SOURCE

Rurouni Kenshin tv

DATE FINISHED

November 2001

CON DEBUT

Nekocon Flash (2001)

CONSTRUCTION COMMENTS

This was made as a fully authentic kimono ensemble.

I made the kimono, underkimono, obi, bustle sash and jacket. The rest I had to buy anyway for my real kimono.

Kimono construction, as I discovered, is very deceptive. Yeah, the seams are all straight, and it's generally one size fits all, but alas! I tried the Folkwear pattern. I tried the "Make Your Own Japanese Clothes" book. They're both off compared to my real kimono. The neckline was giving me the most trouble-- it just wouldn't sit right. I wound up making a compromise between both patterns. It's still not right, but it looks okay when worn. They took me a while to sew because all the finishing needed to be done by hand. Only the major seams are actually machine sewn.

The jacket I finally finished for Katsucon '02. I couldn't find an actual "real life" version of this to go by, but it looked to be a modified hapi with an apron front. I made the top ties and the buttons so they would match. For the ties I looked to obi cord tying techniques. For the buttons, I figured chinese ball buttons would be the most historically accurate.

SPECIAL NOTES

I decided to cosplay the fox-lady because of the fun she has with Kenshin. A friend of mine looks like him, so I thought it would be a treat to have an excuse to torment him! ^.^ Besides, she's cool whereas Kaoru is daft.