It’s only been in the works since last year but I finally wore her to C2E2! It was a bit of a long road to get here. At first, I was just going to stock up on suits and try adding the stitching myself. I didn’t have the money this time around to commission someone for it. It’s easily a $1,200 costume depending on different things. But then I came across Mico Costumes who offered it for around $80. I’ve never actually seen a “mass produced” option before. I’ve searched on and off a bit over the years so I was really surprised when this popped up! Plus I figured it was cheaper/easier than ruining a bunch of suits I got off Ebay. I went with a Medium and prayed it would fit. A few weeks later my costume which included the suit, corset, whip, mask, and claw-less gloves arrived! I tried it on and it fit! I mean, it’s a bit long but I’m super short. It’s not really an issue though since it’s worn with boots. I wasn’t too impressed with the mask portion of the costume. That’s why I upgraded mine and ordered a cowl from Reevz FX. It was $150 but worth it. I feel like it really upgraded the entire look of the costume. Then the hunt was on for claws. I knew I wouldn’t be happy just half assing them or skipping them. I started contacting places I knew had sold them before but a few shops were on breaks. Then I came across Kitana Store on Etsy. She actually sells the entire costume with the gloves. I reached out asking if she’d be able to sell just the claws and she said yes! Since she’s located in Russia, shipping was a bit more but I paid a total of $65. The boots I bought off Ebay which helped save money because these things can easily be $80+. Instead I paid $35. That means I spent a total of $330. That sounds like a lot but when you start looking at the prices of custom costumes, it’s not horrible. Plus I did everything over months which made it easier to pay for. I am preparing though to upgrade the corset. It’s not bad for something that costs a total of $80 but it’s not a real one and doesn’t really lay like it should during certain poses. I’m not in a rush though since I’m not sure when I plan on wearing her again. I’m just throwing some feelers out there with a few commissioners. As far as how comfortable it was? I was really surprised that it wasn’t that bad! It was pretty easy to move in, I didn’t get too hot. I was always a little worried something would rip or bust but it never happened. I was able to kneel, bend, sit, with no real issues. In all I think I wore the costume for about 4 hours which honestly isn’t too shabby. I had people asking for photos which felt really great and all of you online who’ve been commenting as I’ve shared things on social media have been wonderful land mermaids. I want to thank all of you for the super kind comments and support. It really does mean a lot, especially with a costume like this. Now onto photos!
The following were taken by Butter Half Cosplay Photography. She was fantastic to work with. If you’re in her area, or she’s offering photos at a convention/event near you, I highly recommend booking her. She has very reasonable rates but more importantly she really put a lot of work into prepping for the shoot. Then the day of she was great with helping me pose and feel comfortable. You can also find her on Instagram
And here are a few random photos that were taken by my friends over the weekend. I need to send a huge thank you to my squad. They did everything from rubbing me down in baby powder, to carrying my bags, to fixing my lipstick when I couldn’t because claws. They kept an eye out for creepers as well which is always appreciated.
And this one gets highlighted because I love it.

And that’s it! I only wore her Saturday but would have worn her again on Sunday if the day was longer. If anyone has any issues just let me know and I’ll try my best to answer them! And be sure to give Butter Half Cosplay a follow! Also, I’ll do another General C2E2 post later in the week!