Are you supposed to seal Rustoleum? I was told originally that EVA foam with plastidip + a rustoleaum primer+paint wouldn't need to be sealed, and by and large the colour has held up well, but over time a thin film does come off and is pretty noticeable on my fingertips etc. Should I be going over it with something else before I wear it the next time?

>>10911926
Always seal your paint jobs. Doesn't matter if it's cosplay, miniatures, or outdoor furniture. Sealing is just a better choice.

>>10911926 A clear coat is always good, but spray paint can always crack on foam. So for armor that you will wear multiple times a colored plastidip or flexible paints like leather paint are best.

Can I wear a wig if I have long hair?

Any recommendations for women’s shape wear? I just want to smooth things out a little underneath my cosplays so they look nicer.

What should I use for flat straps on a sandwich-board style costume?

I'm using corrugated plastic for the boards, and I was thinking of using d-rings and plastic hooks with either command strips or hot glue to attach them to the board. But I need something to actually go over my shoulders to the other side. I can use rope but I feel like something flatter would be more comfortable. Any ideas?

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I've been wanting to work on some tokushit cosplay for a while now, and I recently figured out the stuff all the Japanese cosplayers use to make the armor, but I can't find it online for reasonable prices and I'm not sure what a good alternative would be that I can source locally.
It's apparently called sanpelca or sunpelca (I think it's a brand name?). Its a weird half-way between EVA and polyethylene foam; looks like it has the rigidity of polyethylene but it doesn't have the texture that I see on regular polyethylene sheets since it's super dense like EVA. I've tried EVA before but getting precise and clean cuts is really hard to do, but the stuff I'm looking for seems to be way easier.
It's hyper specific, but I does anyone here happen to know what I'm talking about or know if there's any options here?

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I really want to recreate the belt she's wearing. it's a studded belt with a layered pleated skirt on only one side. just glue? I've never tried to "sew" anything onto a belt before, definitely never worked with studs either.

>>10912004
Yup, you'll just need to be specific about how you pin up your hair and the wig nets you use. There's some great tutorials on youtube. Buying from manufacturers who make wigs for larger heads might help too.

>>10912065
In my many years of being a woman, I haven't really found that the brand matters. I'd just find some on amazon with good reviews or your local clothing store and try them on.

>>10912325
Nylon/polyester webbing. It's the same thing the straps of a backpack are made of. More to the point, you can also just cannibalize a backpack. The straps would be more comfortable.

>>10912345
My guess is that the pleated part is actually sewn over the belt like a casing (and not actually attached to the belt at all) and the studs are pressed down into the leather on top of the fabric. Or it's just glued either underneath the leather or in between the studs and leather. It's hard to tell because the rest of the belt appears to be the same color/pattern. Tbh I'd just go with what looks best to you.

>>10911926
Yes ALWAYS clear your paints. The usual clear coats are fine, or you can get automotive 1k gloss clear if you want it to be really shiny unless there's a metalic.
Second, do NOT use rustoleaum metalic pants at all. Always go for a lacquor metallic, specifically testors extremes if you can. Always do it as your final paint layer though, especially if you're using an enamle paint at any point.
And also make sure you're using a normal primer as your base, not a paint+primer.
>>10912335
Yeah unless you find a way to import it there isn't a clean alternative.
Poly is close, san is more an inbetween of that and plumbing insulation foam. It's really more for being easier to bend into place and hold for contact cements then for any other reason though.
All in all you'd be able to do the same with EVA foam you just need to heat and form parts after they're glued.

But if you're in the US like, printed helmet kits are an option too. Then that's just spot putty filling and sanding.

How do people find cosplay photographers at cons? I'm cosplaying for the first time in years and deciding to go all out with everything (commissioning someone to make part of the costume, weight loss, practicing makeup until I'm happy with the results, etc.)

I really want to get good photos of the costume when it's all done, but I have no idea how to go about it.

I have been 20-30 lbs overweight my entire life, but I have a lot of natural muscle mass and the frame to support it. No one has ever shown me how to start going to the gym or pushed me to get in shape and I don't know where to start.

How do I start? Or how did YOU start? I have all the other skills to start doing really great cosplays but I'm a fat, lazy fuck barely motivated to get up and go to work.

>>10912461
In my experience, they usually find photographers before cons on social media and book a time slot with them. You might get lucky prowling a con for a person holding a camera and offer to pay them for their time, but you can't guarantee quality or even a return investment honestly.

>>10912474
Go to fit, read the sticky. Learn how to count calories. And start using YouTube to build your beginner routine.
If you have no drive you are fucked. Weight loss takes drive and motivation. If you have neither then just be a fat fuck the rest of your life.

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>>10911890
Right I'm new as fuck to this board so be gentle here. I'm planning on cosplaying Gadem from Mobile Suit Gundam for a con this July.
>pic related
I already have someone working on the cape since they offered but the rest is very much up in the air. I have a rough template for the helmet being cooked up, but with the uniform I'm torn on trying to go for military surplus or try to make a basic pair of matching green pants and a jacket, since I doubt I could find surplus in a green that looks right, let alone that both match. I also don't know how I'd go about doing the collar, since there's a decent bit of detail there. Note I have a old sewing machine but I've never used it. Also I saw a lot of guides and recommendations for wigs but is there anything similar for facial hair?

