What It Cost Me
I have been asked a few times now, how much is it costing me to make my insanely elaborate, historically accurate, "Hollywood movie quality" Lord Sesshomaru costume. Not knowing the answer to that question inspired me to create a lens to keep track of my expenses while making this costume. And well, here it is.
As my costume progresses, this lens well expand to become a detailed list of everything I bought to make my costume and how much I paid for each item. I'm estimating that by the time I have finished this costume it will have cost me $2,000 to $4,000 to make. Hopefully I can bring that cost down by buying sale items and doing a bit of mad dash budgeting. I've estimated that it will take me about 3 years to complete this costume (which started on March 7, 2008), so this lens will be live and active for the time period of my costume production, receiving updates as I purchase the items need to complete my Lord Sesshomaru costume.
This lens was created on July 2, 2008.
Last updated September 16, 2008.
KudoSurf Me!
As my costume progresses, this lens well expand to become a detailed list of everything I bought to make my costume and how much I paid for each item. I'm estimating that by the time I have finished this costume it will have cost me $2,000 to $4,000 to make. Hopefully I can bring that cost down by buying sale items and doing a bit of mad dash budgeting. I've estimated that it will take me about 3 years to complete this costume (which started on March 7, 2008), so this lens will be live and active for the time period of my costume production, receiving updates as I purchase the items need to complete my Lord Sesshomaru costume.
This lens was created on July 2, 2008.
Last updated September 16, 2008.
KudoSurf Me!
Total So Far:
$549.54
This Lens is Tracking the Costs of...
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Lord Sesshomaru Costume
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Need help creating a Lord Sesshomaru costume? You've come to the right place. I am currently in the process of making a Lord Sesshomaru costume. No idea when I will get it finished or how long it will take, but as I make it, I'll add updates here, an...
contruction site of Sesshomaru CosPlay pink kimono and mokomoko
Why Is This Costume Costing So Much To Make?
Even the most expensive Sesshomaru costumes rarely cost more than $1,000 to make, so when I say I estimated mine at going to come to some $4,000 the first thing people ask me it: Why is this going to cost so much?Well, for starters they either did not listen, did not believe me, or did not fully understand what it was I meant when I said I'm making his ENTIRE WARDROBE. When I say I'm making his entire wardrobe, I mean EVERYTHING, all of it. Every single article of clothen he has ever been seen wearing in the anime, the movies, the mangas, the art books, the calenders, the trading card, the birthday and Christmas greeting cards, the gift wrapping paper, the official VIZ chibi art, the VIZ calenders, EVERYTHING. If a picture was drawn of Sesshomaru wearing it, than I am making it!
My current count is some 45+ items including 6 different suits of armor, 8 different kimono, 4 different hakama, 5 different najuban, and all the various obi, jima, shoes, and accessories that go with them.
On top of that I am making these items, not accurate to the anime/manga, but instead accurate to what would have been worn by a real cross-dressing Lord of the Tang Dynasty era, with the kimono all being done in authentic 16th century Noh style right down to the elaborate hand embroidery. What I am making is not what you would expect to see in a regular CosPlay comic book convention, but rather, what you would expect to see in a very high budget live action movie.
Typical CosPlay materials includes such items as cardboard armor, plastic swords, and modern day cloth. You will find none of that in this costume. His armor is being made of leather, the metal spike are real metal, his kimono of real handwoven silk imported from Japan, the embroidery is all being done by hand, using real 16th cen Japanese motifs, his tail is even being made of real fur attached over an armature "skeleton". When I say authentic, I mean authentic. And that answers your question, because authentic materials cost a whole lot more than cheap imitations.
Find Out More About Historical Accuracy
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Lord Sesshomaru VS Historical Accuracy
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A common question asked by Sesshomaru CosPlayers, is: "Is is possible to make this costume historically accurate?". While the common answer is a resounding "No!", I say otherwise. It can be done, if you have the time and the patience to make a carefu...
