Utena Tenjou
Revolutionary Girl Utena
VARIATION School Uniform
COST $80-ish?
HOURS TO MAKE don't remember... 20?
COMPLETED March 2003
STATUS Retired
WHY I MADE IT
At the time, I was just beginning to get into the idea of going to an Anime Convention for the first time. I was particularly enamored with Revolutionary Girl Utena, and had a certain fondness for Utena herself. Something about her character has just hit a good place with me. I didn't have the skills to do her duelist outfit, and at the time I hadn't SEEN anyone do her school uniform, so I got my Nana to help me make that.
COSTUME CONSTRUCTION
I called all the shots with this costume which, in hindsight, was probably not the best idea. The pattern we used was perfect in theory -- it was a simple button up jacket with a stand up collar. except the pattern was for boys, didn't fit my chest right, and on top of it all, was extremely unflattering. We bought a semi-stretch black fabric that, once all of the ribbon trim was added onto it, COMPLETELY lost it's stretch. In the end, the jacket didn't fit and had to be safety pinned closed. The whole thing was a mess. This costume is more a lesson in what NOT to do.
So why do I even bother posting it? Because it was my first REAL cosplay, and I want everyone to remember, that no one just starts out being good at this. It's a learning process. And really, I'll always treasure this costume, because my Nana helped me make it.
Someday, I'd like to cosplay Utena again, just as a perfect testimony of how far I've come.
COST $80-ish?
HOURS TO MAKE don't remember... 20?
COMPLETED March 2003
STATUS Retired
WHY I MADE IT
At the time, I was just beginning to get into the idea of going to an Anime Convention for the first time. I was particularly enamored with Revolutionary Girl Utena, and had a certain fondness for Utena herself. Something about her character has just hit a good place with me. I didn't have the skills to do her duelist outfit, and at the time I hadn't SEEN anyone do her school uniform, so I got my Nana to help me make that.
COSTUME CONSTRUCTION
I called all the shots with this costume which, in hindsight, was probably not the best idea. The pattern we used was perfect in theory -- it was a simple button up jacket with a stand up collar. except the pattern was for boys, didn't fit my chest right, and on top of it all, was extremely unflattering. We bought a semi-stretch black fabric that, once all of the ribbon trim was added onto it, COMPLETELY lost it's stretch. In the end, the jacket didn't fit and had to be safety pinned closed. The whole thing was a mess. This costume is more a lesson in what NOT to do.
So why do I even bother posting it? Because it was my first REAL cosplay, and I want everyone to remember, that no one just starts out being good at this. It's a learning process. And really, I'll always treasure this costume, because my Nana helped me make it.
Someday, I'd like to cosplay Utena again, just as a perfect testimony of how far I've come.