Any tips to try and achieve all this would be very much welcome, thanks.

>>10912701
There are endless amounts of nerds with 3d printers who can do the helmet and other hard goods
For soft goods you usually have to talk to a woman, though there are also nerds with embroidery machines for the collar
Pick a high quality fabric that looks like uniform material, not the first cotton you see

>>10912474
A lady I knew was overweight her whole life no matter what diet or exercise... turned out she was allergic to milk protein, and living in Europe it was put in everything. So even lactose free stuff would make her balloon up and retain weight. She moved to an Asian country that didn't put milk in everything and got skinny without any effort. In my case, when I went on meds that changed my serotonin and dopamine levels I gained weight. So it could be something you are already ingesting is changing how your body handles fat.

Real advice:
>Your body wants to stop eating when it gets the nutrients it needs, not necessarily when it swallows a certain amount of solids. Always eat nutrient dense food, ideally the most dense you can find, which usually means homemade fermented items (pasteurization kills nutrients) - don't eat salad, eat fermented salad (kimchi, saurkraut). Don't eat white bread, eat fermented bread (sourdough, fermented pancake batter, overnight oats). Replace onions sauce with watered-down dark miso. Replace yoghurt with home-made milk kefir.
>Cut out as much table sugar, corn syrup and other syrups as possible, and don't replace it with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners. You'll need to look at food labels - be prepared to see your 1 tiny packet of ketchup being 50% of your daily sugar intake, and expensive "healthy" food really being a ton of junk. If you want something sweet, add whole fruit (not smoothies). After 3 weeks your body will adjust to your new eating style and what was sour or bitter to you before will now be neutral or sweet.
>Don't envision going to the gym every day. Instead build exercise into the routines you already do, or find out a way to get paid to exercise. For example wear leg weights all day, replace your chair so you have to exercise at your computer desk, get a job like housekeeping or teaching that makes you move all day.
>Use a pedometer all day, track which activities/days are high exercise.

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Hey /cgl
I'm working on getting my Ono-Michio head finished up and am now on trying to get the fabirc layered in the least painless way possible. Im looking at using a larger swath of felt to just overlay the sphere and sew at the points where it was bunching. I don't sew but am willing to learn. Are there patterns for just sewing over a sphere that's made of foam?

Any tips on keeping cool in a mascot head?

>>10912734
>There are endless amounts of nerds with 3d printers who can do the helmet and other hard goods
While true I'm fairly deadset on making the helmet myself, it may look a bit meh, but I need to start somewhere.

>For soft goods you usually have to talk to a woman, though there are also nerds with embroidery machines for the collar
What do you mean by "talk to a woman" here? Just try to find someone with the tools for the embroidery on the collar or something else?

>Pick a high quality fabric that looks like uniform material, not the first cotton you see
I did plan on grabbing a cheaper fabric to see if the template actually worked before getting something better, but regardless of that, I'm still unsure on most aspects of the uniform.
Like, idk if I should just run out to a thrift shop, grab some clothes that look similar to what I'd need, take them apart and use them like a template, search for something online, or pray I find something in a milsurp store.
Again I'm very new to this so wanted a smidge of guidance here.

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Got a few general cosplay questions and questions related to cosplay of pic.

What advice/tutorial would you recommend for doing basic make up? I just need something to make my skin look paler and cleaner for the sake of cosplay.
What do you do to stop yourself from rubbing your face while wearing foundation?
Any good recommendations for eye contacts (preferably under $30) that would fit Hatsune Miku?
Anything I should consider while having darker eyes?
Any basic advice/tutorial I should look at for eye contacts?

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Planning a D'Arby cosplay for my local con this August but I'm kinda stuck on how I wanna approach the weird face tattoo/pattern he has going on. I live in a fairly warm climate, so I'm worried makeup is just gonna slog off during the day. Any advice on how to achieve this?

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I'm looking to do a Kurisu cosplay.
Should I buy an outfit off amazon or should I buy a jacket and belt bracelets?
If so, what jacket should I buy?

Is it weird to see the same people wearing the same cosplay multiple times a year at your local anime events?

>>10913415
Imo you should buy the main outfit anywhere reasonable to you. If that's Amazon, then so be it. They're all basic pieces. No sense in paying out more for really cheap shit that may or may not fit. You should buy the jacket off a cosplay store though unless you can find a similar one for cheap.

Also, next time select a picture that shows off the outfit. The one you picked has almost her whole outfit covered by her leg. Not everyone knows the character you're talking about or cares to look up the outfit.

>>10913440
That's assuming anyone keeps track of what you're wearing in the first place. Even if you post online, no it's not weird. Some people have whole accounts dedicated to one character and costume. And even if they did: fuck 'em, they didn't pay for it.

>>10913376
A good primer, setting spray, and a matte long-stay body paint formula. Touch up throughout the day, oil blotting sheets or powder to keep the oil away. Alternatively you could make it a temp tattoo. I don't have a link on me rn but there's tutorials online.

