Cosplay Changing Room!!

[lyricaldanichan]

I can see the benefits of this, but I can also see the horror. Example at Sac Anime at the Scottish Rite Temple had a lot of the cosplayers used the bathroom.. (the womens bathroom) because it had a lounge area in it. Suffice to say that room was trashed with garbage and

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

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Embarrassing and disgusting.. good times -_-;;;

[BogusRed]

At this past con, the bathrooms always seemed to be packed with cosplayers needing to change. If it were plausable and if resources were available, I think a changing room would be nice to offload a lot of the bathroom traffic. But there are a lot of issues that would be difficult to resolve as people have mentioned (security, pervs, space).

The repair station sounds completely feasible though. +1 for cosplay repair station.

[ewu]

Creative, and not a bad idea! But I would have to say that a hotel room or a bathroom would work better.

The smallest rooms we have are fairly large - meaning, no matter how it happens, there would have to be partitions installed. That means "pipe and drape", which is less secure and useful for changing than a bathroom.

Do that many people walk around carrying extra costumes with them...?

Not likely a room will happen. As for a repair station, members would need to contact a dealer for this, or have someone in the artist alley get such a table.

[Kyra_Maverick]

Last year one of the clothing dealers had a pop up tent just big enough for a person to change in. Something like that would eliminate the threat of pervs or peeping toms. Setting up a booth in Artist Alley sounds like a good place for it. It might be good to promote the idea and see if anyone (artist or dealer) would be willing to host such a booth.   

[Steve.Young]

Last year one of the clothing dealers had a pop up tent just big enough for a person to change in. Something like that would eliminate the threat of pervs or peeping toms. Setting up a booth in Artist Alley sounds like a good place for it. It might be good to promote the idea and see if anyone (artist or dealer) would be willing to host such a booth.   

It sounds great for like a single person to change in, but how are you going to be serving a con of 13000+ people who may want to use that? It goes back to the logistical issues that we would be facing with something like that.

[Lady_Hoshi]

probably the best way would be to set up two large communal dressing rooms within one room(one for each gender).  I have seen this in bridal dress wholesalers.   and the room would have to be for dressing only, no storage. Limited hours as well(let's say 8 to 8).  and to thwart peeping, the cosplayer should have on something like a bodysuit.  I usually wear something under my cosplay when I go to an event where I am unsure of changing rooms.  so I can quickly get out of it and not worry about flashing someone.

I agree that bathrooms are not the best place for changing.  Once at an event in the san francisco japantown, I got something smeared onto the bottom of my skirt cause I had to change in a bathroom

If I didn't have a room at the con I would love this idea.    I prefer my hotel room because it takes me forever and alot of makeup and room.  I have had a room at fanime every year since 2002 since  in 01 I got into an accident on my way home from the con one day. 

[ewu]

we can consider it, but remember the con would most likely need to pay for these rooms per day and have staff of the appropriate gender sit there to watch the room. Gain vs. cost, such an arrangement is not very viable. So don't get your hopes up.

[Lady_Hoshi]

we can consider it, but remember the con would most likely need to pay for these rooms per day and have staff of the appropriate gender sit there to watch the room. Gain vs. cost, such an arrangement is not very viable. So don't get your hopes up.

I totally agree.   The gain may not be enough to warrant the cost.  It's just an idea. 

[RadioactiveKitty]

it is conveniant but do you REALLY want to carry your cosplay around? why not change in the privacy of your hotel? or house or where ever your staying?

[oOSayu-SayuOo]

Maybe they could model the cosplay change room like a middle school/high school locker room.
There's a little decency but if they made that, wouldn't it ONLY be for fanime? other event are held there.
:/

[Raydere]

I'm very doubtful of changing in a bathroom if I needed to change, especially considering that bathrooms are about the last place you'd expect hygene, especially on the floor.

[bagfreak247]

Great idea! I just finished posting something similar to this.

Check it out:
http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,12590.0.html

-AJ

[Sunara Ishi]

the changing room idea is actually a pretty good idea. Not everyone has a hotel room, and walking around or heading to the convention in costume isn't always great.

I would imagine it would be a bit difficult for a person who's wearing a dress/cape with a train to actually wear that and walk to the con without anyone stepping on it... Especially if they stayed at Montgomery or something.

I think it is harder to walk in the con itself than outside the con with a long train. Try walking with a 10 foot train in a crowded con and tell me what you think.

I would personally just change in the bathrooms. I can see how it would be useful for some people who do not have a hotel room (they live fairly close and just head back home for the night, they are only going for a day, etc.), but as was said, there would be a lot of issues involved with it that would be difficult.

