Since last week's CC Workout was about Katniss, I figured this week's would be about another badass dystopian female. Tris Prior fits that description perfectly. She came from the calmest of the factions (Abnegation), to join the toughest (Dauntless), only to realize that she was in fact Divergent- causing her all kinds of trouble and reasons to fight. Get your Tris on with this great look from Target!
**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**
I would be remiss if I didn't do a CC Workout Edition that didn't include badass Katniss! She's pretty much the epitome of modern-day-yet-set-in-a-dystopian-future female strength.
Once again, everything pictured can be purchased at Target, so you don't have to break the bank to get a cute Katniss inspired workout outfit!
And if workout gear isn't your jam, I created a regular Casual Costume back in 2014 for your everyday needs (that's still surprisingly relevant). You can check that out here.
**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**
I have been trying to get into shape lately, and with that comes lots of visits to the gym. I can't say I have been very successful so far, but at least I'm trying! Inspired by the month (hello Halloween!) and all the costumes that are around, I thought I'd do a couple of Casual Costumes with workout wear. To get it started is the strongest woman around- Wonder Woman!
Everything I used can be found at Target! Who doesn't love a reason to shop at Target, right?! And PS, even though that headband is in the girls' section, it totally stretches to fit an adult head. I know- I own it!
**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**
Here is my recap of the cosplay panel from BlizzCon with a few relevant YouTube videos thrown in. I needed a break from all the Legion talk, so this was the only time my husband and I split up for panels. I thought the panel was pretty cool, although I was disappointed at how the main objective seemed to be to promote the Blizzard Cosplay Reference Kits (three of the five panelists were Blizzard employees). I don't cosplay (but have a definite interest in doing so), but I thought these were good tips for beginning cosplayers. More experienced cosplayers, is this true?
Sneaky Zebra- BlizzCon Cosplay Video
The Panel:
*Keikei Day- Moderator (Blizzard employee)
*Rachel Day (Blizzard employee)
*Lorraine Torres (Blizzard employee)
*Allison Trinh
*Jordan Duncan
Rachel showed us pictures of cosplays from past BlizzCons. She talked about how the cosplays have progressed over the years. Blizzard employees have their own cosplay group.
Lorraine - Cosplay Basics
Where to start?
-Pick your project
-Do your research (She really pitched the Blizzard Cosplay Kits here)
What to Use:
-Safety equipment while crafting
-Your time wisely- manage that shit!
-Google!- techniques, pattern making, etc
-Use everything to create costumes (craft supplies, thrift store buys, etc)
-Premades/commissions (commission pieces if short on time/skill)
Jordan- Prop Building
Design, Plan, Build
-think about LEDs, wiring, batteries
-plan your molding/casting process with those listed above in mind
-use Adobe Illustrator for patterns (ability to make patterns in layers for adjustments, etc)
Assembly
-shaping and scultping of pieces
-filler, primer and sanding
-then molding:
prep the mold
make a mother mold
cast the mold (hollow cast for weight)
clean the prop
paint!
Allison- Large Cosplays (she was Winston in the BlizzCon Cosplay contest on Friday night)
Pre-planning
-shipping/trasnportation of cosplay
-personal safety in costume (fans, water, handler)
I love The Guild! Its so close to what my beginning WoW experience was like, its like Felicia Day was in my guild. I recently rewatched all the seasons, and decided that I wanted to do a casual Codex costume (which would really just be her regular self, Cyd Sherman). The Cheesybeards shirt is no longer available from Jinx *cry*, but I am on a hunt to find one! Luckily for me, this costume is not a stretch by any means. I am always wearing jeans, tee shirts, cardigans and Vans or Converse.
Today's casual costume is based on Genie from Aladdin. Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies, and Genie is my favorite character from it. I've been anxiously awaiting for Disney to release Aladdin from the vault so I can get a copy on DVD, but until then, dressing up as Genie and listening to the soundtrack will have to do.
