Updating the Ann Takamaki Costume
I haven't been feeling so great the last few days. It was okay yesterday, as I had worked. But for some reason, when I have a day off, I feel like I have a responsibility to do all the creative things possible and if I don't, then I'm wasting my off-time. This was a topic Sarah Wilson discussed in First We Make the Beast Beautiful - that people who are anxious want idealized off-time too. And in those expectations only create more anxiety.
This is where I have been lately.
I have been dreading this Memorial Day Weekend. For a while there, I was used to only having a day off once every other Sunday. And now I have three whole days off? What am I supposed to do with that time? Well I know what I will do: be overwhelmed by all the different possibilities and end up doing nothing. I'll want to sew and write and cook and bake and clean and watch all the movies I put off and listen to all the music and read everything I possibly can. And I'll probably get to . . . none of it.
I know what you're thinking, you want to tell me about this awesome new thing that we call . . . PLANNING. But planning gives me even more anxiety than not planning. Because I'll write a schedule down and think of myself as a failure if I can't stick to it.
A cold took hold of me this last week which could be part of the nervous energy. Another part of it could be malaise. I'm trying to fight some of the side-effects of my medication and I get to a point where I think, why even try? What's the point? But I have to keep trying, even if it means setting up three calendars to help me remember appointments.
There is one exciting aspect of creative life that is coming up. This would be Anime Expo and my plan this year is to go over my Ann Takamaki costume and try to make it even better than before. So here is a set of notes/resources that are going to help me get through this renovation process.
Having played through Persona 5 now, I have to say that I absolutely love all of the characters and I'm glad I chose to cosplay as Ann before I even really knew who she was. This is how I feel about most Shin Megami Tensei games that I play - I love all the characters as they tend to be quite complex (the exception being Persona 2: Innocent Sin, as Jun and Maya were the only characters I cared about).
What I especially loved about the characters in Persona 5 is that they were all victims in one way or another and have to learn how to turn their victimhood into personhood. This seems to appear in each character through feelings of indignation. Ann's predicament is similar to how I've been treated by some men in the past, and how probably many other women have been treated (in actuality, it has nothing to do with gender. Being treated like an object by someone else is being treated like an object).
But I completely identified with her rage at Kamoshida for treating her like a sexual object that he could own, thus stripping her of her personhood. Because I've been there. I've been so frustrated by someone's advances that I lost all control of myself and yelled at him, shouting things I wouldn't normally say otherwise. And then a very strange feeling came over me, that my rage was vindicated. I could feel awful later, but the blood rushing through my veins felt so empowering.
And, like Kamoshida, he became very cowardly after having his power taken away. The rest of my time in college, he never bothered me.
So short version of this is that I love Ann and cosplaying as her makes me feel empowered.
When I first made Ann's costume, what I discovered was that it was a very comfortable costume. I have worn many . . . uncomfortable costumes. I only feel comfortable in my Misato Katsuragi costume if I have skin-colored tights on (that skirt is very short). As Sailor Mars, I purchased a pair of red stiletto heels and my toes have never forgiven me since. My automatic button-hole setting didn't work when I made my Yukiko Amagi jacket, and so I cried as I saw what my machine did to my beautiful facing. As Reika Mishima, the scarf gave me rashes on my neck (maybe a softer material next time?). And when I was Toboe (baby's first cosplay), I wore a pair of boots and nearly tripped down an entire flight of stairs at Anime Expo. I had huge blisters around my legs later.
Imagine my surprise when I came back from Anime Expo in my Ann costume unscathed. The major components of this costume are:
1. Blonde wig
2. Blazer, lined or unlined
3. Zip-up hoodie tunic
4. Pleated skirt
5. Leggings
6. Boots
The fact that I could sew that many garments in one go surprised me as well. I'll go over each one individually:
1. The wig that I ended up purchasing was Arda's Luthien in Titanium Blond. Initially, I tied it up into pigtails without even thinking about the wig tracks. Not only that you can't get a pigtail that high on the head just by tying it as you normally would. Ann also has an interesting part to take into consideration: a zig-zag part that is further to one side. I've seen a tutorial on how to cover up the wig tracks by pulling out locks and looping them around a piece that has been tied up high on the head.
Other products I use from Arda:
-Regular wide-tooth comb
-Thin tooth comb, with pokey end to pull out strands
-Styrofoam head (I'm not above placing it on my ironing board and then sticking it in with ten million pins. I now see that Arda has a table clamp which I will probably invest in)
-Wig & Weave Detangler (NECESSARY. Especially for long wigs.)
-Resources:
This video shows the technique I'd like to use with the wig.
