[Ardelia Cosplay] Arknights: Endfield, the 20-Step Dressing Tutorial is Really No Joke

This costume's dressing tutorial has a whopping 20 steps, each feeling like solving a puzzle, even more brain-burning than the base rotation in the game. Waking up at 6:00 AM to start with the base layers, I first put on the one-piece inner suit, then the tight pinkish-purple top with metal buckles—just aligning the zipper on the shoulder took five minutes. Then came the plush tail around the waist; it not only had to clip onto the belt but also be secured with two hidden snaps, and if the position was slightly askew, the entire center of gravity would be off. Next were those white sports shoes with red toes; the shoelaces had to be criss-crossed all the way to the ankles, and the tightness had to be carefully controlled, otherwise they'd slip off after two steps. The absolute most frustrating part was the detached sleeves and gloves—putting on the white sleeves first, then the red half-finger gloves, and then stuffing the cuffs into the gloves' velcro straps, repeating this for both the left and right hands. There was also that red strap on the thigh; it's actually not a decoration but an anti-slip buckle used to secure the stockings. Tying it too tight pinches the leg, while tying it too loose makes it slide down after a few steps.

Getting fully dressed took two whole hours, and standing in front of the mirror made me feel like a precisely assembled mech part. Today's shoot was selected in a back alley of a second-hand market, piled with several old CRT televisions, whose red-and-green vintage color scheme went exceptionally well with the character's style. The on-site lighting was quite chaotic, with a warm yellow streetlamp overhead and a cold-colored fill light hitting from the side, which perfectly highlighted the texture of the pink top. Sitting on that metal grid rack actually hurt my thighs immensely from the iron bars, but for the sake of that relaxed and lazy demeanor in front of the camera, I could only brace myself and shift my weight onto my arms. The photographer said my gaze needed a touch of "that high-and-mighty coldness looking at trash," but in reality, what I was thinking inside was, "My waist is about to break, and this plush tail is making me sweat like crazy."

The most exhausting part of this cosplay outfit was actually the detail replication—for example, that white-background, black-text badge on the chest, I went to a custom shop six times before getting the letter spacing aligned with the original design; the red and blue small hairpins on the headpiece were resin-printed and then hand-painted, needing special care when clipping them onto the sideburns, otherwise they would look like plastic patches on camera. The boots on my feet had non-slip rubber added to the soles, because the shooting ground was a mix of cement and iron rust, too slippery and easy to fall on. The stockings were custom 80D matte black silk with a very subtle sheerness, neither looking too fake-white nor lacking sufficient shadow layers, which, paired with that red strap, indeed elongated the leg lines visually. However, the only thing I didn't anticipate was that the plush tail would get pressed into a noticeable crease in a sitting position, so in the end, I could only use post-processing liquefaction to slightly adjust the curve. This high-fidelity cosplay setup beautifully captured the character's spirit.

Going back to that 20-step tutorial—actually, many steps are meant to create a "naturally scattered" effect. For instance, that white shawl around the shoulders is actually two pieces of detached, semi-translucent fabric that need to pass under the armpits and be knotted at the back to create that casual folded look. Then there are the ears of this animal ear outfit, which have bendable aluminum wires inside so the angle can be adjusted according to the head shape. After finishing this set of photos, it took me about fifteen minutes just to take off all the accessories, and when removing the wig, I found my own hair completely soaked in sweat.

Although the process was a hassle, seeing the collision of the vintage industrial style with the character's own refreshing pink color tones in the finished photos made all the effort feel worth it. Especially that shot of sitting on the rack with my chin in my hand, it perfectly fused the texture of the stockings, the colors of the red and white shoes, and the old TVs in the background. Later, I also tried crouching next to the iron rack, but that angle would make the legs look short, so I ultimately chose the current sitting position. If you also plan to pull off this look, my advice is: arrange all components in advance in order, especially the small hairpins and buckles, absolutely do not look for them on the spot, otherwise you will break down directly.

There are about three hundred raw proofs from this shoot. When selecting photos, I was picking them while scolding myself for why I struck so many weird poses back then, but seeing those few good ones, I thought, "Forget it, I forgive this costume." Alright, I'm tired of typing now, I'm going to dismantle that headpiece. Thanks to you for reading this piece of rambling.