Learn how to make your children’s cosplay in time for Halloween or the next pop culture convention.
Cosplay, it’s everywhere lately, especially with the rise of popular IPs such as “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” A portmanteau of costume play, cosplay has risen from an obscure hobby to something enjoyed by even rapper Megan Thee Stallion. So, how does your child get started?
Step One: The Idea
There are so many relevant characters — from the ubiquitous Rumi of KPDH fame to the virtual idol Hatsune Miku. On first glance, both of these characters have complex outfits, but here is where the fun begins. Everyone at the convention or on Halloween will be dressed in Rumi’s golden outfit or Miku’s standard uniform, but a quick Google search reveals that both of these characters have a plethora of outfits, including PJs for Rumi. Not only will your child stand out dressed as a variant of their favorite character, but the costume might just be that much easier to construct.
Step Two: Thrift Shopping
With an idea in mind, the first order of business is always to visit your local thrift stores to keep an eye out for pieces that are close enough to what you are looking for. Items that are too big can be taken in with a few well placed stitches or safety pins. Those with a more crafty inclination can even add fun accents such as ribbons and piping to make the details of their cosplay that much more accurate.
In this recent cosplay of virtual idol Kasane Teto, a little too much time was spent on the gravity-defying “drill curls,” leaving little time to work on the outfit. But luckily, Teto has no shortage of ensembles to choose from and nearly everything for the outfit from the music video “Birdbrain” was sourced from a thrift store. Both the shorts and the white T-shirt were thrifted while the socks were bought online and the Crocs already owned. Technically, this variant of Teto has yellow Crocs, but in many cases it is more cost-effective to ignore minor details that have little bearing on the outfit as a whole.
Step Three: Sewing
Now of course, if you possess some skill at sewing, cosplays can be created by hand using a variety of free patterns available online. A great resource is a website called DRCOS, which features both free and paid patterns that can be used for a number of cosplays. As for sourcing fabrics, M&L Fabrics Discount Store in Anaheim is a very affordable shop with many different types of fabrics.
Here is a variant of Teto constructed with fabric bought at M&L. The top was created with a pattern from DRCOS and the skirt is a simple circle skirt that can be made by inputting your child’s measurements into an online circle skirt calculator.
Optional: Wigs
Though wigs can be purchased affordably online from sites like Map of Beauty, not everyone is ready to commit to wearing them for a full day’s event — and styling wigs can be challenging for a first-time cosplayer. (Teto’s wig took months of trial and error.) Alternatively, you can use color hairspray on your child’s natural hair to match the character’s hair for a more comfortable event, or hair color can be dismissed altogether. The fun of cosplay is embodying the character in any way you like, whether that be going all out with a super accurate costume, or simply wearing clothes inspired by them.
However your child decides to depict their favorite character, they should remember that the most important rule of cosplay is to have fun. And the second most important rule is, of course, take lots of photos. — Lindsay Schiro
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