Ariel | 2014

Ariel – Green Dress | The Little Mermaid

Made for : Hamilton Armageddon Expo 2014

Awards : Best Novice Group – Hamilton Armageddon Expo 2014

Background : From memory, I think the ‘new’ Disney Princess glitter redesigns had just come out and someone posted on the Cosplay New Zealand forums looking to get an entire group together. At one point we had every princess locked in and then as does with all cosplay groups, the closer the due date came, the more people dropped out until there were only three. I was very happy to have gotten to do Ariel though as she is my favourite of the princesses.

Things used :

Wig : Fun story, my hair, underneath the wig at the time was almost an identical shade of red and only a few inches shorter. I opted to wear a wig because that’s what ‘the real’ cosplayers did. The wig was borrowed from the girl who cosplayed Cinderella. All I did was tease up the fringe a bit.

Dress : Fabric-wise I picked both the best and the worst fabrics for this dress. I was over-the-moon happy with the mint green glitter chiffon that I found at Dance Fabrics NZ. It was the perfect amount of sheer and absolutely dripping in a silver glitter (which shed like crazy!)

The spandex however, was not optimal. I know they say to order samples first when buying fabrics online but this fabric came from America and the price I’d have to pay to have a sample sent was extortionate. So I checked the colour on multiple monitors and they all said ~*GrEeN*~. I took the plunge and purchased all 5 meters of it. When it arrived, it was beautiful and glittery and most definitely blue. Not being able to afford more fabric at the time, I convinced myself is was totally teal if you looked at in the right light.

I almost, ALMOST followed the pattern exactly as written. The only things changed was the adding of a trim along the top and bottom edge of the bodice, not putting the elastic round the half-way point of the sleeve and making the sleeve edge end in a point.
The chiffon over skirt was just the skirt made again but a curve cut in to the middle front panel.

I also made a petticoat that went underneath but it did nothing to adding volume to the skirts. I think it’s because the spandex was way too heavy.

Last minute (ie the hotel room the night before con), I decided to make the clam shell. I made it using hot glue, EVA foam and purple glitter. It was hot-glued to the dress.

---