OVERVIEW: I began it in July 2005, using an old dress as a pattern and some really expensive bridal satin. I really took my time, and it shows. This costume was finally completed to the point where I was satisfied with it in July of 2006.
THE CHARACTER: I love Tsubasa Chronicle. I think Sakura was absolutely adorable in Card Captor Sakura, and she didn't lose any of that cuteness in Tsubasa. The opening scene of the manga literally made my cry the first time I read it, and I fell in love with that dress. I thought it would be a pretty, but simple cosplay. Boy, was I wrong. >.< Note to self: There is no such thing as a simple cosplay. Even when it seems like there is, it isn't.
THE DRESS: Although many other cosplayers have left the skirt pretty short from using the anime version as a reference, I thought it looked more like it was long in the back from the manga pictures I was working from. I had an old dress that I patterned the top off of, cutting it very high-waisted. I had a little mishap in the back--the shears slipped right through and caused a big mess! I sewed up the rip, but that seam is still visible in the back. It's covered by the cape, though, and if I do an identical one on the other side, it won't look like an accident.
THE COLLAR: I used gold lame fabric cut into part of an oval. Using fabric glue, I stuck on gold rhinestones identical to the pattern in the manga. I used the largest ones I could get, but they still seemed a little small. However, the effect of the shiny fabric under them is quite striking! I also must add that I got the idea to use the rhinestones from another Sakura cosplay at Tekkoshocon 2005. Although we didn't use the same ones, or the same pattern, and our dresses don't look that similiar, I want to credit her! I would have probably come up with that idea on my own, but seeing her dress is what really triggered it for me. And I always feel obligated to give credit to whoever inspires me! So thank you, mystery Tekkoshocon 2005 cosplayer! You were really beautiful, and I loved your Mokonas!
THE CORD: Originally, I found some cold coin trim that seemed like it would work for the cord. Unfortunately, it was edged in black, so I had to sew on gold hem tape all over it to make the collar and the cord. This was an exercise in patience, since pins wouldn't quite work and I had to be very careful not to sew through the beads. I decided that the gold cord *was* one piece, although it wasn't clear in the manga, and attached it directly to the dress that way. After wearing this to three cons, I realized that I didn't feel it was accurate enough, nor did it really look particularly good. Originally, I wanted to buy crystals like I eventually did for the necklace, but after realizing how many I would need, and the price... let's just say Dan talked me out of it very nicely. I looked around for a long time before finding curtain trim with amber jewels that looked just about right. I cut off the beads, sewed them onto gold cord, and sewed that onto my dress. Now I am satisfied... but if I ever hit the lotto, you can bet that I'm getting real crystals for this!
THE NECKLACE: The fact that the coins had little faces on them was to annoy me. So, I asked Dan, and he remade the necklace with actual crystals and a gold chain. Unfortunately the chain was a bit long, but this was temporarily solved by a safety pin. I hope to be removing some links before I wear it again.
THE CAPE: Unfortunately, the cape was not completed the first time I wore this costume, so I did not wear it until the second or third day of Otakon 2005. Since it got stepped on a lot, it needed to be reworked quite badly. I wanted to make it detachable, originally, so the dress wouldn't rip in case someone stepped on it, but finally I decided to make it as accurate as possible, so it's super long. I also realized it was actually TWO capes, one on either shoulder blade, in the manga, so I sewed it as such. I hate hemming. I solved the people-stepping-on-my-cape problem by looping it around my arms whenever I'm walking--making it look like I'm wearing an evening gown!
THE WIG: I tried for a whole year to get my hair to look like Sakura's. Otakon 2005 my cut was almost right, but my hair was still very black! I had tried to bleach it the night before the con, but realized later what I'd bought wasn't actual bleach. Once I had got it bleached, I dyed it the correct color, but it still wasn't satisfactory to me at Katsucon 2006. For Tekkoshocon 2006, I asked my friend Terranell to help me style it. This worked okay, but I still wasn't happy! Finally, I broke down. I commissioned a wig from Terranell... AND I'M SO RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY I DID SO!
My costume is ten million times better thanks to this amazing wig. She did a perfect job on it. Seriously! It's such amazing quality (she ordered it from Cosworx) and the way she cut it is just perfect. I look just like Sakura with it (Well, at least in my own little mind.) I am so grateful to her for this.
THE COMPLAINTS: Really, the only complaints I have are from when I was starting out with this costume, from not being able to get my hair just right to hemming, hemming, and more hemming! But I've learned a lot from this, and I'm still very happy with this dress.
CONVENTIONS:
OTAKON 2005: My main complaint is that the Tsubasa photoshoot at Otakon 2005 was on Saturday, and well... I hadn't slept very well. So I was all puffy and ugly and still had black hair. I apologize to anyone that took my photograph, since I was truly not at my best. However, I spotted a glass seperator at Otakon, and whisked my Syaoran over there for opening scene re-enactment fun! Even though our costumes were SO not finished, we had no wigs and really did look horrible, I'm very happy with the photos we got.
KATSUCON 2006: Katsucon 2006 was also not a good con--my boyfriend was sick, which made me worried, and I didn't have a very good time. There are only a few photographs of this from that convention--it was very cold, as well, which isn't conducive to running around in bridal satin!
TEKKOSHOCON 2006: The first photoshoot of this dress by Tim from Deathcom.net took place at this con. At the time, I was very satisfied with everything, but looking back now, I feel like there was so much I could have done better. Having a quality wig now makes me see my real hair just doesn't cut it.
OTAKON 2006: Once again, I asked Deathcom.net for a private photoshoot, and this time it was Alex-san who obliged. He hasn't gotten the pictures uploaded yet, but I know there are a few I'm really looking forward to. We did the glass re-enactment again, but afterwards I realized it would've looked better had one of us actually gone outside to peer through the window. D'oh!
There's always next year...
ADDITIONAL: I don't think I'm going to be done with this one for a while yet. I truly love this design--not just my dress, but seeing others cosplay it makes me so happy! Someday I might add see-through material underneath, as in one of the artbook pictures of Tsubasa, but I'm not sure just yet. I've also toyed with the idea of adding wings, and perhaps remaking the dress straps in gold, but we'll see. Maybe I'm just the type of girl that's never satisfied with a costume...
REVAMP: The latest action to this costume has been adding gold straps to the dress, and remaking the necklace so it looks more like a collar. Am I done with it yet? Nope... it looks like I might even want to remake the entire thing!
ICON CREDIT: Photographed at Otakon 2005 by Eurobeat King. Thank you very much!
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