We’ve all been there,
you have this huge list of cosplays and no idea which to do next. It doesn’t
matter if you’re just getting into cosplay, or you’ve been cosplaying for
years, there are always more cosplays on your list than what you’re able to do.
I know I have about thirty cosplays on my dream list, and every year more and
more are added before I even get finished with the ones already there. So how
do you go about picking which cosplay to do next? I know that for myself, it
can simply come down to cost and the required prep time. In a perfect world I
would love to be able to do a couple new cosplays at each convention I go to,
but usually I have to limit myself to one or two new cosplays total per year.
So, with this in mind, let me give you a little insight into my process of
picking a cosplay and going about making it.
I don’t know that
there is necessarily a precise method I use to pick which cosplay I want to do
next. It has a lot to do with what fandom I’m really fangirling about at the
time. There are so many cosplays on my to do list; the idea for a cosplay can
come from anywhere. Usually, while at a convention, I will think of several new
cosplays to do before I even leave the con. However, these cosplays are usually
inspired by other cosplays and fandoms I see at the convention, and when I get
home the urge to make them dwindles as they are not from fandoms I am currently
really excited about. For example, one year I saw this spectacular Demona
cosplay from Gargoyles and it really inspired me to do my own version of Demona
or Puck, both of whom are characters I really love from the show. But while I
love Gargoyles, it is not a show I have actively watched for several years. So
although I did add the cosplay to my future cosplay list, it got pushed to the
back in favor of fandoms I am currently obsessing over. Also, often my friends
and I will think of groups we would like to do such as a Final Fantasy XIV
group with each of our character’s main class, a Zelda group, a Harvest Moon
group, and an old men group (which consisted of random old guys from different
animes or games such as Bugenhagen from Final Fantasy VII and Master Roshi from
Dragon Ball Z). Now, as amazing as these cosplay group ideas are, a lot of the
time these groups seem to get lost in the list of cosplays simply because
certain cosplays in that group would take a lot more work than others.
Therefore it would be difficult to organize when we could all have them done at
the same time. And again, they are influenced by what we see at the con, so
when we get home the urge to actually do them dwindles.
So, how do you go
about picking one cosplay from a list of thirty possibilities? Well, a lot of
the time a certain cosplay will just suddenly resonate with me and I am
overcome with a desire to make it. This year, that cosplay is Edna Mode
from The Incredibles. I’m not sure when the idea first came to me,
but ever since it popped into my mind it has been all I can think about
cosplay-wise. I think the idea partly came because so many of my friends have
started making superhero cosplays to wear to our volunteer events, and I
couldn’t really think of a superhero I would want to cosplay myself. However,
the idea of running around after my friends yelling at them for wearing capes
was too good to pass up. And thus, my Edna Mode cosplay journey began!
My first step in
making this cosplay was deciding what pieces I would need to buy and what I
could make myself. I always try to make things myself as much as possible.
There’s just something extra in the joy and pride I get knowing I made it
myself. However, I unfortunately cannot sew. So if a cosplay requires something
I cannot crochet or piece together from other things, I have to commission it.
I do intend to eventually learn how to sew as it would be nice to be able to
make all my own cosplays from scratch. However, I am afraid of needles, so
learning that skill keeps being pushed down on my to-do list. Also, there is no
shame is commissioning someone to make your cosplay, props, or anything in
between. It doesn’t matter if your cosplay is handmade by you, pieced together
from other articles clothing, or commissioned. As long as you’re happy with the
cosplay, that’s all that matters.
With that said, if you
do find yourself needing to get a cosplay commissioned, there are a few things
to keep in mind. If the cosplay is something that will be made to order,
remember to give yourself at least three months’ time for it to get to you.
