Review: Kantai Collection Kancolle Shimakaze Cosplay Costume [Cosall Sponsored]
Friday, September 22, 2017 |
| Photo by Kelvin Sigh |
I was lucky enough to be contacted by Cosall to review one of their costumes. This website offers custom-made costumes and accessories ranging from anime, TV, movies, and more. I had not heard of this company before but I found out they are the sister company of the more well known website, CosplaySky. I browsed through their huge range of costumes and decided on Kantai Collection KanColle Shimakaze. As you may know, I make all of my own cosplay costumes. I get a lot more enjoyment out of wearing my own creations and making something from scratch. Once in a while I don't mind buying a simple costume to have something easy to wear at anime conventions. My upcoming convention was Collosalcon East, which is at a huge waterpark. I've seen cosplays of Shimakaze before and thought it was super cute. I've considered cosplaying it, but it didn't seem worth the trouble of making it. So I browsed eBay and the prices were pretty cheap but I decided against it, as it would also take over a month to ship from China and I didn't want to risk not receiving it in time. It must be a sign, because soon after a representative from Cosall contacted me about sponsoring a costume. I was very happy to see that they offered the Shimakaze costume.
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| Photo on their website |
Shipping & Packaging 5/5
They informed me that they mailed the costume on 8/16/17 and provided me with the tracking number. The tracking started on the 17th and it arrived exactly one week later on the 24rth. I am very surprised and pleased it arrive so fast! I usually don't expect much when something ships from China and they provide free shipping on all orders. The costume came in a plastic mailer and the costume was safely packed in a plastic zip lock style bag.
Sizing 4/5
The costume size ranges from S to XXXL and an extra $25.50 for custom size. I simply wrote in the email that I was a size Small. I am 5'3, chest 34", and waist 29", which is equivalent to their XS. I had used their size chart as a guide but also giving some leeway as China sizing tends to run small. There was a receipt in the packaging that shows it was ordered from CosplaySky/taobao for a size Small. When I tried on the costume, I thought the fit was very loose for the Top. I checked the tag on the Top and it says M. I'm going to assume there was a mix up when packing the costume and they send me a Medium instead. Hopefully when actual customers make an order through their website they don't make this type of mistake.
Top 5/5
Other than the sizing issue, the Top is very well made. Because it was a Medium, the arm holes were very big and the Top was too wide. It would take some work but I would have to take it in from both sides to make it more fitted. The fabric feels thick and of good quality. There is also a lining on the inside. The 6 gold buttons in front are nice and shiny but to me the left row compared to the right rows look just a little bit slanted but its not a big deal. They even have the little slit detail on the 2 bottom sides. There is also a white safety button on the inside to keep the front of the vest in place, so it won't slide around. Only if you look close up, you will notice the gold trim is sewn a bit uneven but at least its sewn on tight and nothing is coming loose or fraying.
Skirt 5/5
The skirt is also very well made. The color is similiar to the cornflower blue used for the collar for the Top. There is a zipper on button closure on one side. The only thing I will say personally is that the skirt is extremely short. This was a size medium too, but I think that just means they made it wider and not longer. The skirt practically almost shows the bottom of my butt when I'm standing. In a way it is still accurate to the character because she wears a really short skirt. I was just surprised at how short this version was. I didn't mind it but I just wanted to mention that in case it's an issue with anyone else.
Gloves 5/5
They are pretty basic elbow length white gloves with some stretch. The top of the gloves have the same blue fabric and gold trim. They used interfacing to make it stiff and hold shape which I think is really great attention to detail.
Socks 3/5
If I had reviewed this costume out of the bag, these socks would be a 5/5. From looking at it, they look perfect, thick white and red blocked striped socks that go up pretty high on your thigh. I decided to wash my costume before wearing it. Color was coming out when I was hand washing it in a bucket. I was so afraid that the red was going to bleed onto the white before I even had a chance to wear it. I think there was a little bleeding where the white is not as stark white anymore but thankfully it wasn't noticeable. But as I had scrubbed and wring dried it I could see some areas where the red showed some fading. Overall it still looked just fine to wear with the costume. After I had worn the costume for about 2 hours at the convention, the red had also rubbed into the soles of my shoes. The socks also had no grip on the thigh tops so it kept slipping. If I were to wear this again i would add some elastic bands on top. Overall the look of the socks are great but the quality of the fabric used is not good and it needs elastic to hold up if you plan to walk around a lot.
Accessories: 5/5
The black accessories were very nice and made of a satin material. The bow neck tie for the top was well made. It is attached in the back of the neck with velcro. The ears are wrapped around a black plastic headband. It is sturdy and big and held its shape with wire on the inside. Since it was windy out on the day I wore it, the ears kept falling forwards and backwards. I would just add some glue to the headband part to try to make it more stable and stay upright.
Accuracy & Overall 4/5
Overall I'm very happy with the costume I received. Since I make my own costumes to save money, I consider the prices on their website to be a bit high. But for the quality you receive and the fast shipping, and good customer service in English, I think they are well priced. Despite getting the wrong size, the costume looked very cute and still fit on me. The costume was accurate to Shimakaze but I was suprised that they did not include a thong. Shimakaze always has her thong strap showing on her hips above the skirt. I've seem some cosplays include it so I think it would be an easy piece to include with the costume. Luckily I already had one that worked well to wear with it (PS: I also wore real underwear underneath) You may see this costume elsewhere in a royal blue but I like this shade of cornflower blue too. Also, if I compared the stock photo for the costume on their website and the costume I received, I would say there are some slight differences. The colors look exactly the same and the details. But for the top and the skirt they look longer on the stock photo While the ones I received looked slightly more cropped. It's hard to tell by photo but it's just a personal observation.I received this costume for free for review but all opinions are my own. Thank you Cosall for this opportunity!
I completed the rest of the costume myself. The wig is one I already owned, a Luthien wig in Platinum Blonde from Arda Wigs. I would prefer a lighter blonde if I had it. Contacts are I.Fairy Dolly+ Brown from Uniqso. I bought white ankle gogo boots from eBay for $15 and spray painted it a matte grey and made the cuffs out of 6mm craft foam. I made Rensouhou-Chan out of craft foam and floral foam ring with plaster. I will provide a tutorial on these soon!
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