Right before Otakon 2004, Usa either e-mailed me, IMmed me, or left me a message in my LiveJournal--I don't remember now. But she had found a PERFECT high school uniform for Rei on eBay...for only $30! Now, I really didn't want another costume for Otakon. I certainly didn't NEED another costume for Otakon. But...$30!!! Come on! How could I not? Especially not with my Princess egging me on. So, I bought it.

And I ended up not even wearing it at Otakon. :) Ah, well. I wore it for the photo shoot I did with the Kou gals in August in Central Park, and it made its official con debut at AnimeNEXT the following year.

The seamstress, Erin, had made this costume for herself, but honestly it fits so well you can't tell it wasn't made expressly for me. It's insanely comfortable, I can wear it out without attracting too many odd stares (although the skirt is a bit short, so there are stares of a different kind), and if I wear flat heels with it, I could wear it all day. (If I wear tall heels with it, it's sexier, but a tad more uncomfortable.)

Much thanks to Sam for making me Rei's necklace that I'm wearing in the pictures from Katsucon 2008! I love you Rei-twin!

Sadly, I wore this costume to give a talk at my old college, and I accidentally left it backstage when I changed. Executive function disorder made me put off asking anyone if it was still there, and enough time has passed that I don't think I know anyone who still works there, so I'm afraid I must consider it an inadvertant donation to my old drama club and thus lost to me forever.