Take a good look at the seller’s estimated shipping time frame and how far the
item will have to travel. There’s nothing worse than missing out on wearing a
cosplay because it didn’t arrive in time. Also, measurements, measurements,
measurements! Whenever possible, try and give as many measurements as possible
to ensure your item fits properly. For example, I am 5’1” and so often I have
to emphasize my height on my measurement sheet because if I don’t, I end up
with a dress that pools on the floor that I have to then go get altered again
so I don’t fall and kill myself. Everyone is shaped differently, so keep in
mind (especially if ordering from another country) the seller cannot actually
see you and therefore the more measurements you have, the better idea they have
to go off of. I would also recommend that you never try and do your own
measurements. There are just too many factors to try and do it yourself, so ask
a friend to help you. It is also a good idea to check reviews thoroughly before
you commission something from a seller for the first time.
Ask any cosplayer,
and they can tell you a horror story about commissioning something that ends up
arriving looking nothing like what was described. For me, it was when I ordered
my Elsa cosplay. It was right after the release of the movie and while there
were a few ice dresses listed on websites, I could only find one coronation
dress listing. There were no pictures listed, which I led to believe meant mine
would be the first dress they were making. I sent my measurements as usual, but
when the dress arrived, I had serious questions whether they had even looked at
my measurements. The dress was made out of a satin like material that wasn’t
remotely accurate, but that didn’t bother me as much as the fact that it seemed
to be three sizes too large. The dress literally fell off of me. The black
shirt to go under the dress was not a full shirt and barely covered my chest.
This meant every time I raised my arms, the shirt would come out from under the
dress. The first time I wore it, we literally pinned the shirt to the dress. The
only saving grace was the embroidery on the dress and cape. I absolutely loved
the intricate stitching and it is the only reason I kept the cosplay. Well,
that and the fact that the seller wasn’t willing to pay for the return
shipping. After considerable alterations, my Elsa dress now fits very well. I
bought a new shirt to wear with it, and the seamstress I took it to was able to
hem it from the waist which prevented me from losing the intricate stitching I
loved so much.
Anyway, to get back on
topic, there wasn’t too much for my Edna Mode cosplay that I had to buy.
Basically everything for the outfit except for the sleeves could be pieced
together from clothes/shoes I already had, and I had already decided to crochet
the sleeves myself. That only left the wig and the glasses. When searching for
items online, my two best friends are Amazon and Etsy. I sometimes get things
from Ebay, but I have found that the quality of products on Etsy is much better
and often nearly the same prices. And as far as Amazon goes, that two day free Prime
shipping is always a good thing when it comes crunch time before a con. When
searching for a wig, a lot of the same rules apply as for commissions. Take a
close look at the pictures of the wig in question, make sure that the wig is
going to be thick enough to hide your hair underneath. Also look at reviews for
the seller, and if possible the wig in question. Make sure the wig is of a high
enough quality you’ll be able to maintain it. It doesn’t matter how pretty the
wig looks if the material gets overly tangled with the slightest movement.
Also, don’t feel you have to spend an arm and a leg to get a decent wig. A nice
rule of thumb for wigs is $30 - $50. Unless you’re purchasing a highly specific
wig that requires lots of styling or is excessively long, $50 is plenty to get
a nice wig that you can wear over and over again with proper maintenance. If
you’re not sure, ask your fellow cosplayers! Everyone has a favorite shop or
store they like to get their wigs from and most cosplayers are more than happy
to share where they find the best deals. For this particular cosplay, I found
my wig on Etsy for $40. My glasses came from Amazon.
The last piece of the
cosplay I needed were the sleeves. In the movie, Edna Mode appears to be wearing
a vinyl dress with scale-like diamond patterned sleeves. I debated for a while
on how best to achieve this look. Several of my fellow cosplayers recommended I
cut the diamonds from foam and glue them onto a shirt. And while this option
would probably be the most accurate, I also wanted something that would be
comfortable and easy to maneuver in. Then I started thinking about how I could
crochet something to look like that and the answer came to me: crocodile
stitching. I had to alter the stitch just a bit to get the points for the
diamonds, but all in all I was extremely pleased with the result. You can click here to see a tutorial I made for this stitch. To attach the
sleeves to my cosplay, my original thought was to crochet them onto a tank top.
