Designing Process [Sketches and Imagination]

So as with every costume I work on, I first need to plan it out. I study the character's design very carefully with reference pictures. For example if the character is from a TV show, I watch the episodes and pause them to sketch out detailed pictures. So for Alice I created a digital collage of many different reference pictures I found of her design in the video game and in the official Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World artbook.

These are usually what my design collages look like, complete with my own handwritten notes.

So after I compile a sufficient collage of front / back/ side shots I then proceed to create rough sketches of my own drawing. These sketches are to aid me in sewing the costume. For example often I draw the costume with seam markings that help me visualize how I should cut the fabric, and sew it together as the correct clothing article. These sketches usually are in the multiples, and are of various poses and angles to help me visualize the design process fully.

This is a very rough sketch of the character's costume alongside my notes of colorization, and using specific kinds of material for different pieces.

Since Alice's "coat" looks very complicated to successfully recreate I've sketched out 3 different methods I may or may not use.

In the above picture there is an example of brainstorming. I have 3 different ideas for creating Alice's "coat." I guess I should mention that when I refer to "coat" I'm talking about the fabric that covers her chest, extends from her shoulders to her arms, and also includes the poofy part below her red "belt" that covers most of her body. First off, I will make the coat in 2 separate pieces, a top and a bottom, because that's the best way possible for slipping it on and off now that I think about it. Physically and realistically speaking there is no other possible way that the article of clothing - if sewn in one piece instead of two - can be put on overhead or slipped on without any added modifications like zippers. So I can't just put a long zipper down the back of her coat to step into it  because there is an upside down triangle shape cut out of the back of the coat. There is also a big red belt that separates the top of the coat with the bottom of it, so this is where I will have the 2 pieces of her coat meet the belt. So my ideas are to add a very short zipper in the back and neck area of the coat so I can actually get the top piece of the coat over my head and on. This will leave the bottom part of the coat being separate from the top part. How will I keep these 2 pieces together? Well another idea is using concealed velcro/snaps on the top part of coat to create better adhesion to the bottom part of the coat, and to reinforce the two fabrics. And a final idea was to use some sort of elastic band in between fabric so I can have the bottom piece of the coat slip on easier when I pulled it up and onto me. Elastic bands help create a snugger fit for certain materials. :)

My last rough sketch of Alice's "bloomer" shorts, her funky hat, her leg warmers, and shoes.

This concludes the brainstorming part of my costume. I hope my ideas were clear enough! Next I will start the sewing process. :)