I do like the cosplay repair shop idea, though. :D

Haha. But she is right. Having a costume with a train isn't very practical for con at all. And if you do have one, you better get yourself a hotel room because that isn't something you can take easily to and from con.

Going to con in costume is really not that bad as long as you can ignore strange stares. The issue is more being stuck in costume. You are better off just dressing at home than carrying your costume around. The latter is just bulky and has risks such as wrinkles and losing the bag. D:

Bathrooms are fine enough by me. I was stuck commuting by train last con and had to bring my costume one day. I just went into the handicap stall because that has a lot of space.
@lyricaldanichan: The bathrooms at fanime are not that bad. In addition, there is plenty to choose from if one is terrible.

The costume repair shop is a good idea but do we have enough costumes breaking down to warrant one? Tons of people bring sewing machines and stuff with them too to their hotel room. If it is a pay to use room, people may just find an alternate route if its is a lot.

[ayame_nguyen]

we can consider it, but remember the con would most likely need to pay for these rooms per day and have staff of the appropriate gender sit there to watch the room. Gain vs. cost, such an arrangement is not very viable. So don't get your hopes up.

How about charging someone if they are  going to use it. like $3 to use it throughout the con or something? I'm not sure about this but at some conventions in japan, you are not allowed to wear you're cosplay to the con. you must change at the con for some reason. So they would have changing rooms and would charge people about $3 or something. i'm not sure about it though. but i'm sure i read it somewhere.

Changing in the restroom is a pain. For people who are changing and for people who need to go . lol. i had to go and i had to wait a bit in the restroom since cosplayers were changing. then i had to wait like 2-5 minutes until i could wash my hands since everyone was standing in front of the sink in order to do their make-up and wig. Changing rooms are also a good idea because not everyone has a room. I live in SJ so it would be odd to get a room in a hotel when i could just sleep at home.

[Vensy]

as cool as this idea is.. there are two hotels that are attached to the convention center.. lol why not just go back to your room and change. you'd be able to refresh yourself and snack in your room while you're there as well.. o.o and in your own privacy and whatnot..

and like someone else mentioned, who would wanna carry around their cosplay anyways>? xD

[ayame_nguyen]

as cool as this idea is.. there are two hotels that are attached to the convention center.. lol why not just go back to your room and change. you'd be able to refresh yourself and snack in your room while you're there as well.. o.o and in your own privacy and whatnot..

and like someone else mentioned, who would wanna carry around their cosplay anyways>? xD

not all of us have a room. lol. i live in SJ and it only takes 10 minutes by car to go to the convention. it's kinda of a pain to get my parents to drive me all the way home to change and then come back. for me a hotel room is a waste since i can sleep in my own house for free.

[Vensy]

as cool as this idea is.. there are two hotels that are attached to the convention center.. lol why not just go back to your room and change. you'd be able to refresh yourself and snack in your room while you're there as well.. o.o and in your own privacy and whatnot..

and like someone else mentioned, who would wanna carry around their cosplay anyways>? xD

not all of us have a room. lol. i live in SJ and it only takes 10 minutes by car to go to the convention. it's kinda of a pain to get my parents to drive me all the way home to change and then come back. for me a hotel room is a waste since i can sleep in my own house for free.

very true~  I'm just too used to staying in a hotel everywhere.. even at Anime Expo.  I also live only 10 minutes away from Anime Expo, but I always stay in a hotel anyways just cuz I like to stay there the whole time.

like I said before, it  just seems it would be a pain to carry around the cosplay, unless there were places to like check in your stuff, but then that would require the Fanime staff to dish out more money and more staff, plus they can't be completely responsible if anything happens to your cosplay or if anything gets stolen.  personally (if I didn't have a hotel room) I would be too paranoid of checking my cosplay stuff, haha.

[anime4me]

I don't know that it's the easiest solution for anyone, but I changed in and out of my cosplay at my car last year.  My hotel was about a 5 minute drive from downtown and if I had left, I would have lost my parking space.  The bathrooms were full already, so it seemed like the best solution.  I always wear something under my cosplay that is appropriate for when I take the top layer off.  Then for whatever else I take off, I crawl in my backseat and hide under a blanket while changing.  A car is also a great place to store your cosplay when not in use.  Again, I know it's not a solution for everyone and it can be a bit risky what with being possibly exposed in public, but as long as you can cover up while changing without exposing yourself, it works.

[ewu]

just like mobility and being able to see is a consideration when designing and creating a cosplay, as should the ability to change in and out of it in whatever condition you will likely find yourself at con.

If you do not have a hotel room, plan your cosplay accordingly

[Kertus]

Simplest solution if you don't have a hotel room yourself, make friends and meet new people that have a hotel room, or plan only 1 cosplay per day.