Classic school-girl outfit

EnaChan · Post by **EnaChan** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 5:03 pm

Okay, so I've been making and touching up a Japanese school-girl outfit for an upcoming convention. Everthing is great so far...I have a sweater vest completed, a pleated skirt completed, socks and shoes and a shirt.

My one problem?

The sailor collar for the shirt. You know the ones...Sailor Moon outfit type things. My question is...how do I make one? Can someone give me step by step instructions/scanned patterns for it? I've check for patterns at the fabric store and turned up with nothing. I also found a website with a picture of a pattern...but there are no instructions and the design of the pattern is very confusing and old.

So for you cosplayers that have made these and have come out great...please post here. Pictures, detailed instructions, basically whatever will be great. Just don't tell me to go buy a pattern because I've tried that.^^

Please post soon because I need this done in a week. Please and thankyou so much!

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 5:25 pm

Hey. I'm working on a sailor moon SuperS costume right now, and I'm having some kind of time with that very same thing. I got it almost right the first time I made it, but I didn't realize that I had to make it more curvy, so I have to redo it. What I did was, estimated how long it should be in the back, and using the person's back measurement, I drew the rectangle for the back, allowing for seams. Then I took the measurement she gave me down to her cleavage, made a point at that length from the end of my rectangle in the center of the width of the piece, and drew two connecting lines from the edge of the rectangle to the point.

The mistake that I made was that I had made them straight lines, and it didn't look right when it was done. Later, after wondering how I could fix this since I luckily got the fabric on sale and have plenty left for a few more mess-ups, I realized that what you have to do is make a smooth curve on one side connecting the edge of the rectangle to the center point that I described before. I did manage to get the neckline fairly accurate, though.

What I did was estimate about how wide it would need to be from the girl's neck measurement, and then I marked this width at the mid-way point of the extra piece and made another point in the center at the top of the rectangle. Then make another smooth arc between the first center point, the point in the middle at the width that is comfortable for the neck, and make the back a little bit more circular so that it just barely hits the last center mark. You can probably do a good enough job estimating the curve, though. Just make sure there is the point in front and the circular curve in the back.

It's really important to make sure you give yourself enough seam allowance here, though, because curves are always a bit tricky. I think it looks best to have the collar doubled over, so I cut out two of these, sandwiched them together with the good side of both pieces touching each other, seamed it together, and trimmed it. I did this on the outward sides of the collar that do not attach to the neckline of the shirt. This way, you don't show seams there and the seam on the neckline is just a single one that folds over and doesn't show. Ironing will help that, too.

Another important thing is that if you're using trim like I am (the little ribbon bit on the edge of the collar in a lot of uniforms) I think it looks best if you apply it to the top of the collar before you sew the back edges together. Then you don't have any ribbon edges showing or have to put trim all over the bottom of the collar to make it look right. I'm going to take some pics of both versions of my attempt on the collar when I get the new one done, and I'll show you what it looks like, okay? Lots of luck with this costume, it sounds like it's going to look really good. =)

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:39 pm

oh-my-god... the school girl Fuku...

Laura92 · Post by **Laura92** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 6:33 pm

haha yes. Sterling, you're back from a breif hiatus.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 11:55 am

lmao. Me thinks Sterling is a hentai.

EnaChan · Post by **EnaChan** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 8:18 pm

EEP!

Thanx for all the help to Tia. Things are going great so far for the sailor...flap...thingy. I'm nearly done, so hopefully I can wear it to an upcoming anime Halloween dance. And if I feel like it...wear it on Halloween to my friend's club!

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:03 am

You're welcome. Turns out I had more trouble with mine. Bleh. First of all, my boyfriend made me eat because I had been cosplaying all day and forgot to, and grease from the pizza split all over the thing. =( On top of that, I got the angle wrong on the front bit, so I have to do a *third* collar. Augh. Well, at least I have the main piece put together now. I swear, I will get this costume done by the end of the month if it kills me.

You're welcome. I'm rushing some things myself for Halloween. And I thought it'd be easier now because it's off-season. Silly me. If you wear it, I want to see pictures, okay? When I get my pictures taken when the shirt/top thing is finished I'll show ya.

Laura92 · Post by **Laura92** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:24 am

Those collars are a pain in the butt. lol

EnaChan · Post by **EnaChan** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 9:37 pm

My friend actually made a collar for her little sister who was cosplaying as Sakura from CCS for Halloween...her school-outfit. I'm using that as a visual diagram.

