The Basics of Costuming

Welcome to my blog!

As a person who likes to be creative and also likes to wear various kinds of costumes I decided to start this blog. Because I am doing so for several years now and have learned a lot along the way, I am going to post advice for people who’d like to try putting on a costume - be it for a local carnival, a themed party or for cosplay - but who don’t know where to start. It is also intended for people who would maybe like to get some new ideas. Because I’m a crafty person and prefer creating things myself to buy them, I will also post tutorials for creating accessories, styling wigs and doing your fancy make-up, or about whatever I found out while creating a costume. I’d like to highlight that this blog is directed not only to people who do cosplay (costume play), but also to others who like to create original, or historically inspired costumes for various occasions. Note, however, that my aim is not absolute historical accuracy, and I also do not have formal tailor education. I´m a self-taught craftswoman and I usually use materials available to me.

I am creating costumes for myself since almost 6 years now and wear them mostly on an anime, fantasy and games convention in my home land, Slovakia. Among them are original costumes, but also cosplay. Even before starting this hobby I liked to create various things like masks, accessories and the likes. During those years I gathered some experience, which I´d like to share with you now. I often saw people struggling with their very first costumes, and they were granted, not very successful, and I often thought that maybe they had gotten it better if they had had some basic advice. So, maybe I can aid some of you in avoiding the mistakes they, and of course also I, made in the past.

For starters, I´m going to write down 10 basic rules. No matter what the occasion, a comic- or anime convention, a themed party with friends or a costume ball, if you want to be successful and also have fun, you should remember a few things:

Basic rules

1) Get inspired

2) Do your research

3) Acquire the materials

4) Pay attention to detail

5) Match make-up

6) Find the right body pose/face

7) Rehearse

8) Don´t forget repair kit

9) Find a good photographer

10) Enjoy



In further articles I will deal with each rule separately and in greater details. Joined with this blog will be a tumblr blog for inspirational pictures and as I hope, soon also a youtube channel with video tutorials.

Let the show begin!