Halloween 2018: Figuring Out The Pieces

Right, so! 

I figure I should document this, because while there are a lot of great Haruko costumes out there, I wanted to share how I developed my version, the researching steps that I did, and why I made certain decisions.  But, first things first.

Why Haruko?

I always like to have a reason why I go with the characters or costumes that I choose, but Haruko is an especially interesting one.  The show came back this year for additional seasons, but I will be completely honest: at the time of writing this, I haven’t watched any of the new episodes.  I’m no purist or anything, my reasoning is that I am waiting for them to be released in Japanese, because that’s how I watched the first season, and it’s how I want to watch the new ones!  

The truth is, Haruko, and all of FLCL itself, means a whole lot to me.  I first saw the show in 2004 when I was sixteen, and there are a lot of various reasons why it resonated with me.  I always joked I was going to be Haruko when I grew up - she was this embodiment of unafraid creativity, this crazy alien, and she was as colorful as she was mysterious.  That, and the number of strange coincidences between the show, the music, and my life throughout the years is rather high. But that’s a story for another time.

I had actually wanted to be Haruko for Halloween as soon as I saw the show, but it was also one of those costumes that I wanted to do correctly, so I put it off with the idea I would revisit in a few years when I had the resources to do it well, and not just as a high school costume.  I turned thirty this year, and I had been mulling it over for a while. Then I sorta stumbled across a free Vespa clone, and, well, it seemed to fit.

Solving the Costume Puzzle

My style for costuming is getting close as possible to the original look of the costume while using as many “real” objects as possible.  With Haruko, that means I wanted to source her actual helmet because it’s something that exists, whereas things like her coat and bracelet I planned to make on my own.  There are certain things I opted not to make because they were a little more generic, like her ivory colored long sleeve undershirt. I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to find everything that was “real” with her character, but I could at least get close.

I paid close attention to details, interviews with the creators, concept art, and stills throughout the show to gather details and collect reference for each part of her and her outfit.  When there were inconsistencies, I went with what was used in the show as opposed to the concept art, as that’s the Haruko that ended up coming to life. Plus, the concept art was all over the place and tended to not be consistent with itself, but the show was very consistent.  

I also want to emphasize that I am very privileged to be able to put as much time and money into this costume (and all of my projects) as I did.  I recognize that this is not something everyone can do, and I am NOT trying to equate spending money with having a good costume.  I have seen lots of costumes out there done for far, far less than mine, and they look worlds better. I did this because this was something that I wanted to do, but I know I am lucky to be able to do that.  A free Vespa showed up, for crying out loud - that just doesn’t happen!

Anyway, the pieces!

Here's a quick overview of everything, and I'll expand on it as I write each part of this.

Helmet - Based on an actual Davida helmet. Guess I better hunt one down.

Goggles - Likely also based on something real, but no identifying marks in the show or art that I know of. Time to do some research.

Hair - My hair is much longer and not as thick as Haruko's. Looks like I'm finding a wig.

Scarf - Seems thick, like fleece. I can make this.

Coat - Definitely not something I can find, so I will absolutely be making this. I'll find a pattern and mod it.

Shirt - Seems like a fairly simple long sleeve ivory colored shirt. I'll dig through my closet.

Pants - Likely mean to be leather riding pants. I may be able to use something with a similar appearance if I can't find something that passes in the meantime.

Boots - These will be tough. I plan to find long white boots and mod them like crazy.

Bracelet/Cuff - Definitely something I can make. I'll likely prototype and print it, then see if I can machine it.

Guitar - Based off an actual Rickenbacker Bass (there's some arguments over whether it's a 4001, or a 4003, but that's a whole other post in and of itself.) There's no way I can find one of these, but I can use my blue electric guitar or find a blue bass.

Vespa - I'll be using the one that I mentioned before. Haruko's is a 1965 Vespa SS 180, which are quite rare. Maybe someday I can find one to restore.

Time to start finding things!