Q&A for How to Cosplay

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Question

How do you get a lace front wig to stay on?

Joseph Harwood
Beauty, DEI & Social Media Expert
Joseph (JoJo) Harwood is a Beauty, DEI & Social Media Expert, Artist, CEO of Joseph Hartwood Ltd, and Creative Director of Team Baron Group. With over 15 years of experience, they specialize in all aspects of beauty, digital media production, and supporting diversity and inclusion efforts in businesses. JoJo has pioneered YouTube content and branding, with over 100 million views on their YouTube tutorial content and was the first and only winner of Simon Cowell's You Generation Competition. They studied an MSc in Cosmetic Science from the London College of Fashion, combining a technical understanding of cosmetics with beauty expertise.

Joseph Harwood

Beauty, DEI & Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Use a strong, water soluble gel to stick the wig to your hairline rather than using old-fashioned latex glue. This type of glue will get stuck in the mesh/lace and destroy the fabric, which you definitely don't want.

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Question

I really want to cosplay, but I'm not sure how my mom will feel. How can I tell her?

Community Answer

Just tell her and see how she reacts. If you don't want to be quite so direct, bring it up during a time when you're already dressed up as a character, like Halloween.

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Question

Is it possible to dress as an OC at a convention?

Community Answer

Of course! This is a great way to introduce your own characters, and it breaks the ice when people ask what your outfit is all about!

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Question

Is it okay for me to put on cosplay makeup as an 11-year old?

Dirty.Hacker

Community Answer

Sure. Make sure it's okay with your parents first, though. Don't just come out of your room one day in full costume and shock them.

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Question

What if I'm not old enough to buy anime clothing?

SoraTheGameMaster

Community Answer

Work with what you have on hand. You may also be able to get a friend or family member to help you buy a few things.

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Question

Do sewing and making the costumes yourself save you more money?

Community Answer

Doing it yourself SMARTLY will almost certainly save you money, but make sure you can actually do it in time for any events you want to attend. Make sure not to buy overpriced fabrics, and don't get those "cosplay making" kits.

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Question

Where are good places to cosplay in public?

Community Answer

Anywhere that allows you is a wonderful place to start. Check ahead of time to make sure a destination does not have a dress code. Don't worry about looking like a dork; remember that you cosplay for you and nobody else!

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Question

How old do you have to be for people to take you seriously (when it comes to cosplaying)?

SoraTheGameMaster

Community Answer

It depends on what you mean by that. If you were a 7-year-old dressing as Leone from Akame Ga Kill (don't do that), no one would take you seriously. But if you put enough effort into something that you think would be appropriate enough for your age, someone would be sure to take you seriously.

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Question

Can I only cosplay as an anime character?

Dirty.Hacker

Community Answer

Nope. You can cosplay as virtually anything! Video games, cartoons, movies, books, or Anime are all options, as well as countless others.

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Question

How do I choose which character to cosplay?

Community Answer

Watch several different anime shows/movies and/or read some manga. Select characters that you find interesting or that you can relate to. Also, choose characters whose costume you are most interested in making. You can also cosplay characters from video games and animated (non-anime) movies as well!

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Question

Is it okay to cosplay as an original character?

Community Answer

Yes, absolutely. Just be prepared to talk about the character if asked.

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Question

How do I react to people making fun of my cosplay?

Karianna Wood

Community Answer

Brush them off. You are having fun and all they can think of to do is ridicule other people. Rather than feel bad about yourself, you should pity them for their sad ideas of fun.

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Question

Can I cosplay a different gender than I am?

Dollmakers

Community Answer

Of course you can.

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Question

Should I act like the character that I'm cosplaying, or just dress like them?

Community Answer

It's up to you. Some people choose to act like the character in order to make the cosplay more convincing, but you don't have to. (Many cosplayers choose to just dress up and not act like the character.) If you do choose to act like the character, remember that in order to act like the character, you need to have a good understanding of the character's personality so that it's more believable; consider how accurately you would be able to portray them to help your decision.

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Question

What should I do if my girlfriend's shirt doesn't really fit with our cosplay?

Community Answer

Cosplay is about personal preference, so you should let it go. If it is very inaccurate, suggest an alternative that better suits her character.

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Question

Would it be weird for me to cosplay as someone from a TV show instead of anime or cartoons?

Community Answer

Not at all! Many people cosplay as characters from live action TV shows, such as Supernatural and Game of Thrones.

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Question

If you're by youself at a con and need a bag, but the bag doesn't look good with your cosplay, what should you do?

Dollmakers

Community Answer

Just roll with it, or run to a store and buy a bag.

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Question

Can I just act like the character and not go full cosplay?

Dirty.Hacker

Community Answer

Sure. Closetplay is a sub-term of cosplay. Roleplaying is also a way to do this. Closet playing is more convenient than buying a bunch of clothes just for a couple cons!

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Question

Is it OK to cosplay if you are under 16?

Dollmakers

Community Answer

Yes, but you should get your parent's/guardian's permission.

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Question

What do I do if I can't find a good cosplay wig for my original character? Nothing I find is even remotely similar.

Garrett

Top Answerer

It's messy, but if you have no other alternatives, you can use a safe combination of hair gel and spray dye.

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Question

Is it racist and rude to use bronzer or darker makeup to make my skin a bit darker to cosplay as black characters and make it more accurate? (Example: Tiana from the Princess and the Frog)

Community Answer

Most likely yes, it will be taken as offensive. Although it depends on who you will be around when you are dressed this way as well.

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Question

I made a San cosplay from princess Momonoke, but when I finally got on stage I was too scared to do anything. How can I change that in the next cosplay contest?

Community Answer

Work out why you were scared, and try to eliminate that. Remember everyone in the convention is there to cosplay and they are a supportive community united around a similar goal! You're among friends!

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Question

Is it okay to cosplay as a made-up character?

Dirty.Hacker

Community Answer

Definitely! OCs, or original characters, are one of the biggest trends growing in Anime-gaming fandoms.

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Question

If I'm buying parts to a costume (May and Joy Pokemon) -- where do I get them from?

Community Answer

You can get them from a site (eBay etc.) or maybe from a cosplay shop (if you have one in your city)

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Question

I was a Splatoon character for Halloween and everyone thought I was a painter. I looked like the character, so what should I do to show them that I'm from Splatoon?

Community Answer

An often found problem for cosplayers is not getting recognized for your character. My only recommendation is that instead of doing it just for Halloween, go to some cons; people will certainly recognize you there!

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Question

If I am 14 years old, would using fake blood be appropriate?

Community Answer

Yes. If it fits the character and is not very excessive, it should be fine.

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Question

I'm a 14-year-old girl and I want to cosplay for the first time as a boy. How can I tell my parents?

Community Answer

Most parents will be understanding about this. Just explain to them that it's "make believe" and you want to pretend to be a boy character. Don't make a big deal about it and they probably won't either.

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Question

Can I get paid for doing cosplay?

Community Answer

Not really, unless you work for a con or sell pictures or something. You can get money from winning contests at cons, but that's about it.

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Question

If the character I want to cosplay likes to carry around a wooden katana, should I bring one to a convention?

Community Answer

It depends on the convention, go to the website and see if they allow those sorts of things. I've been to two conventions, one of them allowed weapons and the other was collecting them before allowing anyone to go in, so it really just depends. If it doesn't say on the website, bring it, but they may want you to hand it in.

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Question

Is cosplaying is expensive?

Community Answer

It can be, but it doesn't have to be. It's much cheaper to be creative and make your own costume than to buy one ready-made.

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