What to wear??? What to Wear???

Are you going to Comic Con for the first time and not sure what to wear?  I am sure you have seen all the pictures online of the great costumes and may feel a bit intimidated.  Storm Troopers in full regalia, elaborate costumes made to look like characters from Final Fantasy, Fallout, World of Warcraft, Halo, or replica outfits from comic books.  Cosplay, or Costume Play is a big part of Comic Con, and though some attendees take their costumes very seriously, you don’t need to get that serious to have fun. 

Yes, some people do spend quite a bit of time and money on their attire, but you don’t have to spend boatload of money on a costume to get in on the action.  Since Comic Con is made up of so many different interests, finding something to wear should be snap.

First of all, what are your interests?  Are you into comic books?  Do you like video games? Are movies your thing?  You may be into anime, or perhaps it may be TV shows that interest you?  Whatever the case, pick something and then go with it.

It may be as simple as a button or a pin.  If you have a t-shirt, wear that.  This idea is to express yourself and have fun with it, but don’t feel like you have to.  If drawing attention to yourself is not your thing, don’t worry; just come as you are, its all about having fun.

If you are looking to dress up, then the sky’s the limit.  It may just be as simple as a little eye makeup, or a hat.  I have a cool grey top hat that looks very Steampunk.  Add some goggles, a vest or a pair of boots and you have a whole outfit.  The cool thing about Steampunk is that you can take old clothing and make something very cool out of it. 

Want to dress up but on a budget, there are a myriad of websites with instructions on how to make the costume of your choice.  I looked up the Endor Commando costume from Return of the Jedi and it was pretty simple to make.  Take some camouflage, make a utility belt and you just have to make the hat.  It was pretty easy. 

Of course, there are also a number of sites where you can get ready made costumes.  I know someone who owns a number of Star Wars Stormtrooper costumes that cost from $500 to $1000 apiece.  What is cool is when you see a number of these Stormtroopers congregate.  I have to admit it looks impressive as they walk by en masse.

Just go out and have fun with it.  Want to be Superman, Wolverine, an elf or a character from Harry Potter, then by all means this is the place to do it.  Just one thing, you will be photographed and photographed often, so be ready to pose.  More on this later…