Pre-production lays the groundwork for a smooth cosplay build, but the need for creative problem-solving is nowhere near finished once construction begins. In part two of "Reflections in Fabric," featured cosplayers discuss how each problem solved and each step completed slowly but surely brought their sophist robes to life—life which, to the Ancients of old, might be described as nothing short of true creation magic.

Not long after the release of Endwalker in December 2021, my Twitter feed was filled with the flowing black and white robes of those Ancients encountered in Elpis, known in-game as the sophist robes. Seasoned and new cosplayers alike shared their knowledge and resources, unified in recreating the robes donned by beloved NPCs and Warriors of Light alike. In Part 1 of "Reflections," I spoke with ten cosplayers about their pre-production considerations, fabric choices, and inspirations for creating the sophist robes.