×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Cheap cosplay costumes?




Anime News Network Forum Index -> Industry -> Retail
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
MajorKusanagi9



Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 32
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:39 pm Reply with quote
Hi everyone! Okay, I want to get a cosplay costume, anybody know a website or store in the Chicagoland area that sells cosplay costumes for cheap? (under 50$ would be nice) Smile
Because when I look, all the characters I want are fifty dollars or more!
As you can see, I don't have much money...... Anime smallmouth + sweatdrop

All suggestions will be appriciated! Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MorwenLaicoriel



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 1617
Location: Colorado
PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:54 pm Reply with quote
Probably your best option is going to be to make one. Costumes take a pretty long time to make--particularly since a lot of commissioners are just one person--so $50 would probably not even cover the time it took to make the costume, much less materials.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address My Anime My Manga
digitalkikka



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 462
Location: Chicago, Illinois
PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:37 am Reply with quote
MorwenLaicoriel wrote:
Probably your best option is going to be to make one. Costumes take a pretty long time to make--particularly since a lot of commissioners are just one person--so $50 would probably not even cover the time it took to make the costume, much less materials.


Yup, you're best making you're own. But if that is not an option you can either try eBay or piece one together using clothes you can find in-store. Unless you're going as someone like Naruto it's going to be difficult to find a pre-made costume. What character(s) are you interested in?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kolibri



Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 712
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:12 am Reply with quote
You have to be pretty inventive if you want a whole costume under $50. And when I say inventive, I mean both with choosing your character (no fantasy, no props) and the costume (look for something that you can utilize your existing wardrobe). Buying ready made - if it's under $50 I doubt you'll get any sort of quality.

But tell us what you're after, maybe we can help you with some ideas.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Abarenbo Shogun



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 1573
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:49 am Reply with quote
eBay, thought check feedback on the costume your looking at first to see the reactions of others.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MajorKusanagi9



Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 32
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:49 pm Reply with quote
digitalkikka wrote:
MorwenLaicoriel wrote:
Probably your best option is going to be to make one. Costumes take a pretty long time to make--particularly since a lot of commissioners are just one person--so $50 would probably not even cover the time it took to make the costume, much less materials.


Yup, you're best making you're own. But if that is not an option you can either try eBay or piece one together using clothes you can find in-store. Unless you're going as someone like Naruto it's going to be difficult to find a pre-made costume. What character(s) are you interested in?


I would like to either beEdward Elric, Motoko Kusnanagi, Winry Rockbell, or Riza Hawkeye
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MorwenLaicoriel



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 1617
Location: Colorado
PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:40 pm Reply with quote
Okay, well...I've actually never cosplayed, I just read about it a lot, so...take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Ed you could possibly find on eBay for pretty cheap, at least his coat. The rest of his outfit is pretty standard, so you could probably get his coat off of eBay, and then piece together the rest of his outfit out of things you find at a thrift store or at Target, etc.

The problem with Ed would be his automail. I don't think you could pay someone to make it for you very cheaply--it's generally pretty complicated. So you'd have a couple of different options: You could try making it yourself, out of, say...grey-colored paper, or something. You could probably google a way to make one yourself.

If you don't think you could make it, but feel pretty confident in your drawing skills, you could either find some sort of grey/silver glove and draw the design on it...or, use body paint. I've never seen anyone use the glove idea, but I have seen someone use body paint, and it actually looked REALLY good. That might rub off easilly, though--if you use body paint, I would probably only do it on your hand and just wear the coat the entire time, or skip the coat altogether and paint your entire arm (that might be a cheaper option for you).

For Winry, I bet you could pretty easilly make her costume out of street clothing you find in stores. If you want to do her jumpsuit outfit, all you'd need would be to find a grey jumpsuit, a black tubetop, and a red bandana. Oh, and a wrench of course (I'd make the wrench out of foam or something--they probably wouldn't let you bring a real wrench because it'd be considered a 'weapon'. Depending on the con--check their costume rules). If you went as her movie outfit, or in her dress, you'd probably be able to find pieces for it even easier.

A note, though--if you use street clothing, you probably wouldn't be able to into into a compition. This, again, depends on the con you go to--but I know the one I went to last year, Nan Desu Kan, the costumes could only be something like 30% street clothes--the rest had to be handmade. It'd probably be best not to enter into a contest your first time, anyway--better to go and get a feel for how the compition works at your con before you enter.

I know I've seen military uniforms from FMA for sale on eBay, so Riza could be pretty easy if you could find one for the price you want.

I don't really know enough about Kusanangi to give you any advice on her outfit...

Also, what's your natural hair color? unless you decided you're not going to worry too much about accuracy, you may have to dye your hair...if you've got light colored hair, you can use a temporary die without too much of a problem. However, if you've got dark-colored hair...I've got dark brown hair, and it's reeeeally difficult to even get perminante die that's lighter than my natural color to work. So, you'd either have to use a cheap, halloween-type wig (which generally don't look very nice), or bleach your hair...the nicer wigs that more professional cosplayers use can cost about $30-50 unstyled, so that's probably not going to be an option for you.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address My Anime My Manga
MajorKusanagi9



Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 32
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:00 pm Reply with quote
Thank you so much!
You gave me some good ideas! I'm not sure who I will do out my the people I gave you, but I will cosplay... (one day LOL)

Thank you again! Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MorwenLaicoriel



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 1617
Location: Colorado
PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:55 pm Reply with quote
You're welcome! Anime smile I'm glad I could help!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Industry -> Retail All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group