#fukka wrote well about this topic on her blog btw. it's in finnish tho

[retadoesthings]

In case you ever wonder why I bother rambling about the crafting/planning process of my cosplays, it's mostly because I've come to realize not everyone has the same culture around cosplay. A lot of people buy their costumes, so a lot of people also automatically assume that the cosplays they see are bought. At the same time, many people make their costumes, but not everything is necessarily self-made form start to finish. Some costumes are made with help from other people. Some people do commissions.

I've grown in the Finnish cosplay scene, where there used to be a huge emphasis on the creative handcrafting part of cosplay; people make their own costumes, period. It's been wildly eye-opening to realize that is not necessarily the norm! Even here among the Finns, the culture has begun to change. Many still make their cosplays, but buying them is also very much an option.

So, when I post about my costumes, I've taken up the habit of shortly describing the costume making process or at least stating whether the costume is made from scratch or "just” self-compiled (meaning the parts are bought new / thrifted and either altered or used as they were).

Bonus: writing makes me reminisce just how much thought and work I’ve put into a costume, and that feels rewarding!

(This has nothing to do with my opinions about how people "should" cosplay. That’s none of my business. I think everyone should do what's most fun to them! As long as you’re open about it.)

(Oh and also I'm always going to talk a lot about the work put into stage performances. Good skits are meticulously planned. This is something I’ve thought about writing lengthily about, but we’ll see when I get to it.)