Check out this homemade pizza costume! Looks like a pizza with pepperoni, green peppers and mushrooms. Yum…

This costume was made by GS Costume Shop and is available on Etsy for only $15.00.

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Awww, look at these adorable Sesame Street-inspired tutu dresses. They have Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and Elmo, and they sell for $65.00 each. Not bad at all!

I found these on CutiePatootieTutus’s shop on Etsy. Visit her shop for sizing and purchasing information.

[via CutiePatootieTutus on Etsy]

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Artist Jeff de Boer makes equisitive, geniune armor — for mice and cats! What a unique idea, wow.

These look awesome. But if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering, “Why?” LOL, good thing Jeff answers all kinds of questions on his FAQ page. What an interesting guy!

Q. Where did you get the idea to build armour for cats and mice?
“I had been building armour for many years. In fact, by 1985 I had completed seven full suits of armour for people. I felt that as a sculpture, the cat armour was great, but I wondered what it would look like if I could have made it with the kind of materials that would have pushed it from sculptural to real armour. So as a result of having made armour for a cat, I felt that I had created an imbalance in the universe. The only way to fix it was to do the same for the mouse.”

Q. Have you ever put a mouse into a suit of armour?
“I have not put a mouse into a suit of armour. I have, however, tried it with one of my cats, and have the scars to prove it. Yes, it can be done, but that’s not the point.”

Head on over to Jeff’s website to view the full gallery and his informative FAQ page.

[Jeff de Boer via LaughingSquid]

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I was recently contacted by Riddle, a reknowned cosplayer, sculpter and mold maker. She let me know about a recent project she worked on for College Humor/2K. Apparently, they commissioned a team of Awesome Makers to create a Big Sister costume for an upcoming Bioshock 2 advertisement.

Though not officially released yet, there are lots of in-progess photos on the web. Way too many to post here, so be sure to follow the links for more info!

• Riddle on DeviantArt: Riddle introduces the project, credits the team and posts an amazing photo (above).

• alienate on Flickr: Tons of in-progess photos. So amazing!

• GodSaveTheQueenFashions: In depth look at the leatherworking and sewing.

This is truly remarkable. So many talented people came together to make this costume. My mind is blown! Big thanks to Riddle for contacting me. I’m looking forward to posting more of her costumes in the future.

Sources:
• Riddle on DeviantArt
• alienate on Flickr
• GodSaveTheQueenFashions

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Here’s an awesome 8-Bit costume made of cardboard and foam. Kiel Johnson and Klai Brown made this for a Toshiba commercial, which will feature Gary and his 8-bit twin, also named Gary. LOL!

From BoingBoing:

They cut the “pixels” from large sheets of high density foam and glued them to an articulated cardboard suit structure. Kiel says, “I think I cut around 4000 pixels….”

I’ve posted a few photos below. Head on over to HyperboleStudios to view the entire gallery. I’m looking forward to seeing this commercial!

[HyperboleStudios via BoingBoing]

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A baker from Thailand has achieved fame by baking bread that looks like grotesque body parts! What a crazy idea, perfect for the zombie wannabe.

I missed breakfast – is it wrong that the thought of warm, fresh bread makes me hungry?

[via InventorSpot]

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EDITS: OK, I’ve found some more places to get things, so I’ve updated the information on where to find coats, Axel’s wig and Zexion’s wig, as well as more general wig-getting places, and the one thing I forgot to throw into the mix–black gloves!

When I first came up with the idea to post this, it was with the intent of providing an easy Cosplay route for people who don’t want to spend a great deal of time getting a cosplay costume together.  I think I’ll be able to accomplish that, but at the same time I may even have something to offer you cosplayers with a little more time and experience, so please read on!

One of the hard truths of cosplay is that it’s going to generally either cost you time or money—or both.  I’m one of those who’s more willing to spend money than time, so I tend to commission costumes rather than make them myself.  This post is generally geared in that direction.

