Hey guys! Today I'm talking about how to use cosplay for self esteem; as well as, the negatives and positives in the cosplay community! Just a warning, the video has some saucy language. As mentioned in the video, here is Gwen's post on her experiences of self-esteem in the cosplay community, Cosplay & Self Esteem (A Response To Superheroesque)!
Ideas for First-Time Cosplay!
Crossover Cosplay | Crossovers is combining two series or two ideas into one costume. This can be commonly seen using Sailor Scouts mixed with other characters such as an Adventure Time Marceline Senshi. Crossovers don't have to be from two separates series, it could also be a style plus a character. For example, last year, Mia and I did Hipster versions of Adventure Time characters. (I'd love to see some more warrior/armored versions of any character, to be honest.)
American Cartoons | American cartoon characters tend to have super simple outlines and costumes making them easy to portray with any body type.
Closet/Casual Cosplay | Closet cosplay is what it sounds like, taking everyday items and fashioning them to be inspired by a certain character. Closet cosplay may be a good way to get used to dressing up as characters without making the full commitment of a costume!
P.S. - Tonight, Mia and I are going to be joining some fellow Female Geek Bloggers for a con-at-home G+ hangout, all about cosplay! We'll post a link to the hangout on Twitter with #FGBCosplay so keep an eye out.
I love the idea of closet cosplay! Can you talk about that more? Maybe with an example or two. For some reason in my head cos-play is very all or nothing, so having it be more casual is a fascinating idea to me.
ReplyDeleteCloset cosplay is very much similar to Disneybounding..which is where you take items of clothing like everyday clothing and create outfits inspired by characters.
ReplyDeleteFor example if you wanted to closet cosplay Ariel from The Little Mermaid all you would really have to do it put on a red wig, a purple shirt and green pants and you're set.
Disneybounding is all thats coming to mind right now that I can think that has some visual representations so here's the link to the tumblr page so you can get a visual idea: http://disneybound.tumblr.com/
And then the Disneybounding tag on Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/disneybounding
Disneybounding is a perfect example! I also use the term "closet cosplay" to mean either an outfit inspired by a character (as mentioned) or a cosplay that is mostly made of purchased pieces, rather than handmade or modified pieces. So, L from Death Note would be closet cosplay (http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080413235841/deathnote/images/f/fe/L.png) because you can find the pieces at any store.
ReplyDeleteOh my god. I am so excited that this is a thing that exists. Automatically following that Tumblr. I only wish I had found this last month! I live in LA and had friends in town so I went to DisneyLand twice this past month. This is also great for characters in modern shows or for Halloween costumes. By this definition I closet cosplay Buzz Lightyear on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteSo much awesome!
Love it! Also I had no idea there was a name for closet cosplay. Lol. I think you're totally right Liz about the people who tend to ridicule others aren't usually other cosplayers, though. I know some are but I know for many, myself included, the more I cosplay the more I appreciate the work someone puts into a cosplay because I've experienced the euphoria, disappointment, and (in my case) injuries that were likely experienced as it was made.
ReplyDeleteLove it! I just...no other words. I agree that it is usually non cosplayers and the..."glazey-eyed" folks (can we call them Glazed donuts? and Cosplayers can be Sprinkle Donuts? cause they wear their fun unabashedly?) IDK.
ReplyDeleteI'll stand by: Love this!
The intro to your video really resonated with me. I cosplay every now and again, and I'm very enthusiastic about encouraging other people to cosplay and celebrating awesome costumes that I've seen. A while ago, a friend sent me a link to a site called (something like) Good Cosplay vs Bad Cosplay. It was essentially a series of photos of two different cosplay versions of the same character: one "good" and one "bad".
ReplyDeleteAs I scrolled through, I noticed a trend that upset me. Many of the "Bad" cosplayers weren't sporting poorly-made or inappropriate costumes. In fact, the majority of them had clearly put a lot of work into their costumes. But what the author of this site felt made these cosplays "bad" is the fact that the person wearing the costume didn't look exactly like the character they were portraying. In that they had a different body type (whether that was larger, or less muscular, or taller or whatever), or were a different ethnic background or wore glasses when the original character did not. It really upset me to see that these people were being mocked for paying homage to a character that they adore, in their own way.
I think that cosplay definitely has a place in cementing self-esteem and self-love. But it's such a shame that people will still pick on cosplayers who don't fit the 'correct' body type/colour of the character they're portraying.
Wow, that was a long-winded comment!
I have never heard of the term Disneybounding before. Sounds dirty. lol. Casual cosplay is cosplay nonetheless.
ReplyDelete