[Nerd Talk] Past Cosplays - Sailor Moon

For this week's Past Cosplays on the Throwback Thursday agenda... I'm going to get really sentimental...

I wanted to go in order of costumes I've made- so I started with Miku and the next ones were Sailor Moon and Lily. I wanted to do Sailor Moon since I just finished her fuku recently over the summer- I want to show the progress of this costume. She will still be remade once more but... overall, I think I'm finally on the right track.




Sailor Moon

Ikasucon 2013

Colossalcon 2014

Ikasucon 2015

STATS

Character: Sailor Moon

Series: Sailor Moon

Made: Spring 2012 (first)

Summer 2014 (prototype)

Summer 2015 (remake)

First Worn: Tekkoshocon 2012

Worn Again: Ikasucon 2013 (modified glove ringlets)

Colossalcon 2014 (ripped and redone as Prototype version)

Ikasucon 2015 (remade first fuku)

Matsuricon 2015 (remake)

Estimated Cost: ~$120 (first time); ~$170 (prototype); ~$160 (remake)

To explain the cost part a bit because it's confusing:

First time: I considered the wig, the accessories, fabric, etc that I had to get. Prototype is taking that cost and then adding on what I had to get for that (so about $50 more was spent with the existing materials). The remake is entirely separate aside from the fact the tiara I wore for the prototype is the same (so about $25 of it).

Sailor Moon's Significance: Sailor Moon has been my hero since I was 5 years old. I remember coming home after kindergarten to watch it. I would dance around in my room to the theme song and act out her catchphrase and attacks. I wanted to be her immensely. She was my escape when I felt overwhelmed or alone. I could relate to her easily.

It was such as huge part of who I was as a kid... though, there was a time from about 3rd to end of 5th grade that I don't remember where it went. I know Sailor Moon stopped airing around that time so that had to deal with it. But, once the end of 5th grade hit and I was brought back into it, the obsession resumed and continues to be my all time favourite anime and manga series.

In 6th grade, I wrote an in depth report on the creator, Naoko Takeuchi. And, in my 3rd year of college, I did a mythology report on connecting the mythological research of Sailor Moon to what we were studying. Both of these reports did exceptionally well.

But it was weird how I never got to be her for Halloween growing up and I never even owned much of the merchandise aside from a few of the small adventure dolls. So it took roughly 14 years for me to be her for the first time... but I never felt satisfied until this year- well mostly. But I'll get into that a bit more later.

Materials: 

Blue cotton broadcloth

Red, yellow, and pink cotton broadcloth

White bias ribbon

Pink ribbon (Prototype)

Fimo clay (Prototype)

White lycra (Summer 2015 remake)

White broadcloth (Prototype)

Spandex shirt (First)

PolyFil (stuffing for glove and sleeve rolls)

Knee high boots (2 different pairs)

2 wigs (newest used for Summer 2015)

Masquerade mask (Prototype)

Bridal gloves

It's going to be interesting to see how I describe how these were made considering they are 3 separate costumes.

The things they all have in common are: the sailor collar was made using the blue cotton broadcloth and white bias ribbon; the glove ringlets used the appropriately coloured broadcloth (yellow, red, or pink) and PolyFil; the hip roll was either broadcloth or lycra with PolyFil; the boots are boot covers made from their respective coloured broadcloth with white or pink ribbon for the detail; the bows are all made from their respective broadcloth; and the gloves were elbow length bridal gloves that was honestly a lucky find (and I need to stock pile more of them cause these ones have seen better days).

I had saved a bunch of tutorials on the collars, sleeve/glove rolls, boot covers, and bows that I can certainly share for those interested- just email me at taka_kagaku2011@hotmail.com and I'll send them to you (cause they're kind of big to post on here). They were made by some awesome cosplayers on DeviantArt so, if you just wanted to search them up yourself, you can!

