After binge watching Dragon ball super, I was excited to see a new females character introduced in the series, Vados. She was shrewd, humorously sarcastic, and possibly stronger than Goku (well at least at the time.)

I knew early on that creating Vados would be challenging, because there weren’t any commercial sewing patterns available that look similar enough to her outfit, so I had to draft everything myself. Once the patterns were created, sewing it all together took about 3 months. I salvaged a petticoat from an old dress and attached it to the liner to give the skirt more volume. The patches on the apron were made from canvas fabric I hand painted and cut to the appropriate shapes. The belt had I designed with a flap on the back to hold my phone, The tights were dyed to match, and the halo was made from a hose I spray painted blue. Unfortunately the white lace front wig I ordered was lost in the mail, so I had to buy a replacement at the last minute that differed from the characters hair in style and color.

The reactions to my cosplay were overwhelmingly positive. Many people in passing would shout, “Hey, lady Whis!” (That’s close enough right? Lol) Fans of the series would stop me to take photos, and people who had no idea who I was dressed as would compliment me on my craftsmanship.

The first day of Senshi con, I was feeling a bit self conscious, because my face paint kept smudging and flaking off, requiring hourly trips to the restroom for touch ups. A woman in the vender hall told me she thought I looked beautiful and that I slayed my makeup. This gave me a much needed boost of confidence.

Cosplay over the years has helped me overcome social anxiety. For many, attending a large convention with thousands of people can be a source of much stress and frustration. For me it’s an opportunity to be surrounded by people, dressed as their favorite characters, and doing things they enjoy. Cosplay takes the pressure off social interaction and has helped introduce me to amazing people.