls her hair in hot rollers. If you are wearing your own hair like I will be, do a natural part down the middle and curl it whatever way gives you the best curl (as seen bottom left), all the way around your head. This could be hot rollers, a curling iron, or in my case rag curls. Don't brush your hair, but style it with fingers. Use gel or mousse before rolling hair and set with hairspray when you're done. If you have those silly O-shaped barrettes pin your hair back as seen here. I don't so will probably just use bobby pins. You want your hair off your face. If you have short girlie hair definitely try to find some white barrettes and make it look more soccer mom and less pixie cutie-pie. If you have short man hair, consider a wig.

MAKEUP: FACE & LIP
Janet is sporting a natural-ish look with heavy emphasis on her eyes along with a rosy blush and lip. Wear your normal foundation or powder (i.e. to match your skin). She is wearing a rosy powder blush/rouge and lipstick -- that elusive your-lips-but-better shade of pink. If you have dark skin chose a MLBB shade even if it's brownish, reddish, or whatever, and ditto for the blush. You want to look natural. For lips, I'm pretty sure Janet wears lipstick as it's a creme finish. Not a glassy gloss look and not matte. Revlon, Maybelline, Cover Girl, NYX, and Mac have good lipstick formulas.

MAKEUP: EYE
For the eyeshadow Janet appears to be wearing a rosy taupe shadow over the whole lid. You can wear a basic neutral eye. Keep it in the brown family and make it a look you could talk your dorkiest aunt into wearing (this is not sexay eyeshadow). Really slather on the brown pencil eyeliner top and bottom. I've tried to recreate this with dark brown and now I think Janet is wearing a lighter brown.
Janet is also wearing a ton of brown mascara.

NAILS
Janet wears a longish fingernail with a natural, oval tip. Buff your nails for shine or use a clear nail polish. Personally I'd wear a silly girlie light shimmer pink just because it'd seem right for Janet. Note the ring is worn on the fourth digit of her left hand (but I'm covering accessories in a different post ;).

I know it's not the most perfect screen accurate whatever ever, but I'm trying to make it look Janetey. Some recent high school graduate who makes her own dresses, thinks weddings are swell, and has never seen a man in his underpants before.

Check The Anal Retentive Rocky Horror Costume List for more info.

Janet Weiss