June, 2006

Fabric Hunting

Q:

Hey guys. I'd like to offer a question for consideration for the monthly fan feedback highlight on your site! Basically, I was wondering if you could offer us beginner cosplayers some insight on choosing the right fabrics for the job. An example of this is how do you interpret 2D pieces of art into a certain fabric on a bolt? Another: in most cases, what fabrics are good to stick with and which may be best to stay away from? Any tips on fabric hunting and interpretations would be great! Thanks so much! Shannon =)

Thanks,
Jessa

A:

When you first go fabric shopping, always remember to bring your reference material. When we first started out, we often made the mistake of going into the fabric store with only a mental image of our character.

If you are a beginner, I would suggest using cheaper, easier fabric to work with. You don't want to buy expensive fabric when you are still experimenting. I know a lot of beginners start out with satin. It is actually more difficult to work with than cottons and such. Satin is not a bad fabric as long as it is used sparingly. You don't want your whole costume to be shiny! Also, you must consider the character you are cosplaying. To bring realism to the costume, consider what time period the character is from, what country/planet to they live on, what is their job, what kinds of fabric would that particular character wear if he or she was real? For example: if your character is a princess from Medieval times, she would wear rich, organic fabrics. If you are cosplaying a cyber warrior, you could consider vinyl fabrics. But always keep your mind open. It is almost impossible to tell what fabric your character is wearing, so you just have to be a little creative sometimes.

Best of luck on all of your sewing projects! Lilly and Haruka



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