Cosplay: An introduction into a wild world

Cosplay

If you were in New York City this weekend, you may have seen Link in line at McDonalds or Sailor Moon on the subway. Maybe photographs of costumed individuals flooded your Instagram or Twitter feeds.

Sailor Moon Sera Myu Sailor Mercury Cosplay Costume

Surely by now you've heard the word cosplay tossed around, but do you really know what it is, or how much the hobby costs?

Sailor Moon Tsukino Usagi Cotton Polyester Cosplay Costumes

Literally speaking, cosplay is the combination of the words "costume" and "play." Cosplayers, the people who partake in cosplay, dress as their favourite characters from comics, video games, anime, manga, movies, and television.

Dragon Ball Z Vegeta Cosplay Costume

The best supported origin story on the internet says that in 1984, Nov Takahashi, founder and writer for the anime publishing company Studio Hard, was sent to Los Angeles to cover the World-Con science fiction convention. He was impressed by the fans' costumes and the elaborate displays at the masquerade, and when he returned to Japan, he coined the term to describe what he saw.

Dragon Ball Vegeta Super Prince Uniform Cloth Combined Leather Cosplay Costume

Today, cosplay is a favourite ritual of Comic Con attendees, and this weekend in New York, the fans came out in droves. We saw dozens of Batmen, Iron Men, and Wonder Women, in addition to niché costumes, like characters of the Japanese manga series Attack on Titan and '90s throwbacks like Freakazoid and Hey Arnold.

Dragon Ball Vegeta Battle Dress Uniform Cloth Combined Leather Cosplay Costume

Other cosplayers may choose to purchase their costumes from an online store, like Tidecosplay. On Tidecosplay  prices range.

dragon ball vegeta cosplay Costume

In the world of cosplay, you frequently have to decide between three requirements: "Time, quality, or money. You can only have one," said Iggy Tissera, a professional cosplayer and panelist at New York Comic Con's "I Have No Sewing Machine, But I Must Cosplay!" presentation.
"If you want it to be well made, it's going to take a while and it's going to cost you."

For cosplayers, the experience is nearly always worth the stress of choosing a costume and dropping the dough. It's an opportunity to be a hero, princess, or otherworldly creature.
"It takes courage to put on a costume and go into public," Tissera said.
"But we're celebrating the characters that we love and embracing our fandom."
For more cosplay costumes, please visit:http://www.tidecosplay.com/cheap-cosplay_c21