I have wanted to cosplay Utena for years, and I finally did at ACen this year! Much like Sailor Mercury, this was a costume important enough to me that I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t eventually made it. The series had a huge influence on me as a teen, so it was really exciting to feel like I was a part of it!
For as long as I waited to make this costume, it actually ended up being a fairly simple project. I made the dress first, since I would need to find a lot more fabric if I somehow messed it up. Luckily, I didn’t. It was my first time making a big skirt like this, so I took a lot of care in making sure that it would fit the hoop skirt correctly and be the right length to rest just above the ground when I’m in heels. I’m glad that I was able to get this experience with such a straightforward skirt instead of one that had additional layers or ruffles or some other complication.

I then moved on to the jacket, for which I was able to adapt an old pattern. Getting the shape of the collar just right is probably what gave me the most trouble, but I’m happy with how it turned out. I saved a ton of time on the trim by machine sewing it instead of hand sewing it like I did to hide the stitches on my Cure Beauty costume.

Most of the regalia, including the crown and brooch, I cut from foam sheets, then spray-painted gold. The balls attached to the epaulettes are ping pong balls, into which I cut holes to insert the tassels. The tassels themselves came from a graduation cord, which I then painted to use as the cord connecting the brooch to the right epaulette.
One small piece of the costume that I did not make myself was the ring. It was made by glittergaragesales on etsy, who I would recommend to anyone else looking for a rose crest ring.

I am extremely proud of how the costume came out. It fits great, and I am very satisfied by how it looks. I unfortunately did not wear it for long at the con because of a problem with the shoes. I am happy that I was at least able to get this photo, because the abundance of rose imagery at this convention center was actually part of what motivated me to finish this costume in time for ACen.