[Kyoyama Kazusa cosplay] Blue Archive Swimsuit DIY Cosplay: A Broke Cosplayer's 100-Yuan Challenge

Today, I want to dive straight into the process of assembling this DIY Cosplay swimsuit look for Kyoyama Kazusa from Blue Archive. As a broke cosplayer with thrifting ingrained in my bones, every character I tackle requires endless cost calculations. This entire ensemble—props included—came out to just over 100 RMB, and I am personally thrilled with how it turned out.

Let's break down the garments first. I searched forever before settling on a lightweight, light blue long-sleeved cardigan with subtle ruffles, offering a breezy, sheer texture similar to sun-protective fabric—Figure 4 shows the flat lay. The top underneath is a denim halter neck featuring crisscross chest straps and metal eyelet rings, finished with raw frayed edges, as detailed in Figure 6. I stitched it in slightly by hand for a snugger fit. The bottoms are deep-wash denim micro-shorts; Figure 5 highlights the thigh distress cuts, frayed hems, side lace-ups, and the delicate black crisscross waist string. For footwear, I chose white platform sandals studded with tiny silver rivets along the straps, exactly mirroring Figure 2.

Accessories were the secret sauce for fidelity. Star hair clips on the ears and the black choker were non-negotiable must-haves, along with the black leather thigh garter. For the starfish and seashell hair clip in Figure 3, I grabbed similar inexpensive clips and customized them together as an accent. I bought a basic black wig with pink peekaboo highlights; since the canon design only has subtle pink undertones, I softly brushed powder eyeshadow along the ends—once combed out, the transition looked remarkably natural.

Budget cosplay has its own charm. These denim shorts were repurposed from an old pair of jeans I cut myself; I bought the strap ribbons and metal hardware pieces online for pocket change, then paid a neighborhood seamstress a few coins to stitch them into place, slashing costs dramatically. The materials might not match a several-hundred-yuan bespoke commission, but as long as the silhouette, color palette, and essential motifs are spot-on, the overall vibe shines right through. The popsicle prop in my hand was carved from scrap foam and painted—featherlight and dirt cheap.

For the shoot, budget constraints meant no rental studios, so I set up in a warm-lit corner at home. Because the background was rather ordinary, I leaned into half-body framing and crouches to obscure unwanted clutter. Figure 1 shows a mirror selfie pose: popping the hip and engaging the core to showcase the thigh garter and waistline, which introduces visual tension. The makeup emphasized soft pink tones around the eyes with winged eyeliner flicked subtly upward, capturing that detached, sleepy cool-girl expression seen in the game.

Even though it was assembled on a shoestring budget, wearing something you pieced together stitch by stitch while taking in the breeze by the shore makes the genuine joy of cosplay completely undiluted. I am genuinely happy with this DIY setup, and I hope it sparks some creative ideas for fellow cosplayers working on a budget.