[Stocking cosplay] Stocking from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt on a Rainy Night in Shibuya

From the moment I decided to do this look, the first hurdle was that large purple bone-cat plush toy. Since it was hard to buy a perfect ready-made version, I decided to make it myself. Without professional sewing skills, I experimented for a long time with fabric selection and stuffing to accurately recreate it. The finished product definitely had some rough stitching and loose threads, and looking at it then, I jokingly called it a homemade mess. But holding it in front of the camera, the sense of immersion in the character brought by using handmade props was something a store-bought prop could never replace.

That evening's shoot took place at Shibuya's busiest scramble crossing. With heavy crowds of tourists and pedestrians, coupled with evening rain, the wet ground created severe reflections and chaotic lighting. To capture that cool, aloof aura I wanted, the photographer adjusted the camera angle to use neon signs on high-rises as light sources, avoiding the oily shine caused by direct streetlights. Meanwhile, using a slow shutter for long exposure on the background, passersby and umbrellas rushing past were transformed into flowing streaks of light and shadow. This blend of sharpness and blur highlighted the main focus: the blue-purple gradient wig and the black, white, and blue uniform outfit in this Japanese-style night view.

With temperature drops on a rainy night and long hours of standing, we had to stop every few shots to wipe water droplets off the lens. The blazer's fabric absorbed moisture easily; once soaked by the rain, it became heavy and stuck to my body. Moreover, the long wig—reaching past my waist—clumped into wet strands upon contact with water, making it exhausting to manage. Especially the black-and-blue striped stockings: after getting soaked, they wrapped tightly around my skin in the freezing wind, dropping the perceived temperature by several degrees. You might not tell from the photos, but to resist shivering and maintain my posture, I had to adjust my balance and grit my teeth through it.

The biggest regret was probably that, before setting out, I originally wanted to make a matching outfit for this handmade cat plush toy. However, my attempt failed during pattern cutting and sewing, and the sizing turned out completely off. In the end, I had no choice but to leave the tiny outfit at home without putting it on the plush, which left the prop feeling slightly incomplete. But looking at it from another angle, these somewhat clumsy sewing marks and imperfect rainy night experiences became a deeply authentic part of my memories for this cosplay.

Even the small round bowler hat was secured firmly with hairpins underneath to prevent it from falling off while walking or in the wind. After repeatedly adjusting the jacket buttons, the tie knot, and the white ruffles on the skirt hem to their neatest state, combined with the slightly heavier eyeliner drawn during makeup, entering this \"mode\" automatically brought out the character's unique demeanor—a bit tsundere and never overly pleasing. Combined with night shooting and the atmosphere of rain, maintaining a controlled facial expression without breaking character was thanks to experience accumulated from many outdoor shoots.