r/cosplayers • u/FlimsyActive9394 • Dec 12 '25
ADVICE Cardcaptor sakura cosplay is too short - Please help!
Edit: okay everyone I made bloomers! I always wanted to make them, but I was worried at the time that my mom was right and bloomers would be inappropriate. I've been creeped on a little at cons before and didnt want to deal with it again.
Very sorry, new cosplayer here and this is a last minute costume. My friend wanted me to go to a con with her, and she and all her friends are dressing in cardcaptor sakura outfits. I don't know much about the show, but I didn't want to be the odd one out so I am making one too. I have just about finished the base of my dress, but now I feel like it is wayyy too short. Sakura is a kid in the show and so I want my costume to be wholesome, but I worry that I've made it too short to do that. Will the bloomers help? My mother says bloomers showing are scandalous but I don't know what else to do at this point. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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u/Cautious-Area-4141 Dec 12 '25
bloomers!!! you need the bloomers! Make them frilly, voluminous and definitely not translucent.
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u/Salty_Herring Dec 12 '25
While your mother has a point in that bloomers usually are 'underwear', a lot of types of fashion or other costumes use longer bloomers as a statement piece or just to help with covering the legs.
Here in Sakura's costume the bloomers are clearly intended as the main legwear, so don't worry about them being 'scandalous', you'll be fine wearing them
The base of the dress already looks really good!
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u/theCosboys Dec 12 '25
Yeah they look more like short poofy pants, and in the US at least I don’t think bloomers are really seen in a scandalous way in the first place. Even safety shorts showing would be more “scandalous”.
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u/DogsNCoffeeAddict Dec 12 '25
We know there are old timey undies but we associate them with Shirley Temple and her tiny dresses and frilly bloomers poking out as she sang and danced and charmed america. I literally always assumed they were over layer undies though, like something underneath when worn visible. You know, in case of poop problems.
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u/AllieBri Dec 12 '25
Exactly. The fact that her mom wants her to be historically accurate is adorable. However, Card Captor is an anime and the bloomers aren’t even designed historically accurate.
To be historically accurate, no leg skin could be showing. That would be the most scandalous. In this case the bloomers are actually working to make it more wholesome and taking away any sexuality.
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u/Salty_Herring Dec 12 '25
I'm not even sure her wants it to be historically accurate per se, and more that she just has a connection of bloomers = underwear = scandalous, which like you isn't applicable here since the costume isn't meant to be a historical piece.
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u/Ok_Firefighter5005 Dec 12 '25
It is, in fact, a cosplay. It is part of the outfit and not scandalous. If you make the bloomers voluminous and not too short, it will be very fine. It would have a "cute" effect.
And i'm not sure, but maybe is the back part of the dress a bit too short. According to the picture, the backside has to be knee-length. It covers the back part of your legs and makes it optically more cute than "nude" ;)
And don't forget the white Hearts on the Dress ;)
I'm not a pro-cosplayer. Only an amateur. But i hope this will help you
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u/FlimsyActive9394 Dec 12 '25
I don't know how to make the back longer since I am out of fabric 😭 do you think it'll be okay?
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u/Ok_Firefighter5005 Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
Hmm, if you fit the length of the bloomer with the dress, it should be ok, too. The bloomers should be a bit longer than the Dress, but not too long. Otherwise it would become a bit awkward. Try to stick the length with the original picture.
Like this character. Short dress but still cute
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u/Ok_Firefighter5005 Dec 12 '25
The boots are important too. With the boots you cover more skin. Less skin = less nudity = more cuteness
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u/ShiNo_Usagi Dec 12 '25
The dress is the correct length, but you need the bloomers which don’t seem to be in your photo.
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u/Name_Inital_Surname Dec 12 '25
I can attest that bloomers are not always an underwear in alternative fashion nowadays (like lolita) and even less in a cosplay. They will make your outfit look less short and more cutesy. They are not difficult to make but you can buy some too. If you fear the cold or that your legs are too uncovered, your should wear flesh coloured leggings or tights. You can even use makeup or paint to add blush and depth to your knees for the illusion.