2. For the blazer, I used the Slim Ladies' Jacket (107) from Burdastyle. I also decided to line it, which is something you should never decide to do if the pattern doesn't come with lining. For the jacket, I chose a wool blend that I don't think they sell anymore. It had a bit of stretch to it which upped the comfort factor. I changed a few details on the pattern as well, such as drafting a smaller pocket, using only one, and placing it on the bust point rather than down at the hips. I added a little . . . pointy waist thingy (not sure what they're called) with two buttons at the back.
It looks like this: < = = = > I'm certain there's a word for it. (EDIT: "Button tab," me. I was really out of it yesterday.)
All of the patches I used were purchased from Quid Vis on Etsy. I was really afraid that, in addition to making four garments, I was going to have to embroider the patches as well. Thankfully, there's Etsy for that.
I tried lining it two times. Once with a cheap white fabric made up of materials that may not even exist and gave me hell. It was awful. After Halloween, I ripped it all out and threw it away, that's how much I hated that fabric. For Anime Expo '17, I purchased a silk habotai from Mood Fabrics which ended up working much better. Only problem was that the pattern wasn't intended to have a lining and so the sleeves, which fit perfectly before lining, didn't fit correctly and kept pulling up. At that point, I figured let's cut our losses with this. I ripped out the sleeves in the lining (never mind the fact that I could never get the vent right with the lining) and made cuffs out of a gray wool fabric I had lying around. The result ended looking exactly like Ann's jacket and I still had a nice cool, silky interior.
What is the plan this year for the jacket? I'm going to pull out all of the lining. Then I'll finish all the seams, hem it properly, and call it a day. It doesn't need to have lining, me. It doesn't need to have lining.
-Resources
Just search for videos on back vents for jackets. This was the first time I had ever sewn a vent in a jacket, so I watched . . . many videos.
3. For the zip-up hoodie tunic, I used Burdastyle's Hooded Sports Jacket (139) and altered it considerably. I lengthened it, ditched the pockets (a silly move on my part. What I would do for pockets in that thing now), cut off the sleeves and had to take in the shoulders, and had to make the hood MUCH smaller. For some reason, it's ginormous. I don't know why. And I have a big head. For the stripes, I used bias tape.
For the garment, I used a white sweatshirt fabric I found on Fabric.com, which was probably the best material I've bought from them. I added shoelaces as a drawstring for the hoodie as well, with laces purchased from Amazon (Lace Kings).
-Resources:
None, actually. I figured everything out by myself and it didn't end up in flames. For once.
4. For the pleated skirt, I used the Pleated Mini Skirt (117 A) pattern from Burdastyle. You'll notice me mentioning them a lot. This is due to the fact that Burdastyle makes patterns without seam allowances. This makes altering them that much easier. You don't have to worry about taking out the seam allowances first. But I didn't alter this pattern.
At the time I first made this skirt, there wasn't a plaid for Persona 5 cosplay yet. I purchased a plaid that looked slightly similar on Mood Fabrics, which I loved - it had an amazing hand and sewed like a dream - but just wasn't the right plaid. I adored the skirt I made with this fabric (it's adorable), but I wasn't happy with the fullness for Ann's costume.
For skirt v. 2, I've already purchased Luluko's Teenage Thug Plaid which is the right plaid. I also plan to make a circle pleated skirt, using tutorials from Youtube user Kim Dave. Only I don't want to have a skirt with box pleats. We'll see. I'll work with it. I also want to have closure with a zipper rather than snaps, which is what the Burdastyle pattern called for. Something about zippers just makes me feel safer.
-Resources:
How To: Make Full Circle Skirt Pattern by Kim Dave
How To: Draft Box Pleated Circle Skirt Pattern by Kim Dave
Persona 5 Plaid by Luluko
5. For the leggings, I found a shiny red spandex from Mood Fabrics that I have grown to love. It's a wonderful fabric that is belied by its shiny exterior. I have worn these leggings all over the place, with regular clothing, and it's probably the sewn garment I have received the most compliments on. Strangely. They're just damn good pants. I think this is all due to the pattern, from Simplicity's Cynthia Rowley collection: 1104. I love the Cynthia Rowley patterns. The drafting and the construction of these patterns is more than one would think, coming from Simplicity.
However these pants/leggings are quite exceptional. They have an elastic waist-band with an exposed zipper. And they are comfy as all get out. I have now considered making a brood of them in many different colors.
-Resources:
None. Followed the pattern.
6. I found a pair of boots that were slightly close to Ann's on Amazon. When I wore them for Anime Expo '17, I then realized how uncomfortable they were. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean comfort. I'm going to purchase another pair of boots that are closer in hue to Ann's as well as yellow laces. Cosplay Buzz does make an Ann boot to your measurements, but it's just too costly for me. With shipping, it's about $67. It would also take up to about 40 working days, which I don't have time for.
But if you have the time and the money, it's pretty much an exact replica of Ann's boots.
