This DIY ensemble delivers the goods.
We’re learning about cosplay and DIY costuming and we want to share our insights with you! This is one of our recent creations, and we’re calling her Locked & Lovely. You agree, right? The Dritz® press locks feature dominantly on the corset and pretty much steal the show. But the skirt is solid, too. See how we made this costume, and get tips for creating your own!
Before we dive into the specifics, take a look at our New York Comic Con booth. That’s how this whole project started. We wanted to attend NYCC to meet and talk to cosplayers and explore DIY costuming, but first we needed some costumes …
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Meet Locked & Lovely.
This costume is made up of 3 pieces. We’re going to tell you about the materials for each piece, and how each piece was made. We’ll give you our tips, too. In making this costume, we discovered the sky’s the limit when it comes to pattern hacks, and hardware/fabric choices! |
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The blouse:
We found this online and it was perfect, so we bought it! We didn’t have to do a single thing to this top – the tab/hardware at the collar/cuffs was already there, too. Hunt for things online and in vintage and secondhand shops. If you see something that grabs your attention, buy it! |
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The corset:
It loosely follows a Simplicity pattern, but we hacked the heck out of it! We left in the side and back-side seams, closed up the center back and opened the front. We split the front-side seams at the bottom, creating the perfect place for lacing. For its center, we overlapped the front opening with leather. |
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What we used:
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A closer look at the split seam with lacing. Lining finishes its edges, then the eyelets were applied. (Tip: for a more “split” look, change the angle of the bottom of seam to spread the laced area.)
For its center, we replaced the entire section with tan leather. How to: fit the back of corset on your body and use fabric/paper to create a piece that straddles the front; overlap for coverage. Use as template for front panel; the press locks pull everything into place! |
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The skirt:
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Take a closer look at the hardware – it’s our thing, so we love finding opportunities to add it to garments! Check out our coordinating hardware finishes, or see all of our Dritz® fasteners and snaps – mixing, matching, and mashing up is the name of the game when it comes to costuming! |
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So, what do you think? Here’s a shot showing both front and back views of Locked & Lovely. (Note the cut-out on the back of the blouse … another reason that we chose it!) |
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Flip through our lookbook to see more details about the design process behind Locked & Lovely, as well as our other cosplay creations. |
Be sure to check out the other key steampunk costume that we made for our NYCC booth, Belted Beauty. Also, as we create new content, you can find it here on our blog tagged cosplay.
Follow along with us on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s next. And please, please, leave us comments and questions below, or via our social platforms. We’d love to have a conversation with you about cosplay and DIY costuming!
