I am going to shoot a senior class. I need to purchase those fake tuxes and a drape. I can only find one place when I google. Does anyone know where i get them?
I used to use Pierce's classic v-neck drape for years and years, but it's short and the girls were more comfortable when we sewed an additional piece of cloth to the bottom so their midsections were covered. You will need at least one of their Super Size Cape Drapes, since even the XXL isn't big enough for the biggest students.
For tuxedos I used to buy last-year's leftovers from a local rental place. The easiest thing for the shirts is to sew them shut in front and then split up the back with velcro closures. Buy plenty of shirts as they'll have to be laundered every 2 days.
You will need a billion bow ties. They vanish daily. You will also want plenty of spring-loaded clothes pins. They're as important as your lens for this particular application IMHO.
--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video
Just buy tuxes from a tux rental place.. you might make a couple phone calls before you find one that has some old rentals they're willing to get rid of, but you'll find some. As for drapes, look at places that sell photographic backgrounds, posing stools and whatnot... buy multiple tux shirts of each size.. they'll quickly get nasty in the summer if you're doing any volume. As far as missing bow ties, I always take it off for them "Let me get that bow tie, it's a pain in the ass to do yourself" always works... didn't lose one in two years.
This project is a favor. The school is small 50 students. This is not a future product line. The company to do this canceled out at the last minute. TJ the tux and drape shots are used in High School year books. They are mug shots. I live in a town of 6000. There are not tux rental places like in large cities. Here they ship them in. I might be able to rent a couple of jackets.
Then I guess the tux and drape thing is so all the students have a common "look" in the photos? Interesting. In my area there is a huge variety of photos with wildly varying looks used nowadays.
My guess is the tux/drape thing started in the Depression. I know when my father graduated from high school, it was very doubtful his family could afford a suit. Again, it's only a guess.
My local high school just went to tux/drape for the first time in 25 years. A step backward, I feel. When I asked about it they said that since next year they are (finally) printing the senior section in color, they want tux/drape so the seniors clothes aren't all different colors bouncing off the page.
Since i posted the students requested that they wear casual clothes. It has now become a non-issue, They had been using the tux and drape because of poor students. It was going to cost several hundred, but now I'm home "free". thanks for the help.
