People about Cosplay...

I think it is just fashion modeling in disguise. (pun intended)

Overall it is a harmless fun. As a creator (artist or writer) there is no greater honor than someone loving your show so much they would dress as your character and even try to be like them. Even against the possible ridicule.

Playing pretend can be fun. And it’s something everyone even families can engage.

But if you look at the most famous and successful cosplayers (as in Twitter famous) they are either:

A) People that could be modeling in mainstream modeling agencies.

This one is the category that gives more envy and disappointment to your average cosplayers. Of course they will get more attention even if your costume is more “comic/book” accurate or well done.

Like I said, cosplaying is basically fashion modeling. They look amazing and it’s nice to see models having a nerdy side.

B) People with awesome disguises that resemble the original show or movie.

In this category you’re judged by your amazing sewing skills.

So for being ultra famous you need to be one of those categories. But if not it’s just harmless fun you do with friends.

Think of it as early Halloween.

Sadly as a lawyer it isn’t professional for me to do this. But I respect people that do.

Adding more things to the list:

• Don’t compare yourself to other cosplayers! They probably have a lot more experience than you!
• There’s no shame in buying your cosplay instead of making it yourself! For most first time cosplayers it’s a huge responsibility. There is a lot of time, money, and dedication that is required to make even one cosplay.
• When you go to an anime con for the first time take a friend with you. Not only will you have more fun, it is also a lot safer to play by buddy system rules.
• When traveling to conventions always have a ‘con survival’ bag with you. It should include a water bottle, a notebook/paper and a writing utensil, basically make up for touch ups, and snacks. You can really put anything in your bag that you think you may need.

There are three ways you can go with this:

• Buy a Halloween costume: This is easy and cheap, but “kit” costumes tend to be poorly made, only available for the most mainstream characters, and pale replicas.
• Buy a cosplay costume: These are usually higher quality and are available for more obscure characters, but tend to be expensive. You’re looking to spend a couple hundred dollars at least.
• Make your own costume: This takes more work, but allows greater creativity. Not only can you make a costume for any character that comes to mind, but you can do fun twists like gender bending (female version of male character, vice versa) or mashups (Darth Batman). The cost can vary depending on how far you go with it.

I recommend starting with the DIY route. There are a plenty of costumes that don’t take much work and can be made by combining everyday items, which are great for beginners. And at the end of the day, it’s your own creation.