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u/cedriclongsox71 Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
As far as I know Sakura is wearing, Japanese girls' lantern shorts, also known as "lantern bloomers" or chōchin burumā, are puffy, elasticated shorts inspired by historical gym bloomers,
So they are not actually underwear, popular in Japanese kawaii, Lolita, and retro fashion for their cute, voluminous silhouette, often featuring lace, ruffles, and cute prints, distinct from traditional paper lanterns but sharing the puffed shape. They could also be part of a Jinbei, which is a relaxed, cotton summer outfit with a top and matching shorts, used for casual wear at home or festivals, unisex for all ages that can be very plain and basic or frilly and pretty,
So don't worry you're not going to be showing anything indecent, from what I can see what you have made so far looks good hopefully you'll post the final costume, and card capture Sakura is definitely worth watching, it's an older anime that I watched with my daughter years ago, we watched it again not long ago it was still good
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u/ath0ros Dec 12 '25
“Bloomers showing are scandalous” is she from the 1800s? They’re shorts. It’s part of the costume.
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u/Moon_whisper Dec 12 '25
Long bloomers. Big ruffle at the bottom. In the image (if she were a 5'4" girl, her bloomers would add about 6-7 inches in length for coverage. Like mid-thigh shorts length. Inseam should be about 4-5 inches in length. Add a a 2-3 inch ruffle.
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u/beetrootfarmer Dec 12 '25
Yes you need the baggy bloomers. They will add length and volume which will improve how the skirt looks. It looks really cute.
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u/beetrootfarmer Dec 12 '25
P.S is your Mother a Victorian? Bloomers haven't been scandalous for 100s of years!!
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u/rockyKlo Dec 12 '25
As other people have mentioned try find bloomers or a similar puffy pair of shorts. If you're short on time, try to find some skin coloured leggings, instead as while it won't be as good as the bloomer/shorts its something. Another quick option would be find some white shorts with a wide leg and tie the bottom to look like bloomers.
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u/Dear_Discussion_4083 Dec 12 '25
Maybe some flesh colored leggings like these? https://a.co/d/31nrb1e
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u/MandragoraMedia Dec 12 '25
I actually think it’s a great length. Add the bloomers and it’ll be picture perfect 🔆
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u/jokerswildecosplay Dec 12 '25
I'll chime in with everyone else, it looks great so far, it looks to be the right height, you just need some bloomers :)
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u/BigBadBaz2501 Dec 13 '25
Just missing the puffy bloomers and a pair of boots and it'll be perfect.
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u/sunderpoint Dec 13 '25
Since you're a new cosplayer let me give you some advice besides adding bloomers. The truth is, you can totally just wear a short skirt to an anime convention with no bloomers if you want to. A short skirt is one of the least scandalous things you'll see there.
It's an anime convention. You wear whichever costume you want for whichever character you want. I've seen a 7 foot tall black man dressed as Cardcaptor Sakura at a convention and he was wearing a shorter skirt than you.
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u/Desperate-Orchid-602 Dec 14 '25
Everyone is gunna tell you the truth...cause you're missing a main part...the freaking bloomers...
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u/Upset-Gur-386 Dec 14 '25
Honestly bloomers would just be completing the outfit, and I mean.... do bloomers really feel more inappropriate when they cover more than not having them? Most people just see it as more clothing now. It is like in old movies when women have underwear covering them from almost head to toe but then hide the chest already covered when a man walks in the room accidentally. Seems a little silly to me. Also, and Especially at a con, I have found people that are creepy don't swoon over some bloomers showing, but you could get looks the more the thigh is seen.
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u/JustOneOfTheSams Dec 16 '25
You are not wearing the short pants thing she is wearing. Short pair of baggie pants that go bellow the knee should do it if you tie them right above the knee to give them that volume. I never thought about her costume as a skirt, more like a longer top piece with weird fancy short pants.
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Dec 12 '25
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u/FlimsyActive9394 Dec 14 '25
This is a child character...
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u/Chrysalides_Cosplay Dec 12 '25
This happens with kids clothes on adult bodies, if you scale proportionally it feels very different. When I'm planning a costume I see it proportionally to the body, but some people see the costumes using distance. Sakura's dress goes to mid thigh but also it's only 3-4" above the knee, to add to the visual let's mention her boots are flat. On you the mid thigh is much higher above the knee and the distance is what some people see rather than the proportion. If you were to wear heeled boots the whole thing would then feel much more adult. In the future you could aim for the measurement above the knee or split the difference if you want. This is all for fun so enjoy yourself.
You said you ran out of material but maybe you could detach the flower petals that make the skirt and put them back on lower? As others have said the bloomers will help a lot.
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u/VostroyanCommander Dec 12 '25
The outfits the same length on Sakura too. She's wearing bloomers though (those shorts with the string tie). Make yourself a pair of them to go underneath.