The COSPLAY HELP ME! Who? Sewing? Buy/Where? Construction? Support thread

[bulgarian_boy88]

So, i feel a little dumb for posting this...so no one make fun of me please! >_< This is going to be my second anime convention, last time i cosplayed as L (kept it simple xD) this time i want to cosplay as Grimmjow. However, i wasn't sure if i'd be able to get the weekend off from work so i didnt order a costume and it seems it would take too long if i tried now. So, i remember there were lots of shops selling anime things, does anyone know if they'd have a Grimmjow outfit? xD or maybe where i could buy one this close to Fanime? I'm pretty sure i can take care of the rest, except maybe lenses, does anyone know of any reputable places to buy colored lenses? If there is a website which might be a better place for this post then id love to hear your suggestion.

Thank you!

[Kyra_Maverick]

I think this thread will be moved over here http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,13581.0.html

As for your question... No, I really don't think there will be a dealer selling full cosplay like this. It's possible someone at the swapmeet will be selling their old costumes, but the likelihood of it being the same character/ size you need...

There is supposed to be a contact lens dealer, but they will only sell if you have a prescription. There was a topic about them in the dealers hall forum. 

[bulgarian_boy88]

Lol, thanks Kyra, i think you basically answered everything for me xD

[Hyorin!]

My boyfriend lost his white rabbit ears and needs a pair by Sunday! So big question:

Where can I find a good pair of rabbit ears? Does anyone know if anyone at Artist Alley or the Dealers Room will have them? Preferably rabbit ears on a headband.


Thank you so much!  :)

[veryveryvictoria]

Short on time. No time for dyes/wigs. Any cosplay ideas for girls with short, ball-like brown hair and long puffy black hair?

[pandasquirl]

Hii. I'm starting cosplay making early (very lol) because i usually end up procrastinating and coming up with easy cosplays >3< I found out that my best friend was going as Kallen next year and that made me feel like I WANT TO BE AWESOME TOO. Annnddd, I want to challenge my Grandma xDD JK she'll be helping. So i was wondering which cosplay would cost the least and which cosplay would be best? Should I be a moogle, Souseiseki(Rozen Maiden), or Chihiro (Spirited Away, Sen) ALSO. PLEASE BE AWARE IF THE WEATHER AND ITS COMFORT LEVEL x] Thankss youu  ;D

[pandasquirl]

btw, I mean Moogle as in mascot like.

[imelza0]

@forever adel:

I'm also going as Lightning (though to the SDCC, not to this convention, so you won't have competition from me :)), and I can tell you that you can iron the wig fibers, but you have to be VERY careful. Keep the iron on the lowest setting, and go very slowly, and keep the iron off the wig fibers at regular intervals to prevent it overheating and melting. Also, to make the wig look more like her hair, I would suggest finding a picture of the back of lightning's head so you can see how her hair is cut. If you find a decent picture, you can see that her hair is actually cut short on one side of her head, and all of the long hair is on the left side of her head. So, instead of being all the hair on the back of her head swept to one side, only one side of her head has long hair in the back, so it's easier to hang over her shoulder.  So you might try finding a picture and trimming it a little, but again, be careful, as wig hair obviously does not grow back.

Now I need some help:
For the jacket, there are some very specific-looking clasps, and I have only found then in a semi-accurate form in one place, and they are quite expensive, anyone know of any place I could get them?
http://animehistory.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/ffxiii-lightning_cg.png
(The silver buckles)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Nina Star 9]

I cosplayed Regina Berry (Phoenix Wright: Justice for All) this year, who wears basically high-cut briefs on the bottom with sheer black pantyhose. I bought the only pantyhose I could find at Target that was sheer black, in my size, and claimed to have a sheer panty, looked at the pic of it worn on the back, decided that it would work, and statshed it away until Fanime. Well, come Fanime, I put it on and it has little bits of darker material right at the start of the leg in the crotch area, which was not covered by my bottoms so from a distance it looked like I was... hairy, let's put it.

So, for my question. Where could I find sheer black pantyhose with a fully sheer waist area and no darker leg square things? It was pretty annoying to find out that I couldn't cover those up so I had to walk around with them hanging out of my bottoms. I've seen other cosplayers in outfits that are basically breifs on the bottom who wear sheer black pantyhose without dark leg squares hanging out, so I know that there is such a thing, I just have no idea where to get it at.

Thank you~

EDIT: Thanks to whomever merged this with the other thread. I didn't think of posting it here for some reason. :D

[Mango Bunny]

Okok, I want to make a BIG, FAT PRINNY COSTUME. I've done some searching and whatnot, but I wanted to know if anyone has any recommendations on how to make this. Some sort of wire frame I guess?

[Xepherian]

I once believed cosplaying Hazama would actually be quite easy.

Then I looked at his attire again and realized how difficult it would be to actually replicate it.



The most difficult part seems to be his actual jacket. Which seems to be a gentleman's jacket with a split tail. The hardest part actually seems to be the belts/buckles that are hanging off the collar(?) of his jacket. Do you think it would be easier to just buy a jacket that appears like his, and sew my own buckles onto a collar as such? And as for the two belts, I think I'll just put on two belts. It doesn't even look like belt loops really hold onto it apart from the metallic checkpoints.

