As someone that is relatively new to the cosplay community, I'll freely admit that my skills in regards to body paint, sewing, and other recreational clothing activities can be found lacking, to say the least. In fact, the majority of the cosplay outfits that I own were purchased online, save for my homemade Sebastian Michaelis getup and my swimming pants, designed to look like Makoto Tachibana's trunks from Free! Eternal Summer. It's a pretty steep learning curve, and that's completely fine, but as I've made my way further into this community as the months have passed, the vast amount of judgement--particularly that which is directed towards bodily appearances--has become more and more apparent. I may be a newcomer to the act of cosplaying as a whole, but I've been invested in fictional universes and general acts of escapism since I was incredibly young, and the idea that anyone would have something derogatory to say towards someone that is just enjoying themselves gives me the impression that they've missed the point altogether. The following observances are based upon what I have seen and heard about at the conventions I have attended.

There are varying levels of cosplay. Not every cosplayer feels the need to buy a wig and contact lenses in order to look exactly like their character, and that's just as acceptable as those that desire to do so. For example, if I were to were to cosplay as Yuno Gasai, I could simply wear a black mini dress, thigh-highs, and boots while hoisting a machine gun or sword (both fake, of course). I could even splatter some fake blood for good measure. In this case, my outfit would be just as valid as the other women or men that decided to dress as Yuno and went all out with the pink wig and other accessories. If I'm having fun, why should it matter how close I look to the original, really? I'm not a professional; in fact, most cosplays aren't professionals. We're just attending the conventions in order to have a good time, and the last thing we want is to be attacked by someone for having had fun the "wrong way."

In fact, I could utilize myself as an example from ColossalCon this month, wherein I cosplayed as Revy from Black Lagoon on the first day (Thursday, June 2, 2016). Revy has purple hair; I have brown hair, but as a college student on a budget, I didn't feel the need to buy the wig. And as I mentioned before, I'm new to body paint, and the image below depicts my first usage of it (using my left hand, no less, and the end of a makeup eraser because I had forgotten my paintbrush at home).

Is the paint job terrible? You betcha. Is my hair purple? Nope. But I still walked on into the convention with my black, cropped top and opened denim shorts and boots, aiming to have the time of my life, and while some did cock an eyebrow in curiosity, most responses were along the lines of, "Yo, Revy! What's up?"

Bottom line: Most people will understand what you're cosplaying and send a smile in your direction. Remember those people, not the assholes who sneer and say, "Um, you've got the wrong hair color. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

No single body type is perfect in regards to cosplaying. I know the thin, Eurocentric ideology is still prevailing, but it needs to be stopped immediately. If an African American cosplayer wants to dress as, say, Mako from Kill la Kill, he/she/they should not be judged for doing so. If a larger woman wants to dress as a character from Overwatch--which was apparently the center of some debate recently--she should be made to feel confident that she is absolutely going to rock that spandex. Bringing down the men and women that choose to put themselves out there only serves to further the self degradation of the person spouting the nonsense, and while some of us are strong enough to see that those feeble minded individuals are merely rude passersby, some cosplayers genuinely become too self conscious to showcase their cosplays due to fear that they will be ridiculed because of their weight or skin tone. It's easy enough to say, "Get over it," but that doesn't exactly stop the problem, does it? These conventions are supposed to be spaces wherein individuals feel free to express themselves, and while everyone is entitled to their own opinions, the shaming towards those that do not fit some arbitrary, ridiculous ideal needs to halted. Cosplaying is supposed to fun, not a b***h fest.

I, by no means, have a perfect body. I eat way too much pizza and don't drink nearly enough water, among other things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let some elitist tell me that I can't cosplay as a female version of a male swimmer or any other character that happens to be in stupidly amazing shape (albeit fictional).

This little photoshoot between my best friend and I was not only impromptu, but my cosplay was put together that day because my bathing suit was stolen from our motel and I decided to buy a new one while at the resort (I'm so sorry, wallet.). I saw the blue bathing suit and thought to myself, "Well, Haru (from Free!) wears swim trunks with royal blue outlining--the same color as this suit. He's about my height. He's got blue eyes, as do I. Huh, looks like I'm going to be Haru for the day." Shortly after throwing his jacket over my shoulders, I was good to go.

Was I self conscious around the other cosplayers with crazy beautiful bodies? Of course. It happens to everyone. But I had taken the first step towards finding the confidence within myself to cosplay as someone that wasn't within my body range, and I had an absolute blast, as everyone should. No one should every be stifled by their body in regards to cosplay.

While this final point might not be as prevalent as the others, I have heard it recently within some circles, and in our times of modernity and progression, it really grates against the cogs of my brain. Last month, I had it explained to me, by a friend, that her parents did not like her cosplaying as male characters due to the fact that she is biologically a female and identifies as such. I don't suspect that this sort of attitude is too widespread, but just in case it is, please do not fall prey to this kind of thinking. If you are a woman and want to dress as a man--or vice versa--you should absolutely do that and not listen to anyone that tells you otherwise. Hell, those cosplays, in my opinion, are typically some of the best.

Have you seen the Fem! versions of the Winter Soldier? I rest my case.

Of course, just because you're cosplaying as someone from a different sex does not mean you have to fall in line with either "typical" (for lack of a better word) conception of that character. If you have breasts and want to bind them for the sake of appearing more like a male, more power to you. If you want to wear a bra to give the impression of breast, cool, go for it. Don't ever let your sex determine what/who you can or cannot cosplay, and don't let those living in the stone ages try to make that decision for you, either.

In the end, I suppose it all boils down to confidence, which can be a difficult thing to achieve at times. I can provide some tips for this, though. First, surround yourself with a group of people that will actively build your confidence, and you can, in turn, do the same for them. It will be a continuous cycle of love. Second, don't rush yourself. If you want to wear something tight or revealing, but don't quite feel comfortable in the outfit yet, you can wait until you do. No one is going to force you to go from zero to one-hundred that quickly in regards to revealing clothing. Take baby steps, if need be. And finally, put blinders on. Pay attention to yourself, those within your party, and the kind people that you meet. The people staring at you? Block them out. The guv leering at you in the snack line? Ignore him (but if he persists, gets close to you, or begins following you, probably call security).

Let's aim to have as much fun as Nudist Beach. (This picture completed my con experience in the best way.)