COSPLAY by McCALL’S Prelude pattern is reminiscent of period patterns featuring women’s undergarments. In the case of Prelude, you can choose to wear these on their own as lovely pleated knickers or shorts, or you can wear them under other garments to add weight and volume to your cosplay. I’m a fan of this pattern because I find historical patterns a bit intimidating. Here, I can add some bloomers to my collection without worrying about following a particular set of rules to keep the garment historically accurate. I suppose this would anger period cosplayers – those who focus their efforts on recreating pieces for Renaissance Faires but this pattern isn’t for them. I will note that I always wanted to create a period costume, but the idea of getting particular fabrics, following specific historical fashion trends, etc. is really daunting!
Here are the specs:
Skill level: Intermediate
Sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
Pattern number: M2082
This pattern has 3 bloomer variants. One pair has a waistband with button and hook closure, gathers below the waistband ,and elastic at the leg opening. These would be pretty nice under a short skirt or dress that could use some volume, or for a character who wears bloomers that are visible. Requiring a little bit more time and effort are the lined bloomers with similar elastic leg openings and elastic at the waist. And finally, the 3rd option is a pair of lined pleated bloomers with pleated tiers. The 3rd (design C on the package) is definitely the most challenging but it looks very rewarding.
Like the rest of the COSPLAY by McCALL’S line, this packaging includes 9 helpful tips for working with pleats. These tips are directly linked to using pattern C. You have to appreciate that McCALL’S includes additional information right on the envelop to help you improve your skills and make the pattern a bit easier to work with.
I really like this pattern for a few reasons. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a great opportunity to have puffy undergarments for a cosplay. You could get some volume with a bit of clever fabric layering or you can make them in cute colors so that you could wear them proudly under a dress or skirt that would expose them. Additionally, you can wear them alone as shorts of knickers. The options for cosplay or everyday fashion are endless. You may not get away with using these for a period costume because a discerning eye may notice, but they would be a great alternative if this is what you happened to have.
This pattern could work for a lot of cosplays – Cardcaptor Sakura and several other CLAMP cosplays. The length of option A could be modified to work for Ling Xiayou’s red and yellow costume from Tekken 3. These bloomers also have Marisa Kirisame written all over them. I definitely think these are a good addition to any cosplayer’s pattern box.
*This item was provided for review.
