How to cosplay

HOW TO COSPLAY


Cosplaying is hard, but well worth the effort when hanging out in your awesome outfit on the street or at a convention. Most people think cosplaying is just for anime conventions, but the truth is, you can cosplay anyone, even your favorite band member or celebrity.

Steps

1. First, firmly decide who you want to cosplay. Do you just want a costume to wear around town, for fun, or do you want to wear it to an Anime Convention or other big event? For the former you may want to chose a character with a simpler outfit, however, if you do not mind strange stares and/or possible harassment, then feel free to go all out. For the latter, any costume will work, although unique costumes are more likely to stand out.
2. Decide how you want to go about getting your costume. Consider your budget and time allowance. If you're short on time, making your costume from scratch may not be the best idea, and neither may a commission (see Tips for information on commissions.) Buying your costume or making it from clothing that you have found will probably be a better choice.     

    3.  Make your costume! Sew clothing, rummage through thrift stores, put in your           commission order, whatever you need to do to make it! Try it on and model it regularly, to           make sure that it fits, won't fall apart, and that it looks good!

    4.  Let's not forget the ever important props. Does your character have a staff? A sword? An          animal sidekick? Props are a very fun part of cosplaying because you can really go crazy          with them. There are many options of what props to use and how to make them. Of          course, you can always buy props, but the options are much more limited, and isn't it          always more fun to make it yourself?
    5.  Make your grand debut! Whether your walking around town, or a party, or a convention,           make sure you're having fun with it!



Tips

A commission is when you pay someone to make something custom for you. For example, if you pay Mary x amount of dollars for a cosplay costume, that's a commission. Different commissioners have different ways of having you order from them. Some commissioners will do any costume as long as you provide a reference picture(s) and give them your measurements. Other commissioners can only do certain costumes. There may even be some who can only do one costume, or just one type (school uniform, kimonos, etc.)
If you can't find the fabric, use a substitute! Just have fun with it.
When cosplaying a character with an unusual hair style, make sure the wig is secure, so that it doesn't come apart in the middle of a convention.
Keep in mind that props usually have to be carried around a long time, so it would be wise to not carry around heavy objects.



Warnings


Don't do a cosplay at the last minute or you'll regret it.
People will want to have their pictures taken with you, especially small children if you have a 'cute' or animal-like cosplay.
If you're making or buying a prop for cosplay at a convention, always try to check the con's cosplay rules first, and be sure to follow them. For example, most ban props with "live steel", I.E. anything sharp that could jab or cut someone.
If you want to cosplay, you gotta either go all the way or not do it at all, otherwise you'll look like a fool.