Cosplay Rozen Maiden Suigintou - Tips and Tricks

There are two approaches to making cosplay.
1) Real clothing.  It is worn like all the clothes in your closet.  It's lined, it breaths, it's comfortable and fits correctly.
2) Fake it.  For those who have less skills/time/budget the outer shell of the outfit just needs to look right.  The inside could be duct taped together, sewing lines are painted on, etc.

Today I'm here to show you some shortcuts I used in creating my Suigitou cosplay. 

Instead of wearing a shirt under my skirt I simply made a mock front piece which stays in place by using stetch elastic on the top to told it above my chest, and another stretch elastic to go around my waist. 

Instead of creating a choker necklace with the same fabric and trim as the coat, why not sew it right onto the jacket similar to a collar.  This helps prevent it from twisting and turning, which happens a lot when you move around.  This keeps the front bow centered always, and you never lose the small jewelry piece.

Back to the shirt worn under the jacket.  Like the front piece, let's fake the sleeves.  I created sleeves that stick out from the opening of the jacket arm sleeves.  What's great about this is instead of creating a full shirt sleeve, you have none of the bulkiness that comes with the extra fabric, and my arm continues to look smooth and slender.

Here's an example of the top as you can see, without knowing you would never have known that my inside shirt wasnt a shirt at all.

There are black roses on her boots, and I tried to hot glue the flowers on, but the vinyl surface just wouldn't stay place.  I was hesitatant to even do any gluing as it would end up ruining a perfectly good boot.  I found that I use stretch elastic for the roses and wearing much as one wears a stretch elastic bracelet.  Because all the colours are black, no one really notices the stretch elastic on the outside of the boot.  And even if they did, they dont know it's not actually part of the design.

Yay, photos in the snow.

Cosplay Week Sakura 2011 #5 - Hina likes to Draw

Another STORY

So for those who have seen me cosplay before will notice I like to cosplay from RozenMaiden, and often known as the "girl with the box".  Basically I'm a victorian doll and I sleep in my doll case.  Through the years I have made several Rozen Maiden outfits (different characters from the anime).

This year was time for me to do Hinaichigo.  I dont really like her character because she's that annoying toddler who acts like a total brat.  Oddly this was one of the funnest to do.  Besides sitting in in the brief case like I had done in many years prior.

I put on cat ears and paws.  I'm not a Neko, but Hina is cosplaying a Neko (emphasis on that the doll is cosplaying but making the paws obviously gloves).  This is because there is a popular episode in which she dresses up as a Neko.

Also Hina, being a toddler likes to draw, although she doesn't well.  So I grabbed a box of crayons and drew pictures for people.  I made sure to make the pictures as childlike as possible.  Here I met a Shinku, so I drew a picture for her while she drank her tea.

Here's another picture I drew for some photographers.