#toast points

This next one may not seem obvious, but once you know to look for it, it can be a big help for making a nice costume. I'm talking of course about the basic shape and outline of a costume, which you could express by calling it either profile or silhouette.

If you're not familiar with what these are, it's basically the outline of your knight, in said costume, from different angles; in terms of a two-dimensional shape, independent from colour.

Their profile is the reason why Skelly armours look good with so few other things, and part of why the new extra vertical vents look quite silly on many things. It is also largely responsible for now easy Regalia pieces match with many things, and why the very simple vitasuits and starter armours make good costumes.

Thankfully, there's not much in specific to say about making the shape of a costume work from a silhouette and profile perspective, aside from pointing out that it is important, and to be aware of it.

Some simple advice when looking at your knight in profile:

Watch for bulky armours, and for wide helms. You want things to look unified, so match these things appropriately.

Be aware of the angles that things make together. Especially where different large shapes meet. (For example around the neck and large accessories.)

General shapes that repeat, are often your friend. Whether it's similar spiky shapes, or rounder armour with a rounder helm. Parallel lines can also help too (Ex: Plate Mail.)

Above all, the key here is to trust your instincts. Our eyes and brains naturally tell us what we find attractive to look at, especially when looking at something that has a vaguely humanoid shape.

Often times, when I look at a costume and my gut reaction is to cock my head to the side by about 10 degrees and go: "Buh...?" it's because the shape is funny, even if I don't realize it at first. Frequently, this effect (widely known as the "Buh... wuh? effect") is caused by Mecha wings (which ruin the shape of nearly everything) or by plumes (which stick out at a universally unnatural right angle.) Sometimes scarves are the culprit, making some poor knight's head look like a lump with a drawstring.

On that note, we wrap up this edition.

Until next time,

This last topic is especially important in understanding when matching is necessary and when it is not. For our purposes, this applies specifically to accessories, since by and large, unless you are going for a specific look that requires it, you do want your armour and helm to match in some way.

To put this most simply, when we talk about "accent items" we're talking particularly about accessories that could be considered to be an item that in its nature is not actually attached to what it's mounted on. To make that clearer, the best way to look at it as a sort of abstract. Yes, everything that you mount on your armour/helm is attached, but for these purposes you need to look at it in terms of what the accessory in question is.

Good examples of accent items are Flowers, Glasses/Shades, (sometimes) halos, pipes/blowouts, party hats, and things like that which could be considered in their nature to be things that are held, worn over/under, or otherwise added to what it's mounted on - unlike other accessories such as spike mohawks, wings, antennas, or vents that by their nature are more of a modification or addition to the armour/helm itself.

If this makes sense so far, here is the basic idea (which is pretty simple) regarding making accent items stand out, look good, and neither make a costume look bad, nor entirely draw the eye away from what you've created.

Firstly, you want to pick a colour for your accent item that does not clash obviously with any of the other colours present, or your personal colour. If we use the Crown of the Fallen as an example, if we were putting a flower on it, regardless of the rest of the costume, any blue, or red hue should look good, especially darker ones because of the darker tones of the helm. On the other hand, unless your personal colour is a green or yellow, a green flower might stand out too much, or clash with the ensemble as a whole. If we were to do the same with the Valkyrie Helm, you would want to avoid darker hues like a Heavy Flower in favor of any light colour that doesn't clash with your personal colour, but really any colour could work. In this example, even picking one that doesn't specifically share its precise hue with the helm, still accents it nicely and stands out.

Flowers are especially easy to use in this way, most often just matching them roughly to your personal colour is enough to make them look good. Items like glasses or shades are slightly more complex to match, but work on the same principles. They are something that don't necessarily detract from a costume if they stand out, but you are really looking for them to not clash more than for them to blend in.

What makes accent items quite fun is that this part of making a costume is the easiest way to get creative and to be original without making something ugly. This part of a costume is the most subject to personal taste, and the easiest way to have something original, with more of a personal touch.

Of course, when making any costume, personal taste is the golden rule, but no matter how much you might like it, most people will tell you that a non-matching vented visor looks horrible, or that you are committing fashion crimes for putting a pair of purple vents on a green helm. On the other hand, when it comes to Party Hats, Pipes, and things like that - well as long as you like it, most anything goes! (If you get criticism for your choice it is more likely for what you have put those on than the colour of them, when it comes to these things. :P)