Modesty's Costume Closet

 Kitsune or fox characters are not strictly a Japanese only thing. There is a Korean and Chinese version. European and Native American cultures have their own version of fox beings. I mention this because although my titles say "kitsune", I'm lumping in other fox traditions too. (And I wanted to pretend I'm not as ignorant as I may seem. *hiding*)  Your fox can be red! For this costume concept, the most identifying or Iconic Feature is:  Tails and Ears. That's right, foxes have distinctive tails, ears, and markings but kitsune are specially identified by these features. Specific types of Kitsune have multiple tails. (Kyuubi has 9 tails.) This is certainly a feature we must consider... Considerations for Kitsune/Fox Person Costume When coming up with your costume design, these are things to take into consideration during the planning phase:  Number of Tails : At the minimum, one tail is expected. However, as previously mentioned, some versions of the creature have ...

Ah, what anime/manga nerd hasn't run across at least one instance of the Kitsune. For those unfamiliar it's a fox spirit. The more romanticized version of characters found in media depicts them as beautiful ladies or men with fox ears and tails. As depicted below. ;)  /sigh/ I can never get a proper photo of my costumes Yes, one year for Halloween I was a kitsune...and currently, I'm making another one. So unlike some of my other concept costume series, I've got stakes in this one. Yay! But while contemplating this series, I started having a whole chunk of fun finding characters and inspiration for concepts to cover so you can feel equipped to create your own kitsune or fox-person character.  The plan for this series is as follows:  Concepting a Character + Design Considerations Tail Design Considerations Creating a Fur Fox Tail Creating a Crystal Fox Tail Fox Ears Mask Design and Make-up Design Other Fox Parts: Claws, Fangs, Eyes Example Templates

Prosthetics are a highly versatile tool for a costumer/cosplayer. They can add a bit of natural look to any unnatural additions to your body such as pointed ears, horns, long noses, and much, much more.  Materials - Allergy Warning The most common material for prosthetics is LATEX. This is a rubbery, thin material that blends very nicely with human skin. However, some people have an allergic reaction to latex so you may need to look for alternative materials such as silicone. There is a growing market for non-latex Prosthetics parts.  Depending on the part you are making, you may decide that a rubbery flesh texture is all wrong. Some alternatives to latex and silicone are:  Resin - great for claws and horns and such Paper-Mache - great for a bone structure, claws or horns Foam - expanding foam that you carve, EVA foam, or furniture foam that you shape can make just about anything. Fabric and stuffing - you can be very clever with your plushie patterns to create soft ...

Another creature feature detail to add flair to a costume are claws. Some of us may grow our nails that long or utilize nail art to get a similar effect. But I will provide as many options as I can think of to add claws to the costume.   Claw Placement and Style We'll start with claws then go into hoof creatures. Claws are typically the last digit on the paw. When comparing to our human hands, it comes out of our fingertips. (Our "claws" are covered in flesh.)    While it is a way to attach fake claws, most costumes benefit from extending those fingernails we have to look like claws. This will usually not hinder the use of fingers as normal.  Nail Style In these methods, you extend the length and shape of your nails (usually with artificial materials). As you may notice in my first image, I used fake nails on GLOVES so you are not limited to putting nails directly onto your real nails.  Acrylic Nails I find that "fake nails" are generally the most accessibl...

 I wanted to go over a few common "special effects" for costumes to add that bit of flair and added pernach. There are lots of characters and creatures to dress up as that have some oddness about their teeth. Fang-like canine teeth, rows of shark teeth, buck teeth, gold or diamond teeth or event rotten teeth can be easily achievable. But first...let's have a care. Precautions So, most of these solutions for teeth involve putting plastic in your mouth. So don't ingest anything...won't be fun. Also for the love of all things holy make sure what you put in your mouth was sanitized first. If things start to feel uncomfortable at any time, remove safely from your mouth and store away for later. Don't leave teeth in while eating. You may be okay for drinks and small snacks.  Please don't use glue in your mouth. Denture adhesive was made for things like this.  Many of these solutions for fangs and such, I do think professionally made kits are actually quite good....

For the final post about colors, I'm going over hair color.  Changing your hair color is fun, but can be a challenge depending on your hair type, base color, and goal color.  Not my real hair color! Quick Tips I color my hair frequently, so I've got a few experiences to share. First, let me set up some basic things about hair color.  It's easier to color light-colored hair than darker hair. So, to get a vibrant color, first, a dark-hair person will need to bleach their hair. Bleaching your hair can also cause hair or skin damage. It's better to work with another person. For your first bleach, I recommend getting it done at a salon. You don't need to go to a high-end place, some places will even let you bring your own box of bleach.  Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the "drug-store box hair color". Not only because I had a rough experience but there's a pretty big challenge coloring your own hair. Having another person to help is good but some...

A character with a skin color different from your own will come with its own challenges depending on how much skin is shown. (If you're lucky, it's just the face).  Natural vs Unnatural Skin Color We should, right off the bat, address the elephant in the room. While I believe you can cosplay as whoever you want, at least in the United States, there is a social expectation to not to darken your skin to portray a character that has a darker skin color than your own. To put it in blunt terms, no "black face" or "brown face" please. This has fallen very far out of fashion and could ruin your political career. (If you have such asperations.) But in all seriousness, I'd like to think that as cosplayers we're respectful and sensitive enough not to participate in this practice.  HOWEVER, if you get dark when you tan or get lighter when you stay indoors, this is perfectly acceptable. (Even spray tans to an extent.)  I think generally because we dress up as a ...

Having an eye for detail really makes for great cosplay or costumes. Adding an effect to your eyes can be the cherry on top. However, it is not 100% necessary for you to change your eye color for a costume. To me, there are only two methods for changing your eye color.   Method 1: Contact Lenses Method 2: Photomanipulation  That's it.  So let's look at the pros and cons of changing your eye color or adding a unique effect to your eyes with contact lenses.  Pros : It looks authentic. You can look like the character or creature in real-time. Makes the costume look a bit more professional.  Cons : They can be expensive. Depending on the effect it can obscure vision. The learning curve for using, caring, and wearing. Need an appointment with an optometrist (eye doctor) before using. Can cause eye damage or infection. It may not be visible in all photos.  Now, I may be showing my bias against costume contacts, but they're not all that bad. There's just a lo...

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.  F...