It’s been a few weeks since PAX East, just one of many great conventions that you can go to. When you go to conventions, you are bound to witness at least one character come to life through the craft of another cosplay artist. Cosplay is fashion created to transform fictitious worlds and characters into reality.
This form of creation is nothing new, it’s similar to playing dress up. Chameleon, a cosplayer at PAX East, said “It’s like Halloween but you can do it whenever you want!” She dressed up as Chloe Price from Life is Strange for the first time. Some are hesitant to try cosplaying for the first time. One might speculate that cosplay is a waste of time, money, or effort. Meeting a variety of cosplayers at PAX East, both new and experienced, showed me this isn’t the case. Cosplay is for everyone!
Why People Cosplay
People cosplay for many different reasons. For some, it is their creative output. Cosplay can be put together through crochet, woodworking, sewing, and other means of crafts. Others participate to meet new people and join the community. There is no pressure to put together a jaw dropping outfit. There are the people who do it for the sake of fun! There is no age restriction for when you start or how you start. Some might begin from just playing videogames, watching shows, and getting into anime in middle school. That often sets them up for high school when they begin putting something together. Caelum, a cosplayer who didn’t start until later into his adult years, said that “It doesn’t matter if you spend hundreds of hours making a costume or just buying one right off of Amazon or whatever website you want. Just do it.”
How People Cosplay
A cosplay can be bought or home made. When it comes to buying costumes, it is important to do your research. People like Kenny who like dressing up in metal suits as knight templars have a niche interest in buying body armor. He stresses the dangers of impulse buying, as it can be pricey to continuously purchase costumes over time. Hence, most cosplayers tend to make their costumes themself! It can get complicated and elaborate to replicate character designs, like from Genshin Impact or League of Legends (not restricted to these games.) There are intricacies making big props or weapons, too. A cosplayer of the Cult of the Lamb, Shyanne, suggested being aware of the size and the weight of your fake weaponry. It is easy to hit someone, especially when going through cramped alleys of the Expo Hall. She showed off many different accessories and props with her friend, Michael. All these objects were sculpted out of foam and cardboard. Most people prefer to use EVA foam and seal it with mod podge. Using these materials make their props light and portable throughout the convention, and doesn’t hurt if it collides with a fellow convention attendee.
Economics of Cosplay and Convention
There are a number of costs you must consider before deciding to commit to cosplaying at an event. Depending on the complexity of the character, it might cost nothing to a thousand dollars! For more casual cosplayers, it tends to range around $50 to $20 dollars. This cost can go up for some characters who have more intricate details on their outfit, a plethora of accessories, or a sophisticated hairstyle. According to the Gank Content Team, they say that there are three ways to obtain a costume. People can either DIY, buy or commission an outfit from a company specifically tailored to making sure your cosplay is just right. Buying can mean going to a costume store, thrifting, and going on online services like Amazon or Etsy. A few more professional stores to check out would be epiccosplay.com for wigs, pinkyparadise.com for eye contact lenses, or givewavestudios.com who partnered with PAX East for an official cosplay repair section this year. Just grabbing clothes and things around the house can cost nothing at all. It is also important to consider the cost of entry for the convention, parking, hotel if applicable, and modes of travel. Pyra Sydannia on Youtube said that an entry ticket for PAX East 2026 cost around $70 dollars per person on March 26, March 27th, and March 28th. It cost $77 dollars on Sunday 29th. In order to go on all four days this year, it would cost $250 dollars per person. That does not include the cost of parking, hotel, or food. It is crucial to create a budget, not only for preparing for the trip but also being there! You’ll want to set aside money to buy awesome merchandise and upcoming games.
The Most Important Note
Most of all, have fun. There are so many things to do and many people you can meet at PAX East. Alexis, who cosplayed as Sue Storm from The Fantastic Four, was looking for a place with like-minded and accepting people. She said, “The cosplay community welcomed me there.” Others testified that they joined for similar reasons, finding it through friends, anime, and the like. All in all, it is not just about having the best costume. Cosplaying can be for anyone and everyone. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things!
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