Rangiku Matsumoto - WORK IN PROGRESS

Babes and Bad-Assery: Lieutenant (Vice-Captain) Rangiku Matsumoto

Rangiku Matsumoto is Lieutenant of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13 in the Soul Society.  Her costume is described here: http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Rangiku_Matsumoto.

She dresses in the garb typical of a Shinigami, although she lets her robes hang lose to display her ample bosom.

This outfit is called a "Shihakuso."  The bottom layer is a white Shitage, which is a  top that shows as the white at her collar, wrists and underarms.  She wears a black Kosode over the Shitage.  She wears the traditional, pleated Hakama, also in black.  She wears white tabi and straw waraji on her feet.  She has a white Obi around her waist.

https://myanimelist.net/featured/611/Bleach_Fashion_Guide__The_Shinigami_Uniforms

http://cosplay4life.blogspot.com/2010/07/bleach-full-cosplay-tutorial.html

She wears a thin golden necklace tucked into her cleavage.

She also wears a long pink scarf over her shoulders.

Her lieutenant's armband is worn on her uniform's sash, as opposed on her arm.

She carries her Zanpakuto behind her back.  This idea seems to be functional and possibly historically accurate.  The bands should be made of woven silk.

Sageo Knot - a series of knots around the scabbard to create a hangar for the katana in the back at the waist.

Lots of examples of Sageo knots on his Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/robertolobo05/sageo-knots/

Her Zanpakuto is in the shape of a katana.  

Her tsuba is the shape of a cat's head - the top half having two ears and tapering to a point below.  The blade is called Haineko (meaning Ash Cat), and is just as moody, lazy and self-centered as she is.

The Ito (decorative braid or cording) is somewhere between a grape purple and a red-violet color.

Building Heineko:

Tsuba at the beginning.

Sanded down the bokkun, removed the rubber tsuba and gasket.  Filled the cracks and splinters with glazing compound.

Template for the custom tsuba.

Tsuba in craft form and MDF

Spray paint (hammered bronze Rustoleum)

Hammered black tsuba after glazing and filling and lots of sanding.

Assembled... but with issues.  There needs to be a gasket and an end cap on the bokkun to make it look more like a katana.

My current plan is to use the length of pink linen gifted to me by Jen for Rangiku's scarf, white handkerchief linen for the Shitage, and a black 50/50 cotton/linen blend for the Kosode and Hakama.  Tabi and Waraji will be ordered from the magical internet.  The goal is to have Ranginku completed for Anime Bonsai 2017.

 Other CosPlays of Rangiku: