Good Cosplay Gone Wrong

We've seen it, big guys or big girls in costumes too small for them, or outfits that don't flatter them. What's usually worse, is the fact that they don't look like they're having fun in their costumes. I've gone to a panel entitled "Good cosplay gone wrong" twice now, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It showed plenty of bad cosplays, and even some good cosplays. I'll sum up a few of the finer points of bad cosplay. I don't think I need to show the pictures of it, googling is easy to do.

1) Big girls can do good cosplay! - This was enforced time and time again. We saw many bigger sized women doing cosplays that weren't flattering to their body type. Body suits usually were the worst examples out there. Yet some of the best Sailor Scout cosplayers can be big women. Making the skirts longer is never a bad thing for a little modesty. I'll have to come up with examples and ideas later, but I've seen some amazing big women do great cosplays, from Jedi to Queen Nehelenia from Sailor Moon.

2) No costume is no costume - Oh god. There was a woman who had hot glued pieces of fur onto her body for her costume, when a bodysuit would've been a much better choice. Then a guy who was only wearing a cloak/cape, nothing else. Some costumes yes, they don't have a lot of clothes on, but in cases like these where a bodysuit would've greatly helped, or where they were nude... that isn't a costume. At all. EVER. You can't walk around nude in public, why could you at a convention?

3) Wigs make the costume - There was one picture with a group of cosplayers doing Vocaloid cosplay. The costumes were all right, but the big thing that made it fail, was none of them were wearing wigs. They were using their own hair (not dyed, cut or styled like the vocaloids they were cosplaying). Wigs make a big difference. And... well, even then, make sure the wig is good. A thing of cheesewiz on your head does not a wig make. Wigs from China have surprised me, being rather good quality. There's wig caps, and wigs. Make use of them. It really does tie a costume together. I have two characters that I use my own hair for, the rest have wigs. My hair is really long, and I can wear wigs. Everyone else has no excuse.

4) Bodysuits - They can be nice when done well. Don't wear them females, when you're... on your time, and both sexes should not wear them when they're not flattering on the form, or good for the character you are portraying. I'll use one of my own costumes to represent this. I cosplay as Reika Kuze - and the top half of her outfit, in the game, is that she's naked. I wasn't about to be naked for this, rather, I found a dance outfit (well, a friend of mine helped me find it and I bought it) and it was a tight fighting bodysuit I turned into the top half of Reika's outfit, so I didn't have to be naked, nor draw the tattoes on my body time and time again.

My good friend Stacey helps me put the tattoes on, and drew them onto the bodysuit, she'd kill me if she had to do that each time I wanted to be Reika. But the thing about Reika, is I wore the bodysuit well, and it was fitting for the costume to have one. I'm not the smallest women weight wise, but height wise I am slightly ahaha. Luckily for me Reika's body, she does seem to have something of a tummy, which helps. But Reika Kuze is one way for the bodysuit to come into play the right way.

6) Closet cosplay- this can be both a good and bad thing. Some characters wear normal clothes, some characters don't. If you can do it, more power to ya. I have two costumes with goodwill pieces, Miku Hanasaki from Fatal Frame and my .hack//sign costume Tsukasa. I put the pieces together and made the extra pieces to complete it, and they turned out really well. I've seen good ones and bad ones. Though, even if you can do closet cosplay, keep in mind you might still need a wig, and any jewerly and accessories that the character might use as well.


I'm sure there were other points, those are the major ones I'm remembering...I'll go into more detail about cosplaying to the body type, little bit here, little bit later on. Because the big thing when you are wearing a costume, wear it well. Be happy with what you're wearing, or else it'll just make it bad. If you're not happy with the costume, don't wear it. If you carry yourself well and have fun, everyone else can have fun with you. More on this all later. I'll be using myself next time to show off my big girl having fun cosplay, because I like to think I'm one of the bigger cosplayers of this character out there. At least in my state that I've seen so far.

Frack

Minor tangent here. Full sets of teeth are great for cosplays. Because most if not the vast majority have them, pirates the notable exception.

I have monodents in my mouth, four of them total. They're essentially a cheaper version of a bridge. Today biting into a carrot caused me to loose one, and its a holiday weekend. Not only am I afraid to eat, but I'm afraid my other monodents are loose. This is not helpful in the long run. I have an appointment for the dentist on the 7th, but I might need to get in sooner.

Cold in my mouth does not feel good. Nu uh right now. They're held by two little metal bands, and so holes in my real teeth had to be dug. I think those are what's being sensitive. This is not fun. Its not something I wanted on my holiday weekend either. Mom said the tooth does look a little small, and I told her they had to guess... still seemed a little small for guessing I suppose.

So really, fml. I have insurance, but still it cost around 600 for the one monodent, and I don't think its even lasted ... 3, maybe 4 months. Well, not that long anyways, and I don't want to wear a retainer, and don't think at this point considering the holes in the other teeth that's much of an option. I just want it to staaaaay. And my other teeth to not be loose. D8 I'm going to have them triple check the other teeth while they're at it. I don't think they'll have to numb up anymore, mebbe just more sealant or something. I don't know how it works. But I don't want... it to be a whole hell of a lot of money, considering how much my mouth is always worth.

Cosplayers, take care of your teeth! That's ... a silly lesson I suppose but a mouth full of fake teeth isn't fun.
Admittedly Most of my fake teeth were because baby teeth never turned into adult teeth, aka never came in, but still. Frack. Either way, still something to be wary and warned of.

Mostly felt a need to rant in this post. Also apologize for not posting yesterday. Teeth is important for cosplayers though. for SERIOUS. XD

Have a good 4th!