>>10912962
Hello based Miku stan.
>basic makeup
A foundation that's your "winter shade" or slightly lighter than your usual shade. Alternatively, you could mix a little white bodypaint into your usual foundation. As for "cleaner", I'm assuming you mean less textured and smoother? That's all about your makeup application and base. Skin care goes a longer way than makeup, but a good primer and pore minimizer doesn't hurt. Honestly the youtube mua's could do a better job explaining that than I could.
>stop rubbing my face how?
You foundation should be set so that it isn't easily rubbed off regardless. Hit it with a good setting spray and carry a little powder foundation with you for good measure. In general, it's kind of unavoidable until you train yourself. I still accidentally rub my eyes when wearing eyeliner.
>eye contacts
Pinkyparadise or Honeycolor.
>Darker eyes
There might be a ring around your eyes where the contacts have to give your iris some wiggle room to see. It's hardly noticable, don't worry about it.
>Advice/tutorial on eye contacts
Yes, youtube. Cosplay contacts are VERY different than normal wear contacts. You can hurt your eyes irreparably if you don't do it properly. tbqh eye color is hardly noticeable in cosplay irl and easily editable online. I personally don't see a need for them.

In short, we've come a long way and Youtube is your golden guide to all. You can always come back here with more questions if you're confused though :)

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>>10913443
Does this help?

>>10912873
It's do-able but it's not going to be fun or easy. Essentially the way you make curves with fabric is by cutting out little triangles out of the fabric and then sewing the sides back together so that the fabric contorts. You'll have to do this a lot to get the fabric to lay right.

>Are there patterns for just sewing over a sphere that's made of foam?
Probably. A little google search wouldn't hurt. I don't have any specific resources to give you, but a furry has probably made some.

>Any tips on keeping cool in a mascot head?
Ask the furry overlords. Likely answer is a fan and time with the head off every once in a while.

>>10913447
Yes. I truly didn't mean it in a snarky way, just info for the future to get you help faster

>>10913449
What kind of jacket is she wearing anyway? I tried looking for cardigans but no apparent matches

>>10913450
It looks like a cardigan, but the material also seems a bit stiff to bunch up the way it does. Cosplay websites seem to be interpreting it as a jacket. Could just be some anime clothing nonsense.

>>10913446
I would recommend a white foundation mixer instead of bodypaint. Bodypaint tends to be super heavy and might not mix with foundations

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Would it be cringe to do a rabbit hole miku cosplay at fanime this year? It's been a while since I went, I don't know how family oriented the con is.

>>10913445
Thank you so much! Would you have any particular recommendations for primers or sprays off-hand?

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It’s topical, and popular. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s like 10 rabbit hole mikus. Do it. It’s cute.

>>10913517
do it and have sex with me

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Asking for some cosplay recs
Male, 180 cm, 60 kg, around that ballpark.
I'd say average build/twinkish, maybe.
Never cosplayed before, no experience in sewing.
I'm considering 9S, but i might be too tall for him.
Maybe Lumen from picrel?

>>10913635
anything genshin would be good. you can buy the costume off any costume site and all the guys are tall.

>>10913635
>180 cm
>60 kilos
>average build
lanklet cope

>>10913517
Bunny suits are very common at all anime conventions. You would be pretty covered. Kids wouldn't know what the material you come from is and any parent would have to explain it and therefore likely wouldn't. Plus there's plenty actually lascivious cosplays to focus their attention on if anything so you should be fine.

Honestly I'd be more worried about creeps. Bring a friend.

>>10913521
Not in particular. I'd suggest looking up some reviews. I'm sure there's plenty of youtube videos both for cosplayers and regular makeup applications. Some common brands are ELF, NYX, MAC, etc. They have both primer and setting spray.

Ben Nye (body paint brand) also has its own setting spray. I haven't used it so I can't say in particular how it fares against regular stuff.

>>10913635
If you can't sew, your options are going to be limited to what you can find online. Honestly, I'd suggest just looking at what's in the catalogs for the popular cosplay websites and pick one that speaks to you. Go for custom sizing if you can.

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I'm putting together a Terry Bogard cosplay, and bought picrel for his shirt. What is the best way to rip off the sleeves to make them look good?

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>>10913440
If people do recognize you being an "outfit repeater" they won't have a negative reaction. It's more likely to be positive: maybe they didn't get a picture of you, or only saw your cosplay online and were hoping to run into you irl, or just want to say hi again.
On a similar note, in my area there are a couple cosplayers who I see wearing the same thing at nearly every con year after year. People (me, irl friends, gulls) really appreciate them as a staple of the local scene, where it doesn't feel like the con until you've spotted them.

>>10913415
>>10913450
For characters that have a "street clothes" kind of outfit, I almost always recommend getting "real" clothes rather than cosplay. It'll be higher quality material, will likely have pockets, can give a more "real" feel to your cosplay, might not be much more expensive, and is something you can reuse in your non-cosplay fashion (if it's not too outlandish).
I did some quick research since I'm not familiar with the character. Although some cosplay sites are interpreting her jacket as a hoodie or with lapels, I see it as a varsity jacket worn in a baggy off-the-shoulder style. The stripes at the wrist and waist are a classic varsity-bomber feature, and then the forearm belts keep it from falling off when she wears it so loose.
However a cosplay jacket will certainly be lighter than a coat, more straightforward to find compared to googling variations of "brown varsity jacket", and won't have large buttons or other things that will match the simplified anime drawing better. So up to you which direction you want to take it.

