#costume questions

[wrensflight]

Okay Furries and furry costume creators. I'm looking to make an anthropomorphic rat costume for a contest.

How do I do the feet????? I want to get the shape right but I've never done something like this before and I want to know best practices, mistakes to avoid? That kind of thing.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

New bts of ryan and oliver playing ping pong all in costume, everyone else in normal shirt trouser uniform while olivers is lafd hoddie/joggers

Hey Nonnie

yes its interesting that Oliver was dressed differnetly to eveyone else, but there could be a number of reasons for this - the most likely is that he could have a gym scene or something and so he'd be in a different costume (think back to Dosed when Eddie is in his gym gear while everyone else is in normal uniform).

They tend to film multiple scenes in one location - so while in the firehouse set, they might film other scenes (including from different episodes if necessary - like we've seen with the beach - they filmed for both 6x06 and 6x07 at least on those couple of days) Oliver might have had an earlier or later call time to account for this (earlier is the more likely) - and he might have been with a different unit filming a scene while they got close ups or different angles with other members of the cast - filming is all about being as efficient with your time and cast as its possible to be and this is something they can do - set up one scene while filming another at the same location!!

There could also be a reason for singling him out from the rest of the team and using costume is an easy way to do this - we've seen them do this with the firefam uniforms on a regular basis - putting one of them in a tee when everyone else is in shirts, or using long sleeves on one person while the others are in short sleeves, using a fleece or a hoodie in the same way - its a really simple way of story telling and they've been doing it since the pilot episode (Buck is dressed differently fro everyone else when he comes back from his fire engine hook up)

Its really fun to look out for when watching and I hope this gives you a bit of background on why Oliver might have been dressed differently!

[vecnawrites]

🎃 for Penny!

“Oh, that’s a great question, friend!” Penny chirped from behind the screen that she was changing behind, her clothes being tossed over the side of it as the shuffling of clothing being removed filled the air. “I had no idea what to wear, so I asked my friends, and Friend Yang helped me come up with the perfect one!”

Penny hopped out from behind the screen, naked as the day she was born, throwing her arms above her head, making her breasts bounce lewdly, the modest mounds jiggling. “Tah-dah!” she spun, showing off her entire body, her butt bouncing as she she spun in place.

“Friend Yang said I would make a perfect ‘matchstick’ due to my pale skin and bright hair! She also said I would get lots of candy and other treats if I wore this one!”

Knock Knock Knock!

Penny’s face brightened! “You’ll have to excuse me, that would be Friend Ruby! We promised to go trick or treating together tonight!”

[aurora-nova-fic]

I still want to know more behind-the-scenes details about DS9 costumes. For example, how did they decide which outfit(s) Garak would wear in any given episode?

[vonschweetz]

Bit of a random question for like cosplayers or anyone who thinks they can answer this for me.

I wanna cosplay something that wears like wrestling trunk style bottoms (kinda like a panty or swim bottom) but like dont want to wear just that and feel a bit exposed/idk if thats like within any real rules of costumes? I somehow wanna at least wear nude tights under it but then I would have to wear underwear under that and would that look like awkward and bulky with those layers? What do people do for stuff like this?

[spicecapadespresentedbyps]

Hi. Two questions on the skating world for a YOI fic. Can a skater change his costume from one competition to another while skating the same program? Like, have a costume at the GP and then another at World? And, if not, what is usually the minimum of days required to commission a new costume (I'm thinking about Victor wanting to return for Russian nationals which are very near to the GPF). Thank you in advance!

Hello Gwen!

Yes, a skater can change their costume from one competition to another. For instance, Nathan Chen just rolled up to US Nationals in two brand new costumes (THAT ZIPPER IN THE SECOND ONE NEEDS TO GO!) Skaters aren’t penalized in the slightest for changing costumes, and often do it after they receive feedback on their costumes from judges…or sometimes they realize the costume they have isn’t working for some reason and they get a new one, or revert to an old one. 