The Cosplay spotlight today is fixed firmly upon Kingdom Hearts II’s Organization XIII.  If you’re not familiar with them, I suggest checking out Wikipedia.

The nice thing about cosplaying one of the members of the notorious Organization XIII is that you can either stick to the basics or go all out, and convention goers will generally still know who you’re dressed up to be.  The base of ANY Organization XIII costume is, of course, the characteristic black coat (with the GIANT ZIPPER).

There are about a billion different versions of this coat available on the internet now.  This ebay seller is my favourite, as she makes a cotton version of the coat I haven’t found anywhere else—AND it’s made to the measurements you specify!

There’s also a pleather version of the coat available from the same seller.  I have owned the cotton one for four years running now and love it—it makes a great coat for normal wear!

There are people in the States who make these coats as well, and I was lucky enough to stumble across these guys yesterday. They do custom coats as well, and have the advantage of speaking English and not having to ship overseas! I’ve not been a fan of the faux-leather coat, but these guys–they make it look GOOD. Be ready to spend a little more, but it seems to be well worth it.

The next main part of the outfit is the black boots.  I wear a pair of English riding boots, but any low-heel black boot will do.  Remember that you may end up walking a good distance in these—pick something comfortable!  

The next basic piece is a pair of black gloves. Personally I prefer leather, but various fabric options work as well. Vinyl is also a good second-fiddle to leather.

If you’re not too concerned about being a specific character, guess what—once you have the coat, gloves and boots, you’re set!   Off to the con you go!  For the rest of you who are interested in being a specific member of the original Organization XIII, this next part will cover each character in more or less depth.

I would like to point something out, however, before we start: character designers are all guilty of the suspension of reality.  It’s all fine and good to doodle out a character and his insane, gravity defying hair or absurd weapon, but translating it into real life is sometimes extremely difficult, if not downright impossible.  What I’m trying to achieve here is not necessarily an EXACT likeness, but rather enough of a resemblance to provide verisimilitude to an already convincing costume.

Number I: Xemnas, the Superior of the In-Between

The fearless leader of Organization sports long luscious silver locks, styled in a fairly gravity defying manner.  He weilds two lightsaber-esque laser swords that seem to sprout from his palms and is generally a giant pain in the butt without even the shreds of a sense of humour. 

A specifically styled Xemnas wig is available from Cosplay Station:

(more…)

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Check out this bellydancer costume, made from Superman bed sheets and pajamas! Quite possibly the coolest thing ever.

The city of Pittsburgh, PA recently held an event called the Re-Model Gala.

They focus on the use of “re-vamped, re-purposed & remarkable” costumes to promote environmental-friendly costuming and artisic recycling.

Our costume pal and superhero stylist, Elizabeth Amber, contributed to the event by making the bellydancer’s cape and sash out of her old superman bedsheets. The top and armbands were from an old dress shirt, and the pants were modified from a pair of old pajamas.

So. Very. Cool! What a fun and unique way to use costuming for a good cause. Well done, Amber!

[via AmberUnmasked.com]

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One of the things costumers and designers have wrestled with for a long time is the adaptation of a specific look to either a specifically male or specifically female context.  This isn’t difficult when you have a general idea of what you want and the resultant male and female versions reflect that general idea, but things get a little trickier when you’re trying to take a specific male character and turn it into a female costume, or vice versa.

I want to show off a project that I’ve been working on so far in defense of my extremely vocal presecution of the “make-it-a-mini-skirt-and-voila” process of “female-izing” costumes.

I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with this fellow:

Vincent Valentine, of Final Fantasy VII fame (owned by Square-Enix, not me!).  His is a costume which has been replicated over and over and over by (giant dorky) fans like me!  As you can see, his design has already undergone a little original tweaking from the original 1997 official game-art (by Nomura Tetsuya) to the 2006 game Dirge of Cerberus which features Vincent as the main character (Official game graphic version).

