Modesty's Costume Closet

This post is highlighting my (somewhat flawed) research methods and decision process for a particular costume part: Hoof Boots. (Like the ones pictured below.) Creature Feet by ChaosCostumes I am trying to decide whether or not to purchase the boots from an artist or to make them myself.  There are several options to weigh, one of them being whether it's worth investing in a new skill. Methods Buy on Etsy Follow Tutorial My Method Pros and Cons Etsy Pros: No mess in my apartment, high quality from an experienced creator, safety tested Cons: Limited design choices and colors, shoe sizes too big, have to wait for shipping Tutorial Pros: Definitive proof that the method works, final design look is in my control Cons: I have no experience making these things, very difficult to find used/cheap shoes in my size, Big mess, hazardous chemical materials, Not necessarily cheaper My version Pros: Potentially most economical method, design in my control, shoe guaranteed to fit, ankle support,

 When I was getting started with 3D printing, of course the first big decision was "which machine will I get". It's one of those things where there's not necessarily a wrong answer, but there could be a best choice.  I am very pleased with the machine I ended up with, but I think this was partially dumb luck. It's hard to know what you don't know! And therefore...it's hard to know where to start without a guide. (My guide was a YouTube channel dedicated to printing miniatures for Table Top games, not costumes.) If by some cosmic coincidence this blog is your first exposure, then allow me to make some suggestions on where to start and some of the questions to ask.  What do you want to 3D Print? Oddly enough this will be a major decision factor into the machine (or machines) you decide to purchase. What kinds of things will you be 3D printing a majority of the time? While you can do pretty much all things with a 3D printer given some proper adjustments, some

 As of 4/10/2022, the wisteria fox costume is complete. I completed the final touches that I wanted to make. And here's what I did.  Kanzashi Piece I had purchased a hair piece but I felt like it needed to be a little bigger to cover my human ear so only my fox ears were prevalent. I know how to fold these things but had to get new ribbon to do it. It took a few tries but eventually I created this hair piece.  Wisteria Kanzashi  I used the instructions from this video for folding the flowers, but did my own construction of the hair piece.  Mask This was one of those things where I could ponder forever at this blank canvas and never come up with any ideas. I tried doodling some patterns based on references but still wasn't really happy with what I was coming up with. So, I just had to sit down and go to town with paint and get it done. I had a couple elements from references that I was kind of using but mostly just painting. There's no turning back now. To be fair, this is t

 Made the tail. Finished hand sewing the sleeves and I'm not 100% happy with them but I also don't want to futz with them anymore. I just won't make future sleeves in the same way.  How the tail will work is this. I'm using the default nylon webbing belt that it came with. The obi will fit over it.  Things are really coming together quickly now. The only things left are details. I'm going to hand paint wisteria flowers onto the kimono. But I'd like to use stencils for some of the parts. I found some vector graphics and made files for my 3D printer. This past weekend I ran some tests with the newly armed 3D printer/cutter. Unfortunately, it is not ready to cut vinyl or paper at this time. The bed on my 3D printer is not level and no matter how I fiddle with it, some parts of it remain uneven. (Likely a bit of warping or something. Hot metal can do that.) So I'm looking into getting a CR Touch to auto-level my 3D printer. Which will help in the long run.  In t

This weekend was not very productive on the costume or knitting front. But I did do a bit of online shopping and wish-listing for possible props for Wisteria Fox.  Silk Wisteria branch. Some of the ideas for props or accessories I had were:  Mask Oil-Paper Parasol Folding Fan Paper Lantern Wisteria flowers  Fangs Kanzashi Claw nails Character Guiding Principles But I can't nor should do all of these. In these situations, I can use what I'll call "character guiding principles" to narrow down what would be appropriate and other decorating themes. If you are thinking of a character, these are just a cluster of traits or words that you can associate with them. Then when considering props you can weigh if the item fits or pick a color that works best.  For example, Captain America is patriotic and protective. The shield as a prop makes sense to these principles because the primary purpose of the shield is to protect the ones behind it which is what Steve Rogers is known fo