How To Read These Lists:
The lists on this page, are a detailed set of lists as to what I have bought and how much I paid. You will notice that some sections say no materials were purchased yet, well, that means just what it says: I am making those items for this costume, but I have yet to buy any of the materials to make it with yet.I have separated each individual item into it's own section, and when available have included with that section my own sketch art/concept drawing of the article in question and how it should look, more or less, once I have finished sewing it. At the moment I am without a camera, as mine has decided to stop working, but once I get another one, I'll post actual photos of said items, in addition to my drawings.
Each section includes the title of the item in question, followed by a list a materials needed/used to make the item. I have tried to include as much info as possible about each item, in case there is some looking to make a Lord Sesshomaru costume and wish to use any of the same materials I used with mine.
If I have already bought the item, that the first thing you will see is the price I paid in USD (United States Dollars). If it says x 2 after the item, this means I purchased 2 identical items, in which case the price paid shown, is the total amount I paid for both items not each items individual price.
If an item is listed, but no price is displayed next to it, this means that I have not yet purchased it and am either still looking for "just the right one" or am just waiting for it to go on sale so I can get a better price or some other such reason. I will be listing not yet purchased items in italics to make it easier for myself to find them and add the price paid once I have bought it.
After each item, typed in bold print, is the name of the store, company, or dealer from which I purchased the item. Most of the materials used in this project was purchased from one of the following:
Koyoto Antiques
Michael's Crafts
Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts
Wal-Mart
If you are in the US than most states have a Micheal's, Jo-Ann's, and WalMart. If you do not live near by one, than all three have websites where their items can be purchased online. Most everything I've purchased from these places can be bought from any of their store locations and online.
Koyoto Antiques however is an antiques dealer in Koyoto, Japan, all of their items are "one of a kind" and once I've bought it, you can not get another one like it, though they may have something similar. I purchase items from them via their eBay store, which I've provided a link to farther down on this page.
My Lord Sesshomaru movie 3 kimono being sewed
Pink Flowered Furisode
Lord Sesshomaru's Royal Court Robes
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)An elaborately embroidered kimono after the Noh fashion.
$49.99 + $20.00 SH: 1 bolt (7 yds) 15" wide Handwoven Japanese Tancochirimen Silk (Koyoto Antiques)
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% cotton; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.35C: DMC 152
$1.05: DMC 712 X 3
.35c: DMC 718
.35c: DMC 778
.35c: DMC 915
.70c: DMC 917 X 2
.35c: DMC 962
.35c: DMC 3607
.35c: DMC 3687
.35c: DMC 3688
.35c: DMC 3689
.35c: DMC 3726
.35c: DMC 3731
.70c: DMC 3770 x 2
.35c: DMC 3774
.35c: DMC 3804
.35c: DMC 3805
.35c: DMC 3806
.35c: DMC 3840
$1.29: DMC 4010
$3.87: DMC 4150 X 3
$5.16: DMC 4160 X 4
$1.29: DMC 4170
$1.29: DMC 4230
Embroidery Floss (Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts):
100% cotton; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.75c: DMC 602 X 3
.75c: DMC 718 X 3
.75c: DMC 915 X 3
$1.00: DMC 917 X 4
$1.00: DMC 3607 X 4
.25c: DMC 3688
$1.50: DMC 3687 X 6
.50c: DMC 3803 X 2
.25c: DMC 3804
.75c: DMC 3805 X 3
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% rayon; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
$1.89: DMC 30720 X 2
.99c: DMC 30744
.99c: DMC 30899
.99c: DMC 30915
.99c: DMC 33607
.99c: DMC 35200
Embroidery Floss: (Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts)
100% rayon; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.49c: DMC 33607
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
$2.09: DMC E898
$2.09: DMC E3857
$2.09: DMC E5200
Total So Far: $112.09
close up of Sesshomaru magenta boarder embroidery left sleeve and Mokomoko
