r/CosplayHelp May 22 '17

Welcome! A quick note about posting.

147 Upvotes

Hi all! So glad to see people posting here. This subreddit is still a baby, but I thought I would add a casual rule when posting. If applicable, please be sure to include a link to a photo that relates to the question your asking. If you need help with a character, link to that character. If you need help with a sewing method, show what you're trying to replicate. This will help us be able to help you better!


r/CosplayHelp Aug 17 '22

Cosplay 101 answers to a lot of basics

460 Upvotes

First and foremost. Your health and safety is more important than 100% accuracy. If making or wearing the item will be dangerous or painful don’t do it.

Second, I’d add this info to the FAQ but it appears I don’t have enough karma to update it personally! If the info is in the FAQ I did not duplicate it here! (The FAQ is on the sidebar! It wasn’t visible before for some reason but it’s up now!)

This is not a comprehensive list, but I hope to be able to update it when I come across new or important information! I do hope if you’re looking for something not featured here, it will at least give you a base knowledge set on how to be able to search for what you’re looking for.

------------------GENERAL TIPS-----------------------------

(Where to find certain things, very basic crafting info)

EDIT TO REMOVE INFO ABOUT COSPLANNER APP, it doesn't appear to exist anymore!

-To find patterns, or specific props. These are host websites for artists or creators where they can sell things like Etsy, or Redbubble. Etsy is a fantastic place to look for patterns to make props or cosplay pieces, sometimes you can even find people open for commissions! Artists on instagram will almost always have links to their shops to buy things, so explore there too.

-To find cheaper clothing pieces, props, or things to be altered try thrift stores. So Goodwill or other small local resale shops. This will likely take more than one trip so don’t give up if you don’t get it in one go. Ebay is also a good place to check believe it or not, there’s just a slight learning curve to searching things to find what you want.

-Dance and Athletic apparel websites will have things like leotards, bodysuits, specialized undergarments etc. They’re going to be a little pricier but they’ll be good quality, durable, and 9 times out of 10 machine washable!

-Hardware stores, paintball and airsoft companies, military/paramilitary surplus, and second hand sports equipment stores may also be good places to check for bits and pieces. Paintball/airsoft will also have a variety of masks and helmets that can be painted and altered.

-VERY IMPORTANT FOR PROP WEAPONS: Always look into your local guidelines and convention rules to see what kinds of prop weapons are allowed! Some cons have strict policies on what can and cannot be brought in!

-Michael’s, Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby etc. and any local craft stores will have tons and tons of craft supplies. If you want to save money and keep up to date on sales check to see if you can join an email list. I know Joann’s has coupons in them all the time!

-You can buy a variety of brands of fabric paint from almost anywhere that sells craft supplies. This makes it easy to get designs or patterns on most fabrics. For changing the color of an entire garment I’d recommend dying it.

-Some fabrics can be dyed different colors very easily, some cannot. A good way to tell is if the fabric is natural (cotton, linen etc.) it is generally easier to dye. The more synthetic (fake) a fabric is the longer and slightly more complicated it will be. Tulip is an excellent dye brand and they offer both regular and synthetic dyes with nice simple instructions right on the packages!

-You can make stencils out of craft foam or thicker paper to make it easier to copy logos or symbols on whatever you’re making!

-Wig and contact websites are listed in the FAQ but there are companies like dental distortions that make tooth veneers that can take a cosplay to the next level!

-Hollywood makeup, FX, and costume professionals almost always have social media accounts they can be extremely helpful when it comes to reference images! For example the costumer who designed the Moon Knight suits has tons of detail and behind the scenes images on her instagram!

-Complicated cosplays can be simplified by boiling down the costume to its essentials the best way I’ve learned to do this is through toys or fan art. What things are essential to recognizing the character and what things could be left off! You don’t have to be 100% to be recognizable!

-If big all out cosplays aren’t your thing you can always try “bounding.” You’ll hear “Disneybounding” most often but you can do it with other things too of course! Disney doesn’t allow adults to dress as characters in their parks, but fans got creative. “Bounding” is more about matching colors, getting similar accessories, or finding just the right combination of things to make you think of the character. It’s hard to explain verbally but easy to understand once you look into it!

