Construction Details:

This was my first time attempting something this detailed and complex. The blue layer was mostly drafted from scratch, heavily modifying a trenchcoat pattern with lapels, and then trimmed in faux shearling. The waistband is separate from the coat itself; I pin/snap it on fresh whenever I wear it so it holds me in tightly. The white coat was referenced from the same trenchcoat pattern, HEAVILY modified, and the sleeves and hood were both hand-drafted by me to imitate the too-big look Fai had in the manga (the sleeves flop a few inches past his fingertips, and he has that doofy triangular hood). The whole thing is anti-pill fleece, lined in ice blue anti-static lining, and trimmed in faux fur with all raw edges contained inside seams, which was an entire day's project. The appliques were cut out of fleece and topstitched in place, along with the black sleeve accents. The black sash is made of thick band elastic with a craft foam clasp, and the other adornments on the lower part of the coat are also craft foam. I wear black stretch pants and square-toe CLAMPy boots underneath. My wonderful mom bought me the gloves.

The staff actually got to the 50% stage, but unfortunately foamcore doesn't hold up well to the paperclay method--next time I'll be sure to add reinforcement first. Hopefully the staff will be a future addition to the costume. The wig was purchased from eBay and styled by yours truly.

Personal Thoughts:

WOO. My dream cosplay, FINALLY. I'm so ecstatic to have finally gotten to make Fai. Other series have taken precedence in my mind lately, but I'll always love this character. It's also essentially, the connecting force I have to one of my best friends in the entire world, Marina (umi-kun)--she found me on deviantART and we bonded based on our mutual love of this series. To not only meet her and befriend her, but then have her as my Kurogane and gallavant around a beautiful convention center as one of my favorite pairings ever...it was AMAZING. I can't wait to give this costume more con floor time.

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