I finished my Winter Soldier cosplay!

This was one of my simpler cosplays. The top was the only self created part of the costume. I purchased the pants from an Army/Navy store and I found the boots at Goodwill. Make-up is a mix of Kat Von D and Clinique.

For the top, I wanted to take the basic design from the movie (and in the Comics) and make it more casual than a true recreation of what is seen on film.  I made it from a cotton sateen rather than leather, because I live in Florida and I want to be able to wear this and not sweat profusely.

This pattern is the one that finally encouraged me to obtain a Dress Form. I began my search and after a little research I just couldn't find a non-adjustable, professional one available locally or for less than $250, so I then embarked on an adventure to make my own Dress Form out of duct tape.

The reason I really needed a dress form is because this pattern is poorly designed. I cut a mock-up out of muslin, pinned it together and found it needs tweaks, adjustments, additions and possibly a ritual sacrifice to actually make the dress on the cover of the pattern package. It's Butterick "Retro" B4790. Here's a website that will help with adjusting that pattern. It's my next stop after making the Dress Form.

But, back to the matter at hand. My mom was in town and she graciously offered to help me with this project. We turned to the INTERNETS!!!...ok, Pinterest, and summoned up a whole lot of people offering how-to's on making a custom dress form. We looked through them and decided to go with THIS ONE. I want to be clear, I did not come up with this process all on my own. We worked to follow the instructions in this video and I have some pointers to help make it easier. Also, to see the second video you have to sign up for at least their 14-day trial and if you forget to cancel they bill you. I'm going to be honest here, the second video is only marginally worth it. The site is expansive, though, so I'll see what else they have to offer.

Anyway, here's the video I worked off of and where I got my supplies list.