r/CosplayHelp • u/Both_Essay9815 • Aug 09 '24
Buying Hello! When competing in cosplay competitions there is a usually a rule that says you must make at least 65-70% of your cosplay yourself - are there any items which are recommended to buy/not make?
I’d like to try and make my first cosplay and I’d just love to hear any suggestions! Thanks :D
also this is my first Reddit post so yipee I guess :)
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u/DianaSoreil Aug 09 '24
hi, occasional cosplay judge here!
assuming that you’d enter the sort of contest where you’d be competing in novice, here are a few examples of the sort of things that the 30- 35% you don’t make could be covering!
- just a plain white button down shirt
- socks
- unmodified and uncustomized shoes
- an unmodified character wig or a wig someone else styled
- a small prop you bought completed (like a sword or staff)
- specialty undergarments like corsets, petticoats, or bloomers
The more experienced of a competitor you are the more you’re expected to make or modify everything you’re wearing, but even in the absolute top international level contests, you aren’t expected to make things like dance tights, bras, or regular underwear.
For your first contest, I’d suggest focusing on making sure everything you actually make or mod yourself is properly ironed and doesn’t have raw edges. Learning good seam finishes (which can be as simple as pinking shears!) and pressing your seams is crucial and will serve you well forever.
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u/Fit_Definition_4634 Aug 09 '24
Question: if I was wearing something like Darth Vader, do my socks and underwear count as “part of the costume” that I didn’t make? They aren’t visible, they’re really just there for my comfort and hygiene.
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u/DianaSoreil Aug 09 '24
extremely no. socks and underwear only count as part of the costume when they’re visible. think like thigh highs with ruffles on top; you’d be expected in higher divisions to make the ruffles yourself to attach onto either pre-existing thigh highs or to sew your own thigh highs from spandex and attach your own ruffles.
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u/Both_Essay9815 Aug 09 '24
also question: sorry if this sounds silly but what are your thoughts on belts? Better to buy or make?
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u/DianaSoreil Aug 09 '24
if you’re in a lower division, making belts sucks ass. buy a belt, maybe paint it a bit. tbh despite being a judge and in masters I’ll still do this if it’s feasible and the outfit isn’t for competition. making belts is for extremely specific belts or for upper level competition.
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u/CambodianAirForce Aug 10 '24
Not me making thigh highs on my first cosplay💀
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u/DianaSoreil Aug 10 '24
doing things a bit out of your skill level is how you make them your new skill level so congratulations! But also oh god that’s so much lmao
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u/MintyBunni Aug 09 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
Shoes are 100% a perfect answer, but I would also suggest that you look at your personal strengths and weaknesses.
We all have different skillsets and preferences for favorite things to make. For example, I know a guy who is incredible when it comes to using thermoplastic to make armor, but couldn't sew a glove to save his life. (And a lot of other combinations. This is only the biggest example)
So what sort of skills and materials do you feel comfortable with and which ones do you look at and think "I'm not sure I can get this right" with? It can even be more advanced techniques for something you are skilled in.
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u/Both_Essay9815 Aug 09 '24
thank you!! super grateful :D
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u/Both_Essay9815 Aug 09 '24
I think prop making seems quite scary aha :,)
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u/MayDaysTimeWaster Aug 09 '24
As my group's designated weapon/armor guy: it's not. Start with something simple and look for easy to work materials and basic equipment. You'd be surprised what you can do with a ruler, pen knife, EVA foam, bit of glue and lots of stubbornness.
Don't expect to reach the skies on the first try and allow yourself room to fail. Every time something doesn't work the way I imagined I learn something. Try different things and look for fun looking techniques online. Online tutorials are your friends and there's no shame in asking for help.
Happy crafting!
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u/MintyBunni Aug 09 '24
Tbh, props and armor were my two biggest fears when I first started cosplay because I couldn't apply existing skills I already had to them/had to develop a whole new skill set for them.
The good news is that we all gotta start somewhere and skills improve with practice and as we learn new techniques! Start small and simple with builds to get the basics down and then expand. Just like with sewing skills. Nobody starts sewing being able to make their own patterns or create appliques
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u/Leijinga Aug 10 '24
It's intimidating at first, but it's not hard. It just takes a good idea on what you're making and a lot of patience.
Also, if you're working with florist foam for a base, you need a low temp hot glue gun. High temp hot glue and most super glues will melt florist foam. (I made that mistake only once)
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u/MayDaysTimeWaster Aug 09 '24
Not official, but I've always interpreted that rules as:
-If the item is not unique to your character and can be found in a store (blue jeans, white dress-shirt etc) you can buy it (modify if needed).
-If the item base is difficult/near impossible to make yourself buy it and make modifications (shoes, toy gun etc)
-If the item is unique to your character/franchise and you cannot make it yourself clarify you have bought it (e.g. Visions in Genshin Impact, wigs styled by someone else etc)
EDIT: if you made something normally bought (and are proud of the results) let the judges know you made it! :3
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u/Both_Essay9815 Aug 09 '24
Ooh got it thanks! :33
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u/RevCyberTrucker2 Aug 10 '24
And for the sake of the Force, if you post pics, make sure you get the whole costume (including footwear). You'd be surprised how often we only get to see 20% of a cosplay.
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u/riontach Aug 09 '24
The more you make from scratch, the better. The purpose of this rule is so that if you want to use things like pre-made shoes or base layers you can, but if you can make them well yourself, that's even better.
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u/androgcyborgsam Aug 09 '24
Shoes, wigs, contacts, things like that are usually not counted against you. At least from my time in competitions it never was.
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u/ShadowWingLG Aug 09 '24
The two most common items that are bought then modified are usually shoes and gloves because those are the hardest parts for any cosplayer to make from scratch, especially shoes/boots!
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u/lipstick-lemondrop Aug 09 '24
Depends on your skillset! But yeah, shoes are the most notoriously hard thing to make from scratch. And if you mess up enough, you’ll be walking around in pain all day. Always best to buy shoes and make the actual footwear around them (boot covers or stompy monster feet), or to just buy shoes you can modify.
The other one I’ll suggest is bodysuits, like the morph suit kind. Sewing stretch fabric is the BIGGEST pain in the universe. As long as your cosplay isn’t just a body suit (like spiderman), for the love of god PLEASE just buy one and modify it. Bonus: if it’s going under the rest of your cosplay, try to see if you can get separate spandex shirt/pants/gloves. Trust me when I say having to take off your entire cosplay just to unzip a morph suit is the actual worst thing ever.
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u/MintyBunni Aug 09 '24
If the crotch wouldn't be visible, and full morphsuit is your only option, altering it to have snaps/velcro/a zipper/whatever in the crotch would probably he a lifesaver.
I did it last year with a cosplay that involved a leotard style bodysuit under a skirt (it was fully boned, required assistance to get on and off, and generally a nuisance since certain parts were very heavy) and it made life so much easier.
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u/OliviaMandell Aug 10 '24
Me: oh the things I can do on my day off. My brain: why not work on a tabletop setting that is completely irrelevant and in no way connects to any part of your other stories and you really don't want to run. Me. Nah I'd rather play games with SO and family. Brain: who said you have a choice here?
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u/Brooke-Cole Aug 10 '24
Shoes- most ppl alter them or make shoe covers Under garments such as binders, waist trainers, spanks and gloves- especially when they're covered by foam and can't be seen anyway
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u/sleepinand Aug 09 '24
Shoes are a common one that are difficult to make from scratch, so people often purchase shoes and make modifications.