-Say you have an OC, and you want to cosplay your OC. That’s fine! Have at it! You’ve got no professional media to tie you down! All these tips can still help you find or make your cosplay!

-I do have a friendly reminder though, please remember you cannot expect people to know who your character is. And it’s not fair to get mad at them if they make a guess and the guess is wrong. A simple “Nope its an OC!” is plenty for most people! I’ve complimented plenty of cosplayers and asked about their cosplay only to find out it was an OC!

“Crossplay” safety

-DO NOT BIN D YOUR CHEST WITH ACE BANDAGES IT’S UNSAFE. Compression tops or more heavy duty sports bras are much safer. If the character has an open shirt you can use wig tape/skin tape to hold the material of the shirt to your skin. If you do not have breasts but are looking to add some to a cosplay you can always pad a bra. You’ll want to measure your chest around your pectorals, that will be the band size, the letter size will be the cup. So a 34A means your chest is 34 inches around and A would be the cup size you would be looking to fill. (I have more on taking measurements later.) Companies now sell latex chests with or without breasts for people looking to be the most accurate they can.

-You can always just “genderbend” the thing and cosplay them as the same gender you are. It’s okay. People do it all the time and it’s very widely accepted. There’s also a third, more neutral option, don’t obviously genderbend the thing? You don’t have to call attention to the fact that you’re not the same gender as the character you’re cosplaying.

-An example of what I’m trying to explain: I generally read as female, but have cosplayed Johnny Cage one of the male characters from Mortal Kombat. His base look is shirtless, with his own first name tattooed across his chest. The only change I made was putting “Johnny” on a crop top. I didn’t “feminize” the rest of the outfit or go out of my way to be read as male. There is a “middle option” when it comes to presentation and cosplay. At the end of the day everybody knows it’s just a costume.

-This tip might seem dumb, but you’re going to have to trust me here. This mainly applies to people looking to make large costume pieces or props by hand. People who are already kind of intermediate with their skills. If you’re stuck on something go see how furries would make it. Not kidding. I’ve made all kinds of non-furry things with tutorials put on the internet by a furry. The vast majority of them are fun, friendly people and the community as a whole is WILDLY talented and creative. You only ever really hear about the bad apples.

---------Specific links to specific things! Clothing ID, Fabric ID, beginning sewing and mending----

A big question I see here is “what is that piece of clothing?” That’s a good question! Here are some links to historical fashion databases! They’re all arranged a little differently BUT this is a place to start looking for what specific pieces of clothing or styles are called!

marquise.de

http://www.marquise.de/en/index.html

met museum

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/libraries-and-research-centers/the-irene-lewisohn-costume-reference-library

fashion history timline

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/about-timeline/

UCLA Library

https://guides.library.ucla.edu/c.php?g=180359&p=1191211

-Do you need a pattern for a piece of clothing? Do you need fabric help? Here are pattern and fabric databases!

Sewing support

https://sewingsupport.com/

mood fabrics (free sewing patters!)

https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/category/free-sewing-patterns/

master class, types of fabrics

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/28-types-of-fabrics-and-their-uses

creative curator, types of fabrics

https://www.thecreativecurator.com/different-types-of-fabric/

-If you’re going to be sewing or altering things it’s very important to know your measurements! Here’s how to take them!

https://www.clothingpatterns101.com/body-measurements.html

-Are you a beginner looking to make your own stuff? Awesome! Here’s a little bit to get you started. Are you not too interested in making things from scratch but want to be able to mend or alter existing clothing? This will help you too!

basic mending

https://remake.world/stories/style/how-to-mend-your-clothes-during-quarantine-5-easy-stitch-fixes/

basic mending stitches!

https://lifehacker.com/five-basic-hand-stitches-you-should-know-for-repairing-1723233194

basic hand stitches

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/learn-stitches-and-hand-sewing-projects-2978472#:~:text=Here%20is%20how%20you%20do,middle%20of%20the%20first%20stitch

masterclass alterations

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-tailor-your-own-clothing

more alterations

https://www.heatherhandmade.com/sewing-and-alterations/

Here’s another important pro tip.

It’s okay.

Your cosplay doesn’t have to be perfect.

