Hiya! Here’s a lil masterlist of wigs that you could use for DR characters. The suggestions cover a range of prices, so hopefully you can find something you can use!

The list will be updated overtime as I find more options, so if a character you want to cosplay isn’t on here yet, be patient!! It will be updated periodically!

- Mod E

I’m gonna be real with you, this book is the most expensive book I’ve reviewed so far, which means it wouldn’t really work well for anyone on a budget. This textbook was recommended to me by a college acquaintance who used it as part of a fashion design course she took several years ago. And, honestly, aside from the price, I like the book so far. 

This book is designed to teach you how to create your own custom clothing patterns from scratch, tailored to your specific measurements (or someone else’s). It’s written in an approachable way, and gives decently understandable explanations of all the steps involved in creating your own custom patterns. This book offers a more advanced introduction to clothing pattern design than the other pattern drafting books I’ve reviewed, which would be great for those who want to become professional costume makers. (if that’s not your cup of tea, this book would work just as well, and cost half as much.)

This book has the basics, like drafting a custom skirt pattern, figuring out arm holes, and an entire chapter on ways to mess with darts, and covers something I personally haven’t seen before which is creating a Moulage (basically a skin-tight garment which you can then use as a base for all other patterns you create for yourself, similar to a fitted shell). I’d actually never heard of a moulage until I got this book, but it seems like a useful thing to know how to do if you want to take the extra time to make a truly form-fitting costume for your next Cosplay competition, as long as you don’t mind putting in the time.

The instructions in this book are all written in the “using this measurement, place this point on that line” style, and look kinda like word problems from a high school geometry class, but that tends to be the style that works best for me when it comes to learning how to create my own patterns. I need to know the why and the how before I can understand things properly, and “place this point here for this reason” works pretty well for me. It’s not for everyone though, so if geometry isn’t your cup of tea I’d recommend trying a different book (maybe this one).

I got this book for probably . . ~$65? Amazon has it listed for like $150, but if you go directly through the publisher you can get it for less. Unfortunately the publisher just raised the price, so it’s now ~$85 to get a copy. Better than Amazon’s price, but still not great for the Cosplayer on a budget.

Tl;dr: This book does a decent job of explaining and demonstrating how to make custom clothing patterns from scratch, and would be great for anyone who wanted to get into professional costume or clothing design, but the cost is a bit much for the casual Cosplayer. I’d say if you just want to get the basics down and not worry about starting a professional fashion design studio, go for a less expensive option like this one I linked above.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I wanted to let everyone know that I got an Etsy shop set up to sell prints!

I currently have 31 prints available, but I’ll be adding more soon. Let me know if you have any characters you’d want to have prints of and I’ll see what I can do!

Okay, so I’ve been doin this nonsense for about 8 years now and here are my 10 biggest tips for anyone else doing this sadistic hobby (This is a bit geared towards people who make costumes just FYI. I will post another more geared for beginners or those who buy later)

1) Remember Why You Do This.

Maybe you showed up to con and were 1 of 74 Jinx’s. Or maybe your costume wasn’t as accurate as someone else’s. Or maybe it feels like everyone else made theirs and you bought yours. So what? Did you have fun? Did you meet friends, and/or bond with the people you came with? Unless you’re in the contests, remember that it ISN’T a contest. And even the contests are meant to be fun. Alternatively, don’t let any elitist fans ruin your fun.

2) Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously.

Remember that being a cosplayer doesn’t make you ‘more’ of a fan than someone who doesn’t. Remember that you do this for your own enjoyment and that is all that matters. Spend as long or as little as you want on a costume, end a con with 20 silly selfies and some new friends, compliment that other cosplayer in the same outfit because you clearly both have something in common, don’t think of them as competition.

3) Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help.

Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, neighbors, craft store employees, theater teachers, art teachers, people online. There are tons of people who could offer help with even little things like what glue to use on foam that needs heatshaping(non-flammable x-treme elmers glue is nice) , what paint to use on leggings (apparently fabric paint stretches with it just fine), ask your grandma what stitch is best for rounded edges on cotton (idk), ask a JoAnn’s associate what thread to use. In my experience store associates are extremely helpful, even with things like a second opinion on matching colors.

4) Use Coupons.

Seriously. If you can, set up an email just for coupons. Going to Michaels for a 2 dollar little thing of paint? Use that coupon they emailed you and now it’s 75 cents and you have more money for other things like fancy fabric or idk food. Check if any stores have student or teacher or senior discounts if that’s applicable, then you’ll have a discount even without coupons. Especially good for big purchases. If you’re buying everything at once there is almost definitely some sort of 5 off of 30 type of coupon out there. If you are able, this is a good way to set up a savings for con or your next costume maybe, just look at the receipt, see how much you saved and set that much (or a part) aside for food/hotel/gas/merch.

5) Look at your Source.