This is the first Five Fandom Friday that I've done, and I'm pretty excited for it! Since I've been posting Casual Costumes almost every day this week, it seemed very appropriate :)
1. Codex and Clara from The Guild. I recently rewatched the show, and I still love it as much as I used to. I think I relate more to Clara, but my husband seems to think I'm more Codex. Either way, costume-wise, I could never pull off Tinkaballa lol. Look for a casual Codex (aka Cyd Sherman) costume some time next week :)
2. Daria. Everyone compared me to her in high school I didn't mind. Daria was my cartoon twin and I thought it was refreshing to see such great use of sarcasm on teevee.
3. Hanna Marin from Pretty Little Liars. Hanna's downward spiral this season has really inspired a grungy fashion sense in her and I love it. I love the way that all the PLLs dress, but if I were to dress like Hanna, I could wear her clothes again, if that makes sense. I don't see myself dressing like Aria and getting away with it.
4. Ferris Bueller. This is one of the first 80's teen movies I remember being able to watch. When I was little, when there were bad words, my dad would fast forward through them and say that the tape was messed up lol. Ferris was my ideal boy for a very long time. So cool, and no matter what life threw at him, he always managed to come through it okay.
5. Debra Morgan from Dexter. She's a little awkward, and cusses a lot. I identify with that. Plus I love her clothes. And, you get to dress like a cop, without having to be a slutty cop (since costume manufacturers seem to think that's all a female can be). Check out the casual costume I made for her here.
I love 80's movies! Being born in the middle of the 80's, I didn't get to appreciate the teen angst genre of its time until many years later. Today's casual costume is inspired by 80's Brat Pack queen Molly Ringwald's character in Pretty in Pink, Andie Walsh. Andie was from the wrong side of the tracks, one of only a handful at her wealthy high school. Her "five and dime" looks were not appreciated by anyone except her loyal BFF Duckie. Andie was an OG DIYer, and I've always admired that.
Wreck It Ralph took my house by storm when it first came out, and it still has a pretty firm grip on my daughter! We watch the movie a lot, and Vanellope has become a household name. Today's casual costume is dedicated to her. Its Vanellope a little more grown up, but still cool.
Confession time guys. I have always admired Gwen Stefani's fashion sense. Always. Shes the one celebrity where I have never thought badly about one of her outfit choices. I think its great that she changes her style whenever it suits her, and she doesn't care about what any of us think about it. And whats even better, is that whatever look shes trying to pull off, she does so with great ease. So today's costumes are dedicated to her. Shes gone through so many style phases that I had a hard time choosing just one to base a look off of, so I did two. Let me know what you think of them in the comments below!
Sons of Anarchy has become a thing in this house and I love it! Its too bad that this season is its last, but lets be real, with the rate of death on that show, there won't be too many familiar characters left much longer. And trying to continue a show without its originals usually turns out disastrously. So today's casual costume is based on Gemma Teller Morrow. Even though shes the resident pot stirrer, shes also one of the most badass characters on the show (and she's got some of the best lines, I can't even).
Gemma wears a lot of jeans, boots, black and leather jackets- I guess that's standard motorcycle gear. She also wears a good amount of white and brown shirts, and those are often of the distressed and low cut variety. So if black isn't your color, you do have options! And you'll still pull off the look just fine. Don't forget the blonde streaks and slightly teased hair! Bonus if you can get yourself a Jax look-a-like :)
Since thinking up Everyday Bella yesterday, the casual costume ideas have been flowing! Today's costume is Detective Debra Morgan, everyone's favorite foul mouthed sister from Dexter. This costume felt a bit like cheating, since Everyday Bella and Deb pretty much have the same wardrobe. Instead of St Jude bracelets and orange Jansport backpacks like Bella though, Deb accessorized with a Glock, a badge and some hand cuffs.
I really love how this typically boyish look doesn't look it at all on her. I think it has something to do with the fit, her clothes look very tailored. So if you do dress as Deb, don't just grab Dad's big flannel or brother's Levi's- get items cut for a female.
Would you dress as Deb for Halloween? Did I miss any of her signature pieces? Let me know!
