Ahoy hoy folks.

After seeing this costume around various websites, I knew I had to have it. Most places were selling it in the $60-$70 area, so finding it here for $45 was a steal. For the money, you get a fair amount: A cloak, top hat, jabot, and a vest, which only leaves the shirt, pants, and shoes up to you, and 99% of people probably have the materials to fill this void.

First, the good:

The costume looks pretty true to the picture. Nothing looks cheaper than what is shown, an all too common occurrence with most costumes, the only exception being the top hat (more on that later). That being said, it looks really classy yet creepy if you have the right visage for it. A cane like the one pictured it essential to complete the look, and some eye shadow would be the cherry on top. If you walk with an upright posture and a sinister grin on your face, you'll definitely stand out in the crowd of generic costumes. In terms of look and quality, it's comparable to "high end" costume brands like The Heritage Collection.

A quick word on the cloak: I'm a tad above average height at 5'10, and the cloak reaches lower than in the picture. On me, the cloak drops to almost the bottom of my calfs. I don't mind the look, in fact I almost prefer the longer drop, but if you want the look pictured, you're going to have to be about 6'2, or trim the cloak.

Now for the not so good:

So far, the biggest problem with the costume is the buttons. They're huge, which look nice, but the notches used to button the vest and jabot to cloak are too wide, making it very easy for the buttons to slip out and become undone. Luckily, there are strings you can use to tie the vest to the cloak, which provides upward pressure, and thus helps keep the buttons from coming undone. As for the jabot to cloak connection, you're just going to have to fiddle with it until it stays.

Also, the top hat is made of an elastic material at the base, which is good for people with larger heads like me, however it causes the hat to be a little floppy and unstable. It also is crunched up in the package, so leave at least a days time to stuff it with a jacket or blanket to undo any dents.

Overall, this is a solid costume for the money, and is probably worth more than it goes for. If you're going for that Victorian look, this is the best and cheapest way to do so. Definitely pick this one up.