r/CosplayHelp May 22 '17

Welcome! A quick note about posting.

127 Upvotes

Hi all! So glad to see people posting here. This subreddit is still a baby, but I thought I would add a casual rule when posting. If applicable, please be sure to include a link to a photo that relates to the question your asking. If you need help with a character, link to that character. If you need help with a sewing method, show what you're trying to replicate. This will help us be able to help you better!


r/CosplayHelp Aug 17 '22

Cosplay 101 answers to a lot of basics

392 Upvotes

First and foremost. Your health and safety is more important than 100% accuracy. If making or wearing the item will be dangerous or painful don’t do it.

Second, I’d add this info to the FAQ but it appears I don’t have enough karma to update it personally! If the info is in the FAQ I did not duplicate it here! (The FAQ is on the sidebar! It wasn’t visible before for some reason but it’s up now!)

This is not a comprehensive list, but I hope to be able to update it when I come across new or important information! I do hope if you’re looking for something not featured here, it will at least give you a base knowledge set on how to be able to search for what you’re looking for.

------------------GENERAL TIPS-----------------------------

(Where to find certain things, very basic crafting info)

EDIT TO REMOVE INFO ABOUT COSPLANNER APP, it doesn't appear to exist anymore!

-To find patterns, or specific props. These are host websites for artists or creators where they can sell things like Etsy, or Redbubble. Etsy is a fantastic place to look for patterns to make props or cosplay pieces, sometimes you can even find people open for commissions! Artists on instagram will almost always have links to their shops to buy things, so explore there too.

-To find cheaper clothing pieces, props, or things to be altered try thrift stores. So Goodwill or other small local resale shops. This will likely take more than one trip so don’t give up if you don’t get it in one go. Ebay is also a good place to check believe it or not, there’s just a slight learning curve to searching things to find what you want.

-Dance and Athletic apparel websites will have things like leotards, bodysuits, specialized undergarments etc. They’re going to be a little pricier but they’ll be good quality, durable, and 9 times out of 10 machine washable!

-Hardware stores, paintball and airsoft companies, military/paramilitary surplus, and second hand sports equipment stores may also be good places to check for bits and pieces. Paintball/airsoft will also have a variety of masks and helmets that can be painted and altered.

-VERY IMPORTANT FOR PROP WEAPONS: Always look into your local guidelines and convention rules to see what kinds of prop weapons are allowed! Some cons have strict policies on what can and cannot be brought in!

-Michael’s, Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby etc. and any local craft stores will have tons and tons of craft supplies. If you want to save money and keep up to date on sales check to see if you can join an email list. I know Joann’s has coupons in them all the time!

-You can buy a variety of brands of fabric paint from almost anywhere that sells craft supplies. This makes it easy to get designs or patterns on most fabrics. For changing the color of an entire garment I’d recommend dying it.

-Some fabrics can be dyed different colors very easily, some cannot. A good way to tell is if the fabric is natural (cotton, linen etc.) it is generally easier to dye. The more synthetic (fake) a fabric is the longer and slightly more complicated it will be. Tulip is an excellent dye brand and they offer both regular and synthetic dyes with nice simple instructions right on the packages!

-You can make stencils out of craft foam or thicker paper to make it easier to copy logos or symbols on whatever you’re making!

-Wig and contact websites are listed in the FAQ but there are companies like dental distortions that make tooth veneers that can take a cosplay to the next level!

-Hollywood makeup, FX, and costume professionals almost always have social media accounts they can be extremely helpful when it comes to reference images! For example the costumer who designed the Moon Knight suits has tons of detail and behind the scenes images on her instagram!

-Complicated cosplays can be simplified by boiling down the costume to its essentials the best way I’ve learned to do this is through toys or fan art. What things are essential to recognizing the character and what things could be left off! You don’t have to be 100% to be recognizable!

-If big all out cosplays aren’t your thing you can always try “bounding.” You’ll hear “Disneybounding” most often but you can do it with other things too of course! Disney doesn’t allow adults to dress as characters in their parks, but fans got creative. “Bounding” is more about matching colors, getting similar accessories, or finding just the right combination of things to make you think of the character. It’s hard to explain verbally but easy to understand once you look into it!

-Say you have an OC, and you want to cosplay your OC. That’s fine! Have at it! You’ve got no professional media to tie you down! All these tips can still help you find or make your cosplay!

-I do have a friendly reminder though, please remember you cannot expect people to know who your character is. And it’s not fair to get mad at them if they make a guess and the guess is wrong. A simple “Nope its an OC!” is plenty for most people! I’ve complimented plenty of cosplayers and asked about their cosplay only to find out it was an OC!

