September 22nd, 2015

Beginner Cosplay Tips

With Halloween coming up next month, I thought this would be a good time to do an entry on beginner cosplay tips πŸ™‚ People often tell me that they’d love to cosplay but think they’d be bad at it. Well, that’s pretty much everyone starting a hobby for the first time, isn’t it? (Trust me, I didn’t know how to sew at first, and my first few costumes were pretty terrible.) You’ll never get anywhere in a hobby if you don’t try it!

cosplay_timeline

If you are thinking of cosplaying, I really do recommend making your own costume, even if it’s not great at first. Here’s the benefits:

  1. It feels really good. It’s just an amazing feeling to finish a costume and then wear it. Also, when people compliment you, you know that they’re complimenting your work, not someone else’s.
  2. I frequently cosplay characters that aren’t well known, which means their outfits probably don’t show up in premade cosplay shops. I can choose what I cosplay without caring what’s in stores, and I save money because I don’t need to commission it.
  3. You learn many useful skills! I can alter and repair my clothing now!

Of course, there’s the cliche tips like, keep practicing! Start small! No one’s perfect at first, etc etc. Definitely those too, but let’s get into some cosplay-specific ones πŸ™‚


Look into premade patterns

There are many companies that make premade sewing patterns, and it’s less intimidating than trying to draft your own pattern. You probably won’t find one exactly like the outfit you want to do, but the key is to find one that is close enough and alter it from there.

I used a premade pattern for the following cosplays, and you can see that they don’t look exactly like the patterns I used. I had to alter all 3.

Chell’s didn’t need that much altering. I basically changed the fit to be a bit baggy and added stripes. I altered every piece of the pattern for Zia’s though (see this entry). Even after that, I still found the pattern worth it because it gave me a good starting point.


Use your own clothing as a guide

In cases where you really can’t find a good pattern, you can draft patterns off of your own clothing! I use this technique the most for figuring out patterns.

For Haku, I based it off of one of my T-shirts. This entry has the full details, but it helped me figure out the measurements and fit. Many people draft on newspaper, but I have rolls of pattern tracing paper.

I also tend to do this for basics that I’d rather not buy a pattern for. For Rhyme and Neku, I based their shorts off of my own but made them longer and baggy.


Do practice runs on muslin

Certain types of muslin fabric are really cheap, like $1-2/yd, which makes them great to use as practice fabric. Making mistakes on the actual fabric for your cosplay can be really costly! Make your mistakes on cheap fabric instead!

When I use a premade pattern, I actually follow the instructions without alterations for my first run. That way I can try it on and then use a marker to mark where I want to alter. I then do another run with my alterations to make sure they work.

When drafting my own patterns, trying it on muslin first is a must for me! I’m still not very good at it, so I rarely draft them correctly the first time around.


Use a wig!

One of my pet peeves is when people ask me if I’m going to cut and dye my hair to be like the character I cosplay. That is very inconvenient! It means I must have my hair like that every time I wear a certain costume.

Wigs also look so much better than temporary hair dyes. Unless your hair matches up with your character, get a wig. They save you a lot of time because you style them ahead of time and then just have to put it on when you wear your costume.

Even though I have black hair, I still prefer a wig, so I don't have to worry about my hair's length before a con.

Even though I have black hair, I still prefer a wig, so I don’t have to worry about my hair’s length before a con.

I also recommend getting a quality synthetic wig and avoiding the cheap Halloween ones. (Arda Wigs is my current go-to for wigs.) Synthetic ones are also much less expensive than real hair wigs and offer more colors. Just remember that synthetic fibers style differently than real hair. You can’t use gel (use hair spray or hair glue instead). You can’t use hair dye (fabric dye or sharpie/marker ink will work). If the wig isn’t heat resistant, you have to be careful you don’t melt the fibers (usually you have to use hot water methods).

Wigs are especially handy for different colors.

Wigs are especially handy for different colors.


And lastly, learn from other cosplayers! When I was starting out, I learned so much just by lurking on a cosplay community and reading advice from other people. I also follow many cosplayers on various social media, and ones that post progress photos and tutorials are very helpful.

Have you ever made your own costume before? If not, have you thought about cosplaying before?

18 Responses to “Beginner Cosplay Tips”

  • Georgie says:

    I have totally thought about cosplaying before. It wasn’t for anime characters, though one time I did try a Sailor Mercury costume that I bought online. I was so appalled and I knew it was going to suck even before I bought it. It was for a Halloween party and I’m sure I bought it off eBay. I was given such short notice for the party that I just thought of something really quickly. The costume was like a kid’s swimming costume and I ended up returning it. I lost some amount of money but there was no way I was wearing something so bad…

    I marvelled over other handmade Sailor Mercury costumes and I quickly realised that a lot of hard work went into cosplays, and it wasn’t that easy. This was about a year ago and I remember thinking of the work you’d done in your cosplays – it all came together in my head and I decided that if I was going to be a certain character I would actually have to put a lot of effort into it. I ended up dressing as my own version of Wednesday Addams because I had some interesting pieces that I could throw together. It was better than picking a dress that looked exactly like Wednesday’s, too. I put my own spin on it which was a heck of a lot more fun. πŸ˜€

    I have an orange-red wig which I was going to use to dress up as Amy Pond from Doctor Who. Beats colouring my hair haha, wigs are a quick and painless way to get you in character especially if you get a good quality one. πŸ™‚ I definitely think of cosplaying as a lot of hard work now.

  • Chynna says:

    What an awesome post!

    I did my first cosplay last year as Harvey Dent/Two Face and it was so much fun! I kind of cheated though because my mum actually made my costume, but I did all the makeup, etc. I would definitely love to learn how to make my own costumes in the future!

  • Drea says:

    The thing about cosplay for me was, yes, the task of sewing my own costume and not looking like I was a toddler’s craft project was terrifying, but also my size and how I’d be perceived. I’m trying very hard now to not let the fact that I’m 6’2″ and (mumbles weight) totally rule my decisions, but from there it’s hard to think of something I’d want to cosplay.

    That, and the cost… I don’t know, I kind of want to cosplay Zerase from Suikoden V, but that’s a lot of exposed skin and such and I’m not sure I could handle it!

    • Cat says:

      I think you should cosplay whoever you want! Most characters don’t have realistic body types anyway, and people at Anime cons are usually supportive and nice about it πŸ™‚

      It’s also ok to alter outfits to your comfort level. When I cosplayed Sakura from Street Fighter, I extended her shirt to cover my stomach and also made the skirt longer.

  • Nancy says:

    Going a bit off topic, you still look young even 8 years after! (Good thing ;))

    Back to topic, you’re blessed with sewing skills!! I can imagine all of the benefits that comes from sewing like the ones you said. Especially the fact that you save a good amount of money for the bigger projects :). Using existing clothing as guides can definitely help big time! I’m usually clueless when it comes to fixing clothes and I end up with a big mess after, always ;~;. It’s smart to use cheap fabric to do a test run before going for the real thing! Wigs can be really useful when your character has a wild hairdo or in a different color!

    Thanks for sharing ;).

  • Christine says:

    I love seeing how people set up their cosplays! This is an awesome post. A while ago I went to some comic-con events in my city and though I didn’t cosplay, I took note of those who really did it well. I love your spiky orange wig!!

  • ariane says:

    Wow, thanks for the tips! I’ve lways wanted to cosplay but I just didnt have the budget, the skill or the time! haha So instead I found a btter hobby which is photography. Whenever I go to cosplay events I am so addicted with taking their photos haha

  • Pauline says:

    These are great tips for someone like me who is scared of cosplaying because I’m scared of being bad at it at first! πŸ™ But you’re right, we all have to start somewhere even if it is bad at first.

    I’m thinking of dressing up for Halloween but I want to make my own costume this year, you’re right it’s great getting compliments from your own work! I’ve worn wigs before and they really help get me into character πŸ˜›

  • Jenny says:

    I’m always impressed when I hear cosplayers making their own costumes – the results look as good as store-bought ones, some even better! While I don’t force myself cosplaying anytime soon, these are great tips if I should ever decide to try! Thanks for sharing!

  • Becca says:

    I am always so impressed with your costumes that you make! I’ve always wanted to make my own costumes (like for Halloween) but I am an atrocious sewer! I only ever sew when I lose a button or a strap breaks and I have to fix it or toss it. I just need to practice like you said πŸ™‚

  • Mailan says:

    WOW. I and my friend ran into a cosplay event recently and we talked about how much we want to cosplay before we feel too old + embarrassed to do it. I don’t have a lot of funds and decent sewing skills to boot so this post is really helpful. πŸ™‚ I hope I and my friend really cosplay soon so I can send you photos of our costumes. πŸ™‚

  • Kya says:

    I have not made a cosplay outfit before, but I really liked reading your tips that you mentioned here. It would take some time to really master the art of creating your own costumes but with more practice you would be able to reach your level! πŸ˜€

  • Kenny says:

    I don’t plan on cos-playing anytime soon, but this post is very informative. I’ve always wanted to sew, but I haven’t made the time to dabble in it. I am very impressed with your costumes. They look great. πŸ™‚

  • Uglyfish says:

    Liverpool has announced they’re hosting a Comic Con next year, so I’m determined to make a costume before then, though I’m still deciding who I’d like to be! I’m not fantastic at drawing patterns, but I’m sure even I could amend premade patterns, so thanks for that tip! I’m also slightly fortunate in that, working in theatre I’ve got access to A LOT of wigs! I guess I should pick a character and start making! This post is so helpful =]

  • Raisa says:

    These tips are very helpful! πŸ˜€ I’ve been planning a Fallout cosplay for a while! Just be an NPC that walks around acting like it with the canned lines they have in the game. I have a Pip-Boy coming in when FO4 comes out, so maybe I’ll try cosplaying The Courier when I get the chance. I just need to get my butt off and go to a con!

  • Liv says:

    WHEEE I LOVE THIS POST! At first I was confused by what you meant by premade patterns then I realized you bought simple clothing items and altered … right? I have never cosplayed before haha. I one time picked out some items from my own wardrobe for Halloween and went as Lee Hongki who used to be one of my favorite singers. It was successful mainly for likeness rather than accuracy. I also had similar hair to him back then.

    Thanks for the tip on Halloween wigs = bad. I bought two a few years ago. Very bad quality, $10 gone haha.

  • Holly says:

    I’m totally bookmarking this page for future reference. These tips are so handy. I never thought about using premade patterns or my own clothing to get the right sizes and shapes. Also, I almost emailed you recently to ask what the material was that you use to make mock-ups, so you’ve answered that question for me! Thanks!

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