Cosplay isn’t just playing around with costumes anymore; it’s an art form.
There’s a reason so many cosplayers make it their full-time job. Like every other medium out there, the art of cosplay can take years to master. But before you give up on your dreams of bringing your favorite character to life on the floor of a con near you, there are plenty of professional cosplayers out there who are ready and willing to share their expertise with cosplay newbies.
Are you ready to try your hand? Here are five surefire ways to upgrade your cosplay costume.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
Never assume your cosplay is going to come out looking right on your first try. Whether it’s the suit itself, your makeup, or your wig, something is not going to look the way you want it to the first time you dress up. So, make sure the first time you try out your character is not the first day of a convention.
By practicing every element of your cosplay, from your makeup to your boots, you’ll be able to make sure your character winds up looking authentic and polished and not like a costume from Party City.
2. Study Your Character
When you’re in cosplay, your goal is to become your character — and that doesn’t stop at looking like them. If you want to take your cosplay to the next level, you need to make sure you can recreate your character’s expressions and mannerisms just as well as their look.
So, before taking your cosplay public, take some time to study up on your character and practice mimicking them.
3. Take Your Time
Even if your planning on cosplaying a plainclothes character, odds are you will not be able to put together a polished cosplay in an afternoon. Putting together a cosplay can take a lot of time; Some professionals even dedicate years to one specific character. So, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to bring your creation to life.
4. Test Drive Your Cosplay
Walking around in armor is much more challenging than it looks — especially when you made that armor yourself out of foam. While a specific cosplay may look fantastic in pictures or when your standing in one place, if your goal is to take your costume out into the world, you’re going to need to make sure it can stand up to a little roughhousing.
So, make sure you take the time to practice moving around in your costume and practice posing for pictures with a friend.
5. The Devil’s in the Details
Finally, it’s not massive, moving costume pieces that make a cosplay great. The trick to nailing a cosplay lies in getting the little things right.
Sometimes, all it takes to upgrade a cosplay from “amateur hour” to professional-grade is a little dirt, some Halloween contact lenses, or even the right pair of socks. When it comes to recreating beloved characters, remembering the little things can be just as important as the actual costume.
How to Level Up Your Cosplay Costume
Now that you know a little more about how to step up your cosplay costume, it’s time to get to work!
Are you looking for more advice on how to pull off a flawless cosplay? We’ve got you covered! Check out the rest of our blog for more helpful articles today!