I’m not sure how long it takes on average, as men are pouring more rhinestones than ever on their costumes, and beading is what takes the most time. In this article, which is talking about dresses (which have gotten much more elaborate and expensive since) they say it takes about 2-4 hours to sew a dress. Probably a little more for a mans jumpsuit. 

But most designers and their staff are making more than one costume at a time. So I would say, at minimum, a month, probably more like two. Because you have to have a fitting before and after they bead it and then any alterations have to be made. Victor, being Victor, could probably shell out to have someone rush create a piece of splendor for him. And he would be paying extra because his designer would be neglecting all of his/her/their other clients. 

I hope that helps!

[missharleenfquinzel]

Hi I absolutely love your Harley cosplay! I was wondering if you could tell me where you got the Arkham prison pj's from your suicide squad cosplay?

Thank you so much! It’s these right here!

[consplaysuperior]

@xcaroldanversx replied: Not to intrude or anything but I'm poor af and always find cheap ways around things. If gorilla glue seems a bit to expensive for you wood glue or wood adhesive is super strong. It may take longer to dry but it's totally clear once it does and the hold is so strong. The only issue I have with it is that it is so strong that if I see I've made a mistake with it I'm stuck (lmao) with it.

Not intruding at all! that is another great tip thank you for sharing! :)

[theyoungerbloodchronicles]

Hello! So I'm thinking of being patrick from the ybc but I'm still not completely sure. I'm not sure if someone already asked this, but what did u buy for the costume in ur videos?

hey, that’s cool! it’s always a fun time to dress up like YBC Patrick. I just wear black skinny jeans, black combat boots, a grey tank top, a black cardigan, and a black faux leather jacket that I picked up from a local thrift shop. you can add a fedora and glasses (got mine at Target) if you want a more ‘generic’ Patrick Stump look, or add yellow contacts (or yellow party glasses 😉), a hook hand (found at a Halloween store), and some fake blood (look up recipes online) if you want to be YBC Patrick. good luck with your costume, and if you post pictures, tag us!

-Marissa (Patrick)

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Hi! I love your costume metas, I've learned so much thanks to them! I wanted to ask you a colour-related question if you don't mind. If someone is wearing green when a person they knew died, what emotion does it indicate? (I've tried colour detectors and 2 Hex codes I've got are 2cbc30 and 2bac30). It is unclear how close they were so I was curious if the colour could be a clue to that. Thanks in advance!

Hey Nonnie! ooooh interesting question!!

without knowing a bit more context its always hard to say for certain its why I can talk far more easily about the intentions of a costume designer once I've seen an episode and season of a show - because the choices they're making are based on having the information about the full arc for a character - they know where the story is going, where as I only have a little bit of the information - the stuff that has been revealed up to that point1

But as to your question, the green from the hex codes is a very bright and verdant green - almost what I would call poison green.

Green generally slots into two categories - renewal, hope for the future, prosperity, harmony, energy, freshness safety and balance

or it can be poisonous, think the green eyed monster - so jealousy, greed, materialism, envy and judgement.

I would say the two hex codes you send are borderline colours, but just on the side of the positive traits - it hasn't got quite enough yellow vibrant toning to make it poisonous - it has the brightness of fresh new grass or spring leaves that are full of chlorophyl!

Like I said, without the context it is hard to know, but I would suggest that the person wearing the green has maybe seen the person who has died suffering, or that others have suffered at the hands of the dead person (that doesn't mean they were evil or nasty etc, it could mean they've been burdened by looking after and caring for the dead person due to illness or something!) and the choice of bright spring green is a symbol of renewal and freedom - that everyone can now move forward and be at peace - that the person in green is looking to the future. if the green was darker, it would potentially also be about money or playing into the idea of forests and not being able to see the wood from the trees - so confusion about what happens going forward etc, but the green is too bright for those meanings to be applied

I might not have explained this very clearly, but hopefully it gives you some help?? its a really interesting question and I could be more firm in my opinions if I knew more context, but as a costume designer I would use that green for the reasons I've detailed above!

[ask-dr-knockout]

shenanicons replied to your post “shenanicons replied to your video “The Knockout Costume The Feet are...”

