Stretch2643
Member
So let me preface this by saying that I'm not the world's biggest Harley Quinn fan. Nothing against the character, but she was just never someone that I felt the overwhelming urge to dress as. That is, until I read this. Roller derby and Amanda Conner? Two of my favorite things colliding in one comic? Sold!
One of the primary reasons this caught my attention is because I'm a derby skater myself, so I feel like I'd be able to lend some authenticity to this costume.
My skates are real, plus I have the skills to maneuver on them in a crowd. And since I'm planning on attending C2E2 on Friday and Saturday this year, this seemed like a nice, quick build for Friday evening. Additionally I've always wanted to cosplay a character design that hasn't really been done before, so I feel like this will give me the chance to be original.
As for the actual build...
I was fortunate enough to win a gift certificate earlier in the year to one of my favorite derby retailers, Derby Skinz (if you ever have custom legging or hot pant needs, I highly recommend their work!) So while I was initially planning on making the shorts myself, with the gift card these are being made for a grand total of $0 and they're going to be sturdy enough that I could actually skate in them once C2E2 is over, so it was really a win-win. I'm anticipating having my order in hand in the next 6 weeks, so I'll have plenty of pictures then.
The wig is problematic just because two-toned makes things twice as complicated. I have minimal wig skills, and I'm not overly interested in trying to combine two different ones. This wig keeps popping up in my searches, and while it looks like the sort of thing you would wear to a football game, I'm thinking of trying it to see if I can make it work. I'm not wild about the fact that it has bangs, but I'm hopeful that I can style them back into the pigtails to at least thin them out a bit.
For her elbow pads and knee pads I'm planning on tweaking and painting some of my cheap, freshmeat (newbie) gear. It's thinner than the kind worn for competitive derby, but it should be sufficient for a day of skating around the convention hall.
The top is going to be my biggest challenge because I've never done any corset work before. If anyone has any basic, go-to patterns that I could use as a jumping off point, I'm open to suggestions.
Some proposed changes:
1. Shoulder-pads. Not to nit-pick, but Harley's shoulder pads aren't regulation. No bueno. Skaters do have to have their numbers clearly displayed on their arms, however. Most choose to do this with reusable elastic arm bands, or just with a sharpie (which I'm leaning towards just because I think it looks more authentic.) I may still mess around with the shoulder pad idea if I can maybe find some used pads and rig them up to the top without really impacting my movement, but it's not high on my priority list.
2. Wrist guards. This is a no-brainer for anyone playing a wheeled sport. I'll be wearing some just in case I get tripped. I don't want to have to explain how I broke my wrist at comic con...
3. Lace-up back. The corset back on Harley's top has great visual appeal, but derby skaters are required to have their name and number visible on the back of their uniforms and, like I said, I'd like to lend some authenticity to the costume. I'll most likely go with a front zipper, and modify the back into a standard tank or racer back, which will give me enough room for some iron on letters and numbers. Nothing fancy.
4. Face mask. Harley's mask comes and goes depending on her costume, and while it's certainly not something she'd be permitted to wear on the rink, I like the visual (and the degree of anonymity) that it offers, so I may try to incorporate one into this get-up.
I'm in the process of moving but once I get settled after Christmas I'm hoping to start painting the gear and getting some of the easy stuff out of the way.
One of the primary reasons this caught my attention is because I'm a derby skater myself, so I feel like I'd be able to lend some authenticity to this costume.
My skates are real, plus I have the skills to maneuver on them in a crowd. And since I'm planning on attending C2E2 on Friday and Saturday this year, this seemed like a nice, quick build for Friday evening. Additionally I've always wanted to cosplay a character design that hasn't really been done before, so I feel like this will give me the chance to be original.
As for the actual build...
I was fortunate enough to win a gift certificate earlier in the year to one of my favorite derby retailers, Derby Skinz (if you ever have custom legging or hot pant needs, I highly recommend their work!) So while I was initially planning on making the shorts myself, with the gift card these are being made for a grand total of $0 and they're going to be sturdy enough that I could actually skate in them once C2E2 is over, so it was really a win-win. I'm anticipating having my order in hand in the next 6 weeks, so I'll have plenty of pictures then.
The wig is problematic just because two-toned makes things twice as complicated. I have minimal wig skills, and I'm not overly interested in trying to combine two different ones. This wig keeps popping up in my searches, and while it looks like the sort of thing you would wear to a football game, I'm thinking of trying it to see if I can make it work. I'm not wild about the fact that it has bangs, but I'm hopeful that I can style them back into the pigtails to at least thin them out a bit.
For her elbow pads and knee pads I'm planning on tweaking and painting some of my cheap, freshmeat (newbie) gear. It's thinner than the kind worn for competitive derby, but it should be sufficient for a day of skating around the convention hall.
The top is going to be my biggest challenge because I've never done any corset work before. If anyone has any basic, go-to patterns that I could use as a jumping off point, I'm open to suggestions.
Some proposed changes:
1. Shoulder-pads. Not to nit-pick, but Harley's shoulder pads aren't regulation. No bueno. Skaters do have to have their numbers clearly displayed on their arms, however. Most choose to do this with reusable elastic arm bands, or just with a sharpie (which I'm leaning towards just because I think it looks more authentic.) I may still mess around with the shoulder pad idea if I can maybe find some used pads and rig them up to the top without really impacting my movement, but it's not high on my priority list.
2. Wrist guards. This is a no-brainer for anyone playing a wheeled sport. I'll be wearing some just in case I get tripped. I don't want to have to explain how I broke my wrist at comic con...
3. Lace-up back. The corset back on Harley's top has great visual appeal, but derby skaters are required to have their name and number visible on the back of their uniforms and, like I said, I'd like to lend some authenticity to the costume. I'll most likely go with a front zipper, and modify the back into a standard tank or racer back, which will give me enough room for some iron on letters and numbers. Nothing fancy.
4. Face mask. Harley's mask comes and goes depending on her costume, and while it's certainly not something she'd be permitted to wear on the rink, I like the visual (and the degree of anonymity) that it offers, so I may try to incorporate one into this get-up.
I'm in the process of moving but once I get settled after Christmas I'm hoping to start painting the gear and getting some of the easy stuff out of the way.
