A cheap, last minute costume for a slacker? Help, please.

[tickyhead]

Hey all, I know it's bad form to have your first post begging for help from complete strangers, but I'm a lurker at heart...it took a while just for me to get the courage just to sign up on the forums!

Anyway, I only recently found out that I would have the opportunity to come to Fanime--a friend of mine offered to share a room with me for a good price, because someone else couldn't go and the group needed an extra person for the room. I'm not usually a cosplayer either, but as it turns out everyone else I'm going with is. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, I'm on the look-out for a good costume that I could put together (sewn or from real clothing) in less than two months, on a college student budget. (in other words, not a lot of money...I'd have to cap it at $100 or so, if any of you are good at estimating costs)

Some things to note:
I have very short hair--all the better to wear a wig, I suppose, though that's a decent dent in my pitiful budget. I can get cheap colored hairspray, though, so short haired characters of any color are doable as well.
I don't want to do anything that looks cheap; I want to avoid common "cheap" costumes like L or Near if I can.
The only anime I dislike enough to not cosplay is Naruto...I'm open to most anything else, as well as video game or movie characters.
I'm okay with a little skin, but too much is too much--I'm very self conscious if I feel like I'm showing too much.
I'm open to crossplaying, I'm certainly boyish enough for it.
I can sew fairly well, and have access to a very good machine.
I'm extremely nearsighted. I have contacts so glasses are a non-issue, however I'm wary of colored contacts--especially since it's expensive to get them with a prescription.

My friends have been more preoccupied with their own costumes, and I don't with to burden them further. So far I've considered everything from Momotaros to Navi (yes, really), but I'd like the input of some more experienced cosplayers as well.

Here's a current picture of me, since I know at least someone will ask for it: (Gasp! Someone who actually read other posts before posting? Heresy!)


I don't really want to buy a costume from somewhere/someone, I feel like that would be cheating...plus stuff I buy over the internet never fits right.

I think that's all I have to say...sorry I talk so much.

[SOawesomeness]

Nami from One Piece?
That's the first that came to mind.

[BumbleB]

...be someone from Bleach and join the gathering... lol XD You could be Tatsuki
http://s.bebo.com/app-image/7927130949/5411656627/PROFILE/i.quizzaz.com/img/q/u/08/05/26/bleach_tatsuki0013.jpg
Collared shirt
Grey skirt
red bow tie thingie

or go on this site
http://www.animecharactersdatabase.com/

Hope this helps because my first cosplay was a closet cosplay :)

[tickyhead]

Haha, thanks BumbleB! That's a very interesting site...I think I'll spend a lot of time on there ;)

Also, both Tatsuki and Nami are good suggestions. I'm a big fan of both series, and characters...I'm a little ashamed I didn't think of them. XD

[Yoshi31]

actually Nanao from bleach would be perfect for her 

[tickyhead]

You're right, Yoshi. It's like I'm looking in a mirror... D:

These are all good suggestions, thanks guys. I may end up with enough costumes to go as a different character every day ;)

[WrentheFaceless]

I fully endorse more Nanao's.  ;D

[Yoshi31]

i see someone looking for a lieutenant  :P

[tickyhead]

Well, right now it looks like I'm going to be doubling as Nanao and Nami. Nami because it's relatively easy to find costume pieces, and Nanao because of popular opinion. :P Thanks for helping guys. I suppose I'll have to double my budget for two costumes, but meh...

Oh, hey, while the topic is open, anyone have a pattern and/or reference for the shinigami uniforms?

[BumbleB]

Yeah I need to make a shinigami costume too (I'm going as Rukia). This is what I found.
The top
http://www.geocities.com/anne_liese_w/Japanese/japmakekimono.htm
The pants
http://www.pinner-aikido.com/userfiles/download/aikido-pinner-club-how-to-make-hakdama.pdf

If you are going as Nanao, are you coming to the gathering on Sunday?

[BSaphire]

Yeah I need to make a shinigami costume too (I'm going as Rukia). This is what I found.
The top
http://www.geocities.com/anne_liese_w/Japanese/japmakekimono.htm
The pants
http://www.pinner-aikido.com/userfiles/download/aikido-pinner-club-how-to-make-hakdama.pdf

If you are going as Nanao, are you coming to the gathering on Sunday?

Thank you BumbleB for helping ^^) I looked over these patterns and they are relatively  easy and inexpensive way to make both, though not totally true to traditional methods. I am glad to see them out there for the cosplayers to use. ^^)

Black sheets are not necessarily the easiest to find so I wanted to recommend Broadcloth (60% polyester 40% cotton) instead. This fabric runs approximately $2 a yard and is a cosplayers friend because it won't shrink, comes in a variety of colors, and holds a crease very well.

I would also recommend washing it in cold. I do want to mention that the white broadcloth will look a bit yellow after a year or two and can be brightened with adding it to a white bleach load in your laundry (***Do this only if your garment is all white broadcloth*** other colors will be damaged by the bleach.)

Hugs
B

[tickyhead]

Thanks BumbleB and BSaphire, I feel much more prepared now thanks to you two. XD I may go shopping for fabric today, I'm lucky I dropped by here first. :)

As for the Bleach gathering, I may or may not...I was thinking about going to the Shonen Jump gathering as Nami instead. There needs to be more One Piece love.

Also, anyone got a certain Nami costume they like more than others, while I'm still looking for advice? I was thinking of going for a hybrid between the Portrait of Pirates Nami and what I assume is a promotional picture:
+ = Awesome?

I'm thinking Clima Tact Nami, at any rate--I found styrofoam balls for really cheap yesterday and got inspired! XD

[blkriku]

I think you would make a great Nami. Plus she has so many different outfits that you have a nice variety to choose from. If you are going to do nami then I would like to invite you to the one piece gathering (i'm hosting it and always looking for more one piece lovers). it ganna be fun on a bun and you should definitely come (ya i said fun on a bun). If this helps here is the new opening which just came out yesterday (sun) which nami in some easy outfits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoudZG94Ekw&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div. and here is another video that has most of nami's outfits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoAzH6SSo_w. hope it helps and stop by the one piece thread and sign up to come  :D

[tickyhead]

I think you would make a great Nami. Plus she has so many different outfits that you have a nice variety to choose from. If you are going to do nami then I would like to invite you to the one piece gathering (i'm hosting it and always looking for more one piece lovers). it ganna be fun on a bun and you should definitely come (ya i said fun on a bun). If this helps here is the new opening which just came out yesterday (sun) which nami in some easy outfits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoudZG94Ekw&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div. and here is another video that has most of nami's outfits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoAzH6SSo_w. hope it helps and stop by the one piece thread and sign up to come  :D

Perfect! That's exactly the kind of reference point I was looking for. :D I think I like the Enies Lobby/Water 7 Nami outfits the best at the moment, so I suppose it's a good thing I posted here before shopping too much.

I'm definitely going to sign up for the One Piece gathering, too...I didn't even know it was there until you brought it up. XD

[blkriku]

Lol no problem, glad i could point it out to you