...cosplay... [courageous wings]

_________Syaoran

_________Costume Stats

Character Name: Syaoran
Series: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
Specifics: chapter 100 splash page
Cost: $100
Time: ~40 hours
Started: May 2007
Completed: May 2007
Debuted: Anime North 2007

_________Reference

_________Information

My friend, Sakura, had been gushing about making Sakura's costume from the splash page for chapter 100 of Tsubasa manga since the chapter came out. I made the matching Syaoran costume because I wanted to match her, and because I liked the design.

I made a black shirt with an oriental collar to make the black undershirt.

All the white on this costume is Pasadena drapery lining, and the green is twill. The green wasn't my first choice, and is a little brighter than it should be, but I like it regardless.

For the main white shirt, I merged a shirt pattern with a tracing of my old martial arts uniform. I made the belts with some buckles I bought, and sewed them on. I added strips of green to the edges. Then I added velcro at certain points so I could get the top on and off. To finish off the main shirt, I measured out and poked holes near the sleeves, and added dark green cording.

Because of the way the belt buckle worked, the belt is two belts sewed over each other. It also attaches with velcro so the buckle is just for show. The flower on the belt was cut out of pink fabric that matches Sakura's costume. The little circles on the flower were handsewed on, and then my friend Kira hand-sewed the entire flower to the belt.

I bought a pair of pleather pants, since pleather and my sewing machine don't get along. I made a pant leg out of white fabric and added a slit. I made giant "bias tape" out of the green and added it to the edges. Then I sewed on the buttons. Lastly, I added snaps at the top to attach the extra pant leg to black pants.

The giant flower on the pant leg, and the rest of the flowers of the costume were designed on paper, traced onto heat-and-bold (fusible webbing) and cut out. The circles on each of the flowers were made the same way. For the sizing, I traced Canadian coins and had my friend Kira (ILU, Kira~!) cut them out. Kira also cut out 3mm "sticks" of black fabric for the sticks. The circles and "sticks" were bonded to the flowers with heat-and-bond and an iron. Then the entire flowers were attached where they needed to go.

For the pant leg, the flower was hand-sewed on by Kira. Heat-and-bond proved to be insufficient hold the circles to the flowers, so I used an industrial strength glue to reapply them.

The armbands were straight-forward. I attached the flowers before I added the gold bias tape, made from the same gold fabric used on Sakura's costume. The little green arms bands were giant pieces of "bias tape" sewed in a loop.

Because of the length and shape of the headband, it is made of five pieces of fabric. I was originally planning to sew the headband to the wig, but the headband was more stabile when it was simply tied around my head.

The wig was borrowed from Becky and the boots are my own. And I think that's about it.

There are a few things that I don't like about this costume, but overall, I'm happy with it. :3