A beginner cosplayer's tips and tricks
I’ve been telling myself I’ll get into cosplaying any day now– I swear I will! I promised myself I would do it any day now, just you wait!
Anyways, that was eight years ago when I started secondary school. I’m now 23, in my final year of university, about to get my Master’s, and finally in a place where I feel confident and capable enough to actually give it a shot, and hey, it’s okay. No matter what people say about how you should start hobbies early or perish or whatever, the truth is that it’s never too late to start a hobby or pursuit, and you should always be allowed to do it your way! So, in that spirit, to any fellow cosplay enthusiasts spreading their wings or cautiously entertaining the possibility, here’s some advice, tips, reminders and observations I’ve made about cosplaying, from one beginner to another. Please don’t take this as qualified, professional advice, or as an exhaustive list, find a real adult for those concerns.
Start out…light
Yes! You’re getting started! It’s time to pick a character to cosplay! You want something cool, flashy and big! You’re going to start out big right away!
Except maybe…don’t.
This might sound rude and/or obvious, but perhaps going in guns blazing in a 700 euro full-PVC remake of Samus Aran’s Power Suit is a bit excessive. Like, yes, it would look awesome, and no one else at the office Halloween party would have one, but remember that there’s no need to rush. Maybe start from somewhere a bit less strenuous on your bank account or crafting skills. There’s plenty of outfits you can craft yourself or, if that’s not your piece of cake, plenty of vendors with their own products. If you’re new to the field, it might be easier to start with cosplays that take less work for you, and there’s plenty of iconic characters with simple outfits you can try out to ease yourself into the whole thing. Take some time to familiarise yourself with things like makeup, alterations you can make to your outfits, wearing wigs or restraining accessories/clothing, anything like that. This is not gospel, but at least for me, starting out distinct but low-key has helped me realise what I am and am not already comfortable with, and what I can and can’t do.
Consider the degrees of “authenticity”
Cosplay is a sliding scale of elaborateness, craftsmanship, time, effort, investment, alteration, adaptation and creativity. You should be allowed to cosplay whoever you want, as long as you do it respectfully and with good intentions. There should be no absolute restraints or limits on how you do it, and how well you “fit” a role. Things like gender, sex, ethnicity, height or weight might initially seem like things you’ll need to conceal, alter or justify in cosplay, but that’s simply not true. Some people might take the time to bulk up, slim down, bind, pad or wear lifts for their cosplay, but not only can that be exhausting, expensive, actively harmful or just down right inconvenient, it’s also not necessary. You don’t need to do those things if you don’t want to, the point is to have fun, seriously. You might be cosplaying a character but there’s nothing wrong with some of you showing through. Nothing.
Be practical
Sort of related to the first point, but seriously: take some time to be smart and practical about your choice of cosplay, photos, and how much information you reveal about yourself. Starting with the first one, this might sound dumb, but consider things like the weather: are a heavy fur cloak, full robes and a wig longer than the line at Lidl the correct choice for a summer con or will they have to mop you up by 3PM? Is a generously revealing outfit a good call for your nephew’s Halloween party or will it result in a nasty cold and probably at least one grown person throwing a hissy fit? It might sound preachy to make these points, but sometimes you’ll get so caught up in how awesome it all can be to just kind of forget the kind of world we live in with things like weather, certain social norms, and people who might very much think you deserve to get into trouble. For example, do you work in a job where you have a public role, and if so, are you ready to have your employer know about your kickass Witch King of Angmar stint, or is it something you’d prefer keeping outside of your working life, even if you have a public Instagram account? I’m not telling you to lead some kind of double life where you attend a con like it’s some kind of dark cabal of Luigis, but what I am telling you is that the world is full of people, and they will have opinions, and we are often subject to these opinions, especially in our working lives. Just something to bear in mind.
