Chel
The Road to El Dorado
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Why Chel?
Anyone that has seen Road to El Dorado know that Miguel and Tulio are truly fun characters, but that Chel's allure steals the show! She's confident, clever, sly, and sassy, and I've always admired characters like that! I thought this outfit would be a fun draping challenge for me to do and also something a little more daring to push my comfort zone a bit. Though the outfit is quite risque, the nostalgic reactions I get from people who remember the movie are totally worth it!
Costume Stats
Started: September 2012
Completed: September 2012
Status: retired
Wig by: Cosplay-Wig
Worn at: SugoiCon 2012, ColossalCon 2014
Awards: none
Related Cosplays
About This Costume
Though simple in appearance, this costume requires some pretty precise tailoring to be able to work like it does! Luckily it wasn't as much of a hassle as some of my other simple cosplays, like Kida or Ariel though! The outfit was made using linen look fabric from Joann, and all draped and patterned by me. Everything is also serged and neatly edge-stitched!
The top is patterned in a way that the bust line seam acts as both the style line for Chel's top, but the dart for the top, so that it can contour to the bust. That's a bit difficult to explain in words, but imagine that the top has side darts that simple continue towards the middle front of the top rather than stopping at the bust point. If that all sounds like seamstress mumbo jumbo to you, you're absolutely right, haha! The red stripe was done in bias tape so that it could also maintain that curve around the bust line.
The skirt, contrary to many initial assumptions, DOES have a panty built into it. The skirt has such a specific and revealing silhouette that I couldn't think of any more secure a way to make sure I stayed fully covered while not having to worry about whether my undies might show, hahaha! So they are hand sewn into the skirt, and the waistband just slips over the hips. The front knot is just a cleverly folded scrap, but doesn't actually function as a tie.
The earrings have switched styles a couple of times, I originally used a real stone, but was unable to get a hole drilled through them without the rock cracking in half. So I later switched to a much lighter and friendlier Model Magic version of the earrings! The bracelets are also just wooden chunky bracelets that I painted blue to match. Last but never least, Bibo the Armadillo was purchased from Amazon! He is not official merch, but makes for a cute prop nonetheless.
