The lights are on
Looks can be deceiving. When it comes to “simple” or “closet cosplay,” most assume that a single shopping excursion to a retail chain is needed. In reality, costumes that appear simple can be deceptively difficult. The cosplayer has less of a visual vocabulary to identify themselves. As such, the final presentation has to be extremely nuanced and accurate. Jessica Steele Allen’s Chloe Frazer costume is successful on several fronts – in both execution, and because she looks incredibly similar to the character. Check out the surprising likeness below!
Who: The CharacterChloe Frazer from Naughty Dog's PS3 game "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves."Why: The DecisionI love female characters that can hold their own with the guys; maybe they're a little rough around the edges, sure, but they still manage to stay sexy and feminine while kicking some ass. My first cosplay was outlaw archaeologist-turned-spy Abbey Chase from J. Scott Campbell's comic book series "Danger Girl," so creating a costume based on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' morally ambiguous treasure hunter Chloe Frazer wasn't much of a stretch! I love Chloe's independence, her confidence, her wit, and her wry sense of humor. Plus, I think she's gorgeous! (I also appreciate that she has a butt and she's proud of it. Hehe!) Both "Uncharted" titles are full of fun, believable, well-written characters, and Chloe was my favorite of them all. I knew she would be a perfect addition to my cosplay collection.What: The ProcessThis was a relatively easy costume to create, but "plain clothes" cosplays are, at the same time, deceptively challenging. When you're buying most of your costume components at the mall, you have to pay extra attention to the "little things" so it doesn't *look* like something you just bought at the mall!The boots, while not the Mark Nason's Lorelei design on which Chloe's in-game footwear was based, were as close a match as I could get without breaking the bank; I was pleased to find some fitted khaki cargo pants that looked good right off the shelf; I used a razor to rip up the bottom of a black camisole for Chloe's undershirt; I altered the red top for fit, as well as to tatter the sleeves and add the blue edging around the collar; and I made all three of the necklaces. Probably my favorite detail, though, is the handgun, on which I painted the same flaming-skull-and-roses design glimpsed on Chloe's .45 Defender during cutscenes.There are still some aspects of the costume that I'd like to improve -- the main one being Chloe's shoulder rig, which is actually used only for carrying magazine pouches, not her weapon; her holster itself should be worn on the back of her belt -- but, overall, I'm happy with how it turned out! I'd also like to do a second version in which I distress everything to more accurately reflect Chloe's down-and-dirty look throughout most of the game. Where and When: The DebutI debuted my Chloe costume at the unbelievably awesome Dragon*Con 2010, my first time (of many, I'm sure) attending that convention. Most of the photos included here, however, are from an impromptu photoshoot that took place in January 2011 at a local abandoned hotel. When I saw the broken windows, boarded-up doors, and debris lying scattered about, I thought it would make an ideal location for Chloe -- at least until I can find a ramshackle village to take photos in! Links: The CosplayerThe best place to find me is on Facebook, but I'm also on deviantART!
The Gallery(Photos by Brandon Allen)
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overall good, but the hair looks lie its a wig in some pictures and that bothers me a bit.
Wow that is phenomenal! And she really does look like her! Great job!
I absolutely love how you love extremely attractive women dressing in videogame-inspired costumes, or simply posing in high quality photos in general.
Wow, she actually looks just like Chloe. The resemblance is uncanny.
If she can act i'd cast her for the movie.
I have a love/hate relation with Cosplay. I think it's ridiculous, but at the same time I have seen some costumes that have left me very, very impressed.
Sister Twins!
not a bad decision. It would be better if they had Claudia Black to do it though. Talk about likenesses.
Looks very convincing.
Fantastic but she's missing one crucial part of her Chloe's costume...dat aaaasss. *bites lip*
Nice!!!
Okay, so we have a Chloe look-alike looking all kinds of cute. Now all we need is a Sheva look a like, then my life will be complete. Mmkay?
Very good job on the costume. and she's gorgeous also.
Wow.
That is straight-up come to life.
Simple costume, but a superb model match.
Don't know too much about Uncharted, so I can't really comment on the cosplay. However, she is a VERY beautiful woman and pulls off the costume well.
Great job, out fit looks great, actually resembles that character and nice touch with the detail on the gun