Consider your goals
Where are you headed in this cosplay? Are you going for a full photoshoot? A con? A competition? Or just a costume party? This is not to say that one kind of event is somehow better or more important, but you should stress proportionately to your goals. I didn’t even bother with a wig once because I was just going to work in cosplay for a special occasion, and it honestly made little difference. There’s a difference in aiming to be a high-profile cosplayer with thousands of followers and sweeping through contests and being a high school English teacher channelling their inner Gilbert Nightray while teaching verb tenses. Remember that the goal is to have fun: it should not be a constant struggle with stress or anxiety. Also, some people might say cosplay isn’t appropriate for Halloween. To them, I say: if you can go as a fireman or bunny for Halloween, I can go as Link: they are all equally tied to the horror genre and make just as much sense.
Be. Smart. About. Money.
Cosplaying can get expensive. On the surface it might not really seem like that: you’re just buying an outfit, after all. But even that can be pricier than you think: there’s different qualities and manufacturers and sellers and you might need custom sizing, especially if you’re ordering from abroad which most people are. On the other hand, if you’re in the business of crafting things yourself, you’ll need fabrics, other materials like beads or plastic and, crucially, equipment to actually make clothing. While in Helsinki the central library, Oodi, provides great access to things like sewing machines, they are not universally available. Aside from the outfit you’ll usually need to get separate shoes, wigs, accessories, items or weapons and what have you, which can rack up a lot more money than you thought, not to even start with cosmetics, body paint, and contacts if you want to go that far. You should also remember that, like tattoos, many cosplayers won’t just stop at one, and will gladly cosplay several characters, which restarts the entire process. Remember to pace out your cosplay ideas, even if you’re just getting started and have a list a mile long of who you want to cosplay. So, to reiterate: for the love of all that is good, be smart about how much you pay, for what, and when.
People might stare
Seriously, they might. Confused, admiring, thinking you’re cringe, trying to figure out who you’re cosplaying, and so on. The more distinct the cosplay, the more they will stare. Now, I’m writing this in Finland where talking to strangers is a borderline criminal offence, so people might not actually approach you, but they will probably look, and that’s just a fact. There’s no way you can roll up to a train station in full cosplay and not have at least a few people make note of you. This might feel uncomfortable, even though people might tell you to be flattered, or even expect you to want the attention (more on that later). Nonetheless, you should remember that most people are just curious, or even looking by reflex at something so different. Few actually mean anything by it. If stares make you horribly uncomfortable, you could always consider only changing into your cosplay once you get to wherever you’re going, wearing concealing clothing over your outfit until you get there, or simply cosplaying at home and posting pictures online: there’s nothing wrong with that! You’re doing this for you, in the end, and you deserve to feel comfortable.
Set boundaries
A common complaint in cosplay communities is people thinking cosplay somehow turns you into a product to be photographed, ogled and approached indiscriminately. This is categorically not true, and you should always remember that no matter what you wear, it is not an invitation for people to photograph or approach you without permission. You can say no to selfies, you can tell people to not take pictures, you can leave conversations, and you have my personal permission to suplex anyone who tries to touch you without permission. You should never be ashamed or uncomfortable setting boundaries between yourself and others, even if your goal is to post pictures online yourself or enter into a contest. You are not a product, you are a person, and no matter what your character is supposed to dress or act like, you are not a character, you are not a product, and you are most certainly not supposed to take other people’s shit. And if someone tries telling you otherwise, they should clearly be sent running back home since they are not mature enough to leave the house unsupervised.
Some of this advice may sound preachy, intimidating or discouraging, but I assure you it’s coming from a place of care and experience. Cosplaying is a hobby, it’s supposed to be fun! You shouldn’t have to worry about running into unpleasant surprises behind every corner, and instead focus on having a good time. I hope my humble list can teach you something new, affirm your confidence, remind you of what’s important or at least amuse you. It’s all about enjoying and expressing yourself, in the end, and if I can do my part to smoothen the ride, then so be it.
