Choosing To Cosplay
Brandon Peck
WoodPecker Cosplay
You belong to a particular fandom. There could be a large grouping, or only a few participate in this fandom. Many people wear the merchandise of their heroes or villains. Many people decide to kick it up a notch and dress up. That is what cosplay is all about, showing the pride in fandom. Time and money is part of everyone’s lives. Do you have the time to cosplay? Do you have the money to pay for the materials? Whether you decide to make your own costume or purchase, time and money is a factor.
During Halloween, stores open for business to let you dress up in the reality of your choice. Superman, Batman, Captain America can be seen throughout the streets. While inside more adult costumes make the scene. Purchasing a premade costume is the easiest way to cosplay if you don’t have the skills to make one. Someone else made your fandom and shipped it out to you. Most store bought costumes are very generic to the fandom. Meaning not a lot of details are being shown. It is like printed clothing. Buying the more deluxe costumes add more detail with the higher prices you pay. General rule for businesses on how to charge you is (2x Materials + Labor + Bonus). You save the time by having others do the work.
Now making the cosplay doesn’t mean you have made the entire costume from scratch. My first was Woody from Toy Story. I had similar clothing in my closet and threw it together. This is traditionally known as closet cosplay. This is a very common way to celebrate the fandom. It doesn’t cost you much as you had already purchased the clothing. You could also check out the thrift stores for what you are looking for.
Making your cosplay will give you a better look (depending on your skill set) on the details compared to the price of buying. The greater the wow factor, the greater the skills were put into the effort. If you are competing in the cosplay competitions, at least 50% of the costume has to be made from scratch. It could change depending on the competition. Making the costume will take the most time and could be the most expensive. Numerous materials, techniques, and skills are used.
Can you invest more time and more money? Or do you need to come up with a quick option. It is your choice on how the cosplay is made. Cosplay gives a feeling that cannot compare to most hobbies. Choosing how to show your pride is entirely up to you. Walking around the conventions, you will be stopped by hundreds of people congratulating your showcase. So no matter on how you display your pride, you will have a welcoming community.
