What is Cosplay?

Cosplay, from the portmanteau for costume play (Japanese kosupure) refers to the activity of making, wearing, and performing in costumes designed to represent a character from any number of media or even historical sources. At least, that's the official definition, but it feels like it falls a bit short based on my own cosplay experiences. I have been to events where costumes range from a T-shirt reading simply "This Is My Costume" to a fully articulated Iron Man suit with glowing arc reactors and a motorized visor. So, with this broad of a spectrum on display, it seems nearly impossible to nail down specific parameters to define cosplay.

During my research (my favorite form of procrastination), I discovered that the earliest fan costuming actually occurred at the first Worldcon in 1939(!), when franchises like Star Trek were barely a twinkle in anyone's eyes. In fact, by the time Star Trek and other fandoms got together in science fiction conventions, many informal rules for cosplay had been established in response to specific costumes and trends. Even before this, people have attended masquerade balls and the like dressed as their favorite fictional characters for as long as literature has had a fandom. This tells me that cosplay is first and foremost a way for fans to pay respect to their favorite media. Every costume I've seen, regardless of quality, has been a labor of love made and worn by someone who clearly loves their favored show/movie/comic book/etcetera.

This brings me to the next element: cosplay as an art form. Creating a costume is limited only by the imagination and skill level of the creator, and a cosplayer does not have to reproduce a character exactly in order to make an impressive costume. You can take a character in any number of directions that the original source media didn't even glance at, making each costume as unique as its creator. I've seen an Optimus Prime costume made of Amazon Prime boxes, a samurai whose armor was made of Mountain Dew cans, and a Jedi piloting around a full-scale remote controlled R2-D2 that had taken him years to build. Alongside the pure craftsmanship, wearing the costume is a performance art in itself even when a cosplayer isn't posing for pictures and videos. Seeing yourself in full garb and makeup goes a long way to helping you get into the proper headspace, and embracing the character alongside fellow fans can be a blast.

This segues into the final element: the community. Two fans in full costume can easily tell what the other is passionate about, and even for those with social anxiety, a common interest or a fascinating costume can be a great ice-breaker. I used to have a hard time starting conversations with new people for the longest time, but cosplay can add an extra layer to the social dynamic that allows me to feel more comfortable with, say, Pyramid Head or the Winter Soldier than I might with any other rando I encounter. There is always the risk that you will run into the gatekeepers who nitpick your outfit or try to tell you that you're Doing It Wrong, but honestly, every group has those people, and most of the cosplay community is pretty tightly knit. Dressing up can be a bonding experience even for introverts, and sharing tips and tricks with fellow cosplayers can make your next costume even more impressive.

As you can see, cosplay is a multilayered hobby that might be pursued for a variety of reasons, and there is no "right" reason to cosplay any more than there is a "right" way to cosplay or a "correct" definition of the term. Cosplay can be anything you want it to be, in any way you want to pursue it as long as everyone has fun. Wear that T-shirt reading "This Is My Costume". Push the limits of your creativity and abilities. Embrace your fandom and fly your geek flag proudly!