However, we soon discovered the sleeves were just too heavy to attach in that
manner. So this left me with a bit of a problem. I didn’t want to have to
crochet an entire dress as I had never undertaken a project that extensive, but
it looked like that was exactly what I would have to do. Also, as I had already
made the sleeves, it would be difficult to follow a pattern and have everything
match up. I ended up freehand crocheting the front and back pieces, holding
them up to me every so often to ensure it would fit, and sewing them together
afterwards. I added a back loops only row every so often to get the ribbed look
and then crocheted the sleeves on at the end. When I was finished, I was
extremely pleased with the result. Not only had I conquered a new skill, but I
had succeeded in making something that was both comfortable and accurate – something
every cosplayer struggles with.
Once all the pieces
were aligned, the only thing left was to figure out how to do my makeup to
complete the look. Edna has a natural look, so I chose eyeshadow and lip colors
that would hold up well during the course of the day and accentuate my eyes –
which are my favorite feature of my face – without being too overwhelming or
exuberant. Whenever I go to conventions, I always carry a small pouch with lip
color, eyeshadow, and powder just in case I need to touch anything up during
the day. Remember that most cosplays can get pretty warm, so your makeup will
sweat off if you’re not careful. It is also always a good idea to carry a water
bottle with you. Most conventions are pretty good about having water stations
around to help keep everyone hydrated, but trust me when I say you do not want
to risk getting heat exhaustion. Having to be torn from your cosplay because
you got too hot sort of ruins things for everyone, and I speak from experience
on that. You’ll also probably want to carry around some simple things to fix
your cosplay should you have any malfunctions. I usually have super glue,
safety pins, and band aids on me, however there is also usually a booth for
cosplay repair and first aid if you do not have an easy way to carry these
things around with you or if you need a more serious repair.
Last but not least, I
always like to get into the mindset of the character I will be cosplaying as.
Not only does this help you with thinking of poses for pictures, knowing their
mannerisms and speech patterns will set you apart from other cosplayers, and
will make the experience one to remember for a lifetime – especially when
children are involved. To a child, you are not a cosplayer portraying a
character, you are that character. So if you choose to cosplay someone that
children identify with such as a Disney Princess, always remember to act as
that character would act. And trust me when I say, there is nothing like
talking to a child in cosplay. Seeing their favorite character makes their
entire world and you’ll feel honored to have brought them that joy.
With all that said,
when it came time to actually wear my cosplay, I didn’t take into consideration
just how many people would be at the convention. When I was planning things out
I knew it would be warm, but I thought the holes in the sleeves between the
crocodile stitching would provide enough of a breeze to keep me from
overheating too much. I was wrong. I underestimated the fact that inside the
dealer’s room and the packed halls of the convention center, there was no room
for air to get to me. Therefore, I had no breeze. I wore my cosplay a grand
total of three hours before I gave up. It was just too hot. As I said, I have
learned from experience what it feels like to have to be torn from your cosplay
and I really didn’t want to get heat exhaustion again. I was fine once we got
outside into the open air, so I’m thinking this cosplay will have to be limited
to outdoor events only.
And that, I suppose,
is my last tip. Make sure you know your limits. Cosplay is meant to be fun.
Trust me when I say you do not want to be that person who spends hours working
on their cosplay only to wake up to someone cutting it off of them because they
passed out after getting too hot. It’s not worth it. Also keep in mind that
there is no walking like con walking. Be sure you wear shoes that are going to
be comfortable as you will most likely be on your feet for hours, especially if
your cosplay prevents you from easily sitting down. You can always bring
different shoes for photoshoots if you need to. Don’t be afraid to wear your
cosplay the way you want to. The nice thing about cosplay is there are
basically no rules except have fun and be respectful of others. So get out
there and experiment! Find out what works for you and show what your cosplay
character means to you! Join cosplay groups and social media pages! I have made
so many friends within the cosplay community and I can say without a doubt,
seeing them is my favorite part of going to a convention. So have fun! And
don’t be afraid to share your progress with others! You might be surprised with
how quickly you find your place!