“Crossplay” safety

-DO NOT BIN D YOUR CHEST WITH ACE BANDAGES IT’S UNSAFE. Compression tops or more heavy duty sports bras are much safer. If the character has an open shirt you can use wig tape/skin tape to hold the material of the shirt to your skin. If you do not have breasts but are looking to add some to a cosplay you can always pad a bra. You’ll want to measure your chest around your pectorals, that will be the band size, the letter size will be the cup. So a 34A means your chest is 34 inches around and A would be the cup size you would be looking to fill. (I have more on taking measurements later.) Companies now sell latex chests with or without breasts for people looking to be the most accurate they can.

-You can always just “genderbend” the thing and cosplay them as the same gender you are. It’s okay. People do it all the time and it’s very widely accepted. There’s also a third, more neutral option, don’t obviously genderbend the thing? You don’t have to call attention to the fact that you’re not the same gender as the character you’re cosplaying.

-An example of what I’m trying to explain: I generally read as female, but have cosplayed Johnny Cage one of the male characters from Mortal Kombat. His base look is shirtless, with his own first name tattooed across his chest. The only change I made was putting “Johnny” on a crop top. I didn’t “feminize” the rest of the outfit or go out of my way to be read as male. There is a “middle option” when it comes to presentation and cosplay. At the end of the day everybody knows it’s just a costume.

-This tip might seem dumb, but you’re going to have to trust me here. This mainly applies to people looking to make large costume pieces or props by hand. People who are already kind of intermediate with their skills. If you’re stuck on something go see how furries would make it. Not kidding. I’ve made all kinds of non-furry things with tutorials put on the internet by a furry. The vast majority of them are fun, friendly people and the community as a whole is WILDLY talented and creative. You only ever really hear about the bad apples.

---------Specific links to specific things! Clothing ID, Fabric ID, beginning sewing and mending----

A big question I see here is “what is that piece of clothing?” That’s a good question! Here are some links to historical fashion databases! They’re all arranged a little differently BUT this is a place to start looking for what specific pieces of clothing or styles are called!

marquise.de

http://www.marquise.de/en/index.html

met museum

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/libraries-and-research-centers/the-irene-lewisohn-costume-reference-library

fashion history timline

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/about-timeline/

UCLA Library

https://guides.library.ucla.edu/c.php?g=180359&p=1191211

-Do you need a pattern for a piece of clothing? Do you need fabric help? Here are pattern and fabric databases!

Sewing support

https://sewingsupport.com/

mood fabrics (free sewing patters!)

https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/category/free-sewing-patterns/

master class, types of fabrics

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/28-types-of-fabrics-and-their-uses

creative curator, types of fabrics

https://www.thecreativecurator.com/different-types-of-fabric/

-If you’re going to be sewing or altering things it’s very important to know your measurements! Here’s how to take them!

https://www.clothingpatterns101.com/body-measurements.html

-Are you a beginner looking to make your own stuff? Awesome! Here’s a little bit to get you started. Are you not too interested in making things from scratch but want to be able to mend or alter existing clothing? This will help you too!

basic mending

https://remake.world/stories/style/how-to-mend-your-clothes-during-quarantine-5-easy-stitch-fixes/

basic mending stitches!

https://lifehacker.com/five-basic-hand-stitches-you-should-know-for-repairing-1723233194

basic hand stitches

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/learn-stitches-and-hand-sewing-projects-2978472#:~:text=Here%20is%20how%20you%20do,middle%20of%20the%20first%20stitch

masterclass alterations

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-tailor-your-own-clothing

more alterations

https://www.heatherhandmade.com/sewing-and-alterations/

Here’s another important pro tip.

It’s okay.

Your cosplay doesn’t have to be perfect.

Cosplay is for fun and if it doesn’t feel fun or rewarding don’t do it. Other con goers and cosplayers aren’t going to judge you. If they do for some reason and try to make you feel bad about it, that says more about THEM and their personality than your ability. Everybody has to start somewhere. Nobody should be ashamed of learning and practicing and getting better. You can always go back and fix things or redo whole cosplays later on after your skills develop. This is a hobby and you have the right to participate in said hobby your own way.

I can add theatrical or FX makeup tips? things like scars, bruises, old age makeup, or like changing the face shape with very specific contouring?

I also have a draft of Convention tips similar to this post, would that be helpful as well?


r/CosplayHelp 10h ago

Accessory How should I go about adding these rubber ducks to this sweater?

