Utena Reference

Utena
First Worn at AnimeIowa 2002
Awards Won: Second Runner Up/Masquerade Skit



I originally created this costume for myself, but I eventually decided, for my obligatory Utena cosplay, that I wanted to dress as Anthy instead. With a few simple alterations, I was able to adjust the costume to fit my friend Amber, who was attending AnimeIowa 2002 with me (and who is the gal posing in all the pictures above.)

I made this shirt by altering a blazer I had found in a thrift store. (Said alterations consisted of tightening of the side seams to fit them more closely to my figure, slashing the lower part of the blazer, and sewing red bias tape trim along the bottom hem.) I relied on snaps and velcro for the closure and then sewed a row of brass buttons down the front. The jewelry I made out of friendly plastic, (do they even SELL that stuff in stick form anymore?) wood, and gold braiding.

The epaulets I made using polystyrene discs painted red. I sewed two tubes out of gold stretchy fabric and stuffed them with fiber-fill, wound them around the discs and stitched them closed. I then sewed white decorator fringe to the underside of the epaulets, to the interior of the gold tubing.

The two-toned shoes I found in the same thrift store as the blazer. As final, finishing touches to this outfit, I made a little rose signet ring out of friendly plastic (which I somehow lost before I sold the costume. Bummer) and the Sword of Dios out of a plastic play sword I had bought for $1.99 at Wal-Mart.


Snazzy, eh?

These pictures by the way, (and the ones on the Anthy page), were taken at the beautiful Clemens/Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud, MN on a very nice, yet very HOT summers day. (The Sword of Dios had not yet been made at the time these pictures were taken, hence the reason it doesn't appear.)