Why Kida?
I absolutely love Kida, so when I did my first cosplay of her, I wasn't super satisfied with the result. I didn't like my color choices, the fit of the costume, or my wig. I felt like I didn't embody her the way I envisioned, so I tried my hand at it again and am SO GLAD I did because now this is one of my favorite costumes! It's so comfortable, and I think it really suits me. So just goes to show you- never give up. Even if you fail the first time, you can still surprise yourself the next time around!
This time I also FINALLY got around to making my spear also! Perhaps if I do it a third time, I can at long last do the armor and as a stretch goal, maybe even her mask. I would also really love to attempt her coronation/queen's dress.
Costume Stats
Started: May 2014
Completed: August 2014
Status: active
Wig by: Arda Wigs
Worn at: GenCon 2014, RamenCon 2014, ColossalCon 2017, KentokyoCon 2018, Phoenix Fan Fusion 2022
Awards: Best Masters- KentokyoCon 2018
About This Costume
This was the second time I had made Kida's outfit, and I repatterned everything this time around! Absolutely everything on this version was new compared to my old one. Like the past Kida costume, this was made of milliskin spandex, meaning I can take it in the water safely. For the top, I reverse-engineered a twist top I bought from a clearance rack. I was able to use the molded cups as the base of my bikini top as well too! This one fitted and stays up MUCH better than my last one, and I love it so much more. The back half of the bikini is lined with a super thick spandex to give it some structure and strength.
The skirt was designed this time around to be able to be swung off like hers does in the movie, although it does not actually "tie" around her waist like hers does, it was just cleverly designed with some sneakily placed snaps. The stripe on the skirt was made using some red spandex I found at Joann, and the yellow stripe on top was 1/4" wide bias tape. The bottom of the front of the sarong (the long light blue center panel) was hemmed with horsehair to give it some body when it is photographed.
The earrings and arm band were done in Worbla. The anklets I had on hand from Esmeralda's costume also. The light up necklace I had from last time got damaged, unfortunately, so I had to make one from scratch. I found a crystal from a craft store and some stretchy bronze cording which worked out pretty great, even if the crystal doesn't light up!
The wig in my photos was an Arda wig, but I think it was one of their much older styles (I bought it off another cosplayer who hadn't used it), so the fibers were very stubborn. I will have to remake this using some of Arda's newer fibers, which are much silkier and easier to brush!
Why Kida?
This was my first version of my Kida cosplay. Although I learned a lot when making it, the end result wasn't quite up to par with my expectations. So I eventually ended up remaking it, resulting in the version you see above!
Costume Stats
Started: April 2012
Completed: April 2012
Status: retired
Wig by: Cosplay-Wigs
Worn at: RamenCon 2013, IkasuCon 2013
Awards: none
Related Cosplays
About This Costume
The first version was very blah construction wise, but ultimately taught me how I *wanted* it to be in the second version. So I'll be completely honest, just read the "About This Costume" above because it's gonna be way better than whatever this mess here was, hahaha!
But for conversation's sake, I'll let you in on the materials anyways! They were more or less the same as above, all made of milliskin (a type of matte spandex). For the gold stripe on the skirt, instead of using yellow bias tape, I used a gold trim from Joann Fabrics. While the texture was definitely fun, it didn't quite pop in photos the way I wanted it too. The color got sort of muddied and lost.
This skirt I had initially designed as one whole piece, unlike my second skirt, which comes apart, and has the sash part separate from the skirt itself, which wraps around the hips. The bikini top was sort of a nightmare because it just lacked structure, so it never wanted to stay up, and I sort of had to "hunch" into it so I wouldn't fall out of it! Needless to say, it didn't make for very flattering photos, heheh.