What else am I bringing with me this year? MORGANA! Last year, I had a stuffed animal that my sister altered to look like Morgana's cat form. But this time, I have THE Atlus Morgana plush. And he's going to ride around in my Shujin Academy bag.
This is where I have been lately.
I have been dreading this Memorial Day Weekend. For a while there, I was used to only having a day off once every other Sunday. And now I have three whole days off? What am I supposed to do with that time? Well I know what I will do: be overwhelmed by all the different possibilities and end up doing nothing. I'll want to sew and write and cook and bake and clean and watch all the movies I put off and listen to all the music and read everything I possibly can. And I'll probably get to . . . none of it.
I know what you're thinking, you want to tell me about this awesome new thing that we call . . . PLANNING. But planning gives me even more anxiety than not planning. Because I'll write a schedule down and think of myself as a failure if I can't stick to it.
A cold took hold of me this last week which could be part of the nervous energy. Another part of it could be malaise. I'm trying to fight some of the side-effects of my medication and I get to a point where I think, why even try? What's the point? But I have to keep trying, even if it means setting up three calendars to help me remember appointments.
There is one exciting aspect of creative life that is coming up. This would be Anime Expo and my plan this year is to go over my Ann Takamaki costume and try to make it even better than before. So here is a set of notes/resources that are going to help me get through this renovation process.
Having played through Persona 5 now, I have to say that I absolutely love all of the characters and I'm glad I chose to cosplay as Ann before I even really knew who she was. This is how I feel about most Shin Megami Tensei games that I play - I love all the characters as they tend to be quite complex (the exception being Persona 2: Innocent Sin, as Jun and Maya were the only characters I cared about).
What I especially loved about the characters in Persona 5 is that they were all victims in one way or another and have to learn how to turn their victimhood into personhood. This seems to appear in each character through feelings of indignation. Ann's predicament is similar to how I've been treated by some men in the past, and how probably many other women have been treated (in actuality, it has nothing to do with gender. Being treated like an object by someone else is being treated like an object).
But I completely identified with her rage at Kamoshida for treating her like a sexual object that he could own, thus stripping her of her personhood. Because I've been there. I've been so frustrated by someone's advances that I lost all control of myself and yelled at him, shouting things I wouldn't normally say otherwise. And then a very strange feeling came over me, that my rage was vindicated. I could feel awful later, but the blood rushing through my veins felt so empowering.
And, like Kamoshida, he became very cowardly after having his power taken away. The rest of my time in college, he never bothered me.
So short version of this is that I love Ann and cosplaying as her makes me feel empowered.
When I first made Ann's costume, what I discovered was that it was a very comfortable costume. I have worn many . . . uncomfortable costumes. I only feel comfortable in my Misato Katsuragi costume if I have skin-colored tights on (that skirt is very short). As Sailor Mars, I purchased a pair of red stiletto heels and my toes have never forgiven me since. My automatic button-hole setting didn't work when I made my Yukiko Amagi jacket, and so I cried as I saw what my machine did to my beautiful facing. As Reika Mishima, the scarf gave me rashes on my neck (maybe a softer material next time?). And when I was Toboe (baby's first cosplay), I wore a pair of boots and nearly tripped down an entire flight of stairs at Anime Expo. I had huge blisters around my legs later.
Imagine my surprise when I came back from Anime Expo in my Ann costume unscathed. The major components of this costume are:
1. Blonde wig
2. Blazer, lined or unlined
3. Zip-up hoodie tunic
4. Pleated skirt
5. Leggings
6. Boots
The fact that I could sew that many garments in one go surprised me as well. I'll go over each one individually:
1. The wig that I ended up purchasing was Arda's Luthien in Titanium Blond. Initially, I tied it up into pigtails without even thinking about the wig tracks. Not only that you can't get a pigtail that high on the head just by tying it as you normally would. Ann also has an interesting part to take into consideration: a zig-zag part that is further to one side. I've seen a tutorial on how to cover up the wig tracks by pulling out locks and looping them around a piece that has been tied up high on the head.
Other products I use from Arda:
-Regular wide-tooth comb
-Thin tooth comb, with pokey end to pull out strands
-Styrofoam head (I'm not above placing it on my ironing board and then sticking it in with ten million pins. I now see that Arda has a table clamp which I will probably invest in)
-Wig & Weave Detangler (NECESSARY. Especially for long wigs.)
-Resources:
This video shows the technique I'd like to use with the wig.
2. For the blazer, I used the Slim Ladies' Jacket (107) from Burdastyle. I also decided to line it, which is something you should never decide to do if the pattern doesn't come with lining. For the jacket, I chose a wool blend that I don't think they sell anymore. It had a bit of stretch to it which upped the comfort factor. I changed a few details on the pattern as well, such as drafting a smaller pocket, using only one, and placing it on the bust point rather than down at the hips. I added a little . . . pointy waist thingy (not sure what they're called) with two buttons at the back.
