I commissioned a Youki costume for Acen that's almost done and looking great, but I still have a few details to work out and wondered if you guys had any suggestions.
First is the hair. I have pretty long hair, so a wig is probably out of the question (not to mention that I've dropped quite a lot of money on this already). I would also prefer not to do anyting permanent to it, because I'll have to live with it for a looooong time. I;ve heard that temporary hair color stuff looks bad, but don't have any experience with it.
Second is the Myon. Not reall sure what to do for it. Is there some kind of material I can drape over a white balloon that you think would look like a ghost tail? Failing that I guess I can just get a balloon and write "Myon" on it. :derp:
Third is shoes. I don't have anything Japanese and again don't really feel like buying anything. Do you think black leather dress shoes would look decent? They make sense as a direct translation of Youmu's outfit but I'm not sure how they'll look with long pants. Probably the least imporant detail, but worth considering I guess.
Advice would be appreciated. This is my first cosplay so I don't know what I'm doing.
Try not to worry too much on not hitting all the details right the first time since this is your first cosplay. Konpaku Youki is pretty open-ended as there isn't really any official illustration of him. You can always progress later if you're not happy with the details. Just try to focus on having a good time in your costume during the convention.
Long hair is not a problem as you can tuck it inside a wig cap (people who has really long hair to their waist does so). Wig cap can provide extra traction for the wig itself to stay on and they're inexpensive. Just make sure the cap is not too tight for you (can definitely tell as it happened to me once). To keep things simple, a white wig will work and look for someone who is willing to trim/style it for you.
Most do not attach Myon when people cosplay as Youmu or Youki, so it's not as critical (depending on the person). Your idea is cool (I thought of that at one point), but you'll have to make sure the balloon doesn't pop on you. A Youmu cosplayer I met made Myon like a plush, which is brilliant.
Expression parts were made for extra fun (the cosplayer in the picture is not Youmu)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2068718632405&set=a.2068715592329.2115615.1078003909&type=3&theaterMatching footwear for your choice of character may not be accessible all the time in your location. A pair of black Tabi (the kind with soles instead of the ones that looks like socks) will be something I would look into as a start (thought of being Youki at one point).
https://www.google.com/search?q=Tabi&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=oMOGUbSdI4HwiwL1_IDACA&ved=0CEoQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=950#imgrc=_Or better yet, search for pictures of the character you're cosplaying and see what others are wearing. This way you can choose something that best fit to your own judgement. Worst case scenario, just pick the most comfortable option (unless say you're in a photoshoot)- the pair of shoes you wear everyday. Even I can't be walking around all-day on a pair of Geta without a break while cosplaying as Yuugi.
Hope this helps.
