Creating the Character Costume

Tools, Tips, and Talks with Top Costumers and Cosplayers

Cheralyn Lambeth

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781317597957
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Médias et arts de la scène
• Subtopic: Théâtre

Many beginning and hobbyist costumers believe that professional costume/prop builders have unlimited and specialized resources with which to ply their craft.Actually, the pros create things in much the same way that hobbyists do, working as resourcefully and creatively as possible with a limited budget. Creating the Character Costume dives into these methods to showcase how to achieve expert looks with limited means and lots of creativity. Part One explores tools, materials, and construction methods.

Part 1
Creating Your Character Costume

From professionally built costumes for television/film/theater, to those put together by a casual hobbyist, to somewhere in between, many of the techniques and materials used to create costumes for a variety of venues are quite often the same. This section explores the tools, materials, and construction methods that can be used (along with lots of creativity!) to achieve expert looks with limited means

As with other industries and art forms, the craft of costume building has steadily advanced over the years, with constant advances in materials and construction technologies offering more options for builders to improve and showcase their handiwork. Not the least of these technologies is the art of photography; as this work showcases a broad spectrum of costume/cosplay genres, it utilizes a wide range of photographs, from quick behind the-scenes or work-in-progress documentation shots to professionally photographed, digitally enhanced photos that beautifully highlight finished cosplays. There are also photographs dating from the very early days of the cosplay scene, a small slice of history showing how far the hobby has come in recent years (and how much photography has advanced as well).

Chapter 1
Pre-Production—What
to Know Before Beginning
Your Costume

Before you can begin to build your costume or cosplay, you'll want to pinpoint just what the purpose and intent are behind your creation. Will it be a quick one-time project for a Halloween party or other fun event? Or an accurate period piece for an historical re-enactment? Or perhaps an original fantasy-style costume for a television or film production? Whatever your purpose behind your costume creation, there will be common construction techniques and materials you can use to build almost any type of costume/cosplay you might want, and those will be outlined further on in this chapter.

Figure 1.1 A mass-produced Santa suit, available from an online Halloween costume supplier. These types of costumes are generally made of inexpensive materials and may not necessarily be durable in construction—seams may not be finished off, hems may be raw, etc.—making them more suitable for one-time use than for a long-term performance run.

Figure 1.2 Another mass-produced Santa suit, this one for a mechanical dancing Santa. As with the Halloween-costume version, this type of suit is generally constructed of inexpensive materials, with the added element of being made for an object as opposed to a person to wear—many of the seams here are simply glued into place on the form, instead of being completely sewn (although quite often the seams on a mechanical form are doubly secured, to stand up to the force of the repeated movement. This is especially true on many window displays such as those seen in New York or London, where the mechanical costumes can be true works of art).

At the same time as there are factors in common to building various types of costumes, though, there are also very different and sometimes specialized aspects of each type that require a different approach to research, planning, and production. Constructing a costume for a film can be a very different process from constructing a costume for a theater production/live performance or cosplay appearances at conventions, which can be different again from constructing one just for display—even if it's the same genre costume in every case, such as a Santa Claus suit. While each of these types of Santa suits may look the same when completed, the different tasks these costumes might be required to perform—for instance, how often they'll be worn, how long they need to last, whether there will be any special effects involved, etc.—will determine what goes into the research, materials, and construction techniques used in each one.

Figure 1.3 A custom-made Santa suit buiit by an experienced costumer for a semi-professional performer making numerous appearances. This is a more historical version of the familiar red-and-white Santa suit, and is extremely well made, with quality materials and durable construction. It is expected to last, as well as look professional in all aspects. Costume constructed by Lindsay Stewart and worn by Michael Stewart. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Stewart

Figure 1.4 Another custom Santa suit, this one for the 1964 film Santa Clause Conquers the Martians. In appearance, it is very similar to the other suits shown here, although there were likely multiple sets of this suit made to last through the course of filming. Screen capture by the author

So now that you know what kind of costume/cosplay you want to create, what do you need to know to begin the building process for your specific style? Following are a few examples of things to keep in mind when creating costumes for a particular venue.

Things to Consider When Costuming for...

Fun! Halloween, Themed Parties, and Other Costumed Social Events

When creating a costume for a purely fun event—such as a themed costume party or other social activity—the only guidelines placed on your creation are your own imagination (and possibly a budget, although a costume doesn't necessarily have to be expensive to be fun and/or the hit of the party!). This type of costume can be simple or elaborate, historically accurate or not-so-historically accurate, an original creation or a reproduction of a known costume/media character—the possibilities are limitless, with no restrictions placed on the materials used and the time spent creating it (other than the approaching date of the event it's intended for). Halloween costumes in particular can cover the full spectrum, ranging from very simple home-made and/or store-bought costumes to elaborate creations with intricate detailing and special effects—cash-prize costume contests at various bars and restaurants are a popular adult activity at Halloween, and quite a few costumers do enjoy taking time in the months leading up to Halloween building striking creations to compete in numerous contests throughout the season.

However, if you're simply looking to put together a costume for a fun night on the town with friends, or an evening at a themed party, there is often no need to invest a great deal of time, money, and materials on building an elaborate creation. One thing to keep in mind is that quite often, costumed social events can be in dark, crowded venues, where large and/or complicated costumes can easily get crushed, spilled on, or otherwise damaged; there's also a risk for large costumes to block hallways or exits, or limit your movements on the dance floor. Finally, you'll want to make certain your costume will allow you to see, breathe, eat, and—most importantly—be able to take restroom breaks as needed. You don't necessarily have to forgo a beautiful or striking costume creation for a night on the town, but in this case, the simplest option can often be the best.

Figure 1.5 Two simply constructed Halloween costumes of Zorro and an alter-ego. Both costumes were put together mainly from items found at thrift stores, and/or sewn quickly and inexpensively. From left to right, Laura Haywood-Cory, Cheralyn Lambeth.

Figure 1.6 A more elaborate Halloween costume—a recreation of the cartoon character Marvin the Martian—elaborately constructed with the intention of entering a cash-prize costume contest. Costume and photo by the author

Cosplay for Conventions—Hall Costumes and Masquerades/Costume Contests

As with Halloween costumes, the realm of sci-fi/fantasy convention costumes—those worn by fans of media genres such as comic books, Japanese animation, sci-fi movies/TV shows etc. to conventions such as DragonCon and San Diego Comic Con—can run the gamut from simple to elaborate, store-bought to home-made, original creations to reproductions. Like those created for other social activities, the only guidelines placed on these types of costumes are the creator's imagination, personal interests, and desired budget. Many conventions host masquerades/costume contests for which participants devote a great deal of time and money beforehand building striking creations for competition—while not all masquerade costumes are large and elaborate productions, the technical support often offered for these competitions makes it much easier for contestants to showcase larger and/or more complicated costumes than they might normally be able to wear during everyday walking-around at the convention. Hall costumes are those worn by participants during general walk around at the convention/event, and may often be less elaborate and complicated than masquerade costumes to provide for ease of movement through a crowded convention hall (although this is not necessarily the case—many hall costumes can be just as striking as masquerade costumes, and many conventions have hall costume contests as well as a main-event masquerade contest).

Another costume/cosplay-related aspect of conventions that has grown steadily in r...