Introduction - What is it like being a Cosplayer?

Hello I am Charlotte, since I am not a professional or anything, to me being a cosplayer is like dressing up for Halloween multiple times during the year. Then spending the rest of the year working on and coming up with different cosplay ideas. I'm concurrently in college studying for a degree in theater and costuming. so obviously there is a lot of bleed over between my major and cosplay.

What are your next goals?

I have been working on an Elsa cosplay (I know right? real original) for the past six months while taking a sewing class. The main reason it has taken so long is the skirt is made of fiber optic fabric. Which means there is LED lights woven into the fabric that the skirt is made of. I only just finished the skirt before leaving for college and the shirt is currently super lists half done and a little too big. Unfortunately I will not be able to work on it again until Christmas break. This is certainly been my most advantageous undertaking (and taken the most time). But, I am always looking for new ideas and characters to cosplay (after all Halloween is coming up) so I always welcome suggestions.

Cosplay Characters

I have cosplayed: chell from portal, Rapunzel from tangled, Kim possible, Lara Croft from tomb raider, black Canary from DC comics, wonder woman from her new 52 series, and Princess bubblegum from adventure time (in the episode wizards only fools). There may be a few more but I cannot quite remember them. The overall theme of the characters I have cosplayed is that they are all strong women.

What does Cosplay mean to you?

To me cosplay means 3 things: 1, I can walk around in completely outlandish clothing without fear of judgment. 2, I get to be in the body and mindset of characters that live lives I wish I could live or are people I wish I could be. 3, since childhood I have had a lot of generalized anxiety and always had issues with taking pride in my work. I have always had a fear of coming across as self-centered, egotistical, or vein. I have always had a mentality that my skills and talents aren't particularly extraordinary and so no one would be interested in what I can present. And this is an issue I still struggle with very deeply. However with cosplay I can present something to others that I have put a lot of work and effort into and not feel uncomfortable about it, because even when something I have made has flaws and truly is not extraordinary in comparison to more professional cosplayers, the people around me still appreciate my work and want to see what I have made.

Who have been your biggest influences/role models/mentors?

Apart from just making costumes, looking at pictures, and going to a few conventions I am not all that active in the cosplay community. So I could not exactly list any role models apart from the characters that I cosplay.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for upcoming Cosplayers?

Do not let your skill level and access to materials prevent you from making something you want to. I have seen the most creative cosplayers arise out of situations like that. Also, If you are in college (or possibly high school) and your school has a theater department with a costume shop(or props department), get involved with them. You will not only learn how to sew better, but how to create things within a budget and time restraints.

What is the most negative experience you've dealt with while cosplaying, and how did you handle it?

The only experience that comes to mind right away is my recent wonder woman costume, when I bought the boots off of Amazon they did not come in half sizes. (I am a 7 1/2 in US sizes) and I really wanted the specific boots because they had although were healed and the other options and I am not someone who wears heels normally. while was reading the reviews for those specific boots someone mentioned them running rather large. So I thought "hey I will get a 7 since the pairs run large so it must be practically getting a 7 1/2" I was sooooooooo wrong. On the day of the convention not only where the sizes too small but I also had not at all broken in the shoes, and I was on my feet walking around the whole day. Only halfway through the day did I start noticing how bad my feet were hurting. And by the time my friends and I were leaving the convention I had given up and started carrying my shoes.

Any final remarks or shout-outs?

I am lucky I logged back into read it for the first time in months to be greeted by this survey.