No matter how well you know your character or your design do not go very long without looking at the source. Working on a wig? Have a picture in front of you the whole time. Maybe sketch out the different angles beforehand. Going fabric shopping? Stare at the original. If you print out a reference pic know that it may be slightly off. If you’re doing a costume where the color seems different in every shot (like Rey from Star Wars) then pick the one you like. If you can, consider coloring or painting a swatch of the color on an index card and bringing it with you to compare. Seriously. Keep checking the source when working. It’s equivalent to “measure twice cut once”.

6) Measure Twice Cut Once.

Even in crunch. I know, it’s stressful and scary and frustrating but you know what is more frustrating and scary and stressful? It being 8pm the night before the con and you just cut that last bit of fabric too small. Or your wig too short. Seriously. Just double check yourself.

7) Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself.

Outdated meme but useful tip. If you’re getting anxious to a difficult level, or exhausted physically or mentally  address it. Take a break. Take a nap. Eat a meal. Go for a walk. Watch an episode of that show you’re trying to cosplay. Play that game. Watch cosplay videos if you’re scared of losing motivation. Just don’t push yourself too hard or you risk messing up parts of your costume and more importantly, you risk hurting yourself. Don’t work until you accidentally stab yourself with a hot iron and have a panic attack. Would you rather spend 15 minutes playing with your cat or crying and bandaging yourself?

8) Use It.

Found some fabric you love for that SnK skirt thing, but it’s infused with glitter?Who cares, use it. Every cosplay you have seen of Red Hood has a lot of leather and cargo pants but you want skinny jeans and suede? Use it. The costume is for you. Make it how you want. To quote the great Hilary Duff “Why Not?” Also, go listen to that song if you need encouragement. 

9) Enjoy The Whole Process.

Maybe it is redundant at this point but seriously. Have fun. Not just at the con, party, photoshoot, meetup etc. Have a wig styling party. You finished that jacket? Nice, wear it out shopping and be proud. Make a playlist for each character you work on or general motivational music. 8-tracks.com is great for this too. Test those seams/that hairgel/ those shoes/ flexibility by putting on your jam and dancing around. Send snapchats to your friends when you test your make up. Skype your aunt to show off that circle skirt. Put your hat on your dog. 

10) Procrastination isn’t Great.

This has been something I have been thinking about, and I just want to address it.

Do not compare cosplayers to other cosplayers. It usually goes one of two ways. “Oh, I just saw someone cosplaying that character, your cosplay is a lot better” or “Oh, I just saw someone cosplaying that, their cosplay is so much better, though.” Both ways put a cosplayer in an uncomfortable position and if they agree to the first example, it ends up agreeing to insult someone. The second option is degrading. Be kind to people! If you like someone’s cosplay, just say you enjoy it!

Don’t compare yourself to a cosplayer! I see this so much and it breaks my heart when I witness it online or even in real life. We are all at diverse levels when cosplaying, many of us are just starting out and some of us have been cosplaying for years. It’s okay to struggle! Instead of comparing yourself to a cosplayer, maybe use them as inspiration to improve.

To tie in with both notes above, Do not compare yourself to a cosplayer to compliment them. If you like a person’s cosplay, just tell them! You are so amazing at cosplay no matter what level you are at. Don’t degrade yourself! 

Do not touch anyone without consent. It’s not rare to see people run up and hug cosplayers they don’t know personally. You shouldn’t assume people’s boundaries. Touching someone without asking can make someone really uncomfortable. You could accidentally damage a piece of their cosplay too. Always ask! If the cosplayer says no, don’t take it personally!

Do not touch people’s stuff. It’s their property so please leave it alone unless they let you touch anything. Do not mess with props or people’s cosplays either. Pieces could be easily damaged. So please ask!

Do not take a photo without someone’s consent. It’s exceedingly uncomfortable and impolite to take a photo without asking. It doesn’t cost you anything to request them.If they say no, again, don’t take it personally. My friend was taking a photo with someone and people were taking photos of them without their consent. Both people were wearing masks, and one of them wore it so people couldn’t take photos of their face in the event this did happen. Please ask!

Do not say things like “Great cosplay, but…” It turns around the compliment and can bring down the mood of a cosplayer. Tips and critiques are fantastic and for me, I am always open to them. Instead, say things like “I love your cosplay. Have you considered using this technique for sewing? I find it really helpful to me.” or “I love the cosplay. Have you tried this wig company? They have helped me a lot when cosplaying?”

Do not tell cosplayers that they are better off cosplaying a different character because of things like appearance. Cosplay is about having fun. The cosplayer has a reason for why they wanted to cosplay this specific character rather than a different character. Let them have fun!

A point that rather relates to the one above, do not put cosplayers down because they don’t share the same looks, age, gender identity, etc. This is such a big one. Many cosplayers have been put down over the years for not ‘suiting their characters’ People have been discouraged because their race isn’t the same as their character. Cosplay is about having fun, so let people dress up as who they want.

