By: Clari-chan
Cosplay is an art many Sailormoon fans enjoy. Somehow, dressing up as
your
favorite soldier gives these people thrills for the duration of that
con,
Halloween, or other special occasion. Some look almost professional at
their
art and continue to amaze con-goers with their work, like Sailor
JAMboree
(http://www.sailorjamboree.com) or Starcrossed Lovers
(http://spiritofpocahontas.com/starcrossed/).
However, there's one problem. The Sailor JAMborees are unfortunately
the
exception to the rule of beautiful sailor senshi fuku. Anyone who's
been to
an anime con can tell you of the overabundance of absolutely terrible
SM
"cosplayers."
You don't have to take a con-goer's word for it. See for yourself.
Taking a
look at http://www.fansview.com can show you dozens of "senshi" that
can
make a blind person wince. T-shirts are replaced for what is supposed
to be
a leotard. The front and back bows are made ridiculously small, and out
of
ribbon, which is preposterous. I've even seen some SM cosplayers wear
white
tennis shoes, and wear nonpleated miniskirts.
C'mon, people. I understand you really want to be that soldier for a
day,
but putting together a "costume" like that is ridiculous. There are
plenty
of easy, inexpensive ways to make your own sailor fuku:
1) If you want to make it yourself, Method: Cosplay
(http://www.faeriewings.net/method/) suggests Butterick pattern #5781.
2) If you don't have the resources to make it yourself, there are
numerous
places where you can buy a nice fuku. eBay is usually a good place to
start.
Also, Setsuna Kou
(http://www.fortunecity.com/business/johns/1394/costume/costume.html)
makes
custom Sailormoon and anime costumes.
3) If you need help on your costume, I recommend joining the COSP list
(http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/cosp). With nearly 900 members,
you're
sure to find someone who can help you with your problem.
Putting a little time and effort into your costume will pay off!
Comments on this article can be sent to: Clari-chan.