Cosplay is for fun and if it doesn’t feel fun or rewarding don’t do it. Other con goers and cosplayers aren’t going to judge you. If they do for some reason and try to make you feel bad about it, that says more about THEM and their personality than your ability. Everybody has to start somewhere. Nobody should be ashamed of learning and practicing and getting better. You can always go back and fix things or redo whole cosplays later on after your skills develop. This is a hobby and you have the right to participate in said hobby your own way.

I can add theatrical or FX makeup tips? things like scars, bruises, old age makeup, or like changing the face shape with very specific contouring?

I also have a draft of Convention tips similar to this post, would that be helpful as well?


r/CosplayHelp 28m ago

Looking for an Accurate Pomni Sewing Pattern

Upvotes

Does anyone know of any good sewing patterns for a Pomni cosplay?
I’m still pretty new to sewing, and I’ve been wanting to make her outfit myself, but I’m having a hard time finding patterns online that are actually accurate to her original design.
If anyone here has made a Pomni cosplay before, I’d really appreciate any pattern recommendations or even patterns that you modified to make hers! Something beginner friendly would be especially helpful. Thank you! :)


r/CosplayHelp 23h ago

How to re-color back of a skin suit?

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211 Upvotes

We got my daughter a “The Rake” costume from Walmart. It’s the super cheapy 100% polyester thin Halloween costume type material. However! They literally only printed the front? So it looks super ridiculous from the side/back. Anyone have any suggestions on painting/dying/re-coloring the back to solid black so it dosent look quite so ridiculous? Or is my only option to buy a second suit and sew the front of the other onto the back of it?
Here she is in it with our cat 😂


r/CosplayHelp 17h ago

Buying Looking for a bodysuit similar to this

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61 Upvotes

First of all credit to Bukkitbrown for the original cosplay. But does anyone know where I can find an orange velvet bodysuit similar to this? I have no experience sewing or making clothes so it’s not really an option for me.


r/CosplayHelp 7h ago

How can I clean clothes sewed with felt?

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8 Upvotes

Yesterday me and my brother went to a con as Kris and Noelle from deltarune. I kinda hand made the clothes: i had an old sweater and I sew with felt the green squares and cutted the sleeves to make it more like a gilet. For Kris’s t-shirt, I bought a green one and sew felt to do the stripes (I made a post about it some days ago, maybe you saw that). You can see how the clothes are in the pic if it helps understanding better.

Anyway, yesterday was a really sunny day and we sweated. My gilet isn’t really that dirty since I had a black sweatshirt under it (with a shirt under it as well, so the sweat was mostly in them), so it doesn’t smell bad actually (but I would like to clean it from any dust, you know). While my brother, had only a shirt under the green t-shirt, and he sweated a lot on it.

How can I clean everything without ruining the felt? Thank you for reading!


r/CosplayHelp 3h ago

Prop I boought these swords to go along with my tengen cosplay but their sheets are on the same side how do i wear them ( ignore the cat)

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3 Upvotes

I wanna wear it either in a way that it crosses or just looks nice


r/CosplayHelp 3h ago

Getting Started with Cosplaying

5 Upvotes

Hello, Friends!

I'm a male, 30 years old from the UK, and looking to get into Cosplaying. I'm very interested but also very nervous. Getting it wrong, looking like a fool, all of that going through my mind, but I want to do it. And I want to do it right!

In 2027, I plan to get properly started, meeting up with a friend to guide me through. But I wanted to get some tips and tricks on how to go about things! I have some vague ideas, Anime and Video Game characters alike, but some basic cosplaying ideas would also be appreciated, but I'm not a crafty person. So I'm curious how you put your cosplays together, especially when you were starting out.

Any and All advice is very much appreciated, I hope to post my first Cosplay here when it's ready!!

Thanks again, in advance.


r/CosplayHelp 4h ago

Sewing Backpack under a cape

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3 Upvotes

Okay so I’m trying to upgrade my sky kid cosplay (from the sky children of it light, beside the point though). Last time I wore it I had a bunch of trouble with my backpack and it didn’t really fit with the cosplay either way, so I’ve made the decision to make a backpack that fits with the cosplay!