So, here's my list of questions:
(1) What is that jacket called? The a trenchcoat with a split end perhaps?
(2) Would it be easier to just sew the belt buckles on myself?
(3) About the belts on his pants; should I try to imitate belt loops, either by extending already existing belt loops, or just make the appearance that belt loops are holding up the pants?
(4) Why does hazama only weigh like 110 pounds? this makes cosplaying him potentially health-hazardous. :(

[sael]

So, here's my list of questions:
(1) What is that jacket called? The a trenchcoat with a split end perhaps?
(2) Would it be easier to just sew the belt buckles on myself?
(3) About the belts on his pants; should I try to imitate belt loops, either by extending already existing belt loops, or just make the appearance that belt loops are holding up the pants?
(4) Why does hazama only weigh like 110 pounds? this makes cosplaying him potentially health-hazardous. :(

(1) As most trench coats tend to be double-breasted, I'm tempted to to say that he's wearing a well-fitted duster coat with a split-end. I just finished sewing a frock coat (which is fairly similar) and I would recommend that you buy the coat if you dislike sewing, don't have the experience, or don't have the time.
(2) Sewing or buying, the belt buckles are fairly easy additions. I can't be sure from the picture, but I  feel like he has some short straps attaching the buckles to the lapels (the gold dots above the buckles might be snaps).
(3) Imitating the belt loops is really up to your own discretion. If you are going to, I would recommend just adding a secondary belt loop below the already existing loops. This will ensure that the loops will always line up (rather than building the loops on the belt) and you know that the belt(s) will stay together.
(4) Most anime characters are unrealistically skinny/buff/busty/etc.


@ imelza0 - for buckles, check Tandy Leather. I think I saw some there, but they might be a little expensive ($8 for 3).

[DerangedGenius]

Next year I want to try my hand at M. Bison. Hardest bits look like they'll be the jacket and the silver shoulder pads/bracers/shin guards. Can anyone help with either of those?

[ilaxcia]

1. What material to use.
2. How to make her shoes.
3. Should I buy a wig? And where?
4. What to make her staff out of.
5. How to make her outfit.

[Starherd]

Okok, I want to make a BIG, FAT PRINNY COSTUME. I've done some searching and whatnot, but I wanted to know if anyone has any recommendations on how to make this. Some sort of wire frame I guess?

Chicken wire.  :-)  When I was in high school we made mascot costumes that way.  Since then, craft foam has appeared on the market, too, and that can be used for shaping details, but chicken wire is still a great, light-weight base for bodies and heads, and doesn't trap heat as badly as craft foam does (hence using chicken wire for the head base).  ...You can find Chicken Wire in hardware stores, usually sold by the yard from big rolls, in my experience.

[Starherd]

...
So, for my question. Where could I find sheer black pantyhose with a fully sheer waist area and no darker leg square things? ...

I'm not sure if one might find such in regular pantyhose areas of stores, but it might be something findable in costume shops or dance stores, since this is a problem a lot of costumes might encounter.  Or formalwear stores, even.

*Hopes to be helpful*
-Starherd

[Starherd]

...
Now I need some help:
For the jacket, there are some very specific-looking clasps, and I have only found then in a semi-accurate form in one place, and they are quite expensive, anyone know of any place I could get them?
http://animehistory.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/ffxiii-lightning_cg.png
(The silver buckles)

I do not know where to find the exact buckles, but what I'd do myself would be to get the less exact buckles and modify them using sculpey/fimo type clay, or possibly by modifying one and then making a mold and casting/painting resin for the modifications so that they'd be identical.  I wouldn't trust the modifications to be load-bearing, so they'd have to be basically covers for the existing buckles, but it would be the best way I can think of to get the right look.

Hope this helps  :-)
-Starherd

[Starherd]

My boyfriend lost his white rabbit ears and needs a pair by Sunday! So big question:

Where can I find a good pair of rabbit ears? Does anyone know if anyone at Artist Alley or the Dealers Room will have them? Preferably rabbit ears on a headband.

It's a bit late now, but should such ever happen again/to anyone else, I know for a fact that Debbie Lyn's Costumes in Sunnyvale carries bunny ears year-round.  I believe that House of Humor (nearby) does too, and probably most year-round costume shops do.  There's several in the Bay area.  ^_^;

[Starherd]

So, I am trying to cosplay as the Airship Pilot in the print of that name by Hakubaikou.  I've been practicing with test coats and hats for a while now, and am ready to make the final version, but I still can not decide to make it of velvet or leather.  I've heard recomendations for both, so I thought I'd get some more.

Here is the deviant art page with the print on it.
http://hakubaikou.deviantart.com/art/airship-pilot-7118476

I'd say that logically it should be leather, but it really, really looks like velvet, with the way it absorbs light.
...If it's not too late for this information to be useful.  ^_^;

[Aelia]

{An Image Was Here}
1. What material to use.
2. How to make her shoes.
3. Should I buy a wig? And where?
4. What to make her staff out of.
5. How to make her outfit.

As a Rover who has to deal with potential indecent exposure, my best suggestion is going to relate to staying properly covered. XD Sorry, I can't help it. I poked my head in and saw it. For that costume, you're going to want a properly fitted, black, strapless bra and some body tape, to be sure that even if you lean over, there is not going to be more than a bit of you showing.

For the clothing, I'm partial to cotton because it's lightweight, durable, and breathable. For the top, I'd suggest a heavier-weight fabric, not only because it offers more structure, but also because that sort of top makes me think of it.

My only other comments include; red boots could be a good starting point for the shoes, unless you like the look of the leg-warmer-esque fabric-drapes that some people use over standard, comfortable footwear, though that's very much a preference thing; some people like it, others think it looks or feels funny.