 Still waiting on that last bit of Peachskin fabric, so no kimono progress. But I was able to start working on the tail.  Obi and Tail Mechanics So first, the animatronic tail arrived which helps with where to place the tail on the costume. It's a tinge heavier than I expected so I do not think I want to attach it directly onto the Obi. The tail comes with a nylon webbing belt and a clip plate.  The tail comes out of the bottom of obi. While waiting for the tail to arrive I did make the above doodles to figure out where I could attach the clip plate. The Obi pattern requires a backboard which it suggests to be made from cardboard. But I could use something a bit sturdier like PVC board to make it strong enough to hold the tail. I could possible attach the clip to the Obi directly! However, because I want to reuse the tail skeleton for future projects, I will not go the route of attaching the tail directly to the obi. Instead, the current plan is to go the route of wearing the defau

Prop making has always been kind of a challenge for me. The skills, tools, or materials are just a step or ten out of my comfort zone. So, what does one do if they want to add a prop to the costume? Here are some of my suggestions.  Purchase the Prop Commercially  Store bought Sword  The character or costume may be popular enough where the iconic prop is available commercially. They can come in different price ranges too which will affect the quality or final look.  Hire a Prop Maker Maybe hire someone who knows what they're doing... If the character or costume is a bit more obscure or niche, you can hire an artist/craftsman/Prop Maker to recreate it for you. Commissioning a prop from someone might be an unfamiliar process and knowing how to find a competent artist in your area can be a challenge. But at least we have the internet these days.  Some independent prop makers may have an online store which is kind of like purchasing the prop commercially.  Modify a Toy or other Closely

One of the most iconic accessories for Kitsune characters (or skilled swordsmen) is the fox mask. To be fair, this likely is mostly associated with Japanese Kitsune, but they do not hold the monopoly on fox fairy creatures.  I don't think it'll fit right. LOL! Mask Considerations For your own costume, regardless of the culture of origin, the common features to consider are:  Mask Size  How much of your face will the mask cover? Will it go over your whole head like fursuit head?  Or is it meant to be more of a decoration that sits on your head or off your waist?  This will determine how much material you need to use and how to incorporate the mask into the costume. Full Face Mask   Half Face Mask Basic Mask Shape This may sound confusing but what I mean here is if the shape of the mask will resemble the features of a fox closely or take on a more human shape with fox features.  Leather Fox Masks from Etsy . Basically, will the mask have a snout or look more human? Eye Holes How

 Ears and Tails really steal the show for a kitsune costume. But who doesn't love adding a bit more detail and intrigue into a costume design? Five tails and no cares! Tooth and Nail An animal feature that often gets added to animal-human hybrids are fangs and claws .  Little Tooth, Long Nails The design of your kitsune will determine the length and ferocity of the claws and fangs. They evoke different things.  Large, prominent fangs or claws suggest something more monstrous, carnivorous, and dangerous.  Smaller fangs pose less of a threat. It simply showcases that there's something not just human about the creature.  More often than not, false nails tend to be what constitutes claws. Paws Something that is more animal than human are paws.  Those aren't people feet! Generally, these types of parts are more common in fursuit style costumes. You could got satyr or faun style with digitigrade legs or just go with foot paws. Here are a couple of tutorial references: That shoul

Right...back to some of my typical posts.   The second common identifier for a kitsune is fox ears. While the tails may steal the show, you may opt to go with a tail-less version but still include the ears. (I think that'd be an interesting design personally.)  The main thing to consider with ears is how to attach them to your head. The thing to determine the best attachment method is the weight and size of the ears. Your material will determine the weight of the ear.  There are many materials and methods to make ears. Here are a few that I have found/used:  Faux Fur Minky Faux Fur Yarn Wool Yarn Mohair Yarn Acrylic Yarn Felt Velvet Leather Suede Plastic Colored paper Attaching Ears Ideally, we want the ears to appear on our heads seamlessly. The most common method I've seen is to use a plastic or metal head band. These come in many colors, widths and styles to match your costume's hair color and provide a solid base to support ears of various sizes.  Other Bases include: