by Thea Nikolic aka Critical Miss
COSPLAY
CONFIDENTIAL: TIPS FOR COSPLAY
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| Thea, aka 'Critical Miss', as Rockabilly Harley |
So Cosplay season is upon us, and that means getting your costumes
ready for the masses. Are you going just to Cosplay or are you entering the
Masquerade? Are you going straight from a source or is your costume a concept
that you have come up with? Whatever the costume and whatever the reason, there
are so many tips and tricks one can give to bring your costume to life, however
I am going to concentrate on 5.
1. Drafting
and sewing your costume - If you are talented enough to be able to draft
your own patterns or adjust already existing patterns, you are well ahead of
the game. If you are not one of those people, you need to find a seamstress or
a costumer who takes commissions. But before you jump ahead and hire the first
person you see who makes beautiful costumes, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Make sure you get
recommendations from multiple people you trust. Make sure the person you hire
can make the deadlines you set, take correct measurements and give you proper
fittings to make sure things are going well with your costume. And please, get
a receipt or a contract stating how much money you've given as a deposit, what
the deadlines are and when the rest of the money is to be paid out. You will be
better off for it.
2. Finding
the perfect wig - This step can be time consuming, but a good wig can make
all the difference for your costume. Through the multiple sites you can find a
wig that is not expensive and still looks good. And the other point that you
need to consider is whether you can use this wig for another character, and if
that is the case, then your 60$ wig then becomes a 30$. Also if you invest in a
heat resistant one, that gives you even more versatility to a wig that might
have just served for a single character but because you can curl it or
straighten it, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few links, but there
are tons of cosplay wig websites out there.
3. The
5 foot Rule - Of course the details are important. Especially the exact
replica buttons you ordered from England for your spot on Andromeda uniform.
However, sometimes it is just impossible to get the exact item to complete your
costume. You also may not have the funds to order a screen replica. So you may
want to consider the "5 foot Rule". What this rule means is that when
you step away from the costume from 5 feet, and it looks great, then you are
good to go. Most of the time, people in conventions see you for a split second,
take a picture and they are gone. Most people will not spend half an hour
looking at the screen used sword you ordered for a pretty penny. If you can
afford it, that is amazing. And if you plan on always entering the Masquerade
where they do look at the fine details up close, then go for what you can
afford (please don't ever break the bank for a hobby that for but a few
exceptions, does not pay you back what you spent), but for the rest, the 5 foot
Rule is a good way to judge what your costume looks like.
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| by Dana Harper |
4. The
Great Fabric Hunt - This can sometimes be the most frustrating part of
building a new costume. First off, give yourself enough time to search for the
right material. Deciding the weekend before a convention to build a new costume
might not be the best way to finding the right fabric. Second, shop the sales.
Fabricland is one of our local companies that has sales on a regular basis.
Another avenue to think about is that it is only a short drive to the fabric
district in Montreal. However, online fabric stores are worth checking out as
well. Many of them will send you swatches of the fabric so you know exactly
what you are ordering. Or, if you are fortunate to live close to the border,
take a drive down to the states and shop around there. You are sure to find
some deals.
5. Background
Check - Here is a way to make your costume shine without spending a dime.
Whatever medium your character is from, you have material to source from. Do
some research by watching episodes or movies and read the comics. These will
help you immensely by giving you dynamic poses that you can use for photos,
catch phrases that will make convention goers love you even more and if you
have the ability to do it, impersonating your character will seal the deal.
It is my hope that these 5 tips have given
you some guidance in how to start, and upgrade and just have fun with your
cosplay. Because that is the most important thing, to have fun. Sure, winning
the ribbons can be amazing, to get the recognition for all your hard work, but
nothing compares to the young child whose favourite character is you, the fan
who flips out because of your cosplay, the mother who asks you to pose with her
and her baby. These are the moments that make it worth it.
Thea Nikolic aka Critical Miss has been
cosplaying for several years and has just recently started hosting panels at
various conventions about cosplay. She is also an actor, so she loves to play
and act like her various characters that she loves. You can follow her cosplay
shenanigans with her costuming husband at their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/criticalmissandretrojoad.
You can also follow her on Twitter @HarleyQuinnBabe as well as on Instagram
harleyquinnbabe.
Photographer: Dana Harper http://www.geekxgirls.com/showgeek.php?ID=2
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