So, you’re headed off for the con… You’ve got your costume all packed and nice, all of your makeup and accessories tucked away, and enough extra ‘normal’ clothing to see you through the weekend. Your food is packed, the car is loaded, and you’re off.
That’s how it all starts, too. You think you’re ready for D-Day, what with the checklist you’d made earlier that morning as you scrambled to make sure you had everything you needed. You even make that ‘last minute’ stop at the corner market to make sure you have snacks for the drive over.
Lay out everything before you pack it up in order to double-check that you have what you need.
It’s all fine and dandy until something goes terribly wrong because of some small malfunction; one tiny little thing you didn’t think twice about earlier that might cost you your costume later.
Well, I’m here to help ease your troubles. Every year I go through the same thing; I spend hours the night before making sure I have everything packed away and ready for the journey the to come. But, it never fails- there is always something small I overlook and it almost makes me pull out my hair with frustration.
So, to relieve the pain I suggest a few aspirin, and this handy list no cosplaying con-goer should go without!
-Costume basics
Make sure you have everything for your costume; top, bottom, shoes, wig, bracelets, necklaces, bags, weapons. It’s easy to overlook things if your cosplay is detailed. Try on the costume one last time to make sure everything fits the way it should (no last minute sewing-machine binges, hopefully), and pack it as you take it off. Also make sure you have all the undergarments you need for your costume, be they a different kind of underwear or a colored or strapless bra.
I’ve found that if your costume is anything other than simple cloth, it might not fit well into a suitcase. Target and places of the like sell large, plastic containers with lids that will protect your costume from being tossed around or your wigs from being squished. Trust me- $10 is a small price to pay to ensure your costume isn’t smooshed by the time you arrive at the hotel. Plus, having your costumes and wigs organized is just one less thing to stress out about while attending your con. I have about four big tubs hanging out in my closet, and I’ve never had a wig malfunction because I keep them nice and safe!
Make sure you have everything you need, and pack it up safe in a big plastic tub!
-Accessories
Double-check your supply of wig-caps; it never hurts to have more than a few, and, if you end up ripping or stretching one, you’ll have an extra supply! Along with the wig-caps, make sure you have bobby-pins. They help keeps wigs from slipping, and they keep your hair in place under the cap as well.
Makeup isn’t essential for every costume, but you should always bring foundation or concealer in your natural skin-tone. Even if the character you’re cosplaying as doesn’t wear makeup, foundation greatly lowers the natural shine facial skin has, meaning you’ll end up looking nicer in photos.
Most conventions also require an identification badge to be worn once you arrive. Make sure your costume has a good spot to hold the badge if it’s a clip, or bring a lanyard/shoestring so you can easily take the badge off for pictures, and quickly put it back on when you’re finished.
SAFTEY PINS! These are the saving grace for cosplayers the world over! Even if your costume is perfect, accidents happen and seams can rip when you least expect it. Make sure you have a backup supply of these, or you might regret it later.
And, as an extra precaution, remember to bring a small sewing kit with extra thread, and pair of scissors for those ‘just in case’ situations. If you really want to go prepared, pack a small seam-ripper, too- you never know!
-General basics
If you’re staying at a hotel, or with a friend, make sure you pack enough ‘normal’ clothes so that, if you wish to go out to eat at a nice cafe, you’re able to. Remember that no matter how much you like to cosplay, diners might turn you away based off the way you are dressed. Also - and this is important – make sure you bring an extra pair of comfy shoes! Cosplay is great, but sometimes your feet need to get out! Heels can be killer if you’re forced to wear them all day long; I have a scar that’s an inch long on the ball of my left foot to prove it.
Another good idea, if you’re staying away from home, is to bring your own food. Most hotels have public microwaves in the lobby, or in hallways. Or, for a small fee, you can rent one from the front desk. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, don’t bring food that needs to be heated. Boil some water in the coffee maker most hotel rooms are stocked with and eat a cup of ramen. Canned fruit tastes good and is good for you. Buy a mini-cooler from Target for $15 and bring some sliced deli meat and make sandwiches, and use the ice-machine from the hall to keep everything cold. Trust me on this one- bringing your own food will save you the big bucks versus going out every time you are hungry. Plus, you won’t feel like you’ve been pigging out on fast food for the duration of the con.
This last one is important: make sure you have a place to put your wallet/money while in costume. Sew a little pocket to the inside of your costume where no one but you could reach, or carry a coin purse in your sock if your shoes are loose-fitting. I’m wowed at conventions by the sheer multitude of sparkly awesome that’s for sale, and when I see something I want I set my lasers to kill. Some people might not have this problem, but it always pays to be ready to buy that one thing you just HAVE to have.
Here is a good example: My friend Emily is stationed on the far left as Neku from The World Ends With You, and I’m in the middle as Shiki. Both costumes were made by me, which gave me the chance to make pockets and hidden areas for us to store what we needed to keep on us. Emily has her cellphone in the pockets on her pants, as well as her wallet. The bag that’s hung around my waist is functional, with zipper and all, which turned out to be perfect, as I normally wear glasses and needed a handy place to store them where they wouldn’t get scratched or lost. I also had a very small pocket on the inside of my skirt small enough to fit a few emergency coins in case something happened and I needed to use a pay phone.
Me as Shiki and my friend Emily as Neku, from The World Ends With You, complete with hand-dandy places on our costumes to keep our crap safe!
Also, never forget the aspirin. EVER.
Let’s review:
Costumes
-top
-bottom
-shoes
-wig
-gloves
-jewelry
-bags
-stuffed animals
-weapons
-special undergarments
-if you need it- a tub to carry your costume in
Accessories
-wig-caps and wig brush
-bobby-pins
-make up
-place/strap for your ID badge
-safety pins
General
-a few extra changes of normal clothes and comfy shoes
-a place to store your money/cards while in costume
-if you need it- food like deli meat, bread, canned fruit, and cup ramen
-aspirin
May 10th, 2009 at 7:59 am
I decided to put together a little journal for my costumes. I have costume check list for each one plus a “Commons” list for things that I use for all them: basic makeup, hair brush, etc. You could do that and even include a photo so that you can visually go over what you need. As for food, I buy a box of kashi bars for each con and they keep me going without messing up my costumes or makeup. I also made matching bags for my suits so that even if the character wouldn’t normally be seen with a shoulder bag or tote, at least I have one that matches.
May 11th, 2009 at 6:31 am
This is all such great advice
Thanks for sharing this with us
It also gives me one more chance to thank all the amazing cos-players out there.
You are the ones who make the conventions special for me and I deeply appreciate all the effort it takes to bring our favorite characters to life!
May 11th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Seconding the safety pins! I can not count how many times they have saved my life at a con. Actually, last time I was at a con, I was at a photoshoot taking pictures and one of the cosplayers was having a hard time with a cape where a thread or something had snapped. They desperately needed a safety pin, which I happened to have on hand.
May 11th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Every convention season, I have a master checklist with every single thing I need, broken down by costume. Additionally, included are things not costume related but necessary. The night before I leave, I go through the checklist and put a mark next to each item as I pack it. If necessary, I load up the car that night, or, everything is put in one location to be loaded up the next day.
Check, and double check the list. It’ll save you SO much grief.