Cosplay – Buying vs Making
The most common thing people think of when they hear “Cosplay” is that perfect, well put together ensemble that makes you stand out when you strike the perfect pose. Although the final stage is one of the best it isn’t really the most important. The most important part of any cosplay is the actual costume, without it you can’t portray a character stitch for stitch. You may have the attitude, hair and makeup of the character but without their signature look it seems to lack something.
When it comes to costumes there is always the argument between “Making” and “Buying”. There are pros and cons to both making and buying a cosplay, those pros and cons tend to balance each other out leaving the final decision to the cosplayer themselves even if it creates somewhat a divide amongst the community.The most important tip in regards to a cosplay costume would be to take your measurements and be completely honest. Yes there are times where you will look at the measuring tape and think “ I can not be that size…sure I’ll just take off a few inches it will still fit.” ….do not do that it could ruin your cosplay and possibly make you feel self conscious if you do decide to wear it.
The only times I would ever advocate taking off a few centimetres is when you are dealing with a stretchy fabric with some give but let’s get down to the matter at hand.
Buying Cosplay
When buying a cosplay it is best to take your measurements in advance and keep them close by when choosing your size. If the cosplay you are doing has a very complicated costume that you don’t know how to make buying is a good option. Warning, buying a cosplay rather than making it can and probably will burn a bigger hole in your wallet. Buying something premade will usually cost you a bit more that something you make yourself because of the labour involved, a majority of cosplays are not that easy to make so you are paying for the materials as well as the skill of the person making it too.
A good cosplay is worth its money, try to avoid going for a super cheap option as that can be disastrous. There are perfectly reasonably priced online stores that won’t charge you an arm or a leg for a cosplay and the quality is usually much better than a cosplay you would buy for a fraction of a price. 
If you are doubtful about the quality of the product before you buy a good tip is to read reviews, not only about the costume but about the website you are buying from too. Ask around, social networking means we’re more in touch with our fellow geeks and otaku these days and more than likely you’ll find someone who has paid for their cosplay from these sites and it will benefit you to do your homework.
As for the wigs they are usually always bought but do your research and check reviews before you buy those too.
If you decide to buy a cosplay online do your research, ask friends if they have used that website before, ask about their experiences, ask to look at their cosplays. Do your research, keep a picture of the cosplay you want to do and use it as a reference. You can never been too cautious when buying a cosplay. There have been issues of people buying a cheap cosplay without realising that the picture being used to describe it was a stock photograph and what arrives is off colour, the material can be shabby or low quality – the price tag will often reflect the quality so if you’re buying a Vocaloid costume for less than €15 euro chances are you are not getting a masterpiece.
Making Cosplay
Making cosplays although time consuming can be a more enjoyable process than buying, it costs less (in most cases) and it is made in a completely controlled environment. If you can use a sewing machine that will make the process much faster. Hand sewing everything can be extremely tedious . Making a cosplay needs a lot and I mean A LOT of planning. Every single part of the costume has to be planned carefully. Measurements, fabric ( texture, colours, amounts and embellishments). Although it is cheaper making cosplays the fabric you want to use may be expensive so keep that in mind when fabric shopping .
When fabric shopping, it is worth going to a number of shops compare the prices in those shops, this could save you quite a bit of money. Measurements are also vital to a well-fitting cosplay unlike when buying a cosplay, making a cosplay be a better option when you have varying measurements for example you could be an 8 from the neck down and a 12 from the hips down. You can customise some cosplays when buying online but this service could cost more but when you are making a cosplay it would just cost a little more time.
Although there are many pros and cons to buying and making cosplays the final decision is yours. The end result will hopefully be the same either way, you’d look amazing in your cosplay and feel amazing too or it could be a total dud and you could end up one cosplay less. There is one key element to both making and buying cosplays and that is TIME.
I cannot stress how important time is. Make sure you give yourself enough time to have your cosplay delivered on time and return it with time to spare. If you are making your cosplay you will need time to have a fitting at least a week before the con so any alterations aren’t rushed. But the most vital thing of all is to have fun, after all what is a con without enjoying yourself?
There is a divide when it comes to cosplay amongst the community, there are those who will invest blood sweat and tears into their costume months in advance, stitching, sewing, shaping and moulding the perfect cosplay and prop in preparation and there are those of us who will throw some big bucks for the perfectly made outfit. Some argue paying for a costume detracts and there are others who argue a professionally made piece is better than anything homemade. It’s frivulous to argue over these things, at the end of the day we’re all cosplayers, be it shop bought or homemade, we still get the same thrill from wearing it, showing off and being chased around conventions by fanboys and girls!