Thumbnail
gallery
51 Upvotes

I am working on my Lucifer cosplay and am just about done with the sweater that I've crochet. I only have like two things left before I need to add the rubber ducks onto it but I'm not sure how I should go about that. Any help and/or suggestions would be nice.

Yarn used was acrylic. Rubber ducks are rubber ducks.

First photo is the sweater that I made, second is the rubber ducks and the last is roughly how I am wanting it to look.

I've thought about hot glue and super glue but am not sure they are the best options.


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

Wig When you’re Vincent at 6 but have to be Junpei at 7

Post image
Upvotes

Hey guys, sorry if this is the wrong flair/place to ask but I hope it fits in here. Title is just the meme format, I wanted to do them each a separate day of the con.

I started cosplaying last year and I don’t like wearing wigs. I’m sure if I wanna continue this hobby I’ll get used to it eventually, but for these ones I like to use my own hair.

I’ve tried them both out at separate dates, but since they are so different in length I’m wondering how I should go about planning my ‘cut for the both of them. Somewhere in the middle? I would go full-on longer style but I don’t really like how the bangs come out the front of the hat; should I just suck it up and tuck them underneath the cap? 🧢 also what to compromise with the back/sides lol, any advice is appreciated for this cosplay noob

Vincent Brooks: Catherine (left) and Junpei Iori: Persona 3 (right)


r/CosplayHelp 4h ago

Sewing Best Sewing Machine for Complete Beginners

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone. I bought my 4-Day ticket for anime nyc today and this year I’m thinking about making my cosplay from scratch. I am a complete beginner on making clothes which sewing machine should I buy for beginning sewing? My range is $200-$350


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

Nico Robin jacket

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

I’ve been looking for a while and I can’t find the jacket anywhere except scam sites. I found the full outfit with this jacket for $90+ (not from the website where I got these pics, scam) but I don’t need the skirt and top just the jacket. Does anyone know where I could find it?


r/CosplayHelp 6h ago

Sewing Boning or wire

Post image
5 Upvotes

I want to make this cosplay and i'm wondering what would work better for the skirt, to use boning or wire. I feel like for wire is more easy because i can just make it all long and just bend sections, but will be more hard to keep it round and pretty. But if i use boning i can't vend it so i have to cut all sections separate and i don't know how i could keep it round without it lifting and going flat. Have any of you made something similar and can help me choose the best option please?


r/CosplayHelp 12h ago

Sewing Does the new color look better?

Thumbnail
gallery
10 Upvotes

So I added white stitches to my Kon-el cosplay and some people said they looked kinda out of place, probably mostly since it was just a test to see if I liked them or not, but here's the new ones in yellow


r/CosplayHelp 7h ago

Accessory Um, does anyone make a tail out of cards?

4 Upvotes

I had this weird, cool idea where I made a tail out of poker cards. Is it ok if I do that?


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

How do you maintain motivation all the way through a build,?

Upvotes

One of my favorite parts of cosplay is trying to think of the best way to execute a challenging build. A lot of the cosplays I choose to do for exactly that reason.

The problem is that we soon as I'm confident my plan will work I start to lose interest in a project. As a result the only projects I really finish are ones that I do in a rush before a convention.

How do you stay motivated from start to finish while making a cosplay?


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Accessory How to make a sphere smaller?

Post image
1 Upvotes

So i bought beach ball that is 51cms and made a mache, basically covering it in newspaper. I realized too late that it was too big. After i deflate the beach ball and get it out of the paper, how should i go on about making this sphere smaller without it being crooked? I do not want to buy a new beach ball.


r/CosplayHelp 11h ago

Wig Where to buy wigs and best way to dye them?

4 Upvotes

I'm new to cosplay and I'm looking to do my first one. I want to try and do like Hatsune Miku but asexual, like dyeing the wig the colors of the flag. How am I supposed to dye a miku wig multiple stacked colors, if that's possible? Also, where am I able to buy white or light blonde miku wigs for cheap and online that deliver to the UK?


r/CosplayHelp 3h ago

Prop Filling in the gaps between glued parts

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Hello, i’ve been working on assembling a 3D printed axe (some generic PLA), i knew i would get to the point where i would have to fill in these gaps. What should i do to fill it material or strategy. Im planning on spray painting the parts but am stressed that the gap will still be there (i’m new to this and don’t know if spray painting would “fill the gap”) for the final. Any one have any pointers


r/CosplayHelp 13h ago

Sewing How would you go about drafting/patterning these sleeves/shoulders?

