Hakkai's outfit (fabrics, patterns)

missus_mara · Post by **missus_mara** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:25 am

It's about that time of the year again. Time to haul ass doing preparations for September 16-18 becuase you know what? There's the local anime convention going on!

And I'm going as Cho Hakkai from Saiyuki.

I'm going in a group...(ah ha! Smooooth Moooove for Mara). Though his costume is proving to be a little difficult in some ways. So I bring my problems to you hoping for a little bit of help!

I'm actually having a problem finding the pattern for his shirt.
See this link here below for the reference picture:

http://www.hotaru.it/Konnichi%20wa%20-% ... iyuki4.jpg

Folkwear, the pattern company that does all the ethnic and period patterns don't carry a pattern with a mandarin collar that high. I actually want it to be just an inch and a half below the chin. But that's not the only problem

I'm also having a problem looking for the type of fabric that his shirt would be made with.
It needs to be a soft stretch fabric like stretch velvet. These two elements are important becuase the design of the shirt looks as if it was meant to be put on by slipping it over your head like a normal-tshirt. It doesn't appear to have any closures. I don't even think that the black "piping" is covering a zipper or buttons or velcro...

I think it's just the "trimming" for the end of the left side of the wrap around part. (As you can see by my use of terms, I just started sewing)

Now I'm very concerned of what the color of the fabric should be. In all the colored picture's of this shirt of hakkai's, the color was this unappealing swamp/muddy looking color. I decided to
depart from that swampy/muddy look and go for a richer darker and iridescent green for the sake of capturing all the colors in the photo. And yes, it's possible.

Here's a stretch velvet that also has that iridecent quality along with a soft droopy look.
Except it's not in green and yellow green shades. It looks to be a brownish bluish purplish color. It's $8.00

http://www.denverfabrics.com/Merchant2/ ... t_Count=32

Do you get my drift?

Well if anyone has any suggestions, please reply soon. I have a deadline of the 16 of Sept.

mrs.tomoe · Post by **mrs.tomoe** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:07 pm

I think you can use a pattern for a cheongsam or anything that has a similar front. They usually use an invisible zipper in the side seam which could also work for you. The mandarin collar is easy to adjust to make it taller.

Whether you want to make the shirt open along the black trim or make it a pullover like a turtleneck shirt is up to you. It would look fine either way. Anime clothes are almost always drawn as though they have no seams or practical openings, but we need to make them work in real life.

missus_mara · Post by **missus_mara** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:41 pm

Actually Mrs. Tomoe I've ran that by my sewing instructor. I bought a Veitnamese Ao Dai which is blatently similar to the cheongsam. A total waste of $20...authentic Folkwear patterns...

...

The darts and the form-fitting design of the cheongsam or the Ao Dai is a contradiction to the bagginess I'm trying to achieve. I'm trying to make it as accurate as possible without loosing my feminine shape. (just make the shirt my size...just like girls wearing t-shirts)

Though if theres any more ideas, fee free to toss them into the brainstorming arena.

I'm still looking for a green fabric that has the same multi-facedted quality as this one.

http://www.denverfabrics.com/Merchant2/ ... t_Count=32

mindtailor · Post by **mindtailor** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:58 pm

That fabric looks quite unpleasant to me. I would suggest some type of microfiber/microsuede - it's really soft and droopy like that. All what colours in what photo? In that picture you posted, there are really only 2 discernable shades of green, and one of yellow, and that's because of the lighting. For the 'piping', all I can really think of is blanket edging, but there's probably something better.

It seems to me that you already know what you want. I'm sure you'll figure the pattern dilemma out eventually.

mrs.tomoe · Post by **mrs.tomoe** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:15 am

missus_mara wrote:The darts and the form-fitting design of the cheongsam or the Ao Dai is a contradiction to the bagginess I'm trying to achieve. I'm trying to make it as accurate as possible without loosing my feminine shape. (just make the shirt my size...just like girls wearing t-shirts)

Have you tried making a dummy of the shirt using this pattern in a size larger than your normal one and also filling the darts & lessening/totally straightening the curve of the waist?

The only other pattern I can think of is a military-style jacket...maybe Civil War or a Star Trek knockoff. Check online or flip through pattern books. ^_^

missus_mara · Post by **missus_mara** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:46 pm

Mrs. Tomoe wrote:

Have you tried making a dummy of the shirt using this pattern in a size larger than your normal one and also filling the darts & lessening/totally straightening the curve of the waist?

The only other pattern I can think of is a military-style jacket...maybe Civil War or a Star Trek knockoff. Check online or flip through pattern books. ^_^

Hm...actually Mrs. Tomoe, with my current knowledge of sewing, I'm guessing that trying to alter the cheongsam's/Ao Dai's darts and curves as you suggest would also alter the proportions. I'm not entirely sure that it would result in a "good fit."...Anything could go wrong when the one doing the alterations is just guessing.

I've tried altering shirts before and man, it's not that simple. I've altered a cotton t-shirt that was oversized to fit my size, and wanted it to fit like a baby tee, so I cut the sides straight down. Well, I achieved that tightness. Just...not in the right places. eheh. The bulges in my stomach showed through the shirt like a overstuffed dumpling. And I'm not that chubby, even. Patterns are pre-made to complement the contours of the body. Even if the style isn't contour hugging. I think you know what I mean.

I've also looked at many many pattern books. I'll keep looking though. Ya, I thought about the Civil War jacket...but it's a jacket...hm...I'll have to run it by my instructor.

mindtailor wrote:

That fabric looks quite unpleasant to me. I would suggest some type of microfiber/microsuede - it's really soft and droopy like that. All what colours in what photo? In that picture you posted, there are really only 2 discernable shades of green, and one of yellow, and that's because of the lighting. For the 'piping', all I can really think of is blanket edging, but there's probably something better.

It seems to me that you already know what you want. I'm sure you'll figure the pattern dilemma out eventually.

Ya mindtailor, I was referring to that picture I posted when I said "for the sake of capturing all the colors in the picuture". I understand that it's only a drawing and has proabably taken some artistic liberties that depart from what the fabric would realisticly look like, but that's the kind of color that pleases me. Like you said, I think I already know exactly what results I desire.

The ultrasuede I have already looked at. There was a sale of $3 a yard at the local fabric shop and I am defintley keeping it in mind as a substitute if I cannot find that "multi-demensional""multi-colored* fabric.

mrs.tomoe · Post by **mrs.tomoe** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:34 am

Yes, altering patterns can be tricky which is why, for anything more complex than a simple lengthening or shortening, we always make a mock-up version using cheap muslin or an old bedsheet for fitting so we don't waste our good fabric. Most of us are just guessing when it comes to alterations, and there are only a small number of cosplayers with any sort of formal background in tailoring.

A jacket pattern will make a fine shirt if you use soft fabric instead of thick wool or suiting and skip some of the interfacing and other stiffeners. After all, you're only interested in the shapes of the pattern to suit your needs. You may need to lengthen the hem to be able to tuck it in.

I found this Star Trek site that has good in-progress photos of the uniform from the first movie. Of course the details are different, but you get the idea. It's a collarless version of what you want to make, but the collar would be easy to add. I think you can also get ideas for fasteners and what not. Click the button that says "movies" on the top navigation bar: http://www.startrekuniformguide.com/index3.html

If you plan to continue making cosplay outfits, you should get used to the idea of altering patterns because you'll rarely ever find exactly what you need off the shelf. That's just how it is with this crazy hobby; you'll end up with lots of failed experiments as you go along. I realize you're just starting off right now so just keep learning and trying. ^_^