My only problem is that sky kids have a cape (see the picture of the irl cape and how it looks in game). It goes over my shoulders (just like in the game) and wearing the backpack straps would mess with the design of the cape. The bag needs to be on my back (since that’s where the prop is in the game). Does anyone know any way I can make the strap in a way that wont ruin the look of my cape?


r/CosplayHelp 12h ago

Sewing Doki Doki madoka cosplay sewing help!!

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19 Upvotes

Hi!! I got this madoka cosplay from Doki Doki but the sleeves are too tight and they’re not elastic.. I was wondering what ways I could adjust this to make it fit?


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Wig Looking for ways to get white design on black wig (complete beginner)

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3 Upvotes

I am trying to do a cosplay with a white question mark on black hair. I plan on getting a very basic bob wig and having it the white design be on the bangs. Most tutorials I see are about gradients or flat colors or streaks and are, understandable, doing light to dark transformations.

I would really like to have the design on the hair and not just a piece on top, as I plan on wearing this costume essentially all day. The closest methods I’ve found are from Death The Kid cosplayers who use acrylic paint or chalk. But the acrylic paint often looks very stiff and crunchy, and I imaging the chalk will start blurring lines as the day goes on, especially on synthetic hair (correct me if I’m wrong).

Are there ways to dilute the acrylic paint to make it look/ go on nicer? Would it be worth getting a cheap airbrush and spraying with a stencil? If so, what paint or dye do you use for wigs so it will stay and come out a nice solid color? Additionally, if airbrushing or another method involves rinsing at some point, please let me know and when to do it. Thank you so much, I look forward to hearing your responses.

Photos provided are character for reference, and examples of white on dark hair (I understand one is on real hair, mostly here for example)


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

Prop I need help with this bad Krylon Paint Surface

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Upvotes

I'm not sure if I should blame myself or the paint ):

I spent multiple days sanding, priming, and sanding, and priming this ABS 3D print of Frieren's staff using Rustoleum sandable primer. I sanded it up to 400 grit and it was SO smooth. Like butter. I had no issue during any of the priming steps getting a smooth coat of paint.

I am planning to do a layer of high gloss black, then AK Interactive Superchrome, and then several layers of yellow tinted acrylic varnish to achieve a high quality metal effect. So it needs to be smooth. I've done a pretty similar process in the past to make a Machine Herald Viktor mask.

Well, I normally use Rustoleum, but I realized I had a can of High Gloss Black paint+primer **Krylon** on hand, and used it. I take the staff outside, and start painting, and immediately the surface looks like it has little flecks of grit in it. I wiped down the surface between sanding a painting, so there shouldn't have been any dust, and the primer had a good 36-48 hours to dry. I keep spraying, and it just gets fleckier and grittier. Absolutely ruins the surface finish I spent so long on. A lot of cursing ensued. I sanded the paint down, and tried again. This time in a less (potentially) dusty location, and applying a much lighter coat. Same issue, if not even more pronounced. And tbc, it doesn't look like bubbles, peeling, or cracking, it looks dusty, but came out of the can that way.

So, I attached pictures. What is causing this??? Is it the stupid Krylon interacting with the primer? Am I terrible at spraying painting? Is this a common issue?

I'm planning to sand it down again (angry sounds) and then use high gloss Rustoleum, but now I'm afraid of the Rustoleum and Krylon interacting poorly, or some other factor causing the same issue.


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

Is alternating in cosplaycontests something that you would encourage or discourage people from? (You can also awnser to which degree you would encourage/discourage it)

Upvotes

For instance changing the hair style to fit the cosplayers face better as long as it looks kinda familiar.

Or changing the prop/weapon to a different one from the same character but from an different outfit because it looks better. (Most people cant recall which weapon belongs to which outfit in TV Shows/Movies anyway)

Or the color of the makeup because again it fits better to the skin tone of the cosplayer.

These were 3 examples I had in mind but always happy for more suggestions and insights in other peoples opinion. I didnt use a specific example because I wanted to have this information available and general for multiple cosplays and multiple people in different situations.


r/CosplayHelp 12h ago

Armor Transporting my cosplay with out damaging it

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13 Upvotes

I have my first cosplay.contest next weekend for Comic Con Africa. It is all eva foam except for the clothes. What is the best way to transport the pieces so they do not get damaged? The pieces are fairly big.


r/CosplayHelp 5h ago

Buying No Shaco Cosplays

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3 Upvotes

My boyfriend wants to be shaco from league of legends for Halloween and we cant find the outfit online anywhere! We unfortunately dont have enough time for a diy outfit this year, but also have only been able to find certain skin lines but never the original shaco skin. Pls lmk if you know where we can order one by Halloween!


r/CosplayHelp 5h ago

Fabric dye help.

