One of the first things that I thought would be a good idea to cover on this little blog of mine was something I have a fair bit of experience with, and that’s cosplay. I’m going to cover each of the big steps that I think a person should take in making their cosplay and provide some picture examples where I can.
The first step that you always need to make is choosing your cosplay. This may sound like a simple step, “I love random anime character from random anime, so I’m going to cosplay him/her.” Well folks, it’s really not that simple most of the time. There are a lot of aspects that you need to consider before making your definitive choice. Though I will say that choosing a character that you know and love is important. If you just choose a random character that you don’t know much about simply because you like their outfit or hair or some other detail, then it wont really be as fun for you to play that character and you wont get a lot of references that people will make about the character.
So, after you pick a character that you think you want to cosplay the next thing you need to consider is, can you make it? What level of difficulty are you capable of sewing/crafting and will you have the time to do it? I’ve seen plenty of cosplays where people have simply hot-glued strips of fabric onto shirts, used markers to try and draw on details, or just bought clothing/items that looked kind of similar to what they needed. That kind of cosplay just looks tacky. So right up front you should know if you can make it and if you have enough time to make it. Putting together a complete cosplay can take quite some time and you want to make sure you have it done before the convention you plan to go to.
*Lina Inverse from Slayers has an moderately detailed costume as well as large shoulder armor and a cape, creating her outfit would take a good bit of effort and skill.
Lina Inverse from Slayers
*Kiki form Kiki's Delivery Service has a simple costume that can could be created by someone with minimal sewing knowledge. And you can play it up by adding accessories to make yourself easily recognizable, like carrying around a broom and plush black cat.
Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service
After you decide that you can create the cosplay you’ve chosen then you have to consider the next most important factor, can you afford to make it? Even if you have the skill to create a detailed costume or craft yourself some armor, that doesn’t mean its going to be cheap. You should consider how much the materials are going to cost including: fabric, thread, zippers, buttons, shoes, fabric glue, paint, accessories, and everything else you might need. Also, don’t forget to include the cost of a wig if you’re getting one. Once you know you can afford it all you should make sure that you'll be able to get all the supplies you need. Check local fabric and crafting stores to see if they have what you need and if they don't then you can go online to search for other supplies.
Some other things to consider when your choosing your cosplay are: Will it look good on you? Will you look like the character? And, is the outfit allowed at the convention your going to? If you’re a tall, tan, girl with large breast then cosplaying a pale young girl just wont make sense, right? Finding a character that you can look somewhat like and whose outfit will look good on you makes the whole event more enjoyable. Also, many conventions have very specific rules about what kind of costumes and accessories you’re allowed to wear/have. We all know that many anime characters skimpy/sexy outfits so find out right away how much skin you’re allowed to show at the convention. You don’t want to do all that hard work creating a cosplay just to get kicked out as soon as you get there. And if your character carries a weapon make sure to check policies about that as well. Even if they’re just made out of cardboard some conventions wont allow any weapons to be carried around, while others just have a “keep it in a holster and don’t swing it around wildly” policy.
Well, that's about all I have to say on choosing a cosplay. If you have any questions feel free to ask, and remember to have fun with the character you choose.
Next Post: Conceptualize Your Cosplay
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