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>>10913959
I've done a variety of torn looks for my cosplays, it's pretty straightforward. My biggest advice is to decide early on how "cartoony" you want it to look as that will probably affect your approach.
>leave a little extra when you cut
The tattering process is going to take off fabric, so leave a little more of the sleeve remaining than you think you want to end up with.
>triangles
I like to cut in a sort of wavy pattern, sometimes going further from the seam and then turning back in to constantly vary the shape. Even if you're doing a cartoony big-triangles approach you should add in a bit of curve to your cuts rather than just straight zig-zag lines.
>parallel cuts
You can see the guy in this video demonstrating:
https://youtu.be/2ErLOmGZQMA?si=t5fXxtz0YYqE4p40&t=197
A lot of those small close-together cuts will help the fabric fray more naturally as you start getting into abrasion.
>sandpaper
Turn the shirt inside-out, then use short strokes to sand outwards, towards the cut edge of the fabric.
I have a lot of scrap sandpaper in the 80-150 grit range from my other projects. Start with a smaller number (more coarse) then work your way higher. This will make it start to pull, tear, and fray - you'll really quickly get a sense of how your fabric reacts to the different grits so you can switch between them for the desired effect.
I usually lay down scrap cardboard underneath when doing this so I don't scratch up my working surface by accident.
>laundry
Going through the process of water, heat, and agitation will further damage the tears and frays of the fabric in subtle and natural ways. If I have the time I like to run it through the laundry at the halfway point, then come back and do more cutting and sanding to further it.

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Alright so I'm a complete beginnner and I'd love to try cosplaying the summer uniform from Patlabor but I don't really know where to start. Most of it seems pretty straightforward but the vest seems like it'd be quite tricky to make myself.

What makeup do you guys recommend for cosplay? Preferably stuff off Walmart or something. Nothing too expensive

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Does anyone know where i can buy Jotaro trench coat or something similar?

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>>10911890
I have absolutely no fucking clue what even happened to this fabric when I moved, but I’m supposed to be using it for a vest. I’ve tried ironing it and it’s like those creases in it are impossible to get out. Ignore the fluff and dumb shit on it, it was in a tote of fabric.

I don’t know what kind of fabric it is specifically because I saw it at a fabric outlet, said ‘that’ll do’ and bought it. I think it’s like a micro suede.

Anyone have any advice outside or ‘take a shower and pray it flattens’?

>>10914089
Personally, when things are weird/unique shapes, it helps me to draw them on paper, just understanding how it is built.

It won’t be difficult if you just find tutorials for regular vests, modify it, sketch it out, make a mock-up on muslin, and go from there. The only thing making this different from a traditional vest is the boxy collar, straps, and bottom belt thing.

fabric glue spilled all over my cape because the bottle head popped off as i was using it. now i have a huge splotch of dried fabric glue and it is very, very visible. how do i get it off? the fabric is cashmere-polyester.

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Any chance I can get some keywords for this outerwear? I think I can get away with modifying a sailor collar pattern for the white top layer, but no permutation of "capelet" I can think of is helping me with the blue one.

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>>10914610
It definitely looks like a capelet, the white "outer layer" is just the collar/lapels of it. You can probably find a capelet pattern and then modify it to have those lapels/collar

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Where can I find this corset with the little side hip things?

Are these the same person?
Very NSFW cuck shit

https://www.instagram.com/yukeshiro/?hl=en
https://x.com/yukeshiro?lang=en
https://x.com/herrscherdante?lang=en

9882

>>10911890
How do I grow my cosplay Twitter? I have no friends. Tags are virtually useless on twitter

>>10914089
To make that vest and make it well, you would need to be at least an intermediate level sewist. I recommend just buying a vest that looks similar and gluing some bias tape on it to match the pattern. Do a neat job and it won't look half bad.

>>10914205
Drugstore makeup is fine, but you need to do some research to know what you need for your skin type, shade, and look you're trying to achieve plus the techniques to put it on. Watch some youtube videos about basic cosplay makeup, then research brands like "best drugstore primer" and etc.

>>10914296
Amazon or any cosplay website.

>>10914365
If I recall correctly, velvet-esque fabrics like micro suede are notoriously hard to get wrinkles out of. I've heard of people using lots of steam and a needleboard or another piece of the same fabric on top in order to try and get the bumps out, but you might just be fucked. Maybe a wrinkle releaser could help?
That's my very much not a fabric expert guess.

>>10914610
I agree with the other anon. Remember that a lot of clothing designs in anime are made by people who aren't fabric experts and do not have to bend to the laws of gravity or even a real figure dressing in and out of the clothing which is how we get Fantasy Nonsense Clothing. You probably won't find an exact replica of this type of clothing because it doesn't exist. Anon's suggestion of drafting your own lapel is likely your only way to get close to making that piece a reality.

>>10915208
Truthfully twitter is kind of dying and the cosplay scene on there has been dying at an even faster rate. The only cosplayers I see post on there are popular ones crossposting on multiple platforms and really only interacting with already made friends. Honestly, I'd recommend growing your following on other platforms.

