go up there next to someone
that has hand made what
they’re wearing I can say nine
times out of 10, you're going to
lose. I don’t mean you have to
be an expert sewer, and make
everything from scratch. What
I'm saying is if you can’t sew,
look into modification. Find
pieces you can dye, repurpose
or alter so that you can honestly
say you made what you're
wearing up on that stage—or
bar top, depending on where
you are.

This is slightly different
if you intend to go intoa
serious competition, of
course. Competitions offering
large cash prizes attract all
those Holly Hobbies that
took the full four years of
Home Economics in high
school and maybe even a
fashion or textiles course in
post-secondary. So if you're
planning to look into that, you
will have to step your game
up, and possibly both sew and
pattern your own costume
instead of relying on second-
hand stores and the recesses of
your closet.

If you don’t sew, then don’t
fret. Thanks to shows like
Heroes of Cosplay and Face
Off, plenty of companies online
offer alternative materials that
you will simply have to learn
to manipulate. Stuff like L2zoo
foam, Wonderflex, Worbla,
and latex all can be used to

: various effects. Wonderflex

: and Worbla are expensive,

: but with heat they will allow

: you to create intricate armour
: pieces. L200 foam is clunky,

: but if you're looking to make

: an extra limb, or create a

: muscle suit that would put

: Schwarzenegger to shame, a

: heat gun, carving knife, and

: some basic references on what
: you want to create is all you

: need. Liquid latex is a go-to

: for many costume creators. It

: can not only create scars, but

: if you have a reaction to spirit
: gum, like a lot of people with

: sensitive skin, you can use it

: to apply prosthetics. Liquid

: latex can also be painted on

: any cement floor to create

: something that will move

: similarly to fabric, but that

: doesn’t require sewing, and can
: be made into any shape you

: like. This trick works great for
: capes and bat and insect wings.
: Latex can also be painted over
: with normal make-up, so it'll

: work if you're looking to cover
: up your mouth or eye for an

: extra creep factor. But I'd keep
: it away from any delicate areas
: or spots with hair, removing

: latex is a lot like removing

: wax—it will hurt if you give it
: anything to stick to, or if the

: area is already tender.

Vancouver also has quite a

: few special effects studios, so
: some of this stuff you can find
: locally at places like Dressew

: and Studio FX in Downtown

: Vancouver, and HollyNorth

: Production Supplies if youre in
: Burnaby.

Never underestimate your

: local hardware store. A lot of

: craft stores and specialty shops
: will overcharge for something

: you can find at Canadian Tire— :
: case in point, zip ties. Zip ties

: area cheap alternative to corset
: boning. They work the same if

: you double or triple them up,

: but you can buy them in bulk

: for less than half the amount

: you would pay for a set of ten

: steel boning spines at fabric

: stores. Scour the Internet

: for suggestions on cheaper

: materials so that you don’t blow :
: your budget on something you
: may not need, that no one will
: even see.

Say you're done your

: costume though, what should

: you be concentrating on now?

: Even if your costume is the

: best in the world, with blinking
: lights and perfect seams, it

: won't matter if you don’t have

: the charisma to pull it off. In

: every competition I’ve judged,

: been in, or witnessed, there

: has always been an element

: of performance. No, it’s not

: a talent show, but people still

: need to be able to remember

: you, maybe even like you. In

: amateur competitions, chances
: are the judges aren't going to

: be experts. They’re going to

: be looking for the person who

: made an impression, who put

: in the most effort, and whose

: costume is relatively well-

: pieced together—usually in that
: order. So if you have the chance
: to show off a bit, go for it. Be in

: character, if it’s appropriate be

: funny, maybe toss in a wink or

two. Try to get the crowd hyped

: for you being there. Judges hate
: disappointing the audience, so

: if the audience likes you it will

: translate into a better score. I’m
: not ashamed to say that I once

: won a competition in a bikini,

: not because I was in the most

: revealing outfit, or because I

: was the best-looking, and most
: certainly not because I had the

best costume, but because I

: cracked jokes the entire time

: and was funnier than my

: competition. It’s a little cliché to
: say, but look like you're having

: fun.

Producing intricate, well-

: made costumes is an art, and

: takes years of practice. Even

: now I find myself in awe of

: some people, and constantly

: learning new tricks and ways

: of producing things that I

: couldn't have even imagined a
: couple years ago. It also requires
: you to wear a lot of hats and

: learn a lot of different skills—

: fabrication, sewing, make-up.

: A competition means you can't
: just be good at one thing; you

: have to be good at everything,

: and make it look easy while

: youre at it.