Costume help!

[EndlessWrath]

So, although I did this costume last year, My fiance requested it...so after much badgering, I gave in.

This is my current halloween costume (think I'll take it to a convention as well if I get the money) Drumroll!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/Vincent_Valentine_art.jpg
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs8/300W/i/2005/273/2/3/Vincent_Valentine___For_Despe_by_Athena_chan.jpg

Yes you guessed it all. I have most of the fabric from last year. I had the Red cape (no buckles) and I had the headband. I have the gun and the pants. My main problem... is I want to get a better jacket for it (make one preferably) and a better gauntlet (plastic ducktaped gold painted cups do not hold together very easily.)

Anyone have any suggestions?

-Wrath

[Hazkali]

The jacket looks similar to a double-breasted military jacket. At the moment the "military look" is in (in the UK at least), so you should be able to find something similar on eBay. As you want to make it yourself, try searching for patterns using keywords like "Military" or "Napoleonic".

As for the gauntlet... the only thing I can suggest is make a better-quality version yourself. I'd either try and find some plastic piping online, maybe some guttering, and then build it up around a goalie's glove, spray with gold and bronze paints, or I would use polystyrene, carve it out, then seal the surface and spray-paint. The second way would be lighter and (depending on the quality of the styrene) cheaper, but more fragile. Third way: commission someone to make a LARPsafe version, that would be quite awesome.