(no subject)
So, in the process of making costumes for Otakon - next week, oh god, so much work remains to be done! - I got to thinking about the costumes I've done in the past. I'm going to try and compile an actual list, with pictures when I have and/or actually want to share those pictures.
In roughly chronological order…
... and, I'm making two costumes for this convention. And this discounts costumes I've made for other people (a pretty substantial count, actually, especially when you count collaborations). That's.... 20.
What am I even doing with my life?
ETA, look, Gunner Yuna, it's the most bamf face I have managed to make in my life, and Justin wants me to add that it was the first year we did a joint costume. He dressed up as Tidus from FFX-2 ....which meant that he didn't attend the convention at all (I didn't get anywhere NEAR 100% completion at that con, I didn't even attend the main plot events).
In roughly chronological order…
- Shampoo, from Ranma 1/2, worn to Katsucon… in 2000 maybe? I was tiny. I rented the dress and sprayed my hair purple and nobody recognized me at all. But it was the first costume I've ever done.
- Meilin from Card Captor Sakura, worn to... some Otakon. This dress is the one with the story that I tell about how I just lay flat on a piece of cloth and had my friend Hannah cut around me to make the pattern.
- My mother made me a gorgeous Sailor Chibi Moon costume for Anime USA 2001 or so, it was beautifully tailored and I am just now getting to the level of being able to do that myself.
- Zakuro, from Tokyo Mew Mew - we had a Tokyo Mew Mew group at Otakon one year, probably... 2002? We were actually pretty well put together, and those costumes were so weird.
- Kaitou Saint Tail to a Katsucon one year - orrrrr an Anime USA, I can't keep these costumes straight in my head anymore.
- Ai from Love Witch, Naoko Takeuchi's semi-recent abandoned project - I was really, fiendishly fond of it, and then it never went past the first or second chapter released. Sad panda. But this was, notably, the first costume I ever used a wig for, although the wig was HORRIBLE.
- The main character from Perfect Blue, in her CHAM costume, wow, I don't even remember her name any more. I wore that to an Anime USA some time in high school, and it was actually a splendidly adorable costume (and my first experience with GIANT POUFFY SKIRT, which we'll come back to later).
- Himeko, from Kannazuki no Miko (she's in the icon, bro), wherein I bleached my hair and it turned orange and was completely awful, but the tailoring on the costume was fantastic; this was 2005, because it was about two weeks before I started college.
- Black Rose Duelist Wakaba, from Utena, worn to Katsucon 2006; fun costume, although at the Starbucks parking lot on the way to the convention someone saluted me and I'm pretty sure they mistook me for military personnel, and that was awkward.
- Gunner Yuna is about the first costume I'm very very proud of. Otakon 2006, and it was reworn with the fancy wig you see there in 2009.
- Orihime from Bleach in her school uniform OLD SCHOOL before Bleach got so ridonkulously bloated, and Hueco Mundo capture costumes, Otakon of 2008, I loved those damn costumes, they were so comfortable.
- Yumi, from Maria-sama ga Miteru, some time in high school during my intense love of lesbian-themed anime phase - oh my god look at babby alice just look. I was never really happy with that pleated skirt, though, and I did improve the top from that shot to actually wearing the outfit. I think I later reproduced a plainclothes version of Yumi, too.
- I later grew my hair out and really cheaply reused that same costume to be Shimako from the same show. CHEAP SUCCESSES.
- Sailor Jupiter is maybe my second most pride-filled endeavor. I also didn't make all of it myself, since it was part of La Soldier Sailor Moon cosplay, but damn, we kicked ass.
- I made a costume of... Saya? Someone like that, from the kind of ~adulty psychodrama Kite, in about two hours once. That. Was. Hilarious.
- Princess Zelda, for Otakon 2010, during which experiment we learned that I should never definitely never be blonde.
- Naoto Shirogane, from Persona 4, for Otakon 2009, whereupon I was mistaken for a thirteen-year-old girl and Justin was mistaken for my father. ...... again, awkward.
- I went as Sailor V to Wizard World Philadelphia... 2006? I think? It was a pretty excellent costume, all things being equal, it just had a terrible wig.
- Padme from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which we took to Celebration V, which remains one of my favorite con experiences to date. It was brilliant.
... and, I'm making two costumes for this convention. And this discounts costumes I've made for other people (a pretty substantial count, actually, especially when you count collaborations). That's.... 20.
What am I even doing with my life?
ETA, look, Gunner Yuna, it's the most bamf face I have managed to make in my life, and Justin wants me to add that it was the first year we did a joint costume. He dressed up as Tidus from FFX-2 ....which meant that he didn't attend the convention at all (I didn't get anywhere NEAR 100% completion at that con, I didn't even attend the main plot events).