{"id":245,"date":"2013-09-13T03:46:41","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T03:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/?p=245"},"modified":"2022-03-25T22:51:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T22:51:25","slug":"the-top-10-things-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-when-i-started-cosplay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/2013\/09\/13\/the-top-10-things-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-when-i-started-cosplay\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Cosplay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"cosplay<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I first started cosplaying I just kind of jumped in and picked up bits of information as I went along. I made a lot of mistakes when I first started out, which I guess is to be expected. I didn\u2019t really have anyone that was more veteran than me that I knew to kind of guide me along and this was many years ago before social media and blogs and community sites really existed so it was hard to find information. As time went on though I started learning, from attending informative panels at cons, meeting more cosplayers and becoming more active online. These are the top 10 things I wish someone had told me when I was a cosplay noob. I hope it can be helpful to new cosplayers\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Pre wash your cosplay fabric.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Natural fibers shrink when you wash them, fabric has sizing in it you need to wash out. Just do it man, it\u2019s so worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Finish your seams.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to have a serger, there are plenty of methods to finish raw seams that vary from easy to more complex. All of them however will give you a cleaner overall garment and impress judges (if you are looking into competing). They also make your costumes last longer. Pinking sheers, zig zag stitch, french seams, lining\u2026 there is no excuse not to finish them so do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Always wear Makeup, yes even if you are cosplaying a male character<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was never really into makeup so when I started cosplaying I didn\u2019t wear any more than I normally would, which was at best some poorly applied eyeshadow and maybe mascara. When I crossplayed I figured boyx don\u2019t wear makeup so I don\u2019t need to! NOPE! Makeup is like a finishing piece to your cosplay, it evens out your skin tone and makes you look less shiny in photos. It\u2019s especially crucial for cosplay because you can use it to contour your facial structure to give yourself a more masculine (or feminine) face. There are a ton of tutorials out there online from beauty application to extreme contouring and \u00a0FX effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Make a mockup for your cosplay.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Muslin is cheap and chances are your fabric isn\u2019t. Make a mock up of your costume to make sure everything is fitting correctly and it\u2019s going to work out the way you want it to. They seem like a lot of work but once you have it done you don\u2019t have to spend time re-fitting the actual garment. Even if you use a commercial pattern, they can be tricky at first so make a mock up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Ask Questions.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so easy to get connected to people these days, don\u2019t be afraid to ask someone how they made something. Most of the time they will be more than happy to tell you. Some cosplayers even post tutorials. Go to panels at conventions and ask questions there, some of the best tips I\u2019ve learned on construction where from sitting in on cosplay panels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Learn what flatters your body.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cosplay what you want, but also understand what types of garments will look good on you. You want to know going into a project what it might look like when you finish. There is nothing worse than pouring time and money into something you will be uncomfortable in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Never be afraid to push yourself, but never be afraid to push a cosplay project back.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s good to challenge yourself, in fact I try to do it with every new costume I make. Learning new techniques and being creative is one of my favorite parts about cosplaying but NEVER let it get in the way of your health or your well being. If you start to get over stressed or you are just not sleeping consider putting the project off. If you get frustrated with something consider taking a break. I like to watch trashy TV to clear my mind\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don\u2019t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Its really easy to typecast yourself when you cosplay, especially if you do a lot of group costumes. Don\u2019t let yourself fall into the same pattern over and over again, unless it\u2019s what you really want to do. Don\u2019t be afraid to push yourself whether it\u2019s by the type of character you choose to represent or the skills needed to make the costume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Cosplay is about what you want it to be about.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are in the cosplay community you\u2019ve heard \u201ccosplay is supposed to be about fun.\u201d I don\u2019t believe that statement is a good one because while it\u2019s trying to be inclusive it\u2019s actually very exclusive. Cosplay can be about fun, but it can also be about learning, modeling, crafting, creating, sweating, crying, competing\u2026I could go on forever. Everyone cosplays for their own reasons, and no ones reasons are better or worse than anyone else\u2019s. Cosplay because YOU want to cosplay, whatever your reason may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Cosplay what makes YOU happy.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s really easy to get swept up into the hype of a new series, or the excitement of a group. Don\u2019t let yourself get talked into something that won\u2019t make you 100% happy as you make and wear it. It\u2019s ok to turn down an offer to join a cosplay group and it\u2019s ok to choose something obscure. It\u2019s also ok to cosplay as a 12 year old magical girl when you\u2019re nearly 30 and 5\u2032 10\u2033 \u00a0if it makes you happy. Remember that inevitably someone may say something negative about your choices, but if you choose something you really love, use that love to overcome the negativity. There will always be negative people out there, but there are also really awesome and amazing supportive ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When I first started cosplaying I just kind of jumped in and picked up bits of information as I went along. I made a lot of mistakes when I first started out, which I guess is to be expected. I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[6,4],"class_list":["post-245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cosplay","tag-advice","tag-cosplay"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blue-coil-colors-91462.jpg?fit=5183%2C1732&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hYEj-3X","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":950,"url":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/2015\/11\/24\/a-cosplayers-guide-to-black-friday-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":245,"position":0},"title":"A Cosplayer\u2019s Guide to Black Friday 2015","author":"Cat-chan","date":"November 24, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year\u00a0I did my first guide to black Friday and it seemed to go over pretty well so I\u2019m back for 2015 with another one! Below you will find links to black Friday sales ads divided out into cosplay relevant categories. While this is what I\u2019ve tracked down, if you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cosplay"","block_context":{"text":"Cosplay","link":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/category\/cosplay\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/21\/the-cosplayers-guide-black-friday-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":245,"position":1},"title":"The Cosplayer\u2019s Guide: Black Friday 2017","author":"Cat-chan","date":"November 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s that time of year again, the holidays are creeping closer and that means sales galore. If you are searching for some deals to make your crafting cheaper heading into the new year here is the low down on black friday for all things cosplay.\u00a0While this is what I\u2019ve tracked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cosplay"","block_context":{"text":"Cosplay","link":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/category\/cosplay\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirakiracat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/blur-bow-boxes-749354.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":320,"url":"https:\/\/kirakiracat.com\/index.php\/2013\/01\/21\/the-cosplay-photographer-and-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":245,"position":2},"title":"The Cosplay Photographer and You","author":"Cat-chan","date":"January 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I originally wrote this piece about the cosplay photographer around a year ago for my Tumblr before I had this website. 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