>>10915208
Get your tits out

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>>10911890
Doing a 2000s Otaku cosplay next weekend, complete with naruto headband and yaoi paddle. what else do i need? im thinking a shirt that says OTAKU, a death note, and something hetalia related

>>10915515
i miss yaoi paddles

Is it possible to commission little resin pieces like jewels etc?

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I see there is no cosplay recommendations thread, so I'll post here.
This will be my first time cosplaying anything. I look asian in a brown country, so I've always wanted to use that to my advantage. I look Very similar to picrel (Levi Ackerman), although I've never even seen the anime.
I won't kid you, I wanna pull some bitches after a dead bedroom relationship of 8 years.
This looks simple enough, I'd use it without the jacket.

Any other recommendations? Again I look like this guy.

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>>10915515
Your makeup look

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How should I go about cosplaying a character like pic related?
look for the gear, try it on and see how the overall theme of character looks?

>>10915943
Military surplus is good, you can then paint for fabrics and other shit.

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>>10915641
I wanna clarify that I'm a "boomer" at 36 years old, but I've been told I don't look older than 25. I've been totally disconnected with the anime scene for the longest time. I've only re watched Cowboy Bebop for the 8th time and currently going through GTO again. That's all the anime I've seen this past fucking decade.
My younger kiss less 30yo brother is still a weaboo, and I want to take him with me, I'd prefer he got laid rather than I.
His looks are similar to mine, actually rather more handsome, but he steps on his spaghetti all the time; he might be assburgers.
Help a literal brother out, brehs.
Random insta super weeaboo acquaintance for attention.

Wore my costume just one day and it's pilling like crazy. How do I stop it? All the advice says to "wash in cold instead of hot, don't use detergent" but I haven't even washed the costume so that doesn't help.

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Need advice on shoe paint that doesnt flake off and which is waterproof.

>>10915382
Thanks for the honesty. I'll try some coaplay specific sites.

>>10915419
Does this work even if you're male or flat chested?

>>10916052
fellow boomer here. i'd lay a guy dressed in a good Spike cosplay for sure. i'd also drink with anyone who asked.

easiest way to befriend people seems to be while waiting in slow moving lines.

>>10916172
T-thanks. I'd prefer pussy or a passing tgirl (depending on how drunk I got. And yeah I'd love to cosplay as Spike; it's been a dream of mine for decades, but that costume is hard to pull off, firstly because it'd be expensive, and I'm currently broke af. I mean I wouldn't want to use some shitty fabric. Also, my heat tolerance is low and this is a tropical country, so I wouldn't last long in a jacket.
I could pull it off fkr sure. The above prevents me from going as John Wick as well (been told I look like Keanu).

>>10916140
Male works if you're a twink or buff
Flat chested works better among a certain demographic

>>10916120
Angelus Leather Paint. In most cases, you need a deglazer first to remove the coating that makes paint flake off. Then, paint in several thin layers, and finally sealant. Angelus sells all three

>>10916140
Are there any cosplay specific social media anymore? I was thinking Instagram or Reddit's cosplay sub.

how do i into wigs? i've never used one for more than 10 minutes, and don't know how to choose a good one either

can someone please tell me
-how to buy good wigs
-how to buy cheap wigs that get the job done (i'm broke)
-how to take care of said wigs
-how to style them / comb them (my cosplay doesn't requireanything too major but i wanna know)

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>>10916799
Instagram can be tricky since they're constantly reworking their algorithm in ways that fuck over cosplayers - getting rid of the ability to search a tag and view the posts in it by "most recent", or really emphasizing video over image posts for example. Still, I find Instagram useful for my cosplay social media because my profile works as a gallery.
I've had my account for a while so I don't know if these changes make it hard to start a new following. I will say the "add your pictures" story sticker is kind of gaining steam as a way to show off your cosplays and maybe get new followers.
On Reddit I post cosplays to the subreddit for whatever I'm cosplaying rather than the all-up cosplay subreddit. That being said, even if you do tend to get more comments more of them are from knuckleheads trying to riff, and I don't find the site is conducive to making friends or building a following in the way that having mutuals on a site like Twitter or IG is.

>>10916803
meta offered me a "content consultant" since I have a large following on other platforms and they wanted me to migrate to instagram. The notes she gave were:

>Cosplay will do really well, post consistently, 3-5x per week, no more than 7 days a week
>Can be posts OR reels, lean towards reels
>Want new followers? Post reels
>Do not crosspost from tiktok unless I can remove the watermark
>Hashtags are important: 3-8 is ideal for a post or reel. >Keep them very specific to the content
>Hashtags that are narrower in scope>saturated tag

overall pretty vague but it was advice coming straight from meta.

