Combating Cosplay Crises

By Sandra D. Sukraj

It’s finally here! The convention you’ve been waiting for. But you couldn’t afford an elaborate costume or just didn’t have the time to buy one.

So, what do you do?

Last-minute cosplay* costume ideas are gaining popularity among cosplayers. It provides an alternative to store-bought, boxed costumes and allows the wearer to make it his or her own.

Toronto cosplayer Katherine Keeling has done this many times in the comfort of her own home – and closet.

“You think of something that you can easily do with the wardrobe that you have,” she said. “A lot of people go for elaborate costumes. There’s a lot of really simple stuff that can be done throughout your wardrobe.”

Being a fan of sci-fi fantasy, Keeling’s husband also opts for the do-it-yourself costume, more specifically taking inspiration from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

“The main character wears pajamas. Pajamas and a robe. And chances are, you have that in your closet,” Keeling said. “So, he got to walk around the con* in pajamas and a robe with a towel and he was comfortable and people got it. Most girls are in heels and corsets and my husband’s in his slippers.”

While this is definitely a more cost-efficient and creative alternative to buying a costume, a DIY costume isn’t always necessarily cheaper than a store-bought one.

Rebecca Pahle, assistant editor at Film Journal International and lifelong cinephile*, said that while she has friends who do closet cosplay, the stuff in their closets are items they’ve acquired throughout the years.

“It looks awesome, but it ain’t cheap,” Pahle said. “As anyone who’s into crafting knows, making something yourself is often way more expensive than buying it pre-made. The benefit of DIY is that you get to add all the details you want and have an end product that’s truly you.”

But Pahle said there are some DIY costumes that won’t break the bank. For example, shows and movies where the characters dress, well, normally – like Keeling’s husband and his pajamas.

“Doctor Who, Supernatural and the like are always going to be easier than assembling a good Batman cosplay at the last minute,” Pahle said. “Which isn’t to disregard the amount of effort that some people put into Doctor Who and Supernatural cosplay - just that that’s the sort of thing you can put together at the last minute.”

Keeling has also felt the rush of putting together a last-minute costume. With only two weeks before her convention she found inspiration on the Internet.

“Somebody had crocheted a light saber and I thought ‘I can do that.’ So, I did it. I crocheted two light sabers and Princess Leia hair and the Twi’lek* tentacles that come out of their heads and I wore that,” she said. “I think a lot of times when you go into just recreational cosplay, not the people that are really into it for making money or for shows, you can have a lot of fun with it.”

Sunny Zhao, owner of Cosplay Station, a Toronto-based online store selling cosplay costumes and wigs, said some of the most memorable costumes she’s seen at conventions have been ones with over-sized props, especially if it isn’t an elaborate costume.

“Sometimes the props really make the character come alive,” Zhao said. “I can’t really remember what they were wearing, but I can remember how big their gun or sword was.”

Also becoming popular among cosplayers is the concept of gender-bending – taking traditionally male characters and making them female, and vice versa.

For example, this Halloween Keeling dressed up as the Joker – despite being female.

“He wears a purple suit and usually an orange shirt under it with a green vest. So, I wore a purple dress that I had with an orange tank top under it,” she said. “I sprayed my hair green, got green eyeliner, made my eyes green and I wore red lipstick. People instantly knew.”

That’s just another creative DIY costume from simple, everyday items found in your closet. But it’s not just the clothes that make the costume. Attitude is important too.

“There’s a performance aspect to cosplay,” Pahle said. “Wearing a cheap suit that’s a little too big for you doesn’t necessarily scream ‘Dana Scully,’* but if you have the attitude down, the poses, saying Scully-esque things when people ask you who you are, then it can make your cosplay really awesome. And attitude’s free.”

For more of Rebecca Pahle's work visit: FilmJournal.com/filmjournal and Pajiba.com

You can also follow her on Twitter @RebeccaPahle

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