The good thing about this collar is that I can use it on my Kirika costume too ^_^.

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:18 pm

I'd imagine the outfit is fairly simple.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:56 am

Sweet. ^_^

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:23 am

Sweet. ^_^
lmao. Me thinks Sterling is a hentai.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:05 am

It's true.

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 2:51 pm

and you'd know how?
Again:

These forums are getting less helpful, and more insultive each day.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:05 pm

I'm sorry. Maybe I read it wrong...

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:15 pm

I'm not sure what you mean (maybe I skimmed this too fast) but I think I worked on it before. You mean the part that hands on the shoulder, right? I've made a few of them before (not for myself....), though I'm not sure they were correct or anything. They LOOKED alright though. If you'd be interested in seeing a diagram, I could put it in my list of things to draw on saturday. For now, I'm too busy with school work. XD

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:17 pm

It would be awesome if you could make us a diagram. I keep getting the angles weird somehow. =/

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:27 pm

I'll need to know what you're going for. I've figured out that different styles look better in different ways, though most of them follow the same shape. How many stripes will you have on it? What season uniform it is (winter? summer?). The shape of the collar will also vary depending on the shape of the neck on your shirt.

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:42 pm

If you're not busy, maybe you can get screenshots or pictures of the kind of collar you want and I can map out the shape for you? Most of them have the same shape, but a few vary depending on area and design.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:34 pm

Actually, I think I probably just need to look at some more reference pics. It's just the angle that's giving me difficulty. It's for a sailor moon costume, though. Super S. I think the main issue is that you have to have some cleavage but I was trying to minimize that as much as I could, but that just doesn't work with sailor moon costumes I guess. Ah well.

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:05 pm

What angle???

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:08 pm

The angle of the outer edge that runs from the end of the shoulder to the cleavage.

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:11 pm

The angle of the outer edge that runs from the end of the shoulder to the cleavage.

Oh, yeah... how could I EVER pass that angle up...

I want to say it's the same angle as a "V" neck T-Shirt... I'm looking at an anime picture.

I'M NOT A PERVERT!

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:04 pm

It really depends on the shirt you're wearing with it. But it is basically the same as a V-neck on some shirts. I thought you meant the outer angle. =P

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 8:55 am

I did mean the outer angle.

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:37 pm

Alrighty then. =) Let me go pull out some of my older works (no, I did not wear them nor am I thinking of ever wearing them) from my closet. I should be able to give you a small diagram early tomorrow on how it should be shaped for a Sailormoon uniform, if that's the right costume. XD I'll give you the view from different angles when worn, and a flat view of the collar. Just keep in mind that my design may be a little different around the neck.

AutumnsLastRose · Post by **AutumnsLastRose** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:09 pm

lol im prolly starting to annoy every1 with my newb-ness...lol i need help with the collar for kagome...any1 got a pattern of some sort?

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:31 pm

Thanks. I think I have the neckline figured out anyways. I just can't seem to get the collar to look right and at the same time be able to add the trim on without having trouble with the trim lying flat.

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:41 pm

I'm sorry about this, but I couldn't find any of the old costumes I saved over from my last play. I guess the best way to say it is to have the angle start a little past the shoulder, to the front. You'll want to make it a smooth angle, not one that can be seen plainly. Let me find a picture of one online and I'll try to map it out.

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:46 pm

That's okay, no worries. Oh wait. I think you've just helped me. I had been starting the angle right at the shoulder, not a bit past it. I also was thinking last night when I was doing my physics lab homework that it might work to sort of take a part of an ellipse and put it onto the rectangle for the back. But I think the idea you've just given me will help. I'm going to invest in a roll of newsprint for patterns and such and try to work it out that way. Thanks for your help. ^_^

Shinigami-X · Post by **Shinigami-X** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:55 pm

Well... That's a basic pattern I use Like you said, it's like an ellipse, but with two flat sides (the frond and the back). Under that, I believe there's another ribbob/scarf? It really depends on the kind of pattern you're going for. Another tip, start curving slowly to make it seem straight. That's a part that fools a lot of people. =/

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:03 pm

No, there isn't any extra thing on the sailor moon one except for the two lines of ribbon trim around the edge all the way around. Yeah, I'm having trouble with curving it too quickly, too. I think I just need to try a couple of things with where I put the angle on it.