Make: Volume 86

parts of your costume will make it feel like a

unified garment (Figures

U

and

V

). Conversely,

if you want your costume to look like a patchwork

of scavenged parts assembled together, you may

want to avoid repeating colors and motifs, to

make everything feel disparate.

While working through your build, use your

design sketches and research to balance

details with the big picture. For each detail you

want to add, ask yourself “Why is this here?

What material would it be made of? Who made

this?” and your answers will inform what that

detail should look like (Figures

W

,

X

, and

Y

).

Sometimes you’ll want to hide a functional part

ornamental pattern ...