Saran wrapping legs?

[Mermaid Gipsy]

I hope this is the correct forum. :) I wasn't entirely sure where to put it.

I read that in "h2o" (never a fan of it, honestly, as much as I love mermaids), they would wrap saran wrap around the actress' legs to prevent wrinkles and knees showing.

Do you think this is true, and would actually work? I have a fabric tail that I love very much, but my boney knee outline is pretty blatant even when dry. Once the tail is wet, it clings something terrible and you can totally see the outline of both my legs.

Do you think saran wrap would possibly solve this dilemma for photoshoots/videos? Would I be able to swim?

I would like additional opinions before I go out and buy a buttload of saran wrap and potentially have a big failure, haha. :lol:

[PearlieMae]

I think saran wrap could be dangerous. If you had to get out of your tail in an emergency, you would be in serious trouble. Even if the h2o mermaids use it (doubtful), remember, they have safety divers and staff protecting them, and they aren't wearing fabric tails.

I don't know if there's anything you can wear under your tail to diminish the look of your knees, but I do think saran wrap could potentially kill you.

[Mermaid Gipsy]

Thank you for your input, PearlieMae. Safety is always the most important factor.

I wouldn't be alone, there would be plenty of people around (photographers at different times). I'd be willing to test it in shallow water with people around, (I can stand in our pool) but of course, if I found myself in a situation that didn't feel right, I'd abandon the pursuit.

My mom suggested ace bandages, too, (for at least just around the knees) but those can get pretty pricey for our currently small budget.

Also- the quote from your daughter made me laugh super hard. :lol:
Thank you!

[Miyu]

I recommend wearing tights/leggings underneath, especially ones with any sort of texture, to kind of "grab" onto the spandex fabric. It really helps to even out the knee area for me, and you look like you have about the same leg structure as me.

Here's my DA gallery (http://mermaidmiyu.deviantart.com/gallery/48828385/I-am-a-Mermaid) of my mermaid stuff, you can see how I don't have individual knee bones showing, it's way more smooth in that area than when I've tried on my tail without tights (I now ALWAYS wear tights/leggings underneath, I don't have really any photos without tights)

I think saran wrap OR ace bandages would be bad - Ace bandages in particular like to tighten as they get worn, which is why they are strongly discouraged for trans men/cosplayers who want to bind their chests... We're taught that it can injure your ribs and cause all sorts of breathing problems. It could potentially also damage your knees.

If you're looking for something to really hide your knees, I suggest making some sort of knee brace out of fabric - something with enough padding on the front to hide the knee bones a bit, but make it VERY stretchy across the back... basically something like a very small chest binder, LOL!

[Mermaid Gipsy]

Thank you for all the advice, Miyu! :D I greatly appreciate the tips. I'll try out the tights for sure, as they seem to be working great for you, and work on a fabric/padding knee brace. We'll see how it goes!

Also, thanks for sharing your dA gallery. You're right; I don't see either knee bones. Looking good! Your tail is so exotic and neat looking! Did you make it yourself? It looks great! Great headpiece and top, too. So many details! I gave you a llama badge to say thanks. :)

[AniaR]

In splash it was shrink wrap ( confirmed by Thom) keep in mind all those mermaid productions have a team of safety divers

[Miyu]

Awh, thanks~ :) I did make it, it's my first tail - just some cheap spandex from Jo-ann's (the main print was on clearance), and some cheap translucent fabric. Morticia of Siren's Calling made the headdress, I made the top (also my first) :p I'm in the process of throwing together a second tail now! It's actually very Poto-themed, oddly enough (though the orginal intent was for it to be a "gothy" Christmas tail, it's definitely taken some inspiration from my favorite musical <3

I also make my tails pretty dang tight in the knees... I can't stand baggy knees. It's worse than funky ankles to me... At least that can be explained away easily, and doesn't make me look like I'm wearing elephant skin! I like the elegant lines of a clean, nipped-in knee. (Plus, as Morticia can attest, my knees like to go all wobbly-wobbly when I swim, and it messes me up, so I decided to effectively "bind" my knees with my tail, though I can still get out pretty easily!)



Raina, good to know that saran wrap was indeed used in Splash! Yes, it is important to remember that all the film mermaids have big safety teams there for support; movie magic tends to favour aesthetic value over actual swimmable-ness!

[PearlieMae]

If you don't mind the potential added weight when wet, a tube/wrap of polar fleece around your knees (and ankles) would diminish the bony look. Polar fleece is my answer to everything. It's alien technology, as far as I'm concerned. I love the stuff!

[Mermaid Galene]

Weranda, part of your issue may be the FinFun fabric. (I believe I saw in another thread that you have one of their tails.) I have a pink FinFun tail, and the fabric is so thin and translucent that the entire outline of my legs is visible, especially underwater. I second Miyu's advice on leggings. If you get some leggings similar in color to your tail, they will not only pad your knee bones but reduce the see through nature of the tail fabric.

I also have a fabric tail from Once Upon A Mermaid on Etsy, and that tail has much thicker spandex. It's not see through at all.

[Mermaid Galene]

Miyu, I hadn't seen your DA pics before. Wow, you look stunning! I love that tail and accessories!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

I'd like to add that if you make any kind of knee wrap out of polar fleece or thin neoprene or fabric, consider making it something you could tear away if you needed your legs free. Maybe velcro or snaps? If you have to ditch your tail, then things probably aren't going well and you'll need to be free to move.

[Miyu]

Yep, either tear-away or super-stretchy on one side would be best... Need to easily escape!

Galene: Awh, thank you~ :$ I do adore my tail, especially since it's my first, and it's pretty unique - I love the tribal, darker-mer look!

[Mermaid Gipsy]

Miyu - That's impressive! The outfit looks great together. :) I added you to my watch on dA, so if you post more sometime, it'll let me know. And I agree. The lines of the costume are very aesthetically important to me also.

PearlieMae -Edited in because I totally missed your post at first. Sorry about that! Polar fleece would help keep heat in, too! What a great idea!

Galene - Thank you for your suggestion! :) I'll definitely try to find some tights in a blue colour to go with my blue tail. Once Upon A Mermaid has beautiful things, thanks so much for the recommendation! It was really nice to look through their Etsy. I love shimmer tails, but I'm so afraid it will wash off with chlorine. Just so you know, (not trying to sound presumptuous, especially because your advice was super nice) my name is Werandra, not Weranda, haha. Just a little pet peeve.

Vrindavana Starfish - Velcro would probably be a great idea! Thank you!

[Mermaid Gipsy]

Is there any way to close threads? I think I have gathered all the info I need. :) Thanks so much, everybody! The community is very nice, and you all gave great ideas.

[AniaR]

I think saran wrap and shrink wrap are actually different. Shrink wrap shrinks when heat is applied and is what's used for packaging in stores often. Not quite the same as saran wrap that just gets wrapped around.

Miyu- I use tights all the time they help a lot! I only stopped using them because they started showing through my tail as it has been depreciating this past year.

[Theta]

I know that you want to close this post but I just want to back Raina up that shrink wrap and saran wrap are two totally different things! When saran wrap is moved it rolls up at the edges, and that could a) cut off your circulation and b) be almost impossible to rip through should you need to get out of it quick.

[Mermaid Gipsy]

I know that you want to close this post but I just want to back Raina up that shrink wrap and saran wrap are two totally different things! When saran wrap is moved it rolls up at the edges, and that could a) cut off your circulation and b) be almost impossible to rip through should you need to get out of it quick.
Well, that is terrifying. Cutting off circulation is a huge fear of mine