Ragdoll Prints as Sailor V and D. Jones as Tuxedo Mask @ Tekkoshocon 2012

With the first run of the costume, I ended up using a long spandex shirt for the base of the fuku since I had no idea how to make a leotard. Which, it wasn't so bad honestly. I also commissioned a girl on Etsy to make the tiara, hair shields, brooch, choker, and mask for me. I wanted to go with more of the original manga look since my friend, Ragdoll Prints, was being Sailor V (they also ordered from the same girl for their accessories). This wig would be the one I use for the prototype as well and I still have it. It was my second Sailor Moon wig (after my first came in looking more brown than blonde) and I use it for more alternative Moon fashions (like biker).

PoisonedReality as Esmeralda and myself @ Colossalcon 2014

Prototype was basically a Frankenstein costume... it took the collar and skirt from the original first costume and repurposed it. I used white broadcloth to make the crop top and applied the same sleeve roll tutorial. I ended up remaking the bows- since the one on the skirt had to be blue and not pink. I used Fimo clay to make the moons on the ribbons of the gloves and boots. My original mask broke so I took a Halloween store masquerade mask and cut it up which actually looked much better than the first mask (though I did love the first mask since it was on actual eyeglass arms that went over the ears versus my masquerade mask which was kept on with MANGA MAGIC a.k.a. spirit gum). I used the same boots from the first costume and even glued the boot covers to them so they didn't fall down. I used the same hair shields as before- just painted over more pink (I was trying to move away from 90s anime red since I wanted to be more true to the manga). I bought a new tiara from Catzia Collectibles- one I had been wanting since I was 14. The cape attaches with buttons under the collar and it's a little small now but I plan to make a larger one for the future!! Also- the brooch I used is the official first brooch from the 90s anime that I bought at a convention. The hair clips I made with blank clip pieces, white foamboard, and pearls- I don't normally wear them cause I find them to look too busy on the wig and it's honestly an accessory that's ok to leave out (just like the earrings which I can't wear because my ears are stretched to 0g).

And, finally, my recent 2015 version.

Ikasucon 2015

This was my first time actually pushing to make a fuku in its entirety. I used white lycra for the entire bodice, shoulders, and hip roll. I applied the same collar and circle skirt method with some blue cotton and the same white bias ribbon I've been using. The glove ringlets and boot covers were made with the same pink cotton.
I had ended up drafting my own fuku pattern by using a Green Pepper skating pattern that has been recommended in the cosplay community for Senshi uniforms. The only trouble with this pattern is it only going up to a pattern size 16... and, when you're me, you make everything larger than what you need /just in case/, So I had to enlarge the pattern and make my own Senshi-suitable adjustments. It is about 80% there; I think 1 more fuku remake should solidify the process and I'll be 100% happy.
My main gripes are making the chest plate more prominent, modifying the hip roll into a proper V shape, and minor fixes to the sleeve rolls and overall comfort of the costume.



What is the future for Sailor Moon? 
That's an easy answer- she's not going anywhere and she will be remade for a hopeful final time. The 2015 costume will be sliced and diced to be a "battle worn" cosplay- so it won't disappear, but it won't be this "pristine" looking.
My dream cosplay sequence is to cosplay every form of Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon, from original fuku to Super to Eternal; to Princess and Queen. I may even get to the school uniforms and Princess Sailor Moon later... and if you want to count Sailor Cosmos, her too. I even have plans to do Reconquista (Sera Myu) Moon- which is interesting because I never had a desire to make a musical outfit until this installment.
Sailor Moon is my obsession- a quick glance at the contents of my book bag is a sign (pencil case, keychain, wallet, 4 cell phone straps, first sketch in my sketchbook... and yea, that's just my book bag). She was my first hard-hitting anime and the one that influenced me the most.
You're going to see A LOT of me in Sailor Moon cosplays... whether it's of Moon herself or someone else (like Queen Nehelenia... or Galaxia... or Sailor Pluto...). But, yea, it will probably be Moon the most~
Hopefully you can stick around through that. I swear it won't be one after another.

Thanks for reading this much over-due Past Cosplays post. Next up, Lily the Vocaloid.
Another costume that has been remade 3 times and will probably get a 4th soon.