Special pre con blog series - Cosplay Building Materials

Well hello, welcome to a special blog series I will be doing over the weekend on Cosplay Building. The reason why is simple, because I want to share my knowledge of building costumes with all of you.

Be aware what I will cover in this blog series is not simple sewing works. This is because I attend conventions in full body cosplay, with my face covered. Not due to being ugly or anything, but because my passion is building old school movie style cosplay.

This first blog will cover materials and where to find them.
My last major cosplay was made in one week, and a fabric only build. Most of my materials came from a fabric store, minus the base I purchased at a Halloween costume store.

However not all cosplays are so easy to find material for. One of my favored ones from the Shadowhearts games was only completed by sheer luck. Because finding a replica WW1/2 military officers long coat in that shade of green and style is near impossible on a budget. Only two countries had that color or style used in their uniforms; and of them one (Japan) destroyed many of the uniforms after the war.

The other country was Romania, specifically a group of Romanians that waged guerilla warfare against the Axis powers. They mostly used old WW1 era coats, many of which were burned for heat in winter.

The sheer probability of me finding a replica, let alone that kind of long coat was so slim I almost built one myself. But as luck would have it, I walked into a thrift store and found that coat. It was Romanian so it required a modification or five to work, before you ask it was damaged already.

But it had all the buttons, and truth be told I found four coats; two damaged and two in good condition. The damaged ones are what I use for cosplay, the others I'll likely sell off.

You are likely wondering, "Glen, why does finding a coat in a thrift store matter? And didn't those coats cost a fortune?"

Well you see it matters because finding those coats in a thrift store meant none of them cost a fortune. Actually they cost a combined less than food cost for two weeks, or in USD under $100.00 for all four. The cost of replicating the one coat would have been far higher, likely upwards $500.00. Plus they were authentic, the one I wear to conventions has spots where it had bullet and stab punctures sewn up visible on the coat. Also it's surprisingly cool when worn in convention halls and breathes well.

It also has what sounds like papers sealed within the lining that I had to poke a sewing needle through while modifying it in a minimal damaging way. Wouldn't it be funny if a secret treasure map was hidden in the lining of my Cosplay?

So the point of this story is to show that it is often worth checking for materials in thrift stores and the like, before you go and spend thousands of dollars on a cosplay coat. However when you can't find anything at a thrift store, don't go and purchase a cosplay online.

It is still more affordable and fun to build it yourself. The solid fabric build I did last year (SG1 villain) was done with almost no reference imagery available. All I had were a few screenshots from the show, but it worked out. The materials cost me under $300.00 USD, and it is a perfect replica of the character.

Now when you search for materials keep the following in mind.

- Just because someone else built a cosplay with one material does not mean it is the best for the job. I used a silver chiffon fabric for my SG1 build, even though I later realized the original had used a vinyl style fabric that would have been cheaper. However the results were still perfect, though in the future I would use a different fabric due to cost; and because the original fabric I used was discontinued.

- Know what you need, and bring reference images in case you are wrong to the store. When I was looking for fabric for my current cosplay I made a mistake due to not having reference imagery. I now have to go back and buy different colored fabric. It's not a huge deal, but it's quite annoying.

- Material is more than just fabric and stuffing. For the Nevermore I have to buy materials for wing extensions, the Grimm mask, the light up eyes, the claws, and the framework structure I'm building beneath the feathers and fur. I'm using aluminum siding for the beak and claws, which means I need a soldering iron and sandpaper. Mesh for the structure of the wings, and far more. Then you have the support that attaches to the body, it's much more than just a jump suit with a mask.

- The hardest part of finding material is finding parts for the framework, especially if there is no how to guide. Have a blueprint of how you are building your cosplay on hand. Be aware you will likely be making modifications as time goes on. The Nevermore is on version nine at this point.

- Sports gear is surprisingly useful. Raiding the women's department is as well, some parts and materials can be found in the oddest places.

- Wire and mesh can't be used enough, when it comes to a build from scratch when modeling plastic is not available wire and mesh are your best friend. Also apoxy, glue, plaster, clay, and tape.

- Hardware and supply stores can be sources of material.

- Velcro is the gift of The deities, especially for complex builds like mine.

Finally have fun and get creative.

The next special con blog will be on a part of the actual building of cosplays. It will likely feature images of my Nevermore build, due to its complexity.

The focus will be framework and the structure beneath the fabric, armor, and fur. So the ugly undercarriage as it were.

Have a good day,
Glen Gorewood