One of our most frequently ask question is 'What is cosplay?' Cosplay is actually a portmanteau of two words: costume and play. It refers to the act of dressing up like a character from a book, movie, tv show, podcast or video game. Some people are purists and get every detail perfect right down to the colour of the thread on the switching. Some people mash up differently cultural elements to create a new version of a character like making a steampunk sailor moon or a Disney Princess Boba Fett. The options are limitless and, in my experience, the community is super accepting.
A person who does cosplay is a cosplayer. Social media has given platforms to some very talented cosplayers to show off their work. Search the tag 'cosplay' on Instagram, Tik Tok or Youtube and you'll find an endless ocean of content. Cosplayers post photos of their favorite cosplays, give tutorials on how to do your own cosplay, and act out scenarios as their favorite characters.
Cosplayers also show off their work at conventions. In the before times (like pre- Covid), we used to try to have a booth at as many local conventions as possible. It was so fun to see people's creativity in action or see cosplays that people had created from things they had purchased from the store.
Do you cosplay? What did you think of my definition of cosplay? did I get it right? Would you explain it differently? Reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to let me know.