In 2016, I worked on Paramour, a show from Cirque du Soleil. (I eventually took over as the wardrobe supervisor. ) During the tech process, one of the things I worked on was protective body padding for the acrobats.
This was for rib protection when the acrobat flew to a pole. It is stretched on a garbage can, so that the stitching could be tight, yet accomodate the stretch of the spandex.
This is how the pieces looked once closed. We did also try a pocket version. It ultimately got scrapped. As you can see in the next picture, the padding was too stiff and hard to wash. I was still glad to make it, even if it didn't get thru the tech process. Sometimes, it just happens.
My main job at that time was doing the laundry. And there was a LOT of laundry.
