Costuming Das Sound Machine from Pitch Perfect 2

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One of my favorite movies is Pitch Perfect.  I watch it every single time I fly.  And I quote one-liners from the film whenever I can work it into conversation (unapologetically).  I’ve costumed Barden Bellas at DragonCon in Atlanta before, but the black pumps were terribly uncomfortable, and most of the time we were mistaken for flight attendants.  So when Pitch Perfect 2 came out last year, I was mesmerized by Das Sound Machine’s angelic performance at the car show…and that ultimately led to costuming DSM from that scene.  Sorry Bellas, I’ve switched teams.  The DSM costume was incredibly easy to assemble with minimal modifications to a pair of coveralls (as seen in the movie) and accessories from my closet, and a few minor purchases from Amazon and Etsy.  It was blissfully comfortable to wear.

 

 

At the time of my costume build, Pitch Perfect 2 was still in theaters, so I only had screenshots from previews and interviews on IMDB to interpret what they were wearing in this short but memorable scene.  The Dickies short sleeve coveralls (Dickies Men’s Short Sleeve Coverall, Black, Small Regular) were easy to identify, as I had a matching navy blue pair hanging in my closet that I use for painting projects around the house.  In one shot, the Dickies logo patch on the back pocket of DSM lead and bad ass antagonist, Kommissar, was a dead giveaway.  I could also identify square studs on the collar and belt of each person, and rectangle bar studs on only Kommissar (for rank, I’m sure).  Also worn by DSM are black combat boots, black web belt with black buckle, mesh shirt, black hose, black sport watch.  Most of the women in the group have their hair parted on their right side and into a low bun, silver ball stud earrings, and fierce eye makeup.

 

 

Once I had everything assembled for myself, my husband (what a good sport), and my friend, I made all three costumes in about a day.  I removed the sleeves and took in a couple inches in the armpit, cut about 8 inches from the leg and stitched a roll in the legs, and added studs to the collars and belts.  I don’t have a stud punch, so I just used little needlenose pliers, and that worked fine.  The belt is not completely accurate, but I had web belts and buckles from my time in the Air Force, and decided to use them for this.  The belts are too thick for the studs, so I used strips of discarded fabric from the sleeves for the studs, and hot glued the strips onto the belts.  I also used an extra strip of fabric to add a belt loop on the back of the Dickies to keep the belt in place.  Don’t forget to removed the Dickies patch from the front pocket, but leave the one on the back pocket.

 

 

 

If you plan on building this costume yourself, or joining us at DragonCon (looking at you, Sarah), here’s what you’ll need:

 

Dickies short sleeve coveralls, black (Dickies Men’s Short Sleeve Coverall, Black, Small Regular)

Combat style boots, black (can be purchased anywhere)

Military web belt with open faced buckle, both black (Black Military Web Belt With Black Open Face Buckle 4290BLK Size 54 Inches)

Fishnet top, black (Elegant Moments Lace Top Fishnet Thigh Highs – Black – One Size)

Sheer pantyhose, black (can be purchased anywhere)

30 Silver pyramid studs, 10mm (Leegoal 100pcs 10mm Pyramid Studs Silver Metal Leathercraft Spikes Spots DIY Goth Punk)

6 silver rectangle bar studs, 18mm (Kommissar only)

Black sporty watch (G-shock DW5600E-1V Men’s Black Resin Sport Watch)

Silver ball stud earrings (can be purchased anywhere)

 

The Das Sound Machine costume from Pitch Perfect 2 car show scene may not be widely recognizable, but it really is a lot of fun standing around looking superior and judgey.  Have fun!