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I Want to Cosplay, Where do I Start? Part 4: BUILD IT YOURSELF

1/22/2016

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make your own cosplay costume

Part 4
​MAKE YOUR OWN COSTUME

  • NEED: A creative outlet
  • WANT: The bragging rights that come with "Yeah, I made this myself"
  • WANT: To enter craftsmanship contests and WIN, BABY!

  • You like learning. You like making things. You have an eye for detail. You like hoarding materials and have lots of space. You like dripping hot glue on yourself. You like making original renderings of characters or value screen-accuracy.  You like torturing yourself.

  • Remember when we talked about entering costume contests? This is where you get to shine as a costume fabricator. Keep in mind that costume contests often require pre-registration as well as photos of your work-in-progress.

OK BUT NONE OF THESE OPTIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR ME RIGHT NOW. CAN I STILL COSPLAY?
  • Hell yeah! You can do any of these other things:
    • Closet cosplay: Go to your closet or storage room. Find things that resemble what your character wears. Put them on. Voila, you're transformed!
    • Borrow a costume: Ask your cosplay friends if you can borrow that one costume shoved away in storage collecting dust. 
    • Rent a costume: If you have a local costume shot this is an easier option for steampunk, royal, weird stuff like clowns and creatures and shit
    • Exchange: Exchange items or exchange commission services with other cosplayers you know


These options are for everyone. Whether you're new at this or have been making your own costumes for years, you can switch it up. There are so many ways to do this cosplay thing!

So get out there, you

Happy cosplaying!

Part 1 - BUY IT
Part 2 - ASSEMBLE IT
Part 3 - COMMISSION IT

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I Want to Cosplay, Where do I Start? Part 3: Commission It

1/22/2016

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how to commission a cosplay costume

Part 3
COMMISSION A COSTUME

  • NEED: Special attention to sizing or fit. A costume that isn't already premade and available.
  • WANT: Someone that is skilled in an area you are unfamiliar with.

  • The person you approach with a commission should have a good amount of experience in a particular area or several areas: sewing, fabricating, leatherwork, thermoplastics, foamsmithing, etc. How can you tell if they have experience? Well you basically have to vet them and make that determination on a case-by-case basis, which leads me to....

  • Ask to see their portfolio. If they're taking commission work on a regular basis they will have a portfolio. If they don't, they should at least have photos of work they have made for themselves, friends, or family. If the commissioner can't provide any proof of prior work, look elsewhere. 

BUT HOW DO I FIND SOMEONE TO APPROACH WITH A COMMISSION!?
  • Join some FB commission groups (please let me know of other more so I can expand this list!) Lots of people there are able and willing to get you what you need!
    • Cosplay Commissions 
    • Cosplay and Prop Commissions
    • Costuming and Props Think Tank Forum for Sci-Fi and all Genres
  • Alternatively, open up Etsy.com and start doing some smart searches. Use short phrases or a combination of keywords. Since Etsy is one of the best handmade markets out there, the choices are many. An Etsy seller that is willing to take on custom work will have a "Request Custom Order" button on their shop's landing page. Also if viewing from a listing, a similar button will be under the listing's product photos. The best part of this is that you can browse many people's shops which also doubles as a portfolio of their work!

OH, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I THOUGHT
  • Custom work can get pricey. The more experience a person has (in any industry if you think about it) the more they value their time. Wouldn't you? They have spend thousands of hours honing their skills and that's why their time and handiwork is worth more then the next person. Cheap commissions can be found, but they are far and few in between. If someone with good cos-cred picks up cheaper work it may be because they have found materials on sale, have them in bulk already, or even simplicity of design. Even then it could still be well above some budgets because there's no *sale* on time. TRUTH.
​
IS IT OK TO ASK THEM TO MAKE THE THING AND THEN IF I LIKE IT I'LL BUY IT?
  • No. Just no. Because the nature of commissions are customization, wanting to see the end result before you really invest a bunch of money is natural. BUT spec work is spec work and we just can't invest the time AND materials into making something you'll hopefully want to pay for when it's finished. This kind of, shall we call it "payment plan" usually gets turned down for those reasons. A very reasonable approach to this is that the commissioner ask for a down-payment or starting deposit to cover materials and time for beginning the commission. This also weeds out the serious commissionees from the non-serious ones, and it really protects both parties by having just enough to be invested into a pricey commission and seeing it to completion.
  • Other than that, you have to trust that your commissioner is capable. Remember when we talked about researching them? Yes. If they have a large portfolio of historical costumes with a variety of angles, shots, close-ups, and their work looks good, then you can trust they can make you something just as clean and seamless along with all of your other needs met.

THEY OFFERED TO DO IT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T WORKED WITH THE TYPE OF MATERIAL BEFORE
  • Do not take on a commissioner who cannot show previous work with a certain material. Most of us crafty people are skilled in more than one medium, and chances are we can provide proof of that. If someone says "I haven't made anything out of X before but I'm excited to make this for you," just respectfully decline. There's a learning curve for working in a new medium for everyone, not to mention the cost that inevitably comes for buying the needed related tools and supplies specific to that thing. 

SO I SHOULDN'T COMMISSION MS. STRICTLY SEAMSTRESS TO MAKE ME SOMETHING OUT OF WORBLA?
  • That's right!