>>10916802
i bought a human hair wig at 150% density for the first time off temu for $17, it was dense enough that my natural hair didn't show through anywhere. there were even cheaper ones like $6 at 100% density but the wefts are too far apart and your head will show through. the look and feel was amazing compared to plastic wigs.

to put it on i tried wig caps, wig bands, tightening the wig using the hooks at the back, using the hair clips that came sewn into the underside of the wig, in the end the wig kept riding up on my head and looking weird no matter what i did with any of those, so i gave up and just put it right on top of my hair without anything underneath - and it looked natural and stayed on all day.

if you need to style them, use strong hold hair gel and specifically look for tutorials for stuff like anime cosplay spikey hair to get an idea for what to do. if you need to cut them, make a very quick up-down movement as you cut with scissors, there are some good tutorials on youtube. some people use normal scissors and some use "pet scissors" which are notched so the hair cuts slightly unevenly and it looks like a more natural haircut.

if you need to dye them, some people prefer putting ink into a spray bottle and spraying it while the wig is held upright rather than dunking the whole thing into a bucket

i only do short hair so i just throw mine in a bag when not using it, when i want to use it i put it on my head and finger comb it then put more gel in it if needed

>>10916799
i looked earlier too and didn't find any, cosplay.com seems dead and broken. went to an actual con last week and cosplayers were using instagram, general anime fans were using discord.

>>10916119
update: someone said to spray it with starch water after removing all the pilling

>>10916140
>Does this work even if you're male or flat chested?
yes, i just met a sephiroth who passes out pics of sephy with his tits out and the guy does cosplay stuff like that on instagram and onlyfans. very effective, he has over 15,000 followers. i have seen a lot of successful male cosplay accounts who post ecchi stuff geared towards popular yaoi ships, especially as so few males put effort into their cosplays or physique

>>10916172
>>10916203
just went to a con. cosplayers were passing out stickers of their character to people who asked for their photo. on the sticker was their instagram or discord handle. i heard it is now common for people to pass out little gifts related to their character, for example a person cosplaying a rich character could pass out fake money.

>>10917044
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
>post consistently, 3-5x per week
I've noticed a lot of big accounts tend to post 3 times a week with the same costume, though I'm not sure how much of that is algo gaming vs just wanting to have aesthetically pleasing rows.
>>10917110
Several of my friends buy business cards that have a picture of a few of their cosplays along with their social media info. Since print shops are commonplace (sometimes even in the convention center itself) that's an easy thing to get, and at a con people are already collecting business cards from artists.

>>10916803
I 100% agree that Instagram is a fickle beast. I miss the era of our Instagram threads where AA vendors and cosplayers used to come together to discuss the latest updates on the algorithm. The dawn of the Creator Program and Reels era was particularly fascinating. A lot of what I read/heard matched what >>10917044 was suggesting with the exception of tags. No one could figure out if less or more was better. I've also heard that using the in-app video editor is beneficial for your video's reach -- unsubstantiated claim though.

>Still, I find Instagram useful for my cosplay social media because my profile works as a gallery.
This, I have a dead account, but still love to post progress stories and final photos because it's such a neat way to catalog the crafting journey.

>>10916119
Pilling isn't avoidable, but it is manageable. There's a bunch of tricks to help coerce the fabric to pill less, but it's just the natural way of things, man. Entropy and all that. If you do starch your costume, just be aware that it is going to make the fabric stiffer.

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How difficult is it to modify a pair of chelsea boots into cuffed boots like this? I assume I could just make a foam or pleather cuff that wraps around my calf.

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What's the best way to do extremely noticeably thicker than the average (almost cartoonish even) eyebrows? The only ways I could think of is buying fake thick eyebrows, or drawing them on (but I'd most definitely lose the bushyness factor with drawing), is there a good place to buy good quality fake thick eyebrows? I wouldn't be opposed to having to hand-make them myself either since it's probably easy and cheap with how small eyebrows are, but I'm kind of lazy so buying's preferred if you know a good cheap type to buy. (Also any tips on making them stick well and for a long time especially in hot weather would be appreciated).

Is there any princess Leia costumes that aren't cheap plastic shit?

Anyone ever tried to set up a wireless mic/speaker with a cosplay? I have a thick vinyl mask that muffles my voice a lot. There are little $20-$30 ones on Amazon but I don't know if going that cheap is a bad idea

>>10916799
Planning on posting to World Cosplay and American Cosplay Paradise. Are they good?

>>10917927
In 2024? Doubt it. On World Cosplay's home page, their trending images are only getting 250 likes. That indicates to me that there really isn't much traffic there. ACP's website looks like it hasn't been updated since the early 2000's.

>>10917878
Yes, tons of people do. Especially for Star Wars cosplays. I'd look at which ones the Mando cosplayers recommend, but even in passing, I haven't heard any recommendations for expensive mics. I think any one that works will do. Plus Amazon has a good return policy.

>>10917674
>is there a good place to buy good quality fake thick eyebrows?
I can't think of a specific website that would sell authentic looking ones, probably just parody brows for Halloween. I mean, try Amazon or other SFX stores. If anything, you could chop up a lacefront beard.

>hand-make them
You would need to ventilate a lace front (youtube these terms) which isn't difficult but is time consuming. I don't know if it'd be worth it other my first suggestion

>Making them stick
Same with any facial prosthesis or wig: clean non-oily skin, pros-aide adhesive, powder and seal edges. Keep a small batch of glue and oil-blotting sheets on hand for reapplication sometime throughout the day. In general, try to keep cool and out of the sun as much as possible.

