Anyone done it before?
I'm looking to add a bit of additional color and reflection to my motorcycle gear. My textile jacket is black (wanted color, but I liked best fit and feature wise on this particular one) with a bit of reflective piping. I want more visibility while still being cool.
I'm thinking of doing a bit of a theme on my jacket, styling it in homage to the N7 armor from Mass effect. Red and white stripes down one arm, and a big "N7" logo on the back. Also putting a red stripe down the center of my helmet.
So, where does one find reflective tape appropriate for sticking/sewing/ironing onto a textile jacket? Where can I find some in red? Any particular adhesive tapes to use or avoid for going on a helmet? Is painting with acrylic paint a better alternative for adding color? Are there reflective acrylic paints?
Also considered Half-Life as an alternative theme for coloring up my jacket. Basically just adding some orange reflective swaths. This would have the added bonus of matching the color scheme of the bike.
The bike:
JoeyM
MegaDork
5/26/13 9:07 p.m.
http://masseffectcastcosplay.com/costuming-volunteers/
I would seriously love to see a motorcycle jacket done up in dead space style.
wearymicrobe wrote:
I would seriously love to see a motorcycle jacket done up in dead space style.
On topic, I put cut vinyl stickers on my helmet, they still look great. Clean prep, warm and a squeegee to keep air out and stretch to the curve.
Off topic; I HAVE to build that spray can rack, I can never seem to keep my paints/lubricants etc organized!
Did find an outfit doing functional customized geek-centric motorcycle gear. They have an armored, leather Imperial Storm Trooper motorcycle suit, and a Boba Fett leather jacket:
http://www.udreplicas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11
On topic: I'm not trying to go full cosplay with this. I just figure if I'm planning to add reflective elements to a jacket, might as well take it one step farther and do a cool theme. Iron-on white reflective tape looks simple enough to find and attach, I don't get why red is so much harder to get.
Ok... so my experiment with stick-on tape did not work to my satisfaction. Tape for mailboxes, fences, etc. simply will not adhere sufficiently to the fabric. I suspect it would be blowing away in the wind within the first week.
So, that brings me to my next set of options:
1: Paint - Pros: Easy to apply, limitless color options, able to get just the design I want. Cons: Not reflective (maybe I could buy retro-reflective beads to mix in).
2: Iron-on tape - Pros: Strongly reflective. Easy. Cons: really only comes in silver (could cover with red tail-light tape for the red elements, and probably still maintain reflectivity).
3: Sew-on tape - Pros: Reflective. Removable if I change my mind. Cons: More work intensive to add. Still limited for colors.