Don’t discourage people from their cosplays inaccuracies. More times than not, we know about it. It could be there for a whole number of reasons. It could be an intentional design choice. Ralsei doesn’t wear a bow in his hat or a lace bow around his waist but it was a design choice I made and I really liked it! Girly Ranger Zim doesn’t have an array of patches or a pleated dress but that’s what I wanted to do so I went with it! Some cosplayers might have been in a time crunch and could not get that element on in time. Some didn’t have the right supplies at that time, and some are limited in their abilities. I went to Miku Expo as Melancholic Rin once and since I didn’t have contacts and I wanted to see, I had to wear my glasses. There are millions of reasons and discouraging someone for their inaccuracies doesn’t help.

Don’t be afraid to say hi! Many of us love meeting you guys. Even just waving at us can make our day. I love meeting people at conventions and taking photos with everyone that asks! Talking to everyone is always fun, and I have formed a great circle of friends because of it! And if a cosplayer doesn’t have time to communicate, don’t take it personally, there could be things like a meetup or masquerade happening!

Hello!

Here is a masterlist of my cosplay help posts and tutorials, broken down by type of cosplay help. This will be updated as I do more cosplay help.

Panels and Tutorials (the big stuff)

Fabric Choice for Cosplay Foundation Garments for Cosplay Planning Your Cosplay Body Paint 101 How to Level Up Your Cosplay Sewing with Knits Bunnysuit Boot Camp

How to write a cosplay help panel

Pearl (Steven Universe) Spear, Transparent and Lighted Wig Tangle Prevention Faux Cuffs and Collars Bunnysuit Construction Bunnysuit Patterning Faux Fur Pompoms

Sewing and Fabric Craft

Stretch Applique Tips Circle Skirt Hems Quilting Rulers on Colored Fabric Dyeing a Beaded Dress Estimating Yardage Sewing Knits Squaring Cut Fabrics Temperature and Fabric Choice Basic Sash Tutorial Determining fabric yardage from a mockup

Wigs, Hair, and Makeup

Arda Wigs Pros and Cons Wearing a wig when you have a low hairline Masculine Long Hair Using Real Hair Basic Cosplay Makeup Adding Volume to Wigs Contouring for different face shapes Securing Very Long Wigs Wearing Heavy Wigs

Foundation Garments

Preventing Cameltoe Making shapewear Preventing strapless bras from slipping Making superhero briefs Preventing bra show-through Bra cup replacement

Props, Accessories, and Armor

Wearing Oversized Horns Applying Rhinestones Wizard staff process Painting Edges Lightweight Fabric Wings Cage Skirts Open Front Hoop Skirts

Cosplay-specific

Condesce (Homestuck) breakdown Roxy Lalonde ballgown (Homestuck) breakdowns: 1, 2 Yurio (Yuri on Ice) Agape outfit materials Lady Oscar (The Rose of Versailles) materials Pearl (Steven Universe) Wig Advice 1 Pearl (SU) Wig Advice 2 Pearl and Rainbow Quartz Gem Advice Yuri Plisetsky Agape Writeup

Safety

Ice skates PSA

Fandom Culture, History, and Positivity

How cons have changed since 2003 Age, Careers, and Cosplay

Misc.

Wig Hack Wednesday #7!

So, many of you guys are probably familiar with the wire+tape method to make drill curls in wigs. But did you know you can also use wire+tape for spikes? You can get more natural-looking spikes that won’t flop over time with this method. And you won’t have to spend hours glueing hair down on a foam core. This method is good for long spikes that stick outward like Axel from Kingdom Hearts, or Aigami from Yu-Gi-Oh! In this tutorial, I used a Vegas base wig in Dark Blue from Arda Wigs Here are the steps:

- Section off hair for the spike. Cut a piece of floral wire in the length you need for the spike plus extra 1 inch (you will know why later). And sandwich the wire between two strips of clear heavy-duty packaging tape. Trim the tape down to long triangle shape - Divide the hair you parted eariler into two sections and clip them away (make sure the top section has more hair than the bottom). Stick the end tip of the wire into the wig cap and have it poke out below. If you need to, use your shears to punch a small hole in the wig cap so the wire can poke through - Bend the end tip of the wire up into the main wire to create a triangle leg that will help support the wire’s position. Hot glue part of the wig cap to the wire inside the leg to secure it - Tease the inner layer of hair from each half of the spike with a teasing brush or fine-tooth comb - Comb out the outer layer of the spike to clean it up. Put glue on the wire and press down the top section of the spike first - Do the same for the bottom section of the spike - Trim more layers near the tip of the spike to create more dimension - With a flat iron on medium heat, flip the end of the spike to shape it, hold until it cools - Comb the outer layer of the spike, spray it in place with Got2B spray, and use Got2B glue or Tacky glue to secure the tip

Ready to get dyeing?  Using a polyester dye is a great way to permanently color any synthetic wig.  IDye Poly and Rit’s new line of synthetic dye called Dyemore are two great options for wig-coloring - click below the cut for a more in-depth Dyemore review, as well as instructions to jump start your journey into wig dyeing.

For folks who want a physical, true-color version of this chart, you can find it in Cosplay Culture Magazine’s August-September issue!