[Klee Cosplay] When a corporate slave challenges to recreate a lively magical witch

Today is a rare day off, and I finally had time to wear this stacked red magical witch outfit. As a corporate slave who squeezes into the subway every day to punch in, squeezing out time to make props and test makeup feels like racing against time. The most painstaking part of this outfit is the huge red wide-brimmed hat; to make it both three-dimensional and not easily blown over by the wind outdoors, I added quite a bit of support structure inside. After putting on this outfit, the most intuitive feeling is that the dullness of typing away in a cubicle every day was washed away by this red-and-white dress. This outfit is mainly based on three colors: red, white, and black, with high color saturation that is extremely eye-catching under outdoor sunlight, but it also imposes higher requirements on the materials and tailoring.

The wig was chosen as golden shoulder-length short hair, which makes the face look slightly more rounded when worn, matching the overall tone of the character quite well. The makeup focused on highlighting red eyeshadow and eye makeup, paired with red pupils to create a rather fantasy feel. The pointy elf ears were later glued on using special effects makeup glue; wearing them for too long makes the back of the ears a bit stuffy, but it's worth it for the overall effect. The material of the overall costume is mainly cotton-linen and lace; the ruffled cuffs of the white shirt and the black shawl collar at the neckline match up with a very strong sense of layering. The red cincher belt and crossbody pouch at the waist are not only decorations, but also visually raise the waistline.

The lower-body skirt features a red base with white flower designs. To maintain the curve of the skirt hem, three layers of white petticoats are worn underneath. The white over-the-knee stockings on the legs feature lace edges; the clover leg ring on the right leg and the small red bow behind the socks were hand-sewn by myself. It is paired with black patent leather Mary Jane shoes and black gloves, holding the matching red plush backpack prop in hand. Although wearing chunky-heeled leather shoes, when running up and down the steps to strike poses, I still had to pay extra attention to safety, terrified of stepping on the skirt hem and falling.

The sunlight on the day of the shoot was great, with backlighting hitting the stone steps and pillars, creating a warm atmosphere. But the biggest challenge was actually the demeanor. Standing in front of the lens wearing this outfit, I always subconsciously slipped into the slightly weary yet poised state of a corporate slave. Adjusting my breath several times, trying to make myself like the character—spreading arms and leaping on one leg—the resulting photos were still criticized by my friend for carrying a bit of a forced smile after overtime. Indeed, it lacked that carefree and lively feeling without a single worry about tomorrow. While trying to replicate this jumping movement, I found that not only core strength support is needed, but facial expression management is also extremely crucial; a slight relaxation makes it look stiff. Although the movement was achieved, that innocent vitality radiating from the inside out is indeed very hard for an adult to fake. However, being able to briefly become such a brightly colored, magical character in the cracks of weekdays, I am already very satisfied. Every time I fiddle with these props and skirt hems, it's recharging myself. When choosing the location finally, I specially looked for a place with European stone pillars and steps, matching the sunset light, hoping to get as close as possible to that fantasy adventure atmosphere.