Red Furisode
Sesshomaru's Red "anime" kimono
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$29.99 + $20.00 SH: 1 bolt (7 yds) 15" wide Handwoven Japanese Rinzu Silk (Koyoto Antiques)
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% rayon; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.99c: DMC 30321
.99c: DMC 30666
.99c: DMC 35200
Total So Far: $52.96
Purple Furisode (version #1)
Sesshomaru's "manga" kimono; lilac shade version
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$29.99 + $20.00 SH: 1 bolt (7 yds) 15" wide Handwoven Japanese Rinzu Silk (Koyoto Antiques)
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% cotton; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.35c: DMC 3834
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% rayon; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.99c: DMC 30211
.99c: DMC 30552
Total So Far: $52.32
Purple Furisode (version #2)
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Blue Furisode (dark shade version)
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Blue Furisode (light shade version)
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$29.99 + $20.00 SH: 1 bolt (7 yds) 15" wide Handwoven Japanese Rinzu Silk (Koyoto Antiques)
Embroidery Floss: (Michaels' Craft Store)
100% cotton; 6 strand; 8.7yds per skien
.35C: DMC 341
.35c: DMC 995
.35c: DMC 3839
.35c: DMC 3840
$1.29: DMC 4010
$1.29: DMC 4230
Total So Far: $53.97
Mint Green Chibi Furisode
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Rare Christmas Furisode
Sesshomaru's "December" kimono From VIZ Calander Art
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Rare Black Furisode
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$15.96: 4 yds 60" Black Velvet: (Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts)
Total So Far: $15.96
More on Sewing Kimono...
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Sewing A Kimono: Step by Step Instructions
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Second in my series of CosPlay lenses, here is my lens about the art of making a kimono. As this lens grows it will come to include step by step instruction for making a patterns, selecting the fabric, dyeing the cloth, decorating it with Japanese Ki...
How Kimono Embroidery is Done...
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Kimono Embroidery
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I love embroidery and have been embroidering on a professional (non-career) level for more than 20 years. Embroidery is probably my most done hobby. I embroidery everything I touch. I'm currently undergoing a massive embroidery project, which involve...
Noh: the classical theater (Performing arts of Japan)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)
List Price:
Used Price: $5.67
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Kyoto Antiques on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
White Hakama: Karusan-bakama
This Item is Completed: Total Cost: $38.89
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$37.50: 6 yds 45" wide Crepe Backed satin - Ivory (Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts)
$1.39: Coats & Clark All Purpose Thread - Ivory (Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts)
This Item is Completed: Total Cost: $38.89
Mint Green Hakama: Karusan-bakama
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Lilac Hakama: Karusan-bakama
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
More on Making Hakama...
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Sewing A Hakama: Step by Step Instructions
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Third in my series of CosPlay lenses, here is my lens about the art of making a hakama. As this lens grows it will come to include step by step instruction for making a pattern, selecting the fabric, and finally sewing the hakama. This was originall...
When Art Became Fashion: Kosode in Edo-Period Japan
Amazon Price: (as of 11/23/2009)
List Price: $60.00
Used Price: $23.49
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
The Mokomoko: Inner Skeleton Structure
This Section of the Mokomoko if Completed: Total Cost: $17.96
FREE: 8' galvanized electrical conduit (got this from a construction site of a building being torn down; YAY! I love free... best price there is!)
