Princess Serenity

About

  • Media: Sailor Moon
  • Character: Princess Serenity
  • Year Completed: 2021
  • Debut Convention: San Japan 2021
  • Photographer(s): Wren Martin
  • Awards Won: San Japan 2021 Hall Cosplay Contest Winner in Anime & Manga Costume Replication

Construction

Dress

Princess Serenity’s dress is a “strapless” empire waist dress with a gathered skirt. All patterns were self-drafted.

The satin bodice was designed with a scalloped neckline to create golden beaded circles at the edge. Various pearl-like beads were hand-sewn onto the bodice. The skirt consists of two layers of gathered chiffon, with the outer layer shorter than the inner. The tails of the back bow were created using a circular pattern that “tapers” at one end to give it a flowy drape.

Accessories

Each floating sleeve was made by creating two interfaced satin circles, connected by two short pieces of elastic. Chiffon was gathered and hand-sewn in spirals on both circles to create rose-like shapes.

A bracelet, necklace, and earrings were created using the same beads from the bodice. A matching satin mask cover was made with hand-sewn pearls.

The wig was styled using a Classic Chibi wig, two long wefts, and two Classic Buns, all from Arda Wigs in Pale Blonde.

The forehead crescent ornament is from UniqueCosplayProps on Etsy and the pearl hair pins were ordered from Amazon.

Thoughts

This cosplay is the first in which I took more design liberties instead of trying to make the costume 100% character accurate. To me, the interpretation of a character’s design is a critical step in bringing the character to life with your cosplay. However it’s definitely a balancing act since you still want your cosplay to be recognizable! Since the original Princess Serenity design (in it’s different variations) is relatively simple, adding additional details such as the beading helps the dress feel more luxurious and worthy of a princess.

Though I feel I’ve grown much since I created this cosplay, I’m very proud of it since it’s my first award-winning cosplay. This cosplay helped me become more confident in myself and in my work. I’m grateful for the motivation it gave me to keep learning and challenging myself!