4 hours of sleep!? Good god woman, both of you should go to bed. Good to hear though that they're pretty comfortable and don't cause too much damage on one another. I wonder, when its all done, would you be able to sit? That would be awesome.

HAHA dont worry we catch up on the week. our work routine is all day Sunday from 2pm to 5am then we get up normally around 11:30 and wrok untill 10pm on Monday. Sometimes Claire will stay through Tuesday and we will work an additional day.  I Have figured out we have spent more then 300 hours on this costume this far from the begging of construction.

Unfortunately no I will not be able to sit in the costume. I could take off the aft and legs tho and rest with the upper body still attached to provide for briefe breaks without having to de-suite completely we figured.

[bitty-bee]

Rather Important

Alllriiiight, so there's a halloween dance tomorrow. I have the choice of two costumes if I want to win any awards for my costume. The first is my Pink Ladies costume. I don't have a picture of it, but it's pretty damn awesome. Then I have the choice of my Theodora costume pictured below

Which do you think would take home the award? Because I'm aiming for the cutest, or the overall best. And this year I'm up against creative people who have AMAZING costumes every year. So which would be the best to rock the house?

[spicecapadespresentedbyps]

Hi.. Um, so is there a rule for female skaters to NOT wear skirts? Like is it okay for a female skater to wear something similiar to what the men's wear in the slightest? Like would it be okay for a female skater to wear something like Victor's Stammi Vicino outfit? Sorry if this is a bother!

Hello Nonny! 

I did an entire post on costume regulations here. 

Single’s skaters and female Pairs Skaters are allowed to wear the jumpsuit. It is MUCH more common in pairs. You will also see it gaining popularity in Ice Dance, but it is only allowed for certain rhythms (some types of music). 

Some singles skaters have rocked the jumpsuit over the years. 

The jumpsuit was actually BANNED after the 1988 Skating Season when Debi  Thomas debuted the first iconic jumpusit and KAterina Witt debuted her own jumpsuit and the blue leotard with feathers that instated the “Witt Rule” against vulgar costuming. The jumpsuit was allowed back in 2004, but the vulgar costuming rule is still in place. (That’s Debi, Katerina’s Vulgar Dress, and her Jumpsuit from left to right)

 Katerina Witt’s 1994 Robin Hood costum pushed the ban envelope, but the tunic was a “skirt.” 

More recently Carolina Kostner wore a disco-ball of a jumpsuit when she claimed her first Grand Prix Title in 2012:

You will see jumpsuits pop up in the ranks occasionally, BUT most ladies singles skaters play it safe and wear the skirt, because judges prefer “Ladies to look like Ladies.” (I told you this sport was hella gendered!) And your costume does affect your score, which is why the dress is still queen of the ice. 

[missharleenfquinzel]

Oh wow, that statue is amazing! I can see why it haunts your dreams. It reminds me of something though. You once recommended Arkham Knight Harley as the Harley I should cosplay, but that seems like kind of a hard one to make. Do you have any advice on where one should start? Or alternatively what would you recommend for someone who wants to cosplay Harley but has like zero experience or indeed confidence?

Hmmm that does seem like an odd one for me to recommend. I’m sure there was a reason, though.

I would personally start out with DC Super Hero Girls Harley! No face paint involved, not revealing, easy peasy lemon squeezey. It’s comfortable and casual, so casual that most of it can be bought from a store. 

You can just get some jean shorts from wherever, the red and black tights can either be bought online or from a place like Party City (especially now that Halloween season is approaching!), and the shoes can be bought from a store if you don’t care about super accuracy there (I just use some blue converse). The only tricky part is the shirt, which I recommend you commission from a professional if you have zero experience. Redstar Cosplay is a good place for cheap, custom cosplay requests. They sometimes skimp on certain aspects, but they’re easily fixable and I doubt you have much of a problem with something this simple.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[consplaysuperior]

I'm planning to make a Windblade cosplay for an upcoming Comic Con in June. I'm planning to make it out of cardboard (it's the easiest option as my dad works at a place where it is readily available). How would you recommend going about this?

