Character design/costume question - Youmu or Youki Konpaku

[Silentsword]

Got a question to throw out to the community:

I'm looking to cosplay either Youmu or Youki Konpaku for a couple of cons this year.  Because Youki doesn't have any official art, and I don't think I can pull off Youmu straight up, I'm hoping to get some ideas from the community.

(This and This is what I have to work with, hence why straight-up Youmu would be terrible).

I've finished Myon, and gotten as much done on the blades as I can until the weather breaks, so now it's time for me to work on the costume itself.


Vest: Will be seudecloth (I've already got a bunch in the correct green), but should it be loose fitting or snug?


Blouse/shirt: Long-sleeved (PCB) or short-sleeved (everything else), or should I go with something else entirely?


Bottom half: normal pants out of seudecloth like the vest, or a hakama?


Or should I just suck it up and go for skirt-and-bloomers Youmu...


Thanks in advance!

[Kuma]

What most people assume Youki looks like.

[DarkslimeZ]

That is fucking amazing.

[shadowbringer]

blouse: long sleeved, would hide your arms
bottom-half: I haven't seen official art of Youmu with pants, and think that a hakama would be functional, if she's not using skirt and bloomers
vest: I don't know how it would look like on you, but I would go with the tidy snug vest, it just looks more Youmu-ish

note, I'm not a specialist in that subject, nor have I cosplayed, ever, so, feel free to experiment as well.

[Xijiy]

I think you have a good face for cosplaying as Youki. Seems like you could really pull him off well if you got the right bits of the costume.

Wish I could give more advice on the costume but that's really something I don't have much experience in. I just thought I would tell ya that I think that you would fit the build for the said character.

[triangles]

Oh man, a cosplay topic that I was away for and totally missed until now 

Anyway, I hope you're still poking around because I'm curious to what you decided on.  My personal opinion would be work from the Youki picture posted - as mentioned you definitely have the right facial structure.  With a Myon, it'll be recognizable enough I'd imagine.

As to the original questions, I would go looser on the vest than in your first picture, but how much depends on if you're going for a flowy or a crisper outfit. Either can work for Youmu.  Long sleeves definitely, or at the very least not the poofy short sleeves that are all over the Touhou wardrobe... it's a very feminine sleeve design and I think it will look out of place if you're trying to genderbend Youmu.  Possibly even completely sleeveless might work too, it really depends on what "look" you're going for.  Same for the pants VS hakama debate - if you're going looser on top definitely hakama, but if you're mirroring more of a suit or dressier getup you can do regular slacks.

I'm toying with the idea of making Youmu myself for Otakon, so I am all for Konpaku-cosplay

[Silentsword]

I'm actually getting close to being done at this point, I'm just waiting for the sewing machine to come back from the shop (punching through a half-dozen layers of seude plus some fabric stiffener finished off the old drive gears).

I ended up going with Youki, based mostly, but not entirely, on the picture Kuma-tan~ posted earlier in this thread.  Hakama in green seudecloth, and is almost done (I just need to finish sewing on the rear belt loop and then sew up the seams).  The belt is actually built into the hakama, in black. 

The kosode is duiponi silk with long sleeves, which are a bit flowy while still leaving my hands free.  I just have to attach those and sew on the green ghost.  I've got a black dress shirt that I'm going to wear underneath the kosode, with the collar tucked inside the shirt.

For the vest, I'm going to stick to the art and go with kind of loose - looser than Youmu's vest is usually pictured.  Green seudecloth again.

Myon, as I mentioned before, is done.

For Katsucon, I'm using the swords from the FF6 Opera for Hakurouken and Roukunken, but I hope to have the new ones finished by ACen or Otakon - it's been far, far too cold to work on them outside. I have to measure the old swords for their scabbards, though (Ralse still has his sword...)

I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get back what I need to have this finished by Katsucon, though....

Thanks for the help, everyone!  I'll post here when it's complete ^^

/\∆/\∆/\ : If you're cosplaying Youmu at Otakon, I'd love to get pictures with you!