When I first thought about cosplaying, I wanted to start off easy. I wanted to do Bella Swan. I knew I had at least half of her wardrobe in my closet, and I would feel comfortable wearing something she would wear. My husband kinda rained on my parade though. Twilight had well passed it's prime when I was considering this, and he thought regular Everyday Bella would be too obscure of a character to cosplay anymore. And I guess that's true, to a point. I imagine that if I had a group of Cullens or werewolves with me, Everyday Bella would make a lot more sense, even to the not-so-Twilight-savvy. But since I don't plan on cosplaying any time soon, especially not in a group big enough to do that, I thought I'd share my Bella costume as an inspiration for a Halloween costume. And bonus, if you end up buying something for this costume, you can easily wear it again as a regular outfit and no one will be the wiser.
One thing I really appreciate about Bella's wardrobe is her love of flannels and earthy neutrals. Even as a vampire, you could find her in lots of blues, greens, and brown- which are colors I tend to wear often. Shes really easy to do because if you own a pair of jeans, any neutral or flannel top, a brown jacket, and some Chucks or Vans- you've got her pre-vampire look down!
What do you think? Is Bella too obscure now to dress up as, or is Twilight still relevant? Let me know in the comments below!
PS. This was my first time using Polyvore in years, how did I do? I found the site to be more complicated than I remembered. Maybe thats old age talking :)
This is the first in a new column I like to call Versus. And it's exactly like it sounds. I pick two (or three, or four....) like things and compare. I hope you enjoy!
I came across this YouTube video the other day, made by Nerd Reactor. There are a lot of cosplayers in the video that you will recognize (and yes, that is Lindsey Stirling at the beginning of the video!). I thought it was pretty fun. It captured the spirit of the original song but applied it to cosplay.
And the original, #Selfie by the Chainsmokers. I really don't like this song. It gets played on the radio here all the time. My favorite part of the song is when the girl says ratchet, because white girls trying to be ghetto and saying things like ratchet is hilarious to me (and I can say that, I'm the whitest white girl you will ever meet).
The verdict: Honestly, both videos made eyes hurt from all the selfies and hashtags flashing onscreen. But I think the cosplay video wins....because its cosplay (and slightly less annoying than the original).
Just thought I'd share this video from Molly McIsaac regarding harassment policies at conventions. She was my favorite on Fangasm, and I really respect her opinions and her continued quest for making geek culture a safe place to reside in. I know we're all getting ready for conventions, so just take a minute to watch. I'm sure none of you are engaging in such behavior, but she does mention being more observant and vigilant if we see the behaviors going on. I have only been to a few conventions, and the comments that males make about the female cosplayers have generally been.... either damn near pornographic or down right rude (it honestly depended on how pretty the girl was). I think its sad that they say stuff like that. And I also feel angry with myself, because while they're making their horny comments, I'm often judging those girls for having their butts and boobs hanging out (silently, of course. I wouldn't say that to someone, ever.), and that's just as bad. She also included a link from The Mary Sue, which has a list of articles they've run about convention harassment and also includes a list of conventions that they know of that have harassment policies in place (sadly, the ones I have attended are not on that list). I'm sharing the link here, so you can check it out.
I don't usually dress up for Halloween, but this year I've caught the bug. After San Diego Comic Con, I started seeing lots of photos of cosplayers dressed as hipster Disney princesses. I've seen the memes and think they're great, but seeing people dress like that....well, I think its pretty darn cool. It was a toss up between Belle and Snow White. Belle has always been one of my favorites because of her love of books, while Snow White was more of a looks thing (growing up, I got told I looked like her almost every day.) I went back and forth internally for a few days and I have decided to be Hipster Belle.
Here's a link to my Pinterest board that I've made for inspiration. I pretty much have all my costume components already, but if Halloween goes well, I may wear it to Stan Lee's Comikaze in November (I'll be there the 3rd, more than likely), so it will probably need some tweaking.
San Diego Comic-Con brought many things to me: cute Hello Kitty pins, sore legs, more celebrity sighting than you can shake a stick at. And it also brought the decision that I, my almost thirty year old self, wants to cosplay.
I decided almost instantly on Vanellope from Wreck It Ralph. Shes an easy costume to make and its not skin tight like a superhero, so its a less self conscious start. I'm hoping to get all the pieces by Halloween, so I'll be able to do a test run. I'm super excited to try this, but I am a noob, so if any of you experienced cosplayers have any advice, I'd love to hear it!
