This October will be my first foray into the world of cosplay as I journey to New York Comic Con. As a huge nerd, consumer of fanworks and merchandise, and a pretty creative person, I've always wanted to try cosplaying a favorite character. However, I had some concerns: I would never look as cool as professional cosplayers or people with mad skills, I don't have a lot of money or time to devote to making a costume, and I don't have any skills related to making clothes or makeup.
But guess what, my peeps? Ya'll can still look fabulous!
If emulating a character you really like is too complicated, you can make your own variant or version of the character. Rather than try to resemble movie Loki, I've decided to go with fabulous, classy casual Loki. You could be a human Crystal Gem so you don't have to paint your skin a crazy color, you could be Captain America on vacation with a shield and patriotic board shorts. Or you could pick a simple character like Matt Murdock in lawyer form. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination and nerdiness
GO TO A THRIFT STORE! If you're a poor college student, looking for costume pieces in the mall might frighten you and your wallet. Fortunately, you can score cool stuff for far less money by thrifting. My friends and I went on a NYCC shopping spree at Plato's Closet and it was fabulous. I got knee-high boots that are absolutely perfect and costed me but a mere $16 as opposed to $100+ in the mall.
For embellishing your outfit and making some costume pieces, go to Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Find an artistic friend and bring that friend with you so he or she can help you figure out what to get. Pro tip: beg or bribe your art friend with candy to help you make a thing. Or watch YouTube tutorials and give it a try yourself if you're feeling adventurous.
You can always buy a pre-made costume (which are usually ridiculously expensive or cheap and crappy quality so watch out) from Amazon, Etsy, a halloween store, Party City, online cosplay websites, etc. But, for the poor college student I recommend buying your base pieces (clothes and shoes) cheaply and then accessorizing. My favorite shops for nerd gear are: ThinkGeek.com, Spirit Halloween, WeLoveFine.com, Etsy (I got goat horns for $10 and some cheap gold paint instead of buying a mad expensive diadem), HotTopic, Her Universe, and RedBubble. Some items are more expensive (especially HerUniverse and Think Geek) so you'll have to do some cost analysis and watch for sales. Target is also great because it has really nice clothes that aren't terribly expensive. Also, find a friend who enjoys doing makeup and or hair so she can help you look the part.
Have fun with it, don't worry about copying a character design perfectly (doing something different can be more fun!), be good to your wallet, find cosplay pals, and good luck cosplaying.
