Even with various conventions being closed due to the COVID-19 [andemic, the cosplay community is still going strong. Many cosplayers have been showing off their latest cosplay looks on Instagram, Tiktok, and many other social media sites inspiring many others to join them to keep the hobby alive and well.
Cosplaying for the first time can be intimidating for those who’ve never done it before. Going through with it, however, can be a rewarding experience recommended for anyone of any age, with the first steps of course being preparation.
The most important first step for planning one’s first cosplay is to decide what character to cosplay. This may seem obvious, but it’s recommended for prospective cosplayers to pick a character that they’re attached to or have a design they’re really fond of. This will help with motivation as the cosplay is being put together. Something that definitely needs to be kept in mind when deciding on a characters is the complexity of their design. It isn’t wise for newer cosplayers to take on something too complex for their first time, as experience will be key in those more complex costumes and wigs.
When planning, prospective cosplayers should make a list of characters they want to cosplay at some point with a picture of the looks alongside the name. These plans are often referred to in the community as “cosplans”. The popularity of a character or the piece they’re from doesn’t matter, as cosplay is an art form put out by the person wearing the look. From here, prospective cosplayers should look at what they feel is the most doable with their current skillset and stick to it. After making a decision, it comes to getting the actual cosplay.
Not everyone has the sewing skills to make their own costumes for cosplay. There are, however, multiple stores and private sellers that create and sell cosplay costumes online. Like with anything online, it’s important to check reviews for both cosplay commissions and cosplay online stores. It is also a good idea to look up discussions about the seller on other websites, so buyers know what to expect.
With cosplay stores, certain online stores can be hit or miss. Some have reported certain stores selling costumes that look very different from the product page pictures, but also falling apart. This is where it’s important to search for recommendations from other cosplayers because there are stores out there that do supply good quality costumes. When it comes to private commissions, these costumes will usually cost a lot more than through a store. However, these costumes are usually of a better quality and buyers will have direct contact with the person who is actually creating the costume. Whatever option one chooses usually comes to either preference of budget.
The other option instead of buying a costume is for one to make it themselves. This is what many experiences cosplayers do as it both gives them complete creative control over what they are doing while also giving them the ability to try on the costume as they make it. Many also consider the creation to be one of the most fun parts of the process.
While creating cosplays will require experience, said experience can still be gained by just going in headfirst and trying it out. With cosplay being more popular than ever, it’s easy to find specific sewing tutorials for certain characters with some people including sewing patterns. In most cases, hand stitching costumes can work out, so prospective cosplayers don’t need to sink money into a sewing machine if they aren’t sure about sticking to this new hobby yet.
When making a cosplay for the first time, it’s a good idea to start off of some kind of base. Usually clothes from a thrift store work with thrift stores also being incredibly helpful for finding fabric for a cheaper price than a fabric store. However, with the nature of thrift stores, there is no guarantee that prospective cosplayers will find what they exactly need.
While there are definitely cosplayers who take the painstaking time to create their own wigs, this definitely isn’t recommended for newcomers. Instead, it’s good to buy a wig from a trusted source that can be styled into the hair of the character being cosplayed.
Like with buying cosplay costumes, it is important to look at reviews and look up recommendations from other cosplayers when it comes to buying wigs. One website that is often recommended is Arda Wigs, which has been serving the cosplay community for many years. The website additionally has a tool that lets customers search for wigs by exact color, allowing for easier searching.
When looking through wig shopping websites, prospective cosplayers may wonder what the difference between a normal and a lace front wig is. A normal wig is what many people would assume a costume wig would be with it being synthetic hair attached to a cap. Meanwhile, a lace front wig has a much higher hair count and has a literal lace front to it. This section can be cut to make a convincing hair line which is perfect for characters that do not have bangs covering their foreheads.
Of course, the more one cosplays, the better they will get at it. Whether or not cosplayers buy or make their costumes, they are always free to edit it as they wish, which can allow for cosplayers’ existing costumes to improve along with the cosplayer.
Once in costume, a cosplayer is free to do whatever with their new look. They can take pictures, make videos on TikTok and YouTube, and even just go grocery shopping dressed up as Junko Enoshima from Danganronpa. The world is everyone’s oyster and they can use this hobby to express themselves and have fun in a brand new way. When conventions open back up after the pandemic, it seems likely that there is going to be a new surge of cosplayers excited to meet and embrace the other members of the community out there.
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