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?

• 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.

So.... as a total aside from the costuming stuff I usually post. I've been cleaning and reorganizing my house / life / craft closets and that includes *hacking* this nice piece of IKEA furniture for my kittehns! YAY!

Click here or the photo to open the Instructable!

Lol my kitty was poopin' as I took this ^_^

OH HAI COSPLAYERS! 

There is a new tool out there that simplifies scaling of characters to better suit you! It's quite good, and will definitely be using this in all upcoming projects. Sure you could use Adobe Photoshop or Gimp or Inkscape or any other vectory program, but honestly most of the time it's a headache and this simplifies everything. The creator is currently working on clarifying some steps, but for now this is how to get an accurate scale:

1.) Select a good profile-pose of the character
2.) Set the baseline length (editable) to your height converted to inches
3.) Draw your first line through the entire length of the character's "height"
4.) Add new lines, name them, and begin measuring props and clothing! The new length on each line will depict the size of the prop to scale.

Happy crafting! And show Nifegun some love! Donate if you can and if you can't, spread the word! 
He deserves many accolades for making our lives easier
... and by accolades I mean $$ and share this everywhere so that Nifegun is a household name for cosplayers.

You may remember that I have made a couple Game of Thrones patterns and tutorials last year. They were rudimentary but got the point across, and have helped several cosplayers achieve a Daenerys Targaryen Qarth costume. 

Well I am proud to say that I am re-releasing my first 2 Game of Thrones patterns in a smooth, clean, user-friendly and dare I say... printer-friendly format with optimization in US Letter sized paper (8.5" x 11") and A4 sized paper (210mm x 297mm).

And with watermarks! 
HA HA!
Take that, internets trolls! 

I have plenty more drafted up ready to undergo the digitizing process... including some breastplates and an Assassin's Creed Konnor Kenway sewing pattern. I'm always looking for interesting ideas, so if you have one pitch it!

You know how you picture something in your mind's eye and usually you fail horribly but other times it comes out exactly how you imagined it? Well I have finally FINALLY gotten around to learning some new things and I am very proud of my new work! Using a combination of several programs I pieced together what I consider a solid pattern, worthy of providing costumers with a good template to work from.

Full patterns available for download:

• Daenerys Targaryen Qarth Dress here
• Daenerys Targaryen Qarth Breastplate Armor here
• Cersei Lannister "Battle of Blackwater" Breastplate Armor here

I've had my KNK Zing for maybe about a year now, and with every new project there is a learning curve involved, especially when it comes to figuring out the machine and finding the right settings.

Materials:
Took me awhile but I figured out how to emboss tooling leather, and have yet to attempt to cut it. This was the big selling point for me on this machine and was having rotten luck with it until today. I thought this may help others who also have the same issue. I use craft-store tooling leather - the kind that comes in a 8X11 sheet (approximation) and is about 2-3mm thick. I typically find these at craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and even Joann for about $10-$14. The thickness of it is key, because as we all know the roller area of the machine only has so much space.

Prepping the leather:
After you have made your design in MTC and are ready to emboss, you should have a spray bottle of water ready to saturate the leather piece you will be working on. This is key because if you try to emboss over it without "getting it ready" first the leather will retain very little of the emboss. Saturating it with water preps the surface. I spray the whole surface 2 or 3 times while waiting in between for it to soak in (it doesn't take long). If after drying the leather becomes cracked-looking than it's possible you over-saturated it, and became distorted in the drying process.

Machine kinks:
Here's the interesting part - before I couldn't figure out how to insert the leather piece. It has to be in between the gray prongs that help move the mat around, and also the two soft plastic rings that guide it have to be moved as far to the edge as possible or else those will also leave an impression in the leather. You can see in the photo the long vertical line - that was made by the teeny rollers. Slide them to the side.

Settings:
I used the KNK embossing tool (with the smaller embosser) and the settings are as follows: Speed 12, Force 160, multicut 4, 0 offset, and I let the tip of the embosser attachment rest directly on the leather as I was tightening it.

Finish:
To finish off your leather piece you can do a number of things, like dyeing it, staining it, or doing any additional hand-tooling. Just make sure the leather has dried first. Tandy Leather has a lot of video tutorials on Youtube for just about any project. I would also suggest using a gloss coat to make it shiny. Everyone likes shiny. To ensure the leather is well taken care of and has a nice life you may want to condition it with some leather conditioner.

Hoped this helped someone, let me know if you have any questions! I may in the future even make a little video tutorial, I had so much fun watching the embosser go!

I always come prepared to any con with storage bin full of items that may come in handy in case of a costuming emergency for a permanent or temporary fix. I like to be prepared not just for myself but also for my friends because we tend to travel together in rather large groups. If you're just interested in the checklist, keep scrolling down!

The guide below is probably more for the experienced con-goer rather than the first-timer. I say this because as we keep attending cons, we begin to know and define a bit better the things that we require for need and comfort. Mostly tools and alcohol. But.. read on, you'll see.

Sewing: Bring a tiny sewing machine. If you don't already have one this is the best $19.99 you will ever spend (click for Amazon link). In fact, I made my 3rd cosplay ever entirely using this machine. And I sewed through upholstery vynil, so this baby totally packs a punch! I would never haul around my sewing machine, but I always throw this thing in with a few spools of primary colors, pins, a seam ripper, and various sized safety pins for quick fixes.  

