Why I chose this costume:

Rinoa is a very girly girl and also a thief. She poses as a double-agent with a hidden agenda that does not reveal itself to the good guys of the game until much further on. She is dainty and skilled and I thought it would be an easy cosplay to attempt for my first one.

How I made this costume:

I did not have to make too many items by hand, as I had a majority of her clothing on hand to alter. I bought the sweater and altered it by removing the sleeves and hand-painting the wings on the back. I had a one piece, biking leotard that I sewed zippers onto the shorts, and I bought the blue fabric and sewed the skirt, adding the silver buttons by hand. The tie around her arm was made from scrap fabric and I already owned the boots.

Although I wore this to a Sci-Fi convention, it was a lot of fun to try to be “in character” and act as Rinoa would while I was there. I saw one other cosplayer that I recognized which was Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, and we did get a picture together although I don’t have it now.

Thoughts on this costume:

The pictures here are taken many years after the debut of this cosplay with the original, unaltered costume. Looking at it now, it needs a lot of work and is not professional in any means, but as my first cosplay I still love it and cherish the fact that I was able to accomplish this much.