3. Get the Materials

Textile and other crafting materials are often the most expensive part of any costume of cosplay. Not to mention that some materials are impossible to get, especially when you live in a small town, or in a small country. Internet shopping is great, but it doesn’t solve everything. You cannot touch, you cannot smell things there. So, where to get materials?

2. Research

Every costume creation should start with research. If you don’t research, you’re doing something wrong. Then again, the intensity and time invested into this step depends on your intentions: is the costume for a local party? Do you want to take part in a cosplay competition? Would you like to have a nice memory in form of presentable photos? The thumb rule is - the more complicated costume it is and the better done you want it, the more you should research before starting the actual work.

1. Get Inspired

To create a costume, first you need inspiration. It’s not always easy: you want to be original, you want to be sexy or cute, or perhaps, you want to do something simple? Where to get an idea?

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!