Cosplay

I like to dress up. I do it so rarely, because I'm lazy and don't put a lot of effort into my appearance. My normal attire is a cross between Bohemian / didn't change out of PJs. On weekends or class days. When I work, I have to follow dress code. But as whether I'm subbing for a general education class or a special education, that changes so I have like four wardrobes in my closet. It needs to have access to Time Lord technology - bigger on the inside.

But the type of dress up I love the most is cosplay, dressing up as characters I like and going to events centered on them. It's a little different from dressing up as Hermonie for Halloween because 1)I'm older than 12 2) I do it in the middle of July for movie releases 3)I actually make these costumes, not buy them. Or rather...buy different items and put them together for an outfit. I don't know how to sew. ;_;

The thing about cosplay is at times it reminds me of writing. When I write, I feel like I channel my characters. I think of things as I type, from their point of view, and cosplaying allows me to become characters. You dress as them, and it's not uncommon to act like them for bits at a time. I remember watching two Jack Sparrows duel in the theater before the midnight showing of the second movie.

Steampunk especially. With anime or comics, you dress up as known characters. For Steampunk, you create your own. The character I dress up as, Rose Kaviler, has a whole back story I created, and I'm working on fixing up my costume to relay all that. You can tell a lot about a person looking at their clothes, and made up characters are no different. I want my costume to say the same. Plus, there's a weekend long convention in Wisconsin called TelsaCon where you spend the entire thing in character. There's even a plot each year to follow, and the hotel decorates rooms to go along with it ^_^

This is me with a random cosplayer at the World Steam Expo last May. (I'm on the left)


And I can't forget my wonderful 'box' as my mom calls it. It took me hours to make this one.

I'm the Tardis! I wore it to my NaNoWriMo regions kick-off party, and met up with someone who went as the 11th Doctor. Should have opened the other door to show off the sign in this picture, but I wanted to show that I tried to make my insides glow by wrapping Christmas lights around me. I couldn't move very well in this, or sit at all. Or drink XD The waitress put my water on the top of my costume and my fellow WriMos were so good about getting the straw just right so I could sip it. I ended up shedding it after a bit, which was also an awkward affair. I'd love to make a dress version that would be loads more comfortable to wear.

It's so fun making costumes, and yes it's geeky. But I figure I'd rather spend my money on sewing classes than alcohol.

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Say this three times fast: (fair warning, I've tripped up my first time through several times XD)

Constructing Creative Costumes