Modesty's Costume Closet

When you want to dress up as a character but it would not be appropriate to cosplay at the event,  character bounding or casual cosplay may be the solution! Or if you just don't have as many chances to go to cosplay events.  Personally, I just like the idea and think about Character Bounding or Casual Cosplay in everyday life a lot. But let's clarify what we mean by character bounding and casual cosplay.   What is Character Bounding? Typically, character bounding involves using a character's color schemes or motifs in your everyday clothes to portray the spirit of a character. This is popularized by Disney characters since you can't really cosplay at any of the Disney parks (because that is a job at the park.) However, you are not limited to Disney or fictional characters. I've also seen people use historical figures or fashions as a form of "bounding". (I honestly don't know why it's called bounding. If I were a good blogger I'd probably look

Make-up is a powerful tool in a costumer's arsenal. You can create a whole costume around face makeup! When it comes to costumes there are (in my consideration) three kinds of makeup:  Fashion Make-up Theatrical/Stage Make-up Costume Make-up Fashionable at one point.  Fashion make-up accents the natural shapes of your face to make it look its best according to a fashion/cultural aesthetic.  Theatrical or Stage make-up is a major exaggeration of facial features that can be seen from a distance with the bright lights of a stage.  All done with eye liner and eye shadow. Costume make-up is a mix of both. It looks good close-up or from a distance. It exaggerates if it needs to or accents where it can.  However, all make-up has this in common: using color to create an illusion with your facial features.  Health Note: There can be allergens in some make-up depending on what it is made out of. Be sure to either test on your skin beforehand or check the ingredients (if you know what your al

One of the most iconic accessories for Kitsune characters (or skilled swordsmen) is the fox mask. To be fair, this likely is mostly associated with Japanese Kitsune, but they do not hold the monopoly on fox fairy creatures.  I don't think it'll fit right. LOL! Mask Considerations For your own costume, regardless of the culture of origin, the common features to consider are:  Mask Size  How much of your face will the mask cover? Will it go over your whole head like fursuit head?  Or is it meant to be more of a decoration that sits on your head or off your waist?  This will determine how much material you need to use and how to incorporate the mask into the costume. Full Face Mask   Half Face Mask Basic Mask Shape This may sound confusing but what I mean here is if the shape of the mask will resemble the features of a fox closely or take on a more human shape with fox features.  Leather Fox Masks from Etsy . Basically, will the mask have a snout or look more human? Eye Holes How

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 horns, hooves, musc

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 lot to consider befo

 This will mostly be about little details you can add here and there to add that extra bit of creature-ness to your merfolk costume. Most parts may involve latex parts so if you have a latex allergy, you may need to look into a silicone alternative or bodypaint.  Gills There are several options for gills from simple make-up lines to full latex/silicone attachments.  Latex Gills How to make Mermaid Gills (video) Waterproof Eyeliner Waterproof Bodypaint Gills are commonly placed on the cheeks, neck, or lower rib cage.  Fin Ears Ear design can be taken in a few different directions. Again, prosthetic ears will be a common solution. However, you can also craft ears with a more "jewelry" ear cuff.  Swimmable Ear Cuff ($) Latex Ears ($) Siren Ear Tutorial (video) If you are not doing a fish-related mercreature, you may just use elf ears. As you may have noticed from my links, my favorite brand is Aradani Studios . You can find other sellers of prosthetic ears on other sites or E