This was my first real experience cosplaying as an anime character, and I was determined that it be a good one. So! To begin, I bought a gi and hakama pattern on-line, and then my morther and I started looking for the right material to use (I Love Wal-Mart!). We also bought a cheaper Wal-Mart kimono pattern to make the obi, and doubled it's length. I found a nice bright red, white, and a light pink. I used the same pink material to make the headband, and simply painted on the diamond.

As for the arm guards, they're actually from a set of roller-skating arm and shin guards that I painted purple and black. The one on my left arm was actually a shin/knee guard. I took the gloves from that same set, painted them, and chopped off the fingers for fingerless gloves, and beneath those are a pair or red thumb gloves I bought at Claire's (don't ask me why, that's just what she had). For shoes, I bought some white tabi socks and a pair of oriental-style rope sandals. Then there was the wig, which could've been better, but I didn't really know where to look back then.

The final prop is the wooden practice naginata, which my father and brother made for me. It looked fantastic, and I just wrapped sports tape about the staff section to complete the look. In fact, I still have it!

None of this costume would've been possible without my mother's wonderful sewing abilities or my father's wood-working talents. It's a pity it's been retired, but it has since been recycled for other costumes. I still have the general form, but the arm guards were chopped to pieces for my Tifa costume, and I lost the tabi socks in California, I think. Too bad, I'll always remember it fondly. Hmm... Y'know, I may have to bring her back, one day. *evil laughter*