“Thrift Cos-ing”- Do Cosplay The RIGHT Way
There are many ways to cosplay in today’s geek world. There are those of us who make cosplay from scratch, toying away for months making sure every stitch is done correctly. Then there are the eBay crusaders! Spending hours on the internet searching for the perfect price for the perfect cosplay- the secret to this is always the “Free Shipping” aspect. However, there is a branch of cosplaying that is very raraely touched upon. This way of cosplaying if done correctly, can make a cosplay experience just as good as any other. Thrift Cos-ing is when you go to a thrift shop- like Goodwill or the Salvation Army- and go on an adventure collecting items, and pieces of clothing that you think would make a good cosplay! This outfit here is the first thrifty cosplay I made and today I am here to explain in a few easy steps how to make your own.
To make this School Girl Outfit you will need:
1) A white short sleeve shirt (A v-neck cut works best.)
2) A school uniform skirt (You can literally find them in any thrift store, especially at the end of the school year.)
3) Over the knee or knee high socks
4) White material (This will be used for the sailor collar and bib in the back.)
5) A decent length of ribbon (Works best if it is the same color as your skirt.)
First you must get off your butt and physically walk/drive/fly to the nearest thrift store. The thrift store really is a magical place. If you go to Goodwill the clothing is sorted by color, so the first thing you should do is go straight towards the white T-shirts and take your pick! Make sure that it is a V-Neck cut to ensure the sailor collar will line up correctly when sewing it on.
Then ask is there are any uniform skirts. I was able to find at least 10 school-girl looking skirts on my trip. You may have to take in or hem the skirt to your own fit, but it’s cheaper than making your own skirt and a LOT less work- trust me.
Once you have gathered all your supplies, it is time to start crafting!
If you go here you can find a very good tutorial on how to make a sailor collar! (Go ahead and skip to 5:25.)
It is very important that you measure the width of your shoulders, and then cut a bib shaped piece of fabric to the width that your shoulders are in length across.
After making your collar you just have to sew it to the sides of the v-neck! (Make sure your measuring is done correctly or it will not be properly line up, and the end result will look very silly.) Then you can decorate your shirt and collar with ribbon and a big bow to finish it off!
Once you are satisfied with your shirt all you will need is your skirt and high socks! See? Simple, but cute! I added the ribbon around the sleeves, on the collar itself, and then lining the bottom. I also hemmed the bottom of the shirt to prevent it from curling up and getting wrinkled. If you want to iron the shirt make sure you iron it inside out because the ribbon will burn if the iron gets hot enough.
This is a very simple, and painless way to make a cute cosplay or costume. This cosplay took me less than a week to complete; mainly because I had to hem the skirt and pin lots of ribbon to the shirt before I sewed it on. In all the cosplay cost around $15-$20. I wore this cosplay to New York Comic-Con a few years ago and people took pictures. I feel that going to conventions and cosplaying is the main reason why they are so fun! It’s even more fun when people ask you where you got your cosplay and you can say that you made them! The comic-con after that I was able to Thrift-Cos again as a Cat Maid! However, last year I really got my butt in gear and sewed my very own Alice Madness Returns Cosplay. Cosplay is all about imagination and hard work. If you can think it, you can more than likely make it. If you have any questions about how to make this cosplay, or any suggestions on what I should make next please comment and let me know!
Happy Cosplaying Mina!
~Lilatheen~