EVA foam is a versatile material commonly used in creating costumes and props for cosplay. It’s lightweight, flexible, and can be shaped into complex forms, making it ideal for simulating armor, weaponry, and other intricate designs. When starting with EVA foam, you’re engaging with a process known as foamsmithing, which involves cutting, gluing, heat shaping,…
If you’ve been to an anime or comic convention and seen all the amazing costumes people wear, you might wonder where people are getting these costumes. Maybe everyone has high-level sewing skills that they use. Is it not really cosplay unless you make your own costumes? It is not a requirement to make your own…
If you’re just getting started with cosplay, you may have heard the myth that cosplayers always make their own costumes. If you don’t know how to sew or create props, this may seem like an intimidatingly high level of entry to the hobby. The good news is that there is no requirement in cosplay that…
In many circles, genderbent costumes get a lot of unfair criticism. People may see it as a cop-out and a way to get away with a costume that doesn’t have all the accurate details. Others will say that the cosplay isn’t creative enough, and if you’re going to genderbend a character you should put more…
Crossplay is the term used when someone cosplays as a character of a different gender. The cosplayer will actively adjust their own appearance to try to match the gender of the character their portraying. As someone who identifies as female, I can only give advice from experience of a female crossplaying as male characters. If…
Anyone who cosplays a lot will tell you that it’s a pretty expensive hobby. If you want to create detailed and accurate costumes, the whole process can easily cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. But, that doesn’t mean cosplay is only for the rich. There are so many ways to reduce the cost of…
Cosplay is a lot of fun at conventions, but sometimes it’s not appropriate for everyday life. Your coworkers might not appreciate you walking into the office in full Wonder Woman armor. But that doesn’t mean you have to put aside your nerdy interests just to avoid standing out. You can use your favorite characters to…
While it may seem like a weird hobby from the outside, cosplay actually promotes some very practical skills. The technical skills you learn can be useful in a variety of industries, while the soft skills are advantageous in everything from making friends to job interviews. In general, the benefits of cosplay include hands-on skills such…
In most hobbies, DIY-ing a project is sure to make it cheaper in the long run. It makes sense that people assume cosplay is the same. If you can learn how to sew and construct a basic costume, maybe you can save a lot of money on cosplay. Unfortunately, you’ll find out that this logic…
When most people think of cosplay, they’ll picture someone wearing an elaborate costume, looking pristine from head to toe. They don’t think about the different aspects that go into it, including the contact, wig styling, and makeup artistry. However, these aspects are not always necessary for creating a stunning costume to wear at a convention….