Thrift Store Scavenging :: Cosplay Mayhem P2

All right, so this time we're on to planning out your costume and a little bit about shopping for clothing to remake into costume parts.

Planning Time
Well, now that you know a bit about the glorious traditions you're upholding, let's start with some planning.

First, why do you want to cosplay? Do you just want to do something fun with your friends? Do you like showing off? Or do you want a chance at winning the cosplay events?

Each of these goals is going to take a different strategy, so let's start with the simplest.

All of my cosplaying has been a result of me and friends just wanting to have some fun at a convention. None of my costumes took more than two weeks to make, and many were sewn in hotel rooms and cars. Of course, none of these costumes have been winners, but it was still fun to walk around, be recognized by others, and do group photos.

Before you get started, let's make a plan for the costume. Find some good color pictures that show as many angles of the character as possible, and then start to dissect it. Look at all the elements of the costume and think which pieces you might be able to find at a thrift store (such as a white button-down shirt) and what you might need to sew and craft by hand.

Also, keep in mind what the character looks like in general. Do you need contacts/wigs/special make-up for this costume? If you're on a budget (or have little time), it's good to take a look at the whole costume right now.

Sketch out each element of the clothing. Figure out what layer might connect to another. Now is a good time to think about how you're going to make other items like armor or jewelry.

Make a list of each piece that you need to buy, from clothing to jewelry, including accessories. Know when you make out this list how much time and money you have. Many cosplayers I've talked to who have complicated costumes have saved up over a year to put them together, buying the perfect materials whenever they could afford it. How you want to spend your money is up to you, but unless you have a well-paying job, you should take the money issue into account upfront.

Art by Annie Jia
And don't forget to think about the issue of safety while cosplaying. Large wings and blindfolds may be cool in anime, but don't always translate well to real life walking.

Thrift Store Scavenging
If you're planning to cosplay, the first thing you should do is become familiar with your local thrift stores. Typically, you have two types:

Goodwill/Salvation Army/Donation Stores – These are purely subject to the whims of the donating public. They have the cheapest items and an interesting selection, but you may need to visit quite a few to find everything you want.

Consignment Shops – These are slightly more expensive, and the owners get part of the sale money. Often these stores cater to a certain audience, like vintage, formal wear, or military, and you can sometimes find some great designer clothing and formal wear.

Find out the location of all of the stores that might have what you need. Sometimes even your local megastore (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, etc.) might have clothing items you can get for cheap that are the style you need. One nice thing about going to stores like that is you will get a better size and color selection.

Most of my costumes came from thrift stores. I trimmed shirts, hemmed pants, and even cut open a robe to make Miyaka's priestess outfit. With some ingenuity and creative talents (and a fear of sewing a whole costume), a lot of pieces can be created out of already designed clothes. The nice part about that is you don't have to do all the work, especially when the item you need is something ordinary, like a blue button-down shirt. Trying to sew a shirt is much more difficult than finding one.

Still, these costumes can sometimes seem less professional, so take your time and make sure you are still putting in your best effort, even if you are mostly reassembling pieces.

Next time we'll talk about sewing costumes from scratch. A difficult, but rewarding part of costume making.