Son Goku

Source: Saiyuki
Model: Colleen Mead
Price: $200 - 250 (shirt, tabard, cape); Contact for full costume quote

The only discrepancy here is the pants, which are supposed to be light green. They are merely attached for decorative purposes and aren't part of the costume.

This costume posed all kinds of interesting challenges. The undershirt and cape were easy enough to make with commercial patterns, but the tabard required appliqué and the shoulder claws had to be made.

The design on the tabard was hand-drawn and machine-sewn on, similar to the design on the Count of Monte Cristo jacket. The rough edges on the character and circle were covered in fabric paint.

The claws, however, were the difficult part. It is the first time I experimented with paper clay. I rolled six strips and shaped one end into a point. After they had dried a bit, I bent them slightly to have them go over the shoulder. They are attached to the shoulder things with a lot of hot glue. I used about two sticks to make sure they weren't going anywhere.