$5.99: 12' phone/internet cable wire (WalMart)
$4.99: Morning Glory Low Loft Quilter's Polyester Batting 81"x96"x1/4" (WalMart)
$4.99: Morning Glory Cluster Stuff 16oz Cluster Fiber (Teddy Bear Stuffing) (WalMart)
$1.99: DMC Crochet Cotton - natural (WalMart)
This Section of the Mokomoko if Completed: Total Cost: $17.96
$5.99: 12' phone/internet cable wire (WalMart)
$4.99: Morning Glory Low Loft Quilter's Polyester Batting 81"x96"x1/4" (WalMart)
$4.99: Morning Glory Cluster Stuff 16oz Cluster Fiber (Teddy Bear Stuffing) (WalMart)
$1.99: DMC Crochet Cotton - natural (WalMart)
This Section of the Mokomoko if Completed: Total Cost: $17.96
The Mokomoko: Fur Layer Backing
This Section of the Mokomoko if Completed: Total Cost: $22.75
$22.75: 2.5 yds 59" wide Furry Fleece Novelty Silky Fleece - Ivory (Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts)This Section of the Mokomoko if Completed: Total Cost: $22.75
Mokomoko being sewed
The Mokomoko: Outer Fur Layer
$44.70: 4 lb Raw Cotswold Fleece/Spinning/Felting Fiber 6-8" white/cream (klydebuys) (see picture at right ---->)Well, it's is a start, but it ain't gonna do it, I need lots of real fur for this part... looking at $100 - $300 or more
Total So Far: $44.70
two feet of mokomoko with left sleeve of Sesshomaru pink kimono on the loom
See Details on The Mokomoko Here...
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The Mokomoko
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Lord Sesshomaru is known for his mokomoko, the weird furry fluffy thing that is draped over his right shoulder. But what is it, and how do you make one for a Lord Sesshomaru costume? That is what this lens is all about.
Items From Klydebuys on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byLord Sesshomaru's Do-Maru
Leather Scale Armor
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)I am making the various versions of these, this picture shows what all shall look like. As this picture is rather detailed, rather than redo it over for each version, I'm drawing only a close up of the leather scales and silk weave to show the intended colors for each.
Each Do-Maru requires Approx $200 for leather, $50 for weaving silk, $30 for silk lining, $20 for the silver edging silk, and $50 for the red silk cord and tassel. Each Do-Maru is estimated to cost approximately $350 a piece, not including the silver (metal) spiked breastplate and shoulder guard.
Sesshomaru's Black Do-Maru: Manga & Anime Version
Black Leather & Black Silk
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sesshomaru's Purple Do-Maru: Movie Version
Black Leather & Purple Silk
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sesshomaru's Bronze Do-Maru: Manga Version
Tan Leather & Gold Silk
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sesshomaru's Sky Blue Do-Maru: Manga Version
Ivory Leather & Sky Blue Silk
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sesshomaru's Green Do-Maru: Manga Version
Tan Leather & Olive Silk
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sessho Maru's Najuban: White Anime/Manga Version
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Sessho Maru's Najuban: Pink-Purple-Lilac Movie version
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)$9.99 + $25.00 SH: 1 bolt (7 yds) 15" wide Handwoven Japanese Heisei Wool (Kyoto Antiques)
$2.49: Coats & Clark Thread (WalMart)
Total: $37.48
Heko-Obi: Pink-Red original "Aristocratic Assassin" style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Heko-Obi: Yellow-Purple anime style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Heko-Obi: Yellow-Blue anime style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Heko-Obi: Blue-Gold movie style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Heko-Obi: Blue-Blue manga style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
Heko-Obi: Yellow-Red promo art style
(Art by Wendy C. Allen --->)-- no materials purchased yet --
On Changing Your Face...
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Lord Sesshomaru Costume: Part II
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This is the continuing tutorial on how to make a Lord Sesshomaru Costume. While Part I focused on Sesshomaru's wardrobe, Part II focuses on his Make-Up, Claws, Hair, Eyes, & Ears and how to transform yourself into a Youkai. If you are coming to this...
Saimyoushou Hive & Arm Band
$7.99: Glittering Exercise Ball Thing, made by Maui Toys (Dick Sports)$39.99: Leather Arm Band (Rockabillia)
Total: $47.98
I FOUND IT! OMG I FINALLY FOUND IT!
$38.99 + $13.99 S&H: 40" Powder blue wig with bangs (CosPlay Wig)I finally found a pale icy blue-white wig and it's 40" long and has bangs! How cool is that! Now I won't have to settle for white and I won't have to make my wig from scratch either! YAY!
