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Thrift Store Cosplay: Clever Shortcuts for Quick Costumes with Minimal Sewing

Not all costumes need to be made from scratch! While it may not be the most accurate version of a character and it's likely not going to be allowed at any "official" convention costume contests, you can still enjoy a costumed experience with things you may find while shopping!

What is Thrift Store Cosplay?

So I made this thing up. It probably has many other names, but it's what I use to describe repurposing clothes, costume parts, jewelry, and toys to create a costume. It requires minimal sewing and maybe just a few tweaks here and there with fabric paints. It's kind of related to the idea of upcycling old clothes you get at a thrift store into something more flashy and fashionable. 

Despite the name, this type of cosplay is not restricted to only purchasing clothes or parts from a thrift store. You can consider eBay a thrift store. 😉
While it's not the same as buying a costume in a bag, I will say that repurposing elements from a costume bag still counts. 

First, let me show you some examples. 

Princess Krahe Cosplay

Princess Krahe is from the anime "Princess Tutu". And I will admit, my costume is very unlike the character. 

My version
Princess Krahe Reference


The only thing my costume had in common was the color of my ballerina outfit and some of the hairstyle (which admittedly that photo doesn't really demonstrate well.) 

However, I was still recognized as this character by people familiar with the show. To others perhaps I was just a "black swan" type character. Which is fine. 

The neat thing is I didn't sew a single thing! The only thing I did to the costume was dye some ballet slipper black. (I used Rit dye but it did cause the shoes to shrink. So protip, fabric markers or paint would work.)

The leotard, tights, and ballet shoes I purchased from a ballet supply store. I found a headband with a fluffy black halo that had wire in it at a Party City. I just reshaped it to look like Krahe's fun hair flip. I also got the tutu, garter and black hair spray at Party City. I got some fake nails and nail polish from a drug store and that was the extent of my shopping for this costume.

Now, I really didn't go to a thrift store to buy anything but technically my idea of "Thrift Store" can encompass any kind of shopping. It doesn't limit you to purchasing used items. 
Anyway, here are a few tips! 

Where to Shop

Honestly, even though I call it Thrift Store Cosplay, you can shop for new things at any kind of store. You can get custom things on Etsy or go to a Costume shop. 

I will say that if you get a pre-made character costume from a bag or website, it's not quite Thrift Store cosplay. There is an element of construction or modification to it. 

Example: Sailor Mars ♂

The thing to do is identify the major identifiable parts of the costume. For Sailor Mars it's long black hair, red heels, and the white and red Sailor Scout uniform. So let's look at the pieces. 

White Sailor Scout part: The top half is a form fitting white outfit. We could buy a white, short sleeved leotard or a fitted v-neck t-shirt. 

Red Skirt: Being able to find a red pleated skirt at any length would be ideal, but we could find one in white and dye it red later. Or just any short red skirt really!

Scarf and Bows: A plain red bandana. Perhaps a Red ribbon on a barrette or from a Christmas ornament. A big wreath ribbon or door ribbon will do nicely for the big bow in the back. 

Shoes: I think red high heels are pretty easy to find. If you are having trouble, white heels that you paint with red leather paint will suffice. 

Hair: If you don't have this length of hair then you'll have to get  a long black wig. I've seen these at the local party supply store or big chain stores around Halloween.  

Gloves: Opera gloves are pretty easy to get at a party shop or online. 

Jewelry and Tiara: The necklace and earrings might be simple enough to find or make with jewelry making kits or just shopping in general. The tiara might be a bit tricky. Honestly for the jewelry and pendants I might get replicas on Etsy. Otherwise, I'd have to find a circlet or gold headband and glue a plastic gem on it. 

Most of the adjustments to these supplies would be done through safety pins, glue, or wire attachments. It wouldn't be an exact replica but it would have most of the moving parts for a Sailor Mars costume. 

Final Thoughts

Thrift Store or Upcycled cosplay doesn't mean you can't make your own portions of the costume with sewing or crafting. It is meant to be a way to accomplish the character's look through repurposed items. 
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