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This was my first costume that I would call well-made, and I was very proud of my results. I got inspired for no particular reason, but decided that this would be fun and about my skill level at the time. It required a fitted custome jacket, but nothing exceptionally elaborate. Since, to date, I had sewn PeroPero and Princess Leia, I was ready to stretch my creative legs and do something a bit more complex.
The pattern I used was for a mandarin-type dress (Qi-pao) which I dramatically altered. It was my first time for making my own pattern (even if it was based of an actual one). I used newspaper to draw out my alterations and used that pattern to make a mockup (my first!) to make sure it all worked before I cut the actual fabric. The coat is made of stretch vinyl (red and black). The light yellow shirt is just a long-sleeved crew neck shirt that I purchased and the black pants are similarly just stretch pants that I purchased.
The gloves are a small story of their own. Gloves are not easy, and the first time making them was quite a spectacle. In the end, despite making several mockups I screwed up too many times and my final gloves were not as good as I wanted them because I had run out of fabric (more stretch vinyl) and there was no more at the fabric store. the gloves weren't bad looking, but didn't fit right. However, I wore them anyway and had fun.
The boots on the other hand, are an entire SAGA of their own. The boots took the longest for me. As you can see in the picture to the right I started off with a shoe and turned it into a boot. My aim in making this outfit was accuracy (as much as possible) and white boots like this were simply not to be found pre-made. All the white boots out there were high-heeled, or otherwise unsuitable. Instead of coping out and going with go-go boots I decided to make my own. I found white shoes with the kind of sole and shape that I was looking for. I then made covers to match the boots in images. The base shoe had to be altered, since it was a lace up shoe, so that it could become a slip on shoe. Once that was done (involved cutting the edge of the opening and stitching down the tongue) the covers were overlaid and then tucked into the sole where the body of the shoe met the rubber of the sole. It was possible to pry open that seam slightly and stuff in (and then glue) the boot cover, so that it looked like it came from the sole originally. The final effect was excellent. The decorative detail on the cuff of the boot didn't come out as well, but it wasn't bad and I was extremely proud of those boots overall.
The picture to the right of me hugging "Naota" is the only photo I have from when I actually wore the costume at Otakon. It's a fitting picture though. The poor guy turned so red because prior to this picture I had vaulted across the room and thoroghly glommed him (as Haruko does to Naota often in FLCL...) poor guy... he took it well though.
Because I had no other pictures than that one from Otakon, I donned the costume once more (I had also previously worn it for Halloween 2001 and at a random CJAS function to drum up fans... might have scared them away...) in order to take pictures. They came out, oddly. Poses were fine, but the coloring is a bit strange. I have no idea what happened, but I didn't feel like taking them again. I had to pin the costume in the back to make it fit, because between when I made it and these photo's I'd lost 30lbs, so that's why there are not shots of the back (not that it was all that exciting).
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