Vincent V. Costume Concept D.

This is the (cropped and noteless) version of the concept design I did for my Vincent Valentine cosplay. Why a whole new concept drawing when the character is already established? Well--lots of reasons. Below I have pasted text from [link] which is the costuming blog where I originally posted this drawing.
(EDIT: Here is how it turned out )

Now–what we have here really isn’t that different from the original, and that’s what I was looking for. I’ve borrowed liberally from both versions of the character design and included a few of my own touches, but the costume is still essentially Vincent. The main difference lies in the trouser style and the width and positioning of belts. I dropped the waist-band of the trousers to fit at the hip (a very modern fit–I’m sure we’ll all want something different in ten years) and widened the two belts to really chunky things, rather than the thin sleek belts Vincent sports. Also, instead of a pleather or leather fabric for the trousers, I’ve opted for a low-sheen black denim.

Why do all these things? The drop in waistline is not only more comfortable for those who are used to modern, hip-riding trousers, it also allows the torso to appear lengthened, creating the illusion of fewer curves (some of the younger cosplay crowd get around curves by binding their chests, but I frankly find this to be totally barbaric and I refuse to participate). The problem with low-waisted pants is that they usually hit at the widest part of the hip, which can make the hips look even wider, if you’re not careful. To help counteract this, chunky belts are added–this draws the eye away from the line of the trousers over the hip and gives the observer the idea that the width is the result of the belts themselves.

Lastly, the change in fabric from a high-gloss to a low sheen eliminates awkward highlights. Pleather is really a very reflective material, and nothing can make something look curvier than a dramatic set of highlights showing up in a picture from the flash. Black denim absorbs light, and as everyone knows, black makes anybody look thinner!

This costume is currently about half done, so I’ll leave off here with the promise that I’ll post the rest of it as I get finished, including the golden glove/claw that I’m working on. What I really wanted to do with this post was prove that you can take a male costume and make it not only feminine, but attractive as well WITHOUT resorting to the tired, old and totally uncreative minidress or miniskirt designs.