>>10917379
It's not difficult to cut the boots, but I'd say it's a bit more difficult to make them look good. Instead of trying to fold down the original material of the boot, it'd look better and be easier to just make a hem at the top of the boot and then add a new piece of material for the folded-over part that you can make look good. You're right, pleather-wrapped foam would be a good choice.

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>>10913539
>>10913926
Thanks!! Did it and had a blast.

No rec thread so I'll ask here. I'd like to give cosplay a try outside the usual tf2 classes, but I have no idea what to do. 5'4“ 125lbs manlet, too much hair to shave. Do I need to bite the bullet and just be fucking gimli or do I have other options?

Will duplicate the question here:
Not sure if this is the correct thread, but how do you fight perfectionism? For instance, I want to do my very first cosplay of a character I like very much, but I know nothing of sewing, makeup and wigmaking, which only leaves me with an option to buy some polyester crap from ezcosplay and be happy with that.
I would really love to wear a “good” cosplay instead of plastic bullshit, but that will require me to learn sewing (or spend a fortune to commision/hire a tailor), learn how to style a wig properly, and learn how to do a makeup (I’m a guy so never used it)

Do I just go with ezcosplay for starters and improve it later down the road?

>>10918409
now you need to write a medium sized text, about being a mega slutwhore in an event that was designed for actual fucking nerds to have fun

>>10918720
>actual fucking nerds
do you think regular people hang out on a mongolian basket weaving forum?

>>10918720
Half of our catalog is softcore cosplay porn. Her cosplay is more tame than most of the shit on here.

>>10918708
>which only leaves me with an option to buy some polyester crap from ezcosplay and be happy with that.
That's not your only option. You're thinking too black and white when there's a whole rainbow spectrum in between. Like you said, you can outsource the labor to a commissioner and be stunned with the final product, but remember that you don't have to pay them to do the whole thing. You could hire them to just style the wig or make the hardest part of the costume while you make the rest. You could buy pre-printed accessories. You could even buy the premade cosplay and swap out the shitty parts with better looking ones with some simple sewing, painting, or etc.

You could also accept your limitations and go in with the mindset of just having a good time pretending to be a character you love. Or you could do what I do and save your absolute favorite character for when you are more accomplished and choose a character you enjoy and don't mind looking a little scuffed for.

It's not joever yet. Let your passion take the lead and your worries won't feel so big. Halloween is a great entry point for cosplay because even a moderate effort on a costume will seem like the championship leagues to the rest of the normie world.

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What can I make this skirt out of?

>>10918708
>cosplay of a character I like very much
If you mention what character you're thinking of (or at least give a hint like "a vtuber" or w/e) people may be able to give you better advice on ideas for getting started or adapting the character design to something more manageable for a first-time cosplayer.

Should I buy an AoT Military Police jacket off AliExpress? I tried looking for actual good quality stuff on Etsy but it’s all Scout Regiment shit, and I 100% do not trust anything from a Chinese eBay seller, but my distrust of buying from China in general bleeds over into a distrust of AliExpress. I am not skilled enough to make one myself.

>>10918324
Too bad :( Well, do you guys think Tumblr is a decent place to post cosplays?

>>10919638
Maybe you could commission a local tailor. I really wish more of this stuff *wasn't* made in mainalnd China.

>>10919667
Yeah, I guess I could also ask around on Etsy and see if any sellers can make a MP one instead. I’m genuinely surprised there isn’t more of those being made at least, they were kinda major antagonists especially with Annie being among their rank. Not sure if the Etsy sellers would be able to do it though since they kinda need the patches and it’s hard to find the MP symbol in a size big enough for the back.

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I want to cosplay this guy. It's my first cosplay ever and I'm a little lost. I already ordered the wig and costume, but what should I do with the makeup and facial hair?

I did some recearch and people on the internet say you can make the facial hair out of crepe hair. But that means it can't be reused, right? And will I have to make them from scratch every time?

What about makeup? Again, even ITT people say that even if a character doesn't use makeup, it's still worth doing it because anime characters' faces are "smoother" than real faces. I've never done makup before, so where do I start?

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looking at cosplaying sengoku (red coat guy) from cyber city oedo 808. have practically no sewing skills and cannot use heavy machinery like woodcutters due to low vision.
>who to commission for coat? or should i attempt it myself? what fabric to use? any pattern/tutorial suggestions?
i like the idea of trying to make it myself, but i fucked up so many times on my last diy costume that it would have been cheaper to just commission it
>how to most easily make an extendable "jutte" (十手) or police baton?
>cheapest/fastest way to get 80s man arm muscles? i have access to kayaks and pools but no gym equipment. i have a whole year until the cosplay needs to be done

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>>10919895
the one cosplayer who seems to have done a good job

>>10919845
i tried makeup for the first time for my last con. what i found to work ok is take waterproof skin colored makeup and smear it on in layers until everything seems covered, wait a couple minutes for it to sink in, then rub off all the excess with your fingers or a dry paper towel. then tilt your head around in different angles or get a friend to check under different lighting to see if the makeup is obvious anywhere, and if it is then wipe that off. i only did it around the areas with major discoloration (like very red or purple) and i didnt cover moles or areas with stubble.

i found that this simple makeup technique does not work on the tip of my nose, it gets stuck in the pores and looks really weird. but it works well around the eyes and the top of the nosebridge to cover up the skin discoloration.

for making monolids, i use eyelash glue. put it on in one layer, keep your eye closed until the glue turns transparent, put a second layer on, wait until that turns transparent, then fold your eyelid up and hold it for half a minute to a minute. when you let go you will have a monolid if you did it properly. you have to be careful not to fold it wrong or glue your fingertips to your eye area. also try not to blink throughout the day as every time you do so it puts stress on the glue and your eyelid will eventually pop out and unfold.

