I'm not here to talk about lolita or what cosplay everyone

>>8975154
I go because cosplaying is fun and I like to have fun; that and it's some extra motivation when working out to stay in shape for my cosplay.

For me con's and cosplay are just a fun mini-vacation from job/life that is relatively cheap and I usually have a good time.

>>8975160
One time I bought a costume, but then got tons of questions whether I made it myself or not. And it brought me down a bit.

>>8975164
I get that alot I don't care if I made it or not; only the women seem to care I think in the 3 years of cosplaying I have had 1 dude ask me if I made my cosplay

>>8975191
It's odd because the Japanese actually buy a lot of premade stuff, yet here in America it's frowned upon for some reason. I can't tell which one is more prideful than the other.

>>8975196
I think it more or less comes down to how you view your cosplay and how you see yourself in it. To me yes I buy all my cosplay premade, mostly because job/time/effort it is easier to buy. However, that said I also spend some time spurcing it up and doing quick fixes to it which I know are needed to make it last more than one day.

I think the stigma of "making it yourself is better" is largely because because it reflects more dedication into something. For me I can respect that and actually find it cool when people make their own stuff because it does show a bit more effort and talent; but I don't judge pre-made over handmade because I understand everyone has different lifestyles and such that can't put the time/effort/money into said cosplay.

>>8975210
That judging is also what annoys me sometimes because I take it as people looking down on you instead of liking the cosplay for what it is. Like

>good job, but you didnt make it, so it's not really good after all

I really shouldnt be bothered by it, but I do have a thing about wanting to look good. It's no different from dressing in neat clothing.

>>8975216
I guess that comes down to how you let others influence you. I am not saying you shouldn't feel that way, however I got over it really quick.

Basically I realized, cons aren't a social statement for me nor my man focus. To me I like to cosplay and have fun, some people are going to look down on me because I didn't make it myself, but that will happen regardless whatever hobby I am in. Someone will ALWAYS take it more seriously at X, Y, Z thing moreso than I do, and that is fine. However, the reason I am there and the reason I'd say a good majority of people are there is to have fun, enjoy their time meeting others with similar interests and such.

I won't say that people looking down on you won't affect you in anyway or making snarky comments because of their attitude, but anyone who seems themselves as a "pro" because they make it themselves and looks down on others who don't; is just being stuck up and full of themselves.

>>8975216
It's interesting that lolita actually has the opposite attitude where the more brand = better and handmade is often ignored.

I think part of the salt is people entering competitions and masquerades in their mass produced taobao costumes and competing against people who actually put the time and effort in to make their costumes.
Like Anzujaamu even won an international cosplay competition with a costume that was 100% SPONSORED. She didn't even shell out the money to buy a costume to enter. Her costume didn't fit the theme of the competition either (video game costumes, she entered as Madoka Kaname).

>>8975226
And I usually tell these people fuck you, but it is a ripple of influence through the community, even if people don't realize it. Even the nice people I meet they lower their heads and say "I didnt make it myself, though." And I always tell them don't worry about it, but I know why they think that way cause it's a motion that happens through every con we go to.

>>8975230
I honestly don't see a problem with buying a costume as long as you don't claim that you made it yourself. The only people that I shit on for buying costumes are the ones who obviously bought a premade costume but try to pass it off as something they made.

>>8975229
>It's interesting that lolita actually has the opposite attitude where the more brand = better and handmade is often ignored.

Coming from the east coast this is the opposite

>>8975230
I guess I don't really hang with the same community then; I never tell someone off I just simply shrug it off and keep on walking. If they want to over think it and form their own opinions that's cool. The con doesn't consist of one small community; it's a large bunch. Not sure who you are meeting or what group you are hanging out with but most people from /cgl/ I've met are really good bro's; other times I've just hung out with people grab a few beers hit the con and have fun.

Might depend on the genre as well; I do Kamina and Space Dandy mostly

the samefag in this thread is strong...

>>8975238
it's only me and another so far. And you

>unique IPs.

>>8975154
>Over the years, it has turned into some sort of sport to see how can outdo the others with materials and makeup and now digital glowy leds.

I got into cosplay a year ago, and this is the mind set I ended up adopting. I made a costume to obliterate my competition. But after that, there was nothing else to do so I calmed down and just went to cons to relax and socialize.

I got into cosplay last year, and honestly enjoy all three parts of OPs post. I love getting pictures,meeting new people and yeah, the occasional hookup is a nice cherry on top.

> Over the years, it has turned into some sort of sport to see how can outdo the others with materials and makeup and now digital glowy leds.
I've been cosplaying since 2003 and this has ALWAYS been the case. There's always been the drive to be the best and get recognition for it. Nothing new in the community, now we just have social media and Patreon shit to go along with it all.

>>8975160
The convention I went to felt better than an actual vacation would.

Everyone felt like family.

>>8975410
OP is probably a newfag looking back at the "old days" with rose tinted glasses like how newfag lolitas think that the EGL livejournal era was so fluffy and not about popularity and there was no drama when in fact the Lolita comm as a whole is tamer than it was in 2007.

>>8978487
o-okay...went off on a tangent, there did we?

this is really something that applies to all levels of life and not just cosplay, but you just really have to stop giving a fuck and just enjoy yourself and use your strengths to your advantage

>>8978625
fuck off, op. cosplay has always been about who can make the best costumes.

>>8975196
I think this just comes down to the history of cosplay in the US vs. Japan.

First of all, American cosplay spun out of a tradition of costuming in general, and making your own stuff was always a big deal in the early days.

The whole way to gain recognition in cosplay has changed, too. Back in the day, a DSLR at a con was a very rare sight, and 99% of the pictures you'd find online were scans from disposable cameras or shots from digital cameras that had worse image quality than the average smartphone selfie camera does these days. If you wanted to make a name as a cosplayer back then, you didn't do it through photoshoots and webpages, you did it by entering at-con costume contests and masquerades, and those focused heavily on craftsmanship.

Also, the advent of good-quality premade costumes is a really new thing. They've always had them in Japan, but here in the US most of what we could get was inaccurate stuff made of paper-thin fabric with horrible trim and details. You could make the same costume out of 2/yd poplin, spend a total of $20, and get a much nicer costume than a $100 store-bought costume. Good luck getting anything but the most popular series and characters in those days, too.

As for me, I don't really care. I pick a character I like and strive to have the most authentic costume I can. If I can buy one that's as good as what I can make, and it's reasonably priced, I'll do so, otherwise I'll make it.

I'm very impressed with the construction of the complex cosplays, but I get bored of them. I get bored of a lot of cosplayers. They have no personality. I see them and recognize the character, but I don't see them as the character.