Krystal Everdeen - Casual Cosplay: Character-Inspired Fashion You Can Wear Anywhere

Casual Cosplay

Krystal Everdeen

Character-Inspired Fashion You Can Wear Anywhere

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Copyright 2021 by Krystal Everdeen

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First Tiller Press trade paperback edition June 2021

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Interior design by Matt Ryan

Cover design by Patrick Sullivan

Cover photography by Krystal Everdeen, April C., Hali Simcoe, Tara Lau & Erica Lau, Jake B.

Castle by Kilkavbanke/Shutterstock

Needle by Patrick Sullivan

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-1-9821-5059-4

ISBN 978-1-9821-5060-0 (ebook)

To those who never stop believing in magic

W e all had a blast playing dress up when we were littlebut who said we ever had to stop? Sure, maybe we cant go full costume anywhere but a comic book convention or a Halloween party, but that doesnt mean we cant add some superhero or princess vibes to our everyday look. Casual cosplay is taking regular clothes that you already have in your wardrobe and styling them in a way that resembles what a certain character wears. Its distinct from full cosplay, which often incorporates wigs, colored contact lenses, extreme makeup, and meticulously assembled outfits to embody a character as accurately as possible. In casual cosplay, the styling choices are much more subtle. The average person sees a normal look, but those familiar with the character youre cosplaying can make the connection.

So how does one put together a casual cosplay? Ill share my tips and tricks for creating fun outfits inspired by your favorite characters for little or no money. Lets begin!

My name is Krystal Everdeen, and Im a style blogger and YouTuberand, as you can probably guess, a big fan of all things Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and more. I began sharing casual cosplays of my favorite Disney characters on my Instagram account for my frequent trips to Disneyland. Since Disneyland doesnt allow anyone over the age of fourteen to wear costumes to the park, us Disney-lovers participate in a specific form of casual cosplay called Disneybounding. The term Disneybound was coined by blogger Leslie Kay in 2011. In anticipation of a trip to Disney World, Kay began sharing different outfit ideas shed Photoshopped together to resemble Disney characters. The images inspired countless Disney fans, who formed a community to share their own ideas and strategies. Its now a common practice for Disney-lovers to dress up at the parks in casual cosplay without violating the costume rule.

After posting a number of notable Disneybounds on my page, I started to branch out to other fandoms, such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more. As these posts gained traction, I began uploading casual cosplay and Disneybounding videos to my YouTube channel. In each video, I showed four different ways to dress as the same character. The great thing about casual cosplay is that there are no rules! You can always add your own twist or change the look over time. Ive always loved clothes, but Id never had so much fun with fashion until I discovered Disneybounding and casual cosplay. What started out as a fun little hobby has become one of my true passionsand a dream career.

M y favorite thing about casual cosplay is that you can use what you already own. When I first started Disneybounding, I put together my outfits with some basics I had in my closet. My very first casual cosplay was Princess Leia from Star Wars. The outfit consisted of a plain white turtleneck sweater, a white maxi skirt, a silver belt, and white sneakers. I put my hair up in two buns, and presto! That outfit cost me zero dollars. Shortly thereafter, I dressed as Mickey Mouse, again using what I already owned: a black long-sleeved top, a red hoop skirt, a pair of plain black shoes, and a pair of Mickey ears I had snagged on a previous trip to Disneyland.

I always try to use what I already have, because who wants to spend more money than necessary? There are, however, times when I need a specific color, article of clothing, or accessory that I dont have handy. Even then, I try my best to be as thrifty as possible; I do most of my casual cosplay shopping at secondhand shops and thrift stores. Luckily, these stores usually group their items of clothing by type and color. If Im looking for a purple short-sleeved shirt for an Ariel-inspired look, I know exactly where to go because of the way the store is arranged.

Thrift stores other appeal is low prices. Typically, anything you buy from a secondhand store will be significantly cheaper than the same item would be at a retail store, or even online. Contrary to popular belief, the clothing at thrift stores is usually either lightly worn or brand-new. Ive found many stunning pieces during my thrifting adventures, and I highly recommend trying that route before purchasing what youre looking for from a popular fashion brand, especially if the piece is for a single occasion. Plus, if you need to alter the clothing in some way to fit the character better, you wont hesitate to do so.

Of course, there are times when I cant find what Im looking for at a thrift store. For example, I was recently planning a Jane Porter Disneybound from the movie Tarzan. I scoured my local thrift stores for days, finding a hat and scarf that fit the character perfectly, but I couldnt locate the right yellow dress. In the end, I decided to look online. I found a dress on Amazon for thirty dollars, which is more than I would usually spend on a single piece, but since it was a plain dress that I could use for other Disneybounds and casual cosplays, it was worth it.

If you have a larger budget for your outfits, even better! Just dont feel that you have to spend bigthe community is all about fun, not fancy.