>>10919845
for facial hair, if you want to put a ton of effort in, you can look at making actual hair prosthetics. it can include gluing the tips of hair together to make a small tuft then knotting or gluing them into a skin colored mesh, which you then glue onto your face. for the character in question it will probably be easier as it is straight hair, so you could probably start out with a couple wig hair extensions. for the chin, you may be able to put a piece of foam or something else then cover it with hair, so it keeps its shape and is easier to glue on to your face

>>10919665
you often can't view tumblr or instagram, sometimes even twitter, posts without an account. tumblr is a dying site these days - most people never started using it in the first place - and i wouldn't choose it.

the most views seem to be on tiktok and instagram, however marketing research shows that tiktok users interact less - they will look at your stuff, but send less comments, buy less stuff from you, etc.

i get the most interactions through facebook and discord, believe it or not. i'm about to give up and just go make a neocities with a guestbook.

>>10918708
you have a few options.
1) remake the same one costume a few times until it looks good. as you work, take very careful notes of what did and didnt work.
2) buy a premade shit costume and attempt to either copy it (take it apart and use the pieces as a pattern) or replace and upgrade pieces little by little
3) choose genuinely easy as shit costumes to make, until you feel your skills are good enough. it is the equivalent of a halloween "bedsheet with eyeholes cut in it".
4) Join or make a local cosplay group and have everyone help each other out in person

In my case I am choosing costumes where at least 50% of the costume is normal clothes that can be bought, so the parts I need to make (and can therefore royally fuck up) are few. You can score free test materials from Buy Nothing groups, secondhand shops, hotels (stained bedsheets).

the good cosplayers say if you want to get good fast then to just jump into the hard shit you're motivated to do. expect to not get good for several years - many people say 5 to 7.

finally realize that any costume where you are EASILY RECOGNIZED as the character is a 100% successful cosplay, regardless of shitty construction or costume inaccuracies. no fan is going to remember the tiny details of a costume unless they themselves wanted to cosplay that char. most important things to get accurate if you want to be instantly recognized are
1) wig shape and color
2) costume color and basic shape (anime has plenty of times where the char is tiny onscreen and none of the details show up, but you can still tell it's them)
3) (can skip if the above are really accurate or if you're in a cosplay pair/group) skin color

>>10919459
i'm no expert but the one on the right looks like it's supposed to be leather to me

>>10919900
>>10919897

Thank you, anon. For the facial hair, I think it would be fun if I'd make them as good as I can at this level. Dunno, even if it's my first cosplay, I don't think I should skip on details I can actually manage to do.

However, how would I style a chin hair? So imagine I bought a wig hair extension, then what would I do with it to make it look like a beard? Are there any tutorials? The one I found were on how to make a beard beard, not this small Chinese-styled beard

Is it socially acceptable to show up to your first con in a relatively cheap cosplay? I figured I'd at least give it a try than just go in normal clothes

whats the best method of adhering vinyl to eva foam and other vinyl woring on scar from wuwa and i decided to be a fag and make him shiny

i cant sew it its for his collar

I have a First Munipical High (Eva school) uniform costume. I'd like to cosplay Rei but my only light blue wig is a bob/hime cut so it doesn't look all that close to her hair. Should I use it? or should I just cosplay Hikari and wait until I get a new wig to do Rei“

>>10919936
yeah? like 90% of people at cons are wearing cheap Chinese crap

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I removed the breast pocket off this shirt, is there a way to discolor this specific area to match the rest of the shirt batter? Its a bit darker than it appears in the pic.

What is the best way to get pleather smell out of a cosplay? just ordered a misato costume im pretty sure its pleather and it just smells funky like cleaning stuff

>>10919909
>>10919459
You think leather? I'm also inexperienced with picking fabrics, but I read some sort of med to heavyweight fabric that would be used in uniforms. Twill, cotton, broadcloth, suiting fabric or something.

>>10919895
Coats like picrel are advanced techniques and specialty sewing. A beginner shouldn't attempt it. I'm not sure how much of a good idea it would be to use a sewing machine at all with low vision. Even people with average vision have been known to get accidentally pierced with the needle or have it explode in their faces. I had one explode at my eyeball, but thankfully I was wearing sight-glasses at the time. It's also going to be much more expensive and laborious to make yourself imo. This is one of those things that you should only make yourself if you absolutely can't find online or are a nerd for costume construction.

>>10920060
Not unless you can figure out how to harness the concentrated power of the sun. Unfortunately, you're cooked, my guy. You can't even dye the shirt unless you also want to make this patch darker than the rest.

is there any thread or something here for organizing meetups? I know /soc/ exists but its just coomer shit in there.