As a general rule, guys have no problem imitating this costume.  It’s built for a guy, and even if he’s not RIDICULOUSLY thin, it can still look really good.  Girls, though soooo many of us adore Vincent, find ourselves quailing a little at the thought–though some are still brave enough to try it.  In a moment of insanity last year I ordered this costume from a seamstress on Ebay, thinking that I could make it work.  What I got in the mail a few weeks later was a pair of skin tight pleather pants that fit me smack at the natural waist, a costume shirt, glove and cape.  The real problem was (as my female readers already know) the pants.

I finally figured it out!  HIPS.  The problem is HIPS!!  No woman, no matter how small, can look like the above picture if she has any kinds of curves at all (Sweeping statement?  Oh yeah, you bet).  I set out, then, to make a version of this costume that would not only capture the essence of what is our much-loved Vincent Valentine, but would also not make my pants look like I had forced two pigs into leather sacks and strapped them to my waist.

This was the resultant concept sketch:

I admit I got a little crazy with the buckles.  I love buckles.

Now–what we have here really isn’t that different from the original, and that’s what I was looking for.  I’ve borrowed liberally from both versions of the character design and included a few of my own touches, but the costume is still essentially Vincent.  The main difference lies in the trouser style and the width and positioning of belts.  I dropped the waist-band of the trousers to fit at the hip (a very modern fit–I’m sure we’ll all want something different in ten years) and widened the two belts to really chunky things, rather than the thin sleek belts Vincent sports.  Also, instead of a pleather or leather fabric for the trousers, I’ve opted for a low-sheen black denim. 

Why do all these things?   The drop in waistline is not only more comfortable for those who are used to modern, hip-riding trousers, it also allows the torso to appear lengthened, creating the illusion of fewer curves (some of the younger cosplay crowd get around curves by binding their chests, but I frankly find this to be totally barbaric and I refuse to participate).  The problem with low-waisted pants is that they usually hit at the widest part of the hip, which can make the hips look even wider, if you’re not careful.  To help counteract this, chunky belts are added–this draws the eye away from the line of the trousers over the hip and gives the observer the idea that the width is the result of the belts themselves.

Lastly, the change in fabric from a high-gloss to a low sheen eliminates awkward highlights.  Pleather is really a very reflective material, and nothing can make something look curvier than a dramatic set of highlights showing up in a picture from the flash.  Black denim absorbs light, and as everyone knows, black makes anybody look thinner!

This costume is currently about half done, so I’ll leave off here with the promise that I’ll post the rest of it as I get finished, including the golden glove/claw that I’m working on.  What I really wanted to do with this post was prove that you can take a male costume and make it not only feminine, but attractive as well WITHOUT resorting to the tired, old and totally uncreative minidress or miniskirt designs.

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I love coming across small specialty stores like this. Cuddly Cavies specializes in costumes and clothing for guinea pigs and rabbits! There are tons of adorable photos on the site.

These costumes are all for sale, as long as you can pay with a money order.

Sizing: The rabbit shown is an adult Holland Lop, but the costumes are adjustable for a slightly larger or smaller breed. The guinea pig models wearing the costumes in my photos are full grown (approx. measurements: 8-9″ from back of ears to their bottom, 10-11″ waist) that will help you judge the size of the costumes. Most costumes will fit an average size adult guinea pig, but measure your guinea pig first to be sure it will be a proper fit. If the guinea pig is too young/small, they will walk out of the costumes.

[via Cuddly Cavies]

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Take a look at this guy’s tattoo. It’s just a normal square, until he uses his special camera. Then a flying dragon appears!

I suppose this could be fun for webcam enthusiasts. With augmented reality starting to take off in a big way, I have to wonder… What will they think of next?

[via Geekologie]

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I love this little taco costume! Almost good enough to eat, eh?

Looks like I picked the wrong day to miss lunch.

[via TheDailyWhat]

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