It takes a LEGO builder of special caliber to build something of their own design that’s recognizable to others. Now imagine compounding that challenge by trying to make something out of LEGO that you can actually wear.
By its very nature, LEGO is far too fragile to be worn. It’s not meant for building clothes; basic human movement is more than enough to cause the bricks to come apart and shatter on the floor. I’m not sure how teenage master builder Ben Caulkins managed to avoid this — if he glued the pieces together or what. But cleverly using Technic pieces for the framework, he modeled his costume pieces to the contours of his own body, and then molded them to look unmistakably like the Master Chief‘s costume.
In one of his many comments about building the costume — which he’s photographically documented in its entirety — Caulkins mentions that the suit is painfully hot to wear, not to mention heavy. But you’ve got to admire his ingenuity. Starting with a wetsuit underneath, he attaches each piece of armor with velcro. The ensemble is completed by his custom-made, wearable helmet, and black biker gloves that he affixed more bits of armor to.
And even after all this, he says the suit isn’t finished yet. He’s still got the lower legs and feet to do, too.
With all the work he’s put into the suit, you’d expect Caulkins to be a serious Halo player, but he says he doesn’t even own an Xbox!
