This is the latest in the list of Sailor Mars' costumes that I wanted to do. I've always loved this dress because it's so unique; it's rare, you only see it on her once during the ending credits of the Sailor Moon S season, and--gasp!--it's lavendar, not red. Also, it's one of the few hints you get in the series that the other senshi were princesses as well; while it's not stated outright, the fact that they all match seem to indicate that this is a dress that indicates status. Not only that, it's clearly based off of Grecian robes, and the senshi are all named after gods and goddesses. (Although they did take the Roman names, not the Greek ones. Anyway.)

Why do I call this costume "Silver Millennium Princess Mars"? Well, Setsuna Kou, my costume maker, called it that first, and I guess it just stuck. But it makes sense to me--the long red gown is the dress she wears when she's a princess in Crystal Tokyo, under the realm of Neo Queen Serenity, and this is the matching dress she wears when she's a princess of the Silver Millennium, under the realm of Princess Serenity.

I still haven't mastered wearing this costume, though. The laces that go up my legs are so pretty--too bad I can't walk more than a block in them before they fall down. :(

To match the other princesses at NDK, Patti and Steph made me a new broach, so I swapped the gems out that Setsuna-chan had made me.

To match even MORE princesses (you can never have too many princesses) at AWA, Patti and Steph made us all new waistbands as well! (That can also double as Pope hats, apparently...)

On my way back to the hotel on the Friday of Otakon 2005, I asked Lou to stop and take a picture of me posing by a pillar that reminded me of the Silver Millennium. Unfortunately, the picture came out very dark, and I asked some of my more talented friends to see what they could do in Photoshop and other image editing programs. So many people tried, and the results were so interesting, I just had to share them all!