Sometimes you figure out a costume design you want, but you can't make it in City of Heroes. Maybe some elements simply don't exist...there's no cameo chokers or bushy squirrel tails or six-fingered hands. Or maybe the elements exist, but you can't have them all either because they're on the same menu (i.e. neck chain and mangler gear shoulderpads) or because the system considers them incompatible (i.e. if you take a long-sleeved jacket you lose access to a lot of gloves and belts).
Sometimes the solution is simple: buy a booster pack that has the piece you need (or wait until you can get it via event salvage or veteran's rewards). But given that I approach the CoX costumer from a kitbashing viewpoint, I like to try to find workarounds. This piece includes some of those workarounds, in the hope that it will help others who seek to use designs that are Not Allowed. Later revisions of this file may also include ideas submitted by others or shamelessly stolen from people who I can't properly credit (i.e. saw it in passing but missed the name).
Sleeves and Big Gloves: If you want long sleeves on a jacket upper body, you're pretty much limited to the skintight glove options. But there's one way to make it look like your gloves go up over the sleeves, and that's to use cuffed sleeve option. I first tried it with Acton Lord using the rolled up Uniform sleeves, but the fabric tone meant I couldn't make the reds match properly. More successful was Per Annum who used the Baron sleeves, and I also made a second costume for Acton Lord using the Baron jacket, but for some reason the colors matched better on Per Annum. While I couldn't get the Santa Gloves to go with a heavy coat on Ol' Jed's holiday outfit, I went back to the rolled Uniform sleeves along with rubber gloves (Super-Science booster) to fake 'em. The trick also works with some robe sleeves, I just haven't done it myself yet.
Half-Capes: This is a Veteran's Reward, but my original Acton Lord idea called for one and I haven't been playing long enough. The Vandal cape pattern done all in a single color at least has a notch in it that hints at the asymmetry I wanted. Not a great workaround, but it's something. In fact, a number of the cape patterns are good in single colors to alter the shape of the cape.
Long Robes: At least for now, you can't get a full robe like the Circle of Thorns cultists wear, but a lot of costumes call for it. A cloak cape doesn't really cut it, eh? One way to fake it is to combine one of the robe or jacket options that covers the hips with loose pants or a skirt and match the colors well enough to have it blend together. Queen of Misery has to settle for a short habit, since there's no long skirts, while I've made two tries to combine jackets with long pants on Edvard Munchkin (who's a print of Munch's "The Scream" brought to life).
Simple Chest Emblem Add-ons: The chest section offers a number of simple geometric patterns like circles or diamonds, but you can't combine them with other patterns. So if you want short sleeves or a circle over a stripe, you can't do it with just Chest. However, a number of the Chest Symbols can be turned into simple shapes by setting both colors the same. I got a simple sunburst by using Bullseye 2 all in one color, and combined a circle with short sleeves by setting Bullseye 1 all one color. (That second one also has one of the workarounds I don't like much, using a monochrome spiked collar for a choker). I also combined a monochrome square Chest Symbol with the Emblem Square chest pattern to get an iPod screen for a joke costume on Edvard.
Overalls: By picking a simple sleeveless robe and belting it off properly, you can more or less fake overalls, as I did on this Paranoia-inspired character.
Chubby Guys: You can't set the sliders on Body to give your character a paunch. But a few costume pieces come with big bellies installed, including the sweater vest and mad scientist jacket. You can also get a husky guy with the Huge body type, but that's not so much a big belly as generally chunky.
"Naked" People: Okay, they go to pretty great lengths to prevent actual naked people, which can be annoying if you have a reason to make a costume piece the same color as your skin (i.e. a reptile tail can't ever be the same color as the reptile skin). But one way to make do with the tan colors allowed in costume colors is to pick a mask that either totally covers the head, or at least isolates the few bits of exposed flesh from the rest of the "naked skin". The skin tone doesn't quite match the costume color, but unless they border on each other it's not too obvious. Related to full nudity is the desire to not look like your character has anything on under a Vest piece, which can be accomplished using the Eden chest pattern, as it covers very little and almost entirely fits under a vest.
Checkered Skirts: The checker pattern on skirts is just a line of checks down each side, not appropriate for a ska-checker pattern. But the "mesh" pattern does a decent job of faking it.
Subtle Glowing Eyes: Sure, once you get to L30 you can get an Aura and make your eyes glow, but it's kinda blatant, plus it's not available at lower levels. The various face makeup tricks don't really work well, and you can't tint the eyes themselves. But if you get the Super-Science Booster, the Death Goggles piece gives you a way to make eyes glow if you can combine them with other head options that minimize the obvious "you're wearing goggles" aspects.
Jodphurs: You know, those wide-thighed pants you see pulp heroes wearing. It's not a great workaround, but baggy tucked-in pants will do until such time as we get a Pulp Super-Booster.
Squirrel Head: While squirrel tails may never be available, you can fake up a squirrel head by using a Feline face and Rat ears.
Transparency/Tranlucency: Okay, stealth powers make you transparent, but there's times you want to be able to look like you're made of gemstone or something even when not stealthed, especially if you've taken an Earth power with the crystal options. Using similar colors (i.e. blue and green) and the Baroque pattern looks suitably iridescent. Alternately, if you make a Radiation character, you can match costume color to the aura given by Accelerate Metabolism and get that inner glow.
Greek Helmets: This takes a few paid add-ons, but if you don't want to wait until you can do the Imperious Task Force to get a Greek/Roman style helmet, you can still make one. Start with Half Helmets and pick Round. Then take the Valkyrie crest detail (Mac Edition booster) and the Warrior or Terra helmet details (Martial Arts booster). The Valkyrie faceplate detail is even more Spartan-looking, but it doesn't mesh well with the Warrior detail.
Hats with ears: @Lemmo uses a combination of the Swabby (pirate bandana with hair) hat and bear ears to approximate those eared caps commonly seen among fangirl sorts. Not all ears mesh well with all hats, and hat styles come with attached hairstyles, so you may need to experiment a bit to get the combo you want.
