Candy W. Ardlay - Uniform St. Paul's #2

Candy in the Black Uniform

I've been obsessing with the costume and Candy Candy the last few days, and I've always loved both uniforms. I think I even prefer the formal black uniform more and, because this is a rather simple cosplay project, apart from the wig, and a big date, I decided to make both... Yes, I've been rewatching the series and reading the St. Paul's chapter in the manga. I haven't been that crazy anyway, the plan is to make the white one first, and then make the black one, using the same patterns. So, a little breakdown:

• black twill dress, with grey velvet cuffs and sash.
• maroon taffeta bow with, preferably woven, black stripes and gold star

crystal stars vs. gold stars

Because of that, I think I'll make the white bib on both in a thinner white cotton, a voile maybe? I chose twill for the main fabric to keep the budget down. It's also generally available at local stores. Also, while I was looking for something else in my storage, I found these "crystal" acrylic stars I bought a looong time ago and never used. I decided to use these for two reasons, they're a bit bigger than the others, and more sparkly. I already cut and filed the loop from one of them, and added a gold backing to the back centre, which is flat. To be coherent with the white dress, I decided to make the cuffs in grey velvet, and I will also get matching grey boot ties. Everything else will be the same.

Meanwhile, I went shopping for the velvet ribbons, and found nothing. The shop where I used to buy trinkets and beads closed, and now they only sell in bulk. Not finding the ribbons, I didn't buy the twill. Yet. So I searched AliExpress, and found pretty cheap velvet ribbons, in several widths, the grey velvet, and the boots (as I said in the previous post). I also found a cheap harmonica, which I think I'll order too. I plan to make the Ardlay pendant, and a locket with Terry's picture. Now I need to choose a pretty and broody picture of him. Those will be hidden, but I don't care, they're part of the character's backstory.

I also found a nice twill at Divazus, an online fabric store, but it's 100% polyester. I'll probably buy a cotton mix locally, either at Tavares & Tavares, or Ouro Têxteis. 

+ at least I can pick the stars from my stash, sadly the bow on the white uniform is more pink than red, so I can't use the fabric from my stash. I'll have to stalk Feira dos Tecidos for it.

- two dresses is double the work, almost. But I'm not making them at the same time anyway, and using the same pattern.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Order the ribbons, boots and harmonica. Make the patterns, even if I'll need to alter them later (I'm currently too fat, I really need to loose weight for this one. The after pandemic took me down).

Candy W. Ardlay - Uniform St. Paul's #1

Candy - Candy Candy anime

COSPLAY ID

CHARACTER Candice White Audrey

SOURCE Candy Candy anime & manga, by Yumiko Igarashi & Kyoko Mizuki

COSTUME St. Paul's School uniform

COSPLAY BREAKDOWN

• white daily school uniform, with blue trim
• curly twin tail golden blonde wig, with pink bows
• red front bow with gold star
• white eyelet lace petticoat (have)
• white knee-high boots with blue laces
• harmonica

BIG CHANGE OF PLANS! I know I was already planning Princess Saphyr for my 30th Cosplay Anniversary, but seeing a girl cosplaying as Candy, in a photo at IberAnime Lx 2024, made me change my mind.

I didn't start buying Saphyr's materials yet, although I was almost ordering the blue velvet from AliExpress these days, so I changed my mind at the right time. Not that I'm not going forward with Saphyr, but just not now, not for the 30th Anniversary.

Why did I choose Candy, and why this costume? Well, Candy Candy is one of my top favourite anime (it was the favourite until Sailormoon arrived in my life), and it saved my life more than once. I first watched it when it first aired on Portuguese TV, in 1983, and fell completely in love. Candy Candy and Mirai Shounen Conan basically started my anime fandom, even if I was already watching anime regularly for about 5, 6 years by then. Candy Candy is a very typical shoujo anime and manga from the 70's, telling the story of a poor orphan, who gets adopted by a rich family and is constantly fighting against the spoiled Eliza Logan's bullying. She falls in love 3 times, and manages to get an independant life, even within the conservative American society of the 1910's. Her design is also a very impossible 1970's typical shoujo design, filled with anachronisms and the distorted Japanese view of European and American society. Delicious! The opening and ending are within the most beautiful I've watched to this day. It's very cute, uber romantic, and it's where I go back to when I need to reset. So, it makes much more sense to choose one of my favourite characters ever for the Anniversary. 

I had another Candy costume in my long cosplay wishlist, the red coat she wears, when she escapes the school grounds at night, to help Terry, but I also like her school uniform very much, which is from the same phase in the story, while she attends St. Paul's School, which is my favourite too. I could have opted for one of her red striped or gingham dresses, but it's hard to decide which. And the school uniform is also easy to identify as Candy. The thought of making the formal school uniform also crossed my mind, I also like it more, but it doesn’t appear very often in the series, so, if I have the time, the patience and the money, maybe I'll make that one too, later on. For now, I'll stick to the normal school uniform.

possible boots, from AliExpress

I've had the above boots on my AliExpress wishlist for ages, I guess Candy will be the perfect excuse to order them. And they look fairly comfortable. I can buy most of the materials, except for the wig, locally, and it will be surely cheaper and quicker to make than Saphyr. I've been making fairly complicated costumes lately, maybe it's time to go back to simpler costumes for a while. I also already have a few items: the star for the bow, maybe I'll use the leftover cotton sateen from Yuuko's kimono for the bow, and I have the petticoat, a hand me down from my aunt, probably from the 50's.

yes, I have the manga, all 9 volumes.
the stars are from my stash.

The dress has no visible closures, and it's not really historically accurate, so I will add a side invisible zipper, sew the belt just in the front, and close it in the back with a strong snap or a button. The skirt part will be a wide ½ circle skirt, slightly gathered at the waist, and inset pockets on the sides. For the sleeves, usually the bane of my existance, I will make a mock-up this time. I plan to use a cotton mix twill for the main fabric, velvet ribbon for the trim, and sateen for the bows. Maybe I'll also make short bloomers, with eyelet lace trim, which I can also wear with other costumes. Fortunately we have Domingos & Sequeira in Lisbon, where I can buy the blue laces for the boots. I will be ordering the wig from Coscraft. This will be my most elaborate wig styling so far, but it will be good prep for Telulu. As a prop, I will try to find a harmonica (I think I have one, but I have no idea of where it might be), as a link to her love interest, Terry. Maybe add a photo of his, to carry inside the pocket, or in a locket, hehehe!

On the inside, I will wear a white t-shirt, and some kind of shorts or bloomers, and skin coloured tights when it's colder. Socks to protect the feet.

Now I'm excited! But then again, I'm always excited when I add a new cosplan... I will start gathering the materials soon, I think I will go downtown next week, and if I find the velvet ribbons, I'll also buy the white cotton. But I will only start working on this costume after I finish the Foxy Lady and the Mad Hatter. Maybe I'll just make the patterns in between, but that doesn’t take long.

+ This costume is cheaper, easier and quicker to make than Saphyr, and probably more comfortable.

- The wig styling will be a nightmare, and the wig and boots are what makes this costume pricier.

THE CUNNING PLAN

Try to find the velvet ribbons first, and when I find those, buy and order the other materials.