Let’s say you have gone to a convention for the first time. You see a lot of people wearing wigs and fancy dresses. Some of them are even dressed as your favourite character. They look like the character, they move like the character, they are the character. Someone says they are wearing a cosplay and you inmediately fall in love. But, what is cosplay? Terms and terminology can get a bit confusing and that is why I made this little guide to get you started.
It is very easy to start on cosplay, but before that you may want to know a little bit more of what this movement is all about. These are the types of cosplay branches people may choose to wear to a convention. Also, remember that some people may have missconceptions about it, make sure to read my cosplay missconceptions and disambiguation article to know more about what is and isn’t cosplay.
What is cosplay?
Before we start with the different branches, you may want to know what is cosplay? Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure) usually refers to the act of dressing in a costume to recreate a character. This character is usually from a work of fiction . Many cosplayers create their own costumes but they can also buy them. The word cosplay comes from the term costume and play. Cosplayers usually perform and act as their character. They can come from anime, manga, films, TV series, videogames or virtually anything. Basically, a cosplayer would be a person that dresses up like a character he or she loves.
In addition to this you may say that you will probably find a cosplayer at a manga or comic convention, but very rarely out of it. Do not expect a cosplayer to go to the shops in a costume to get some bread. If you do, check around for a local convention or maybe for a photographer because they must be doing a photoshoot.
The person who wears a cosplay is called a cosplayer or coser. They usually try to represent a character from a fandom they like, they can be more or less accurate and have a higher or lower budget, but what cosplayers usually have in common is their love for the character they are portraying.
Cosplay “jobs”
One of the things great things about cosplay is that you don’t need to make all of it. Actually, you don’t need to make any of it if you don’t want to! There are many shops where you can find what you need, but also many people that will help you for a price. Depending on what you do or don’t do there are several terms within the hobby that will describe your “job”.
As I said, you don’t need to make your own cosplays to be a cosplayer. Some people make cosplays to order. If you make your own cosplays or if you make cosplays for others you may be called a cosmaker. Also, you can decide to order your props and accesories to a prop maker, prop makers don’t always wear cosplays themselves and they are happy creating weapons and pieces for other cosplayers. Lastly, if you have been paid to wear a cosplay but have no idea of what all this is about you are probably a cosplay model. Don’t worry, it is still lots of fun.
It is very rare to find cosplayers that make a living out of cosplay, and whenever they do it involves a lot of work. They will usually sell cosplay related items but will still have to cost their own creations unless they get a sponsorship for a particular project. Many cosplayers will sell little pieces or accept commision parts to get some cash for their next project.
Types of cosplay. Terms and terminology
Inside the cosplay movement you can find different styles depending on your choice to represent your character. Maybe you want to cosplay the opposite gender or you want to adapt it to your personal style. Everything is allowed and it is a matter of preference. You are the one to decide. These ae some of the most common types of cosplay you can find.
Crossplay
You can decide to cosplay a character from the opposite sex. This is called crossplay. Crossplay is not always easy, in the case of women they will usually bandage their chest. Men will sometimes wear prosthetics and ellaborate make up too. In both cases the cosplayer will dress up with respect and not to mock a character. Although this can happen sometimes, most people genuinely cosplay as the other gender just out of admiration for the character.
Gender Bender
If you are not into crossplay, you may decide to change the gender of a character to suit your preferences or your own gender. In this case, you will adapt the features of the character to the opposite sex and you will be making a gender bender cosplay. A character which was originally a man will be represented as a woman or the other way around, a character which was a woman will become a man.
Crossover or Mash up
Some cosplayers may decide to combine two fandoms and create a new character. This is what we call a crossover. Some people may even represent more than 2 characters or fandoms in the same costume to create something new. They are usually fun to wear and you would be surprise on how many people will recognse you.
Animegao Kigurumi or Dollers
There is yet another way to recreate a character. In Japan, some people may choose to wear masks instead of make up to dress as their favourite characters. The dollers want to be as accurate representing 2D characters as they can. This is why they wear masks with painted faces that will make them look like a doll or a figurine of a character.
Gijinka
A gijinka is the humanization of a character. It consists on creating human-like creatures which were originally animals or monsters, but also objects or brands. One of the most popular series from which people make gijinkas is Pokemon. Some artists have become famous designing these interpretations of a character. There are no written rules and you can decide to create your own cosplay based on a character you love.
OC or Original Characters
You are also allowed to create something completely new. Some people may decide to adapt a character to their own liking or style. Others, however, will decide to create a completely new character from scratch. It is totally fine to create your own cosplays and show them off at the convention. However, do keep in mind that not all competitions will accept OC if you ever want to enter them.
To sum up, in cosplay it doesn’t matter what you wear or how you wear it as long as you have fun. Also, you don’t need to wear a cosplay to admire the hard work people put into this hobby, just remember that cosplay is not consent and as much as you may want to hug one of your favourite characters ever there is a person underneath that may not be so happy about it. Buy it, wear it or admire it, it doesn’t matter how you do it, just enjoy and remember to be respectful to others.
Finally, if you decide to make your own cosplays (or if you are just curious) keep reading this blog and check for cosplay tutorials, sewing tutorials, patterns and much more!
