And when I saw her redesign for the 33rd Annual Sanrio Character Ranking competition back in June, I fell in love with her outfit because it is totally something I would wear myself. It was simple and inevitably cute, yet it had a subtle feminine edge to it that suggested her metalhead past times. (And before you ask, even with her rise to popularity with her Netfilx show,  Retsuko only came in 20th place for the official ranking competition. I agree, she was robbed. But there’s always next year.)

Of course, I had to put my own spin to this look especially due to the fact its still summer and black long-sleeve tops with ankle boots are simply not done in NYC at this time of year; that is unless you wish to die a slow painful heatstroke-induced death, hahaha. For this subtle closet cosplay nod to Retusko I went for items that were more summer appropriate with light breathable fabrics with a tee and shorts from Torrid.

What I love about these shorts is how the pleated design gives it a flow and grace to the point that it gets confused for a skirt which is emphasized by the  delicate lace embroidery on the scalloped trim of the hem. It is a light challis fabric that works well for NYC-humidity and best of all it has pockets! I paired the shorts with a soft and lightweight fitted strappy tee, a trendy update for the most basic of basic pieces. I swapped Retsuko’s headphones for a choker and added a rolled-up sleeve chambray top to keep me warm in the AC that blasts on the train which tied  so that the straps could peek through.

Although this inspired look came together pretty well, I know that come fall I will be replicating the original look properly, plus one or two of her outfits from the actual show.

~Get the look~