You want a better costume, and you don't want to break the bank -- this is how you get it. This panel covers simple projects as well as the art of character selection and making what's in your closet look newly fabulous.
LARP costumes have to look good and be durable, and they often shouldn't resemble our mundane world. We'll talk about assembling and modifying found objects to look original or unreal, and creating the feel of a certain era or genre -- even for the novice costumer. Remember --No Budget, No Skills, No Problem!
Want armor, without investing in metalworking or risking toxic chemicals? We'll cover alternative armoring for historical and fantasy costumes with a variety of readily-available materials. You can even make a piece to take home yourself!
Found object costuming is often derided as "ghetto cosplay" -- but they aren't the same, and found object costuming doesn't have to be bad! There's an art to costuming from the unexpected, and a good found object costume can rival a sewn-from-scratch project. Come and learn how to make truly fantastic costumes out of what's in your closet, your local second-hand store, or even your trash!
Ready to make yourself into something that can't exist in nature? Some of the most fun in fantasy costuming is making something that was never meant to exist into something real. We'll talk about overcoming the improbable physics and unreal physiques of fantasy and anime, so we don't have to diet or undergo alteration. We'll focus on how details make an average costume into an eye-catching one. Also, tips on presenting your costume for judging.
No costume is complete without appropriate makeup. Learn how to look more masculine or more feminine. Give yourself enormous anime or video game eyes, change your ethnicity, or add special effects. Make yourself a Night Elf in three steps! So your costume looks great, but you always look terrible in photos? We can help with that, too!
For both fan costuming and LARP, you need solid presentation! Learn how to comport yourself in character, from movement to speech to gestures. Can you walk like a man or a woman at will? Develop backstory, make a big impact with simple details, and become fluent in interacting with other characters. Also, we'll discuss skits and live performance for hallway fun, stage contests, and more.
Nothing defines a character like a signature weapon or a unique piece of jewelry. But props can often be more difficult to find or create than the fabric clothing of costumes. Don't let your amazing costume be brought down by a aluminum-foil-over-cardboard sword, when for just a few bucks you can make something that completes your look! Join us for talk about how to make good props on the cheap, and better props for a bit of investment.
The best wigs look like real hair -- even if impossibly colored or improbably spiky. But it can be hard to find the perfect wig for your fantasy costume or replicate that style which has never existed in real life. Your wig is too long, the wrong style, not curly enough, or the wrong color? Need to make that cheap nasty wig look better and last longer? We can help. Also: you'll get to make a custom styled clip-in extension to take with you!
Many fantasy costumes include non-human bits. We'll discuss hallway-friendly wings, larger wings for stage, realistic working wings, and other animal attachments such as horns, tails, and more! Finally, make a pair of wings to wear out!