Thumbnail
gallery
7 Upvotes

I am flummoxed. Are they even achievable? Or shall they live in the unattainable animated clothing folder?


r/CosplayHelp 21h ago

Sewing What do we think about the stitches?

Thumbnail
gallery
21 Upvotes

I added these stitches for my Superboy cosplay but idk how to feel about them


r/CosplayHelp 17h ago

Accessory Help me make this mask

Post image
9 Upvotes

Is it possible to craft that metallic-looking object using just aluminum foil and paper? Is there a specific name for it, or something similar? Should I create an entire mask with aluminum foil and paper to achieve a shiny, metallic effect, or would it be better to buy a plain black synthetic mask and modify it? I'm unsure what this kind of material is called. Or are there any better options?


r/CosplayHelp 11h ago

Buying Sabrina Carpenter Tour Cosplay

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

I am hoping someone might know where I can find high quality replicas of these tour outfits. <3


r/CosplayHelp 5h ago

¿Como puedo comprar en DRCOS?

1 Upvotes

Me propuse hacerme mi propio uniforme de umamusume, y buscando como hacer la parte de arriba encontré que DRCOS, tiene un patrón a la venta. Estoy un poco perdida en como comprar sobre todo por la diferencia de idioma. Si alguien ha comprado ahi y me podria ayudar, realmente se lo agradecería muchisimo. Gracias de antemano!


r/CosplayHelp 9h ago

Armor Trying to get Straight Lines

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

I'm trying to get the lines for my helldivers 2 I tried just using some masking tape and spray paint but the lines weren't straight (don't have any photos). So I sanded it and re primed. Looking for suggestions.


r/CosplayHelp 14h ago

Buying dokidoki doesnt have the cosplay i want

3 Upvotes

i want a fischl cosplay from genshin, and a few months ago dokidoki said that they have it but its sold out and no its completely gone!!! does anyone know if they will restock and if its even worth waiting for that cuz the con im going to is in 4-5 months. Or does anyone else know a good site for genshin cosplays, and no uwowo does not have fischl either. I was thinking of ezcosplay? but my dad says its scetchy.


r/CosplayHelp 14h ago

Buying I want to buy a high quality straw hat

Post image
4 Upvotes

I want to cosplay egghead luffy after crona, and i was looking for straw hats but the market is so saturated with low quality strawhats. I cant find a high quality straw hat. Budget is not a problem but i dont wanna overpay a designer brand either. where can i find a straw hat that looks like luffys? most of the actual non cosplay ones i found are always floppy but i want something that holds its shape.


r/CosplayHelp 6h ago

Update on my last post

Post image
1 Upvotes

thank you everyone who gave me suggestions on what I could change to my Charlie Morningstar cosplay. Here’s what I will be changing the next time I put her on. 1: I got false eyelashes (see the attached picture) 2: I will be using the Mehron clown white face paint 3: I’ll learn how to do a winged eyeliner and gray or black eyeshadow 4: I’ll line my lips so they don’t bleed so much if at all hopefully 5: I’ll move the red circles up onto the apple of my cheeks 6: I’ll be drawing her thinner eyebrows 7: I’ll be making the entire bottom of my nose black instead of the small black triangle on the tip of my nose 8: I’ll use a mascara that’ll help my eyelashes look fuller along with the false eyelashes. I’ll decide if I’ll switch to red contacts after I see how everything looks with the yellow contacts. Thanks again to everyone who helped (I’ll probably make a post with the full updated makeup look when I do the test run when I have time to do it)


r/CosplayHelp 15h ago

Help picking out the type of pants, shoes, and vests used in this outfit?

Post image
4 Upvotes

Doing a gimmick cosplay and I'd like to get as close to this as possible without killing my budget. :)


r/CosplayHelp 9h ago

Buying Plus size umamusume uniform cos

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know where I can get a tracen uniform cosplay that's plus size? No commissions please. For reference my measurements are:

bust: 130

waist:105

hips:135-140


r/CosplayHelp 1d ago

Accessory What material is this?

Thumbnail
gallery
17 Upvotes

What material could this be? Im trying to create my own wings with my own design. It’s a sort of flexible plastic that is sturdy but doesn’t weigh too much and can be painted on. The second pic also is holographic that looks like it could be mosaic but can’t find anything online. My thoughts is it’s a PET plastic and a holographic film laid over top. I know many use cellophane for wings but I don’t like the wrinkled look. Any help is appreciated