Spitfire warbirds ready to scramble

KENT BLECHYNDEN

BUSTING TO TAKE OFF: The warbirds get revved up for the sevens. Nattily turned out with their propeller bras and aviators' hats are, from left, Danielle Lewis, Carol O'Sullivan, Aideen Larkin, Joanna Bloomfield and Cathy O'Sullivan.

Relevant offers

IRB Wellington Sevens

Wee problem for sevens players in Wellington Newcomer replaces injured NZ Sevens skipper Last-gasp Sevens loss doesn't dampen spirits (+pics) The agony of the Sevens that got away Tietjens bemoans panic after narrow loss Injury hobbles NZ Sevens campaign England crash sevens party in Wellington Raikabula strike gets NZ past S Africa Live blog: Wellington Sevens, day two Getting sensational at the Sevens (+pics)

The plastic funnels are in place and the propellers are spinning - now the Wellington sevens warbirds are ready for take-off. Nine women, from Wellington, Rotorua and Dunedin, will descend on the stadium today equipped with "Spitfire bras".

They have invested about $800 in their hand-made costumes for the NZI Sevens.

Danielle "Hot Lips" Lewis, Carol "Private Candy" O'Sullivan and her sister Cathy "Kitty Cat" O'Sullivan came up with the idea when they were working as volunteer dressers for models at the World of WearableArt show in Wellington last year.

Ms Lewis said the show's "Bizarre Bra" category was the inspiration for their unusual corsetry, which she made out of hardware store plastic funnels and thick cardboard propellers. She then painted them in camouflage colours to complete the warplane appearance.

She also sewed aviator hats and made flight bags with the women's 1940s-themed nicknames stencilled on them.

By the end of last weekend - the third she had worked on the project - she was "a bit over it". The whole process took her about 40 hours. Meanwhile, Joanna "Elles Belles" Bloomfield whipped up nine pencil skirts on her sewing machine.

Ms Lewis said most of the group were single and not worried about the attention they might attract with their distinctive bustlines.

But she had warned them the bras might not stand up to much funny business. "I've told the girls they're not indestructible. I'm certainly not going to make any more on Friday night if they get broken."

The women, who are in their late twenties, met through a mutual friend, a sevens regular who has pulled out this year. Cathy O'Sullivan said they set up an events page on social networking website Facebook, discussing costume details and posting pictures of World War II-era women as inspiration.

Ms Lewis is now left with just one critical fashion dilemma. "I just have to work out whether I'm going to wear heels or jandals. Comfort or style? I don't think I could do a whole day at the sevens wearing high heels."

- © Fairfax NZ News