Total: $52.48
COSPLAY WIG on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byA Picture Of Sessho Just Because I Like It :)
(Art not by me, but was given permission to use)
Reader Feedback
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Apr 22, 2009 @ 11:39 am
- Wonderful dedication... I'm very impressed!
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- starlitparlit starlitparlit Nov 10, 2008 @ 9:04 am
- I love the pictures. The work that you have done is exquisite! Can't wait to see the finished product
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- mulberry mulberry Sep 25, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
- I'll be interested in seeing the photos. I guess the cost of the costume isn't so surprising based on your passion for the topic/character. It may seem outrageous to some but we all tend to "overspend" on at least one or two items that no one else "really gets". It's just a reflection of what we enjoy.
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- EelKat EelKat Sep 25, 2008 @ 12:09 am
- OMG! OMG! OMG! I have a camera again! YES! My Sessho costume lenses will have pictures of my costume on them just as soon as I can figure out how this thing works =P
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- tdove tdove Sep 18, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
- Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory!
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- Wyzard Wyzard Sep 2, 2008 @ 7:46 pm
- My weak skills pale by comparison. I've only even used one pattern so far for my anime costumes. I should say those I make for my daughter, I just go as the watchful dad character since I'm not quite such an anime fan as she is. I've been trying to teach myself to sew going by one or 2 pics and draping the fabric over her, using pins to mark where to sew.
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- Rya Rya Sep 1, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
- Wow--your dedication is impressive
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- EelKat EelKat Aug 17, 2008 @ 1:05 am
- and than again... there is a reason why other Sesshy fans refer to me as *The Bride of SesshoMaru*.... you really do got to like a character an awful lot to take a costume to these extremes.
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- EelKat EelKat Aug 17, 2008 @ 1:00 am
- ...continuing from last post...
A local guy asked me how I could spend so much on a costume and my answer to him was: a bride spend $5,000 - $20,000 on a dress she will wear at most 3 hours, so for me to spend $4,000 on something I'll wear daily for the next 5 or 6 years, really isn't that much when you compare it.
I'm actually not too unusual... head to www.CosPlay.com and you'll find I'm only one of tens of thousands of folks who devote their lives to making (and wearing) character costumes. The average costume usually take 9 months and about $400 - $700 to make. Star Wars Storm Troopers average 4 years and $2,000 - $8,000 to make!
When finished, this will make it debut at PortCon (an anime convention), and very likely to be seen at other conventions as well.
Of course, I'm dressed as Naraku right now. :)
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- EelKat EelKat Aug 17, 2008 @ 12:54 am
- @rwoman
This actually is the first time I've ever spent more than $75 for the materials for one of my outfits. I'm generally *a buy at clearance* sewer. :)
Actually interesting story behind all of this. I love theater, would like to be a fashion designer for stage, but never got into it for one reason or another, and so I threw out all my *street cloths* and sewed myself a stage wardrobe instead. I can't be on stage than I'll just turn the whole world into a stage instead.
With my other outfits including: Uncle Scrooge, Darkwing Duck, Willy Wonka, Tom Baker's 4Th Doctor Who, the sisters of Sense and Sensibility, and several SCA-garb, I've never made anything to strict historically accurate methods before. I wanted to make something that I could enter into an SCA embroidery contest, and well, I really love Sessho Maru, I'm one of his more rabid fangirls, I'm afraid. ...running out of room here...
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- rwoman rwoman Aug 15, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
- Wow. This is interesting and mildly disturbing. What is the driving force to spending so much money and time?
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- The_Homeopath The_Homeopath Aug 14, 2008 @ 11:59 pm
- Wow - score on the great wig!
CosPlay, Costume Making, and Historical Reenactment - Recent Contributions - Zimbio
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I am Wendy C Allen, Doll Maker and Independent Avon Sales Representative.
I love Eels. I love Bobcat. I am a Giant Squid and a Squid Angel.
I am an...
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