Hi there! Knockout here! Allow me to be of some assistance!Always start with collecting as many recources as you can and work on sketching out your ideas for how your going to build your rig. What will be the underlying structures that hold it to your form? will you use strapping? or will you use a body suit and utilize velcro and/or magnetsnaps to hold your shapes in place. make sure to measure and keep to porportions. the easiest way is to a pick a prominant part of the body like the helm and compare it so the size of every other shape of the character. you cant change the size of your head so making sure you upscale the rest of your body to match the characters porportions is something to keep in mind especialy for robots whos helms tend to be on the small size. I however recomend starting with the most prominant feature of the character first. i think for WB its the Torso and wings. figureing out how to support those wings with the underlying support structure will be your first priority and challenge but it will be worth getting the experiance on that before you move onto more detailed aspects like the helm ad feet. Feet can be a challenge in their own right. You will need to make sure the structure is not coming into full contact with the ground. a good way to go about this is to build off of shoes or platform shoes if you want added height. otherwise you can use yogablocks too. If you chose to make the feet without the use of heels or a shoe its important to make sure your not slipping around so add some grip to the bottom of that shoe you can use plastic car mats and cut them out to the desired shape for this.Now…

There are some big differences to how to shape Foam (What our team works with) versus how to shape Cardboard. For one Cardboard is much more ridged and requires more darts to get it to properly bend and shape to your form. Cardboard wants to remain stiff and flat. Darting, creasing, and bending will be your key process. This is a really good example resource for what I mean and help you to get an idea in how to effectively go about shaping your armor! Its not unlike pattern making for sewing. 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-Armor/It is also viable to use paper patterning first before building! just take into account that paper has a bit more flexibility then cardboard that and cardboard is thicker. The team always uses paper first for our patern making becasue we work with foam and its too expensive to just go about making patterns with. if you have a steady supply of cardboard on hand I wouldn’t worry too much about this. Now if you are looking to truly make the armor sturdy and durable after shaping your pieces this is a good example of how you can go about it via Fiberglass. http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=26529.0Otherwise I would recommend using this:

On the inside of your armor pieces to create proper rigidity. You can also sandwich these between glued pieces of cardboard like er wings to give them a bit more stability so they wont bend or break. Its also helpful for making connections. Us a heavy duty glue like Gorilla Glue and professional grade supper glue to hold your rig together as well in this fashion. Also gluing strips of cardboard or foam on the inside of seams will help keep your rig together better. This will help you stiffen the shapes so they don’t bend and crack your paintwork.  As for painting that’s a bit trickier with Cardboard. You will need to find a way to seal your cardboard before priming and painting it. Many use Modge-Podge to do this because its cheap and effective. However, where it is an effective rout to take it will often leave behind brush streaks for the painting process.   

Also another technique is Plaster Wrap and sanding to create a more rigid structure that you can easily spray paint. You can also Cover seams in this regard or use PaperClay. If you use paper clay to fill seams it is prone to cracking so make sure your structure is rigid first and that the paper clay is totally dry before sanding, priming, and later painting. I always recommend Spray Paint for coating large areas while paint and brush are reserved for only details. Taping off sections with painters tape or creating stencils for details is a good technique to implement for clean paintwork as well. This will provide a more even and smooth finish. There are also a number of gloss and clear coat spray paints you can use to achieve higher gloss finish after these previews steps. I would definitely experiment first with scrap pieces to make sure they work and that they do not remain tacky after drying. some have a tendency to do that. I hope these resources help you out and give you some options to think about! We look forward to seeing your progress! Please fel free to submit your progress to our page we love to share it! :) Best of Luck!! 

[megancreations]

So I have a question to those people who made a Loki!Avengers “casual” cosplay. I noticed that a lot of people build the “chest piece/armour” as a separate piece from the overall “tunic”. I know I built my chest piece right into the tunic, however I could have saved making another layer if I did them separately in retrospect. However, I would just like to know why/how some of you built them separately!