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Today's CTA is going to be from another horror series, and one that's very near and dear to my heart.
No, its not Sweet Home, but that's a good guess.
You can't talk about survival horror without talking about Silent Hill, a decidedly very Western seeming game through Japanese eyes (unlike Fatal Frame, which is decidedly very Japanese), and chock full of horrortastic and funnifying images like writhing bodies and flesh, bleeding mirrors, and of course, PYRAMID HEAD.
We love Pyramid Head, yes we do.
But our CTA isn't for PH. I know, you're very disappointed. TOO BAD. 8D
No, today's CTA is for one of the heroes of the streets of Silent Hill, Heather, whom you'll recall is being the sole female protagonist PC in the series. Acclaimed as a very realistic female character, Heather's enjoyed years of praise and admiration for her tough yet at the same time tender personality. Per usual, SPOILERS AHOY. Tread carefully.
So let's get the ball rolling nice and easy. FIRST. Your hair! MAH STARS. Heather's hair is a short style, and light. Now if you recall, Heather in fact is Alessa from SH1, reborn from a climactic boss battle with Harry facing off against a giant big-boobied goat. Alessa (AKA Cheryl) had dark hair, black in fact, if you can believe Harry's repeated entreaties of where his daughter went from the first game. When she and Harry went on the run after they escaped from the cult that would hunt them down in the third game, they changed their appearance, at least Cheryl/Heather did.
Heather's hair appears blond, and it is confirmed that it is actually bleached. Her roots still appear darker at the top of her head, so one may want to--if a wig is your only option--go for a more natural blond or dirty blond color with darker roots.
The cut is flared and layered, much more than Mio's hair, and of course its very short. The bangs also appear pushed off to the right side. Its a very stylish and cute hair cut for many girls, so if your hair's already at this style, all power to you! GO CRAZY GURL.
The rest of her outfit is actually simple, but can pose a few issues. The outfit isn't as elaborate or indeed fanciful as many of the heroines in Tecmo's games, but it does show off her gams, which is a very important point (according to a documentary on the game, Heather's outfit includes a skirt because the female members of Team Silent insisted. In fact, many of her alternate outfits, excluding her magical girl henshin outfit, have jeans as their bottoms).
The outfit is of three pieces: the orange turtleneck (not shown at right), the white vest, and the green mini skirt. Each of these pieces can be easily bought, though the vest will probably need some modification (more on that later).
She has a few accessories, namely her wristbands and watch, and the pendant Harry gave her that has a special item needed for the end of the game. Her boots are the last piece, which also can be bought.
All in all, Heather's outfit presents a slightly easier time than other heroines in games. Let's take a look at the top(s).
The first top is the sleeveless, orange turtleneck. The orange isn't particularly vibrant, though it will appear so compared to her surroundings, since the colors of SH are very muted (with the exception of the color red). Its also, of course, sleeveless. The material is probably a cotton, and not very thick.
The sleeves do not show past the vest, so if you are modifying a sleeved top, take care to cut the sleeves back so that they do not pass the vest length. The same goes for the bottom hem; it does not show underneath the vest, so if yours is longer than your vest, either hem it back or tuck the shirt into the skirt.
The vest is the most complicated piece of the outfit (which is, in reality, not that complicated compared to say Mio's top or Rei Kurosawa's long sleeved shirt). First, it is, obviously, white. The material appears bulky, perhaps a heavy cotton or a denim, even canvas. Whatever you choose to make (or buy) for your vest, it is a comparitively not flattering vest, which means it is not cut to reveal or emphasize the chest or sides. Its almost utilitarian and practical versus flattering and womanly. This will convey a tomboy quality that makes Heather rather rugged and more capable in the hell of Silent Hill.
The vest has 4 pockets in the front. They have a flat top flap, and do not taper or end at a triangle shape (like some jacket pockets may have). The top pockets are closer together at the top, and the bottoms ones are more farther apart to the sides. Very useful for storying health drinks, keys, and even a flashlight or bullets. ;D
The vest also has a hood, which is not typical of some vests like this. If you have bought a vest that lacks one, you will have to add a hood. In addition, the zipper/button/fastening down the middle has a flap over it, which does not show how the vest closes. More than likely, its a zipper closure.
The skirt is reletively simple. As you can see, its a plain green skirt, possibly denim (mine is actually a very well-worn corderoy ^^). It falls at an eye-catching mid thigh length, so those who want a little modesty may want it a bit lower. But never go so low as the knees, since it will be inaccurate and not as flattering.
Also note that the back shows that her skirt lacks back pockets. If your skirt does have back pockets, no worries, its a minor detail.
The last portion of her outfit are her boots. They are large boots, almost galoshes, which have a strap on the outside. The boots are also rounded toed boots, so try to avoid pointed toed boots. They're a warm brown, but any brown will do. I would recommend ones with good soles and are comfortable to wear. You might be doing a lot of walking of course.
Try not to go past the knee in length, nor too short that they become ankle high. Just keep a calf-length in mind. Most rainboots will be at the perfect length in any case.
The last few details are her wristband accessories. The orange should try to match her orange turtleneck. On her left wrist is a watch. It appears digital, and is primarily black.
I personally found the wristbands in orange being hard to find in my area. God only knows. XD;;
Now the last, last few details are some props. One of the things you can get is the all-important radio, which in this game is red. Set it on loud volume with nothing but white noise for a real good time. Yes.
Another good prop is a trust pipe. If you can't carry a gun, the pipe is always a good SH stand-by prop. In SH3, you can get a silver and a gold pipe, so if you wish to spray paint a couple for the heckuvit, go bananas.
The pendant Heather wears (and becomes a vital element item at the end of the game, is a good subtle prop to wear under the tops.
Its on a long silver chain, and appears to be white ball, roughly the size of a half-dollar or walnut. Its hard to see in the pic here, but it opens in the middle to hold the aphlosometingorother, which is red. It also appears to have an intricate design in gold or silver on the outside.
Another great prop is the Silent Hill Flashlight, which is usually a flat, pocket-sized military light. In this game, its green.
Other good obscure props can include a health drink or two, maybe a pack of cards (Alessa and Claudia used to play when they were children), or Cheryl's old sketchbook. Get creative. ^^
I really like Heather's outfit because its nice and simple but also really recognizable. It works best for those who obviously look good as blonds, but if you have dark hair (like I do, or Cheryl), its additionally fun to meta-cosplay as Cheryl/Alessa in Heather's outfit. ^^
--Dio (10/26/10)
(screens of the mark of samael, and Heather's full costume and thighs to head from the defunct website Zone of the Gamers.org, full renders of Heather from the Silent Hill 3 presspack)
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