At comic and anime conventions, attendees tend to be nice and non-judgmental. If you are not sure about what to wear, you should not be worried. No one expects you to become an overnight cosplayer for your first convention. Here are four recommendations that you can follow in this regard:
Dress Comfortably and Respectfully
Fans of anime and comic books are part of a tolerant and respectful community. When you choose your convention attire, you should think about dressing in a respectful manner. Keep in mind that the people at the convention will be coming from a variety of backgrounds, and so this is not an opportunity to make a political statement or to mock a particular genre or character. By doing so, you could offend a lot of people and put a damper on others’ fun.
As for comfortability, realize that you may have to do a lot of walking at large convention centers. Make sure that you’re wearing shoes that you’d feel comfortable walking around in. The event will most likely be crowded as well, and so you should wear shoes that are closed-toe just in case someone ends up stepping on your feet. Often, people want to wear similar shoes and clothes that the character they’re trying to cosplay as does. If those shoes include 6-inch stilettos, though, your feet are not going to be happy after a few hours. Think ahead and try to analyze whether or not what you’ll be wearing will be comfortable after a while as these events can sometimes go on all day.
Take Inspiration from Anime
At your first convention, you will notice a lot of people wearing anime shirts. This is part of a fashion trend that started decades ago. It is not unusual to see fully costumed cosplayers change into stylish anime attire by brands, like Capsule Corp Clothing, that sell clothing that caters to this genre. You will likely see lots of anime clothing when you hit the convention after parties as well. Anime fashion is known to get conversations started and meet interesting people at conventions.
Join Cosplay Costume Groups
Some people take the plunge and arrive to their very first conventions in full cosplay regalia. Cosplay is a lot of fun, but there is more to this activity than just dressing up like superheroes or Pokémon characters. The cosplay community is strong, inclusive and always waiting to welcome new members. If your first convention is a few weeks away, you may want to search online for local cosplay groups whose members are also going. They might be sticking to a certain costume theme that you could participate in too.
Proudly Display Your Otaku Roots
One of the coolest aspects of comic con is that they serve as a meeting point for people with diverse interests. If you are more into video games than anime or comic books, you can certainly dress according to your otaku status. When comic book and sci-fi conventions started getting popular in the 1980s, many people dressed in Star Trek uniforms, but others simply wore Atari ball caps. In 2018, retro gaming fashion is among the hottest convention trends, so you may want to dust off that old Nintendo backpack.
In the end, spending some a little time and effort in your first convention outfit could go a long way in meeting new people. Keep in mind that respect, more than clothing, is the bonding element of the communities that attend these gatherings.
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