AP N7 350N – HEMA jacket from the Mass Effect universe

Lately we have been facing well known movie characters and some comic inspirations… It was just a matter of time until one of you will try to combine HEMA with the world of their favorite video game. It fell on Mass Effect – the famous action RPG title from several years ago which over the years has quickly grown into a large franchise!

Commander Shepard is entering HEMA

Our project of HEMA jacket focuses on Commander Shepard – the main character of the first three parts of the game. What is interesting, this protagonist is personalized – you can choose the gender, but also the character’s background.

This time we are basing on the Lady’s costume. Shepard is a graduate of the N7 special forces program – you can find a special symbol on the space armor which will be our inspiration. In the game armor has various functions like increasing the level of damage in fight, protecting against attack and keeping modularity.

Of course, HEMA regulations stop us from implementing all of the functions, but some of them won’t make a problem ?

How we created the N7 armor for HEMA

First step was preparing proper sewing patterns with marked quilting, referring to the shape of armor parts from images. These also presented the placement of applications in other colors than the basis (this means under the neck, on the sleeves and on the back). We have also prepared embroidery in the form of the N7 logo.

Like in most of similar custom projects, this one is also a kind of “theme” placed on the existing product – this time it will be a women’s AP 350N jacket. The main color will be dark grey from our regular color palette. Characteristic details are marked in black, red and white.

In the process of quilting we tried to keep it as close to the standard AP jacket as possible, adding some more stitches where they are essential. This is how we marked the spots where ribs are separated, or abs. To make the jacket more eye-catching, we have used a black thread for stitching.

For dessert we have prepared mounting points for elbow caps and back strap for waist adjustment – convenience which becomes a standard in our jackets.

We believe that as for the jacket keeping its practical features, it looks really interesting. Fans of the game will easily recognize the reference in this project. But what is your opinion? Is the gear worthy of Commander Shepard?