#*ask mango

I’m not sure if I’ll ever make a video about it, but I can talk about it here, no problem!

Every costume of mine has a mistake. Every single one. I don’t say this to degrade myself or be self-deprecating, just stating the truth! Every costume I’ve tackled has been a learning process, and mistakes are part of the learning process. By the time I’ve completed a project, there’s always at least one thing I would do differently if I had the chance to remake it. I’d choose a different fabric, a different method of detailing, a different wig color, etc. Maybe I messed up on a top-stitch or smudged a paint line or cut a bang section too short. Maybe I proportioned something wrong, maybe I had to rush through something to get it done on time, maybe I didn’t finish something on time and had to make due with an alternative. Trust me, those mistakes absolutely happen for me. All the damn time. Why? It’s because I’m still learning, too.

Learning = mistakes. Just accept that. Be at peace with it. If you’re still learning something, you will make mistakes. It’s okay. If you’ve never done something before, you can’t expect that it’ll be 100% perfect, no matter how many tutorials you read or how many walkthroughs you watch. Understanding a concept doesn’t automatically result in flawless execution. Cosplay, like any other art form, takes practice.

I spent the last ten years of my participation in cosplay really dragging myself down for all of these little mistakes. I’d get to the con and not even want to put on my costume because that stitch wasn’t perfect or the wig doesn’t look quite right and, man, it’d just bog me down. It was the pits. It took a lot of the fun out of wearing my costumes because I was so hung up on every mistake I’d made in the construction process, certain that people would notice and criticize me for it.

But you know what? For the most part, people didn’t care -- if they noticed at all. Most people were just happy to see someone dressed up as a character they liked. At Daishocon, no one cared that I had some proportion/silhouette issues with Moa; they were just excited to see another Show by Rock!! fan. When I wore Panne, no one pointed out the paint that had chipped in transit, they just yelled “OH MY GOD BUNNY WAIFU” at me. While in Lan Fan, no one got hung up on a slight gap between my sleeve and the automail; they complimented me on my automail and then we’d talk about how amazing FMA is.

Honestly? Don’t bother. Facebook reach is tremendously awful these days, especially for those just starting Pages.

Focus your energy on Twitter, it’s pretty much the only platform with decent assurance that your followers will actually see what you post. Instagram is a close second but they’ve messed with the algorithms over there so much that it’s started to decline, too.

Oh, no worries, I’m happy to answer! Like I said in the stream, I really did love hosting panels, it was one of the few things about being a “pro cosplayer” that were 100% enjoyable. (Which, inadvertently caused me to try to host too many panels during guest weekends. Cons would ask me to host 2-3 panels and I’d usually offer to host 4-6 if they had room in the schedule or needed to fill up time blocks. Getting to share cosplay info with a group of real life people is 100 times more fun than talking to myself in front of a camera, alone in my bedroom.)

I’m not sure if cons will ever be interested in inviting me as a guest from now on (which I totally understand and am not complaining about!), so hosting 4-6 panels in a weekend may no longer be a possibility, but either way, I’d definitely like to apply to host panels again in the future! I’d love to be able to expand on some of the topics I discussed in my recent stream, and maybe explore more workshop/open-table formats that can generate more participation and conversation with the audience. I know I do want to be able to relax and enjoy cons more than I have in the past… but I also get restless if I don’t have enough to do, and hosting panels here and there would make me feel like I’m still positively contributing something to the community and the conventions I attend.

We’ll see what happens! Regardless: thank you so much for the support. The notion that you’d want to attend a future panel even if I’m not ~*Pro Cosplay Senpai Mango Sirene*~ anymore means a lot to me.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! Fem!Suga’s wig is one of my favorite’s to wear. :D I’ve seen lots of adorable interpretations of Suga’s hair for genderbent cosplays, so it was really a challenge to decide how to interpret it for my own version! I decided to base it off the “mom” role he has on the team and went with the “tragic anime mom” hairstyle of a side ponytail.

Spray painting takes a lot more work than a lot of people realize, so don’t beat yourself up! It’s a difficult thing to do properly and requires more technique than just “press the nozzle and hope for the best,” which is how I did it when I first started out with cosplay. :’D Here’s how you can fix your belt!

1. Sand off the bad paint job. Take your time and remove as much of it as possible to reset to a “clean canvas.” As with normal sanding, work from a low grit to a high grit.

2. Use a primer coat. This will help your paint job adhere to the surface and fill in any scratches or variations. (I recommend using an automotive primer, especially if your belt is made from plastic.)

3. Sand your primer layer. Again, work from low grit to high grit sandpaper.

4. Paint again, this time with diligence and patience.* Spray in light bursts using a sweeping motion, 8-10 inches away from the surface. Use thin layers; let each layer dry for 15-20 minutes before applying another coat. Continue until opaque color is achieved.

5. Wet sand your paint job to correct any minor flaws.

6. Finish with a clear coat to protect your paint job. Depending on the effect you want, you can choose from glossy, matte, or satin finishes!

* MAKE SURE you’re painting in the proper conditions! Generally, this is 50-80 degrees Fahrenheit, with relative humidity below 85%, but double-check the instructions on your chosen brand of paint in case it’s formulated differently.

Making a genderbent design is a little different than a gijinka, but here are some basic tips:

Think about the character’s personality. What kind of clothing/aesthetic do they feel comfortable wearing? How much effort do they put into their hair? Are they the type that would experiment with makeup, or is that too much work for them? Do they value comfort over style? Matching or clashing colors?

Keep in mind the aesthetic of the series. (For FFXV: edgy grown-up Hot Topic gear with a gratuitous heap of studs and skulls.)

Go beyond just “adding/subtracting breasts.” (Remember, breasts don’t automatically mean a female identity!) Think about how a different gender identity would affect this character’s life as a whole and how their preferences/personality would translate to that new presentation.

Hopefully that helps; best of luck~!

I admittedly don’t line things as often as I should, which I think a lot of cosplayers relate to; usually we’re working up until the last minute trying to finish a project, and there isn’t always time to bother with lining if one can “get away” with not including it for that particular project. (For example: Sheik’s top probably could have benefitted from lining, but it didn’t need it, so I saved time during con crunch by not including one.) However, I make it a point to include linings for garments that truly need them, such as bodices/corsets, jackets, capes, and dresses. Something like Batgirl’s leather jacket would’ve been awful to wear without a liner so it was important to factor that into the construction time and plan accordingly!