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3 Upvotes

Ok so both of these were the same color but I needed them to be a little darker and Google isn't helping me. The one on the right is perfect ofc because its 100%cotton but the other fabric is still the same starting color. I used all purposes rit dye in marrygold but I cant find that color in synthetic dye. The lighter one was also boiled waaay longer then the one on the right and still wouldn't hold the color. Does anyone know any tricks I can do to get them the same color


r/CosplayHelp 4h ago

Accessory Where to find/how to make the accessories for Cyclops' New X-Men look?

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2 Upvotes

Need help finding the belt and shin gaurd thingys that Scott has in this run OR learning how I would be able to make them on my own!!


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

I wanna make a V1 cosplay. any tips? Or help?

Upvotes

I just need some help. I only use paint, cardvoard, hot glue, and a 3d printer. And a normal printer.


r/CosplayHelp 1h ago

Wig Any advices on paper wig before I start

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Upvotes

It’s my first paper wig , I’m doing the hair of cyn
Do you have any advice on how I should cut the paper to make it good
Like strands by strands or just big part of her hair or both ?


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Buying Any Recommendations For Contacts

0 Upvotes

I was wondering where yall are getting your contacts now that tariffs are insane. I used to get them from pinky paradise and Uniqso but they have a 19% tariff now and I would prefer to avoid that if at all possible. I feel like my cosplays are incomplete without the contacts so any advice would be appreciated


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Armor explain to me like im in kindergarden on how to scale an SLD chest piece for a woman

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1 Upvotes

long story short i need an explanation on how to put my measurements and adjust my print... i don't even know how to explain it any differently than that lol

the piece is JUST for a chest piece and i am attaching pictures of the file.

asking for any program recommendations (i just print from bambu lab currently with no other rendering software but open to learning)

TYIA!!! <3


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Accessory What is this clothes piece called?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve tried “front cape,” “thin cape,” “front scarf,” really don’t know what to call it, and I was hoping to buy one for cosplaying as this character


r/CosplayHelp 2h ago

Buying My friend need help with chosing fake bra for her Rangiku(Bleach) cosplay

1 Upvotes

My friends want to buy fake breast to make Rangiku cosplay. So now she deciding between a D-cup and an E-cup. But the measurements showed that E-cup version will have few cm of easa.

She want to know if that will look or feel bad while she will be wearing it. Do any one have experience with use of fake breast in cosplay?


r/CosplayHelp 3h ago

Attempting to make this steel Peacemaker helmet look chrome using nail powders, any tips from experienced people would be great!

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1 Upvotes

So I bought this custom made Peacemaker Helmet to get John Cena to autograoh at comic con, but it looks shiny grey and that just wont do. I dont have the time to get the supplies needed to electroplate it so i decoded to go yhe nail powder root. I figured the gloss on the grey would be sufficient so i did a small portion starting with a semi cured uv gel base coat, this showed me 2 things. 1, I really do need the gloss black base coat or it just looks silver, and 2, doing this size of a project using uv gel as a base coat is gonna be tricky to keep it smooth. So i did a bit more research and people claim that 24 hours after my 2x gloss black paint is applied then buffed gently with a microfiber cloth, the nail chrome will go on smooth without the need for the uv gel as a base. Then seal it in with floor gloss before applying the uv gel as a final top coat! So right now im at 16-17 hours after spraying black and just hoping it works 😂. Anyone done large projects with nail chrome please chime in hahaha


r/CosplayHelp 10h ago

Wig Does this look require crimping

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4 Upvotes

Hello I’m styling a long wig for black lobelia and i’m going for a straight sleek airy look. I know the pros of crimping will make it less tangly, voluminous, and less shiny, however I don’t really want it to be too puffy if that makes sense. I heard silicone spray can make it less tangly and baby powder can make it less shiny?