Even if you have never done cosplay before, you’ve probably heard about it. Cosplay is an internationally loved hobby and it’s only getting bigger with social media. But why is cosplay so popular?
Cosplay has created a community where people feel safe to express themselves. This community lifts each other up, and the confidence boost that comes from this keeps cosplayers working on new things, and gives newcomers the confidence to try it out.
Creative
Many people love cosplay because it gives them an outlet for their creativity. There are so many different aspects of cosplay, and it isn’t just costumes (although that is a big part of it).
Sewing might seem like the only part of building a costume, but some steps come before that. To sew a costume, you need to have an idea of what costume you are going to make. This takes careful planning, many sketches, and knowledge of how garments are sewn together.
If sewing isn’t a skill of yours, you’ll have to find a way to plan around that. Often this will mean dying existing garments to the correct color, hot gluing pieces of fabric for layers, or even using paper and tape to achieve the look.
Some looks may even have electronic components. A costume that can light up like its character is a very cool idea that would make it stand out from others.
There are also hair styling and make-up skills that are required for cosplay- yes, even for men! To really look like a character, you’ll have to use highlighting and shading to get the right face shape and use makeup to get your eyes to pop as the animated characters do.
To be creative you’ll need a suitable sewing machine. Check out our latest cosplay costume suitable sewing machines.
Escape
Dressing up as someone you are not gives you an escape from your life for a little while. Many actors will say that diving into their character gives them a chance to stop stressing about things in their own lives, as there isn’t enough room for the character’s identity and their own.
The same is true for cosplayers. Putting on their costume and portraying a character gives them a break from their real-life responsibilities and it’s considered a stress relief- even if it’s for a few hours.
If you’ve ever LARPed or played DND, cosplaying might help you get into character and really let yourself escape into the new world. Instead of playing in a field, or sitting at a table in a friend’s basement, a costume can help you take on the new character.
Confidence
Not everyone can be an extrovert and feel comfortable talking to crowds of people. But what if the character you are dressing up does? There’s a phenomenon that happens when people dress up as a character and act like them.
Suddenly, even the most introverted people have the confidence of an extrovert and they find themselves talking in groups.
Not to mention, when you’re in cosplay and people are constantly taking photos of you, it’s hard not to feel like a celebrity. How’s that for confidence?
Community
The biggest reason people continue to do cosplay is the community. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, how old you are, what size you are, or how much money you have, the cosplay community is accepting of everyone.
The versatility of cosplay is astounding. You can spend hundreds of dollars on cosplay, or you can use what you have in your house.
You can spend hours working on getting the perfect details, or you can grab a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from off your floor.
When you go to events or join online communities, you’ll be talking to people who have the same interest in the hobby.
This gives you a whole community of people to socialize with, all who understand the amount of work and skill it takes to put a cosplay together.
There are also cosplays for just about every fandom imaginable. Anime? Check. Harry Potter? Check. Disney? Check. Game of Thrones? Walking Dead? Grey’s Anatomy? Check, check, check.
If you’ve seen it, and it can be replicated, there can be a fandom for it, and someone has likely made a cosplay for it.
Fun
Quite simply, cosplay is fun. It’s like dressing up for Halloween any day of the year. All those times you’d play dress up as a kid, this is now the adult version. You get to wear big elaborate costumes, become your favorite character, and just have fun.
Final Thoughts
There aren’t too many completely inclusive hobbies, and cosplay is one of the few. Designing costumes, embodying a new character, and receiving praise from the community is- well, fun.
You’re confidence increases, you have so many new people to talk to, you can express yourself creatively. What more could you ask for in a hobby?
