Cosplaying can be a very fun, creative and rewarding pastime; however, it might be hard to get started. Cosplaying is the act of dressing up like a character, but what separates cosplaying from wearing a costume is the level of depth and detail that goes into each outfit, and that cosplayers will often act like their character. Cosplays are also often homemade, or contain homemade elements such as props, accessories like wings and sometimes the whole outfit.
When you’re looking to begin cosplaying, getting started can be difficult, and even if you’ve been doing it for a while, new ideas can be extremely helpful. Luckily, two students were able to provide some cosplay tips they’ve learned.
Senior Katie Meuse has been cosplaying for years and emphasizes there’s one thing she wishes she had known when she started: adhesives matter.
“Different adhesives do different things. You’re not going to want to use the same adhesive for everything,” said Meuse. “You might want to use hot glue for stitching your seams together for like an EVA foam project, but you’re not really gonna wanna use that for a fabric cosplay or to hold fabric to EVA if it’s supposed to help your cosplay stay together.”
Meuse also advises that you “measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, cut, then measure again, then glue it together,” Muese said. “And this goes for whether you’re making a simple arm band or you’re making a full body suit because you do not want those dimensions to be wrong.”
Meanwhile, junior Summer Renkert advises to invest in hairstyling tools and have fun with your creation. She also said that there’s no shame in buying a costume and gave some tips for buying your cosplay.
“Sometimes you [have to] order from someone else and sometimes it’s going to look [bad],” she said. “And you can modify them to make it look better.” She also warned that you should be wary of breathing in fumes from your hairspray.
Renkert also gives interesting advice on an easy to make prop.
“Cardboard and shimmery duct tape can make a really nice-looking prop knife,” said Renkert.
Cosplay can seem like a daunting hobby to take up, but hopefully these tips can make it a little easier and feel more within reach. Whether you’re crafting a battle-ready suit of armor or styling a wig to perfection, remember that every cosplay starts somewhere and the most important part is having fun with your craft.
