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Beginners usually like to start with an easy cosplay costumes so that they can get the handle of things before working on the hard, complicated costumes. Some want an easy cosplay simply because they can't afford to buy it already made or buy the materials to make it. Others don't have the time to make a cosplay from scratch or finish working on it in time for a convention. So they relied on something they can put together quickly or something that requires less work to make for the con. Sometimes it's a combination of two or three reasons why many may relay on a quick and easy cosplay.
Though just keep in mind that even though the cosplay is simple and easy to put together. That doesn't give one an excuse to look like you did it last minute. After all, it's "simple" and "easy" so that means you should make sure you look the very best you can be. Doing so will make you stand out among those that are cosplaying the same character as you. And I do recommend that you try looking your best because there WILL be others, there's no doubt about that.
Now, the first thing one thinks about when cosplaying is who they want to cosplay as. Ask yourself what are you into? What are your favorite anime/manga or video games, or comic or tv-show or cartoon or movie? Whatever it is, think about the characters and their outfits. Which would you be able to make quickly or is simple enough that you can create?
Once you've decide it's time for you to figure out how you'll accomplish the costume. If your character requires a wig think about getting a cheap one online. Or see if it's possible to temporary dye your hair? If coloring your hair isn't a problem, can you actually cut and style your hair like the character's? What about the eye color, is color contacts needed? What about makeup/stage makeup/paint? Is any of that needed to help you look the part?
For the outfit is there a part of it that's complicated? If so, have you thought about buying that part online? Doing so would save you money because you're not buying the whole outfit just the part of it that's hard for you to make. For example: I was making my own Kisuke Urahara outfit and I decide to buy the hat instead of making it because I have no experience in making hats. I started to make my own clogs with the help of my father but give up when he cut them wrong. So like the hat I will buy that too.
Just make sure that you think about making it yourself first and if you are able to. Or if you can get help from a family member or friend with it. It's a lot cheaper when you buy the materials and make it yourself. As for the rest of the outfit, is there something in your closet that can work? What about a family member's closet or your friends? Sometimes they may have items that can work for example maybe grandpa's closet has a trench coat which would be great for cosplaying Rorschach. What about going shopping and looking for something that can be alter? Sometimes when you can't find something you'll have to make it yourself. Or take something and give it a make over.
I know a few that visit the Salvation Army (Fabric outlets, Goodwill, etc) and dig through the bins to find some interesting clothes or shoes. One time a friend found a simple, old, yellowish long white dress, with the ends sort of shredded up and she changed it so that it became beautiful. She bleached it, making it whiter, cut and tailored the end into a design, as well as reshaped the collar of the dress. In the end it looked exactly like Namine's dress, a video game character in Kingdom Hearts.
All she had to do was just dye her hair blonde, styled it like the character's, and buy her self a pair of cheap sandals that looked similar. All in all, she was pretty much ready to cosplay using her own sketch book and pencil as props. In total, it cost only $28.29 (including the hair cut and dye. She did it herself before going to a salon to cut it because it's cheaper that way). That's a whole lot cheaper then getting something online that costs $181.00 (not including the sandals or sketch book/pencil). On another website Namine's dress alone cost $42.00.
That's why I recommend anyone who's planning to cosplay to really think about it and try to make it themselves instead of buying it already made. It saves you money. Really, it's not just a few cosplayers that hit the Salvation Army stores (and/or the Arts and Craft store or the Goodwill) but so do those that are fashion frugal. I've seen many that go there, look around and find something interesting. They always turn it into an fashionable outfit that one would see in brand-name and designer goods stores.
Anyway, if you're horrible at making an outfit or you are not interested in making it. Your best bet is use what you got in your closet. Maybe even buy a part of it at your local clothing store, depending on what it is you need. If all else fails and you're really desperate to dress up as something for a convention than you can go as the generic schoolgirl, or generic cat girl, or lolita.
Down below is a list of characters you can cosplay as when you're short on time or skills. Some are pretty easy, so easy that you can use the clothes from your very own closet or get at the store. Some are semi easy in which means you'll need to know how to sew in order to pull the outfit off. But none of them are that complicated or extremely detail, so no one should have that hard of a time with it. Before I forget, sometimes a character has more than one outfit so don't think I mean the one you first see in google or commonly think of them wearing.
Cosplay Characters:
Death Note - L
Death Note - Near
Death Note - Light
Chobit - Chii (baggy t-shirt and baggy pants)
Fullmetal Alchemist - Winry
Fullmetal Alchemist - Envy
Fullmetal Alchemist - Rose
Get Backers - Amano Ginji
Cowboy Bebop - Ed
Left 4 Dead - Hunter
Left 4 Dead - Witch
Left 4 Dead - Zoey
Left 4 Dead - Louis
Left 4 Dead 2 - Rochelle
Gundam Wing - Heero Yuy
Gundam Wing - Duo Maxwell
Kiki’s Delivery Service - Kiki
Pokemon - Misty
Pokemon - Team Rocket Grunt
Outlaw Stars - Melfina
One Piece - Monkey D. Luffy
One Piece - Sanji
One Piece - Nami
Final Fantasy 7 - Tifa
Final Fantasy 7 - Rude
Final Fantasy X - Rikku
Ouran High School Host Club - Nekozawa (cloak version)
Vampire Princess Miyu - Larve
Black Lagoon - Revy
Heat Guy J - Clair Leonelli
Heat Guy J - Daisuke
Spirited Away - Chihiro
Rave Master - Haru Glory
Rave Master - Elie
Love Hina - Naru
Harvest Moon - Vaughn
Harvest Moon - Muffy
Harvest Moon - Ann
Harvest Moon - Chelsea
Harvest Moon - Denny
Harvest Moon - Shea
Harvest Moon - Mark
Harvest Moon - Julia
Paranoia Agent - Lil Slugger
Evangelion - Shinji
Evangelion - Asuka
Shaman King - Yoh
Shaman King - Anna
Lara Croft - Lara Croft
Hunter X Hunter - Killua
Hunter X Hunter - Leorio
Dragon Ball - Android 17
Dragon Ball - Android 18
Dragon Ball - Videl
Dragon Ball - Pan
Wolf’s Rain - Toboe
Wolf’s Rain - Kiba
Wolf’s Rain - Hige
Wolf’s Rain - Blue
Zatch Bell - Kiyo Takamine
Zatch Bell - Zatch
Trigun - Meryl Stryfe
Trigun - Milly Thompson
Trigun - Nicholas D. Wolfwood
Yami no Matsuei - Hisoka Kurosaki
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! - Any of the characters in normal or school uniform. Or even dress in suits to get mafia look.
Durarara! - Any of the characters
Yu Yu Haksuho - Yusuke (dark tournament outfit) or Demon Yusuke
Yu Yu Hakusho - Hiei
Yu Yu Hakusho - Boten (human outfit)
Bleach - Rukia (school uniform)
Bleach - Orihime (school uniform)
Bleach - Chad (school uniform)
Bleach - Ichigo (school uniform)
Bleach - Uryu (school uniform)
Princess Mononoke - San
G-Gundam - Rain
Kingdom Hearts - Namine
Kingdom Hearts - Kairi (school uniform)
Kingdom Hearts - Riku (school uniform)
Yu-Gi-Oh - Tea
Yu-Gi-Oh - Ryou Bakura
Soul Eater - Crona
Silent Hill 2 - James Sunderland
Silent Hill 2 - Angela Orosco
Silent Hill 3 - Harry Mason
Silent Hill 4 - Henry Townshend
Resident Evil - Jill Valentine
Resident Evil - Billy Coen
Resident Evil - Excella
Soul Calibur - Sophitia Alexandra
Ben 10 - Gwen Tennyson
Ben 10 - Ben Tennyson
Futurama - Fry
Futurama - Leela
Invader Zim - Dib Membrane
Invader Zim - Gaz
Bayblade - Hiromi Tachibana
Escaflowne - Van
Sorcerer Hunters - Chocolate
Sorcerer Hunters - Carror Glance
Fruits Basket - Kyo Sohma
Elfen Lied - Lucy
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - Mari Kusakabe
Eden of the East - Saki Morimi
Stigma of the Wind - Kazuma Yagami
Air Gear - Simca
Street Fighter - Ryu
Street Fighter - Ken
Street Fighter - Makoto
Street Fighter - Guile
Street Fighter - Poison
Zombie Loan - Chika Akatsuki
Lastly, study up on your character, especially if you don't know them all that well. Why? Because people will be taking your picture and you'll have to pose. The best kind of cosplayers are those that captures the character's mannerism when they're photographed.
 DamnBlackHeart · Mon Apr 18, 2011 @ 03:59am · 0 Comments |