Part 1 - BUY IT
Part 2 - ASSEMBLE IT
Part 4 - BUILD IT YOURSELF

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I Want to Cosplay, Where do I Start? Part 2: ASSEMBLE IT

1/9/2016

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buying pieces for a cosplay costume

Part 2
ASSEMBLE A COSTUME


  • LEVEL: Noob - Expert
  • NEED: A good break-down of what pieces you want to shop for
  • WANT: Creative control over piecing a costume together from head to toe, like an outfit!
  • WANT: To have a unique costume without learning how to sew or saw something.
  1. This is pretty easy and doesn't have to be so pricey. You want to do your research beforehand and dissect what pieces you may need to achieve a certain look. Start by breaking down the pieces of the outfit, create a list, and hit your favorite retailers, thrift shops, or favorite Etsy shops.
  2. Buy that shit! 
  3. When you have all the pieces, put them on, and go forth to enjoy the convention. DAMN THAT WAS EASY!​

Part 1 - BUY IT
Part 3 - COMMISSION IT
Part 4 - BUILD IT YOURSELF

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I Want To Cosplay,Where Do I Start? Part 1: BUY IT

1/4/2016

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where to buy cosplay costume
OVERVIEW

This is the beginning of beginnings. If you're a cosplay noob or a cosplay veteran, or somewhere in between, you all have to make a choice between 4 basic routes of action:

  1. Buy a complete costume $$-$$$$
  2. Buy separate components and assemble a costume $$$
  3. Carefully commission a custom costume (look! look at all the alliteration!) $$$$$
  4. MAKE EVERYTHING! MAKE ALL THE THINGS YOURSELF! $-$$$$$$$$$IntoInfinity

The $ scale is kind of completely irrelevant since you can cosplay on any kind of budget and budgets are relative. Different people will choose different routes depending on time and budget, and the desire to manipulate materials. If you have no desire to engage with materials, fabrics, paints, power tools,  sometimes chemicals and sometimes blood and tears, your best bet is either option 1, 2, and 3. On the other hand, if you are short on time but have that cash money to spend on quality pieces you may want to scour your favorite retailers and assemble something piece by piece. Or your local thrift shop. That way you retain some creative control over your assembly and it'll still give your costume a uniqueness. OR (and this is the big "or'' that's been causing controversy and uppity turned-up noses) if you want to have complete control of the creative process you will do it all yourself. Yes. Yes you will. No matter the cost. No matter the blood sacrifices. No matter the amount of caffeine you will need to consume to finish the thing. HYPE!

It literally depends on your situation, what you want to accomplish, and for what purpose. There's no stigma *pauses. re-reads and edits* There shouldn't be any stigma attached to any of these options because you know what? They're options and we can choose whatever the fuck we feel like. We are different people with different wants and needs and that's ok.
IT'S ALL OK!
DON"T LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE!


So, let's just break down and discuss our four options.
How do you know which route is best for you?

Part 1 
BUY A COSTUME

  • NEED: A small to moderate budget. Average for a fabric costume fabricated somewhere in Asia is around 100$ excluding wigs and props.
  • WANT: A complete costume. Willing to wait for parcels from China. (Yeah, sometimes that means you have to plan this shit months ahead of time. You hear me? MONTHS! So stop procrastinating on buying that wig, you.)
​
OK I WANT TO BUY A COSTUME. WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
  • There are several websites where you can buy premades. A simple Google search for "buy cosplay" will turn up a ton of sites like these. I have had good experiences with CosplayHouse:
    • cosplayhouse.com
    • cosplaysky.com
    • lightinthebox.com

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT SIZING. WHAT DO I DO?
  • Word of warning on sizing: Many of these websites are made overseas in Asiatic countries. I have experienced (this is a personal testimony here, if you've had different experiences let your voice be known!) that sizing runs 1-2 sizes on the small side. If purchasing from one of these sites, trust a sizing chart. Make sure to account for any wiggle room if needed (and you usually need it, unless you're planning on getting something skin tight). If there isn't a sizing chart CLOSE THE WINDOW IMMEDIATELY and restart somewhere else. Some sites have a "tailor-made" option, which is worth the extra cost associated with it if there even is one. Oh, be prepared to pay some high shipping prices. Because of this it's also a good idea to just suck it up and pay a few more bucks for insurance & tracking.

CAN I STILL ENTER A COSTUME CONTEST IF I BUY THE COSTUME?
  • It is kind of understood that if you purchased a costume, you are not able to enter it in costume contests. Some contests will allow a percentage of the costume to be bought, and purchased things should make up under 50% of the assembled costume. Check with your convention's contest rules and read carefully! The only exception to this rule (at some conventions) is when you are accompanied by the costume-maker, therefore being the model and displaying their worksmanship.
  • An exception to this might be in a performance contest, where you are not judged on the costume. Check with the respective con's policies.

I Want To Cosplay... Where Do I Start? Part 1 is about buying costumes! https://t.co/9XS7SJz6Cb #cosplayproblems pic.twitter.com/3AuAZJAIx2

— Lidz (@sexyDEATHparty) January 4, 2016

Part 2 - ASSEMBLE IT
Part 3 - COMMISSION IT
Part 4 - BUILD IT YOURSELF

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  • Home
  • Cosplay
    • Games >
      • MISTLETOE LEBLANC // LOL
      • EZIA // ASSASSIN'S CREED
      • ORIANNA // LOL
      • ALICE LIDDELL
      • NIDALEE // LOL
      • SYNDRA // LOL
      • MORGANA // LOL
      • DRAVEN // LOL
      • RYZE // LOL
      • NOCTURNE // LOL
      • MALZAHAR // LOL
    • Movies & TV >
      • SELENE // UNDERWORLD
      • LIV // IZOMBIE
      • REGINA // OUAT
      • CERSEI // GOT
      • JOFFREY // GOT
      • OBERYN // GOT
      • DAENERYS // GOT
    • Originals >
      • WIZARDESS
      • J-ROCKER
      • PIERROT
    • Comics >
      • WONDER WOMAN
      • WONDER WOMAN // GOTH
    • Anime & Manga >
      • MOKA // ROSARIO+VAMPIRE
      • RIRUKA // BLEACH
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