All the glues and tapes. I usually end up taking my whole bin of glues just in case one of my friends may need something specific. This can include glue sticks and glue gun, wood glue, super glue (porous and non-porous), spray adhesive, Barge cement, a regular glue stick (but that usually goes in my makeup suitcase), packing tape, masking tape, electrical tape, and a lint roller.

Makeup, makeup, makeup! Typically I know what products I will be using for a specific costume, but again, I have to make sure I have things that my friends might need too (although they usually tell me ahead of time). I like to pack a lot of pencils, foundations, paints, and several palettes of eyeshadows, nail clippers and file. I have an old giant cosmetics case, and I'll typically dump as much of the makeup as I can. I've hoarded and inherited a lot of makeup over time, and some of it is really old and of poor quality, but you never know when you might need some purple glitter gel or glow in the dark eyeliner. With all the shit that we can put on our faces or bodies, I also make sure to pack some great moisturizers and makeup cleaners. I find that Baby Oil is the best remover, so I don't buy any fancy cleaners, I just stock up on cotton pads or balls.

Repair tools. Throw in a pair of sharp scissors, pliers with wire cutting function, screwdriver with different heads, X-acto knives, Sharpies, paint brushes and paints, measuring tape, heat gun, glue gun, industrial-strength velcro, and a couple of clamps.

Hair care: I'll bring my hairdryer, round brush, and some travel size Big Sexy Hair products if I use my actual hair for a costume. I'll bring my straighter and hair dryer just in case there isn't one available in the room. When there are wigs involved, bring plenty of bobby pins, hair elastics, and a few extra wig caps. 

First Aid & Roadside Kit: You should keep one of each of these in your car at all times. Just in case your car needs to be jumped or you need to have nylon rope clasps to tie that giant prop to the top of your car to make sure it's secured and doesn't fly away. And in case you burn yourself with the glue gun. Again. If the first aid kit doesn't include pain relievers, buy a big batch of Advil to help you on those hungover mornings and your achy feet after walking around all day in a bulky costume. While you're at it, buy some foot support for your shoes. You will be walking around and standing up all day, and if you want to feel like a human being at the end of the night, invest in some foot support. I have arched feet and I have just discovered I feel 60% less achey after wearing my Bennoti Plantar Fasciitis Therapeutic Arched Gel Foot Support. 

Toiletries: I'm not going to write what kinds of toiletries to bring because you should probably be familiar with what kinds of personal hygiene items you are going to need when traveling. But don't forget ear plugs. Especially if you're crammed in a room with a lot of friends!

Snacks & Drinks: Chips, protein bars and nuts, fruits, jerky, deli meats and cheeses and wraps, something chocolaty, energy drinks, a couple of coolers of beer, liquors and mixers, a couple of packs of bottled waters, and enough solo cups for the entirety of your stay. You will likely need a new one every time you make a drink because you forgot where you set your last one. AND COFFEE! Instant or Dunkin, I'm not judging. But know you're gonna need it. You will also need extra trash bags. Bring a whole pack. If we're feeling particularily fancy and we have any extra room we might throw in the SodaStream and/or Nutribullet for making our own carbonated mixers or martinis. 

And there you have it.
What are some of the things you always bring that are more advanced than the "basic" kit?

Before you start... here are some basic definitions of each type of cosplay (TL; DR at the bottom)


Crossplay - Dressing up as a character of the opposite sex. Boy becomes girl. Girl becomes boy.


Genderbending - Reimagining how a character might look & accessorize if they were of the opposite sex. Tony Stark becomes female "Antonia Stark."


Gijinka - Dressing up as something non-human.


4. Is the person wearing heavily contoured makeup? 
If the answer is yes, then they are likely crossplaying. You may have to be in close proximity to the person to pick up on makeup details because from far away their features may look like those of the opposite gender.

Warning: This can also be true for genderbending and gijinka.
Mindfuck factor: very high

3. Does the costume have identifying pieces reminiscent of a certain character, but in the wrong gender?
If yes, you may be looking at a genderbent cosplay. Genderbending is taking a character of the your opposite gender and redesigning its clothes & accessories to fit your gender. 

Examples: VI of League of Legends (female character) redesigned for a male to wear. Instead of the top she wears, a male might choose to go shirtless. Instead of the female hairstyle/wig, a male might color their short hair. Other identifying characteristics would still be there - like VI's mega-fists, the tattoo on the cheek, etc. 

2. Is it sexy/skimpy?
The likeliness of this being gender bending is moderate-to high. Because of the freedom to re-imagine a character's outfit to fit our own gender, people of both genders can take the freedoms to make these costumes super sexy! For example a genderbending male can go shirtless and wear short-shorts, just as a genderbending female can wear a bikini top and bottom as long as it has additional identifying characteristics!


1. Is it human?
You see someone in costume as a NON-HUMAN characer, an object, or embodying an idea or concept: You are looking at a Gijinka! Probably one of the easiest sub-categories to identify since it answers "no" to one basic question: "Is it human?"

Popular examples: Pokemon, people dressed as the Tardis, Daleks, or Glen Corral who did the Johnny Depp ultimate cosplay. This last one is important because even though Johnny Depp is a human, yes, what Corral was cosplaying was the concept of meshing a ton of Depp's characters.



TL;DR
It can be pretty damn hard to distinguish between crossplay and genderbending sometimes, especially if the person is paying special attention to detail when it comes to altering their appearance and mannerisms. If you're still confused, ask them! (Nicely, of course.)