Casual Workplace Cosplay: Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite

 First, let me offer a little intro. When  I first got the idea to do a series of "Casual Workplace Cosplay" posts on my blog, I'll admit, I had no idea how the heck I was going to pull it off.  Most outfits from anime, comic books or even video games are often so elaborate that they can only be shown off at places like Comic-Con. How could I manage to create an outfit that was true to the source material yet still make it workplace appropriate? I was determined though...I had to get the creative juices flowing and create something that my fellow nerds would appreciate and, hopefully, wear. Why should Cosplay be limited to special events right? Why can't we show off our nerdy side and embody the characters we know and love, even when we are sitting in a cubicle?

I got a lot of great feedback from you guys as to which Cosplay I should begin with (suggestions I will most definitely be using in future posts). But for me, there was only one choice....mostly because I already had the outfit:

From Irrational Games'  award winning video game....

Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite.

"Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt."

 (P.S. If you want a summary of what the game is about, click here)

 I have been obsessed with this game since I saw the first saw the first screenshots. The visual design is incredible and the story even more so. The outfit I created is kind of a combination of the three Elizabeth's you meet in the video game (hint: the game involves a bit time travel) . I wanted to stick with the color scheme of blue and white and keep the basic structure of white top, blue skirt, black boots. I also added a little jacket which reminded me of the one she wears throughout most of the game (although with shorter sleeves).

Here is the finished product.

 I have actually had all of these pieces in my wardrobe for quite a while. Initially, I entertained the idea of going out and buying new items, but I thought the ones I already had were perfect. They have a contemporary, timeless feel to them. Plus, what's the point of spending excess money when I already have what I need?

 

Looking at different pictures of Elizabeth I noticed that, although her clothes change during the course of the game, they all have a very tailored look to them. This was perfect for creating a cosplay that is workplace friendly.

The setting for these pictures was the tower at Quabbin Resevoir in Massachusetts. In the game, you first encounter Elizabeth in a tower in the floating city of Columbia. Needless to say, this was the perfect place to shoot! :)

Sorry for all the wrinkles, I suck at ironing...

For those of you that have played the game, I'm sure you know that Elizabeth's main outfit is a white corset and a long blue skirt. Since a corset is definitely not workplace appropriate, I opted instead for this white sleeveless button up. It went very well with the blue midi skirt I had.

When it came to the shoes, I went  with a very simple black ankle high boots.

As for accessories,  I went with this rather unique medallion which is actually a quarter that's been laser-cut. It was perfect as it had that same vintage Americana feel that is so prominent in the game itself. It also reminded me of Songbird, the clockwork creature that guards Elizabeth in the tower.

Sooo windy! But I had to do one shot outside at least :)

I hope you enjoyed this first installment of my "Casual Workplace Cosplay" series! More to come soon enough :) Please feel free to shoot me some suggestions in the comments!

Photography by Scott Kurland

Jacket// (Similar)
Top: Target //(Similar) (Similar) (Similar)
Skirt: Comme Toi //(Similar) (Similar) (Similar)
Shoes: Forever21// (Similar) (Similar) (Similar)
Necklace: Handmade// (Similar)

Much Love,
Hayleigh

June Thoughts: Love Wins...

 

Forgive me for waiting to write this post 'till the start of July. I had a lot of family and friend related events to attend and, as this month came to a close, I entertained the idea of skipping this post altogether. Though as I was driving home from work today it began to downpour. Looking out from my car I saw a beautiful rainbow.....a lovely reminder of what came to pass this month. Needless to say I took it as a sign that I should make the effort to type out my thoughts for the month of June.

Anyway, the theme for this post... is love.

Who says love is only for February right?

We experience so many different types of love throughout our lives. The love we have for family comes first and stays with us throughout our lives. Then there's the love we have for friends we make. As we become more aware of the world around us, our concept of love expands beyond the people we encounter. The love we have for material objects, (such as our favorite toy) comes next, followed shortly by the love for certain activities like sports, painting, playing video games, or even blogging ;).

Then of course, there's.... that love. You know the love I'm talking about. Its the love you experience when that special person holds your hand, and all at once your heart feels heavy, like its rooted to the ground.... yet it also feels so light it could be carried away with the faintest breeze. If I had to pick which of the types of love changes the most over the years in terms of its strength and its endurance, it would be this one. This type of love is not for the faint of heart as it gives you strength, yet it leaves you simultaneously vulnerable. And, most importantly, its a type of love that everyone deserves, no matter who you are.

This month, America opened itself to love, and it brought me great joy to see the many celebratory tweets, pictures, videos and even flags. I am so grateful for the fact that, when I have children of my own, they will have the good fortune to be born in a country where the law of the land gives them the right to marry whomever they choose (beyond the borders of Massachusetts now). When I speak to them of the fight or marriage equality, it will be a fight that happened in the past and it will not be one they have to wait for with bated breath. It took us a while to get to this point, but I am glad my generation had privilege to witness such great change. 

Why?

 Because from this singular event, my generation has proof that the love we experience over the course of our lives inspires us to do great things.

It pushes us to pursue the things we want out of life, through the activities that have grown to become our passion. In our pursuit of other things, we also learn that the inner force that drives us can also fuel our fight for those we love.

It teaches us to share in the material things we love, whether that thing is the toy dinosaur that you've had since kindergarten, a home where all the worldly possessions you have acquired reside, or even the sharing of symbols such as rings.  Through sharing we learn the value of the material and immaterial. Through sharing we learn humility, we learn collaboration, and we learn sacrifice.

It allows us to grow through our relationship with others. Through friendship, we learn acceptance, loyalty, joy, compassion and, if its right, friendship can also blossom into romance. 

It grants us the happiness that comes with being a part of a family and starting one of your own if you so choose. Through family we learn that love is unconditional and enduring. Through family, we learn that love knows no race, ethnicity, or gender. 

Love is strange, unpredictable, and wonderful. And most importantly...

 It always wins. 

Much Love...Always,

Hayleigh