It looks like this: < = = = > I'm certain there's a word for it. (EDIT: "Button tab," me. I was really out of it yesterday.)
All of the patches I used were purchased from Quid Vis on Etsy. I was really afraid that, in addition to making four garments, I was going to have to embroider the patches as well. Thankfully, there's Etsy for that.
I tried lining it two times. Once with a cheap white fabric made up of materials that may not even exist and gave me hell. It was awful. After Halloween, I ripped it all out and threw it away, that's how much I hated that fabric. For Anime Expo '17, I purchased a silk habotai from Mood Fabrics which ended up working much better. Only problem was that the pattern wasn't intended to have a lining and so the sleeves, which fit perfectly before lining, didn't fit correctly and kept pulling up. At that point, I figured let's cut our losses with this. I ripped out the sleeves in the lining (never mind the fact that I could never get the vent right with the lining) and made cuffs out of a gray wool fabric I had lying around. The result ended looking exactly like Ann's jacket and I still had a nice cool, silky interior.
What is the plan this year for the jacket? I'm going to pull out all of the lining. Then I'll finish all the seams, hem it properly, and call it a day. It doesn't need to have lining, me. It doesn't need to have lining.
-Resources
Just search for videos on back vents for jackets. This was the first time I had ever sewn a vent in a jacket, so I watched . . . many videos.
3. For the zip-up hoodie tunic, I used Burdastyle's Hooded Sports Jacket (139) and altered it considerably. I lengthened it, ditched the pockets (a silly move on my part. What I would do for pockets in that thing now), cut off the sleeves and had to take in the shoulders, and had to make the hood MUCH smaller. For some reason, it's ginormous. I don't know why. And I have a big head. For the stripes, I used bias tape.
For the garment, I used a white sweatshirt fabric I found on Fabric.com, which was probably the best material I've bought from them. I added shoelaces as a drawstring for the hoodie as well, with laces purchased from Amazon (Lace Kings).
-Resources:
None, actually. I figured everything out by myself and it didn't end up in flames. For once.
4. For the pleated skirt, I used the Pleated Mini Skirt (117 A) pattern from Burdastyle. You'll notice me mentioning them a lot. This is due to the fact that Burdastyle makes patterns without seam allowances. This makes altering them that much easier. You don't have to worry about taking out the seam allowances first. But I didn't alter this pattern.
At the time I first made this skirt, there wasn't a plaid for Persona 5 cosplay yet. I purchased a plaid that looked slightly similar on Mood Fabrics, which I loved - it had an amazing hand and sewed like a dream - but just wasn't the right plaid. I adored the skirt I made with this fabric (it's adorable), but I wasn't happy with the fullness for Ann's costume.
For skirt v. 2, I've already purchased Luluko's Teenage Thug Plaid which is the right plaid. I also plan to make a circle pleated skirt, using tutorials from Youtube user Kim Dave. Only I don't want to have a skirt with box pleats. We'll see. I'll work with it. I also want to have closure with a zipper rather than snaps, which is what the Burdastyle pattern called for. Something about zippers just makes me feel safer.
-Resources:
How To: Make Full Circle Skirt Pattern by Kim Dave
How To: Draft Box Pleated Circle Skirt Pattern by Kim Dave
Persona 5 Plaid by Luluko
5. For the leggings, I found a shiny red spandex from Mood Fabrics that I have grown to love. It's a wonderful fabric that is belied by its shiny exterior. I have worn these leggings all over the place, with regular clothing, and it's probably the sewn garment I have received the most compliments on. Strangely. They're just damn good pants. I think this is all due to the pattern, from Simplicity's Cynthia Rowley collection: 1104. I love the Cynthia Rowley patterns. The drafting and the construction of these patterns is more than one would think, coming from Simplicity.
However these pants/leggings are quite exceptional. They have an elastic waist-band with an exposed zipper. And they are comfy as all get out. I have now considered making a brood of them in many different colors.
-Resources:
None. Followed the pattern.
6. I found a pair of boots that were slightly close to Ann's on Amazon. When I wore them for Anime Expo '17, I then realized how uncomfortable they were. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean comfort. I'm going to purchase another pair of boots that are closer in hue to Ann's as well as yellow laces. Cosplay Buzz does make an Ann boot to your measurements, but it's just too costly for me. With shipping, it's about $67. It would also take up to about 40 working days, which I don't have time for.
But if you have the time and the money, it's pretty much an exact replica of Ann's boots.
What else am I bringing with me this year? MORGANA! Last year, I had a stuffed animal that my sister altered to look like Morgana's cat form. But this time, I have THE Atlus Morgana plush. And he's going to ride around in my Shujin Academy bag.