Once, an
East Coast convention tried to restrict Sailor Moon costumes from its costume
contest because they'd been done before. Other fans can't get enough of
the outfits, and they're still very popular among young women. Once, it
seemed like most of the entrants in a Nan Desu Kan costume contest had
Sailor Moon outfits. A group of Sailor Moon costumers gathered early in
Nan Desu Kan to talk about their enjoyment of the series and its costume
designs. They had an interesting point to make about Sailor Moon outfits;
while there are dozens of designs from the several Sailor Moon series,
the toughest costumes for this group to make are the basic battle uniforms.
Here's an
example of that difficult work, a fuku which the panelists said took 30
hours for an experienced seamstress to create. There are Butterick and
McCalls patterns that can be used to make these costumes, but to get this
outfit right the fans went to extremes. Sailor Moon fukus have been described
as skating leotards with cheerleader skirts, but not this one. It's a one
piece outfit. The bodice was made from scratch, there are several yards
of fabric in the pleated skirt, and the underpants are sewn into the outfit.
By comparison,
this Rubrik costume from the series' second season was simple to make,
a collection of found objects and military surplus clothes. Earrings, hard
to spot in this image, were made from jewelry scraps and buttons. The wig,
which the costumer joked was "like a big red hedgehog," came from a Spencers'
store for $20. The necklace came from leftover pieces of leather.
A couple
of costuming techniques are shown in this image. The blue patterns on the
jacket are made with fabric paint, an easy way to create something that
otherwise would have to be sewn or embroidered. Another trick is to use
beads of glue to make raised patterns on fabric. But the simplest solution
to an often painful challenge are the half-moon symbols of the costumers'
foreheads, which were made from contact paper. Some Sailor Moon costumers
use glue to stick those symbols to their faces and come away with crescent-shaped
scars. "You can be an enthusiastic costumer, but don't let it injure you,"
the cosplayers said.
Once, an
East Coast convention tried to restrict Sailor Moon costumes from its costume
contest because they'd been done before. Other fans can't get enough of
the outfits, and they're still very popular among young women. Once, it
seemed like most of the entrants in a Nan Desu Kan costume contest had
Sailor Moon outfits. A group of Sailor Moon costumers gathered early in
Nan Desu Kan to talk about their enjoyment of the series and its costume
designs. They had an interesting point to make about Sailor Moon outfits;
while there are dozens of designs from the several Sailor Moon series,
the toughest costumes for this group to make are the basic battle uniforms.
Here's an
example of that difficult work, a fuku which the panelists said took 30
hours for an experienced seamstress to create. There are Butterick and
McCalls patterns that can be used to make these costumes, but to get this
outfit right the fans went to extremes. Sailor Moon fukus have been described
as skating leotards with cheerleader skirts, but not this one. It's a one
piece outfit. The bodice was made from scratch, there are several yards
of fabric in the pleated skirt, and the underpants are sewn into the outfit.
By comparison,
this Rubrik costume from the series' second season was simple to make,
a collection of found objects and military surplus clothes. Earrings, hard
to spot in this image, were made from jewelry scraps and buttons. The wig,
which the costumer joked was "like a big red hedgehog," came from a Spencers'
store for $20. The necklace came from leftover pieces of leather.
A couple
of costuming techniques are shown in this image. The blue patterns on the
jacket are made with fabric paint, an easy way to create something that
otherwise would have to be sewn or embroidered. Another trick is to use
beads of glue to make raised patterns on fabric. But the simplest solution
to an often painful challenge are the half-moon symbols of the costumers'
foreheads, which were made from contact paper. Some Sailor Moon costumers
use glue to stick those symbols to their faces and come away with crescent-shaped
scars. "You can be an enthusiastic costumer, but don't let it injure you,"
the cosplayers said.
