Today’s question is…
“How do you carry your stuff (phone, ID, etc) while you’re in costume?”
Make your friends do it, haha.
Really, though, it is a pain to figure out how to keep your ID, money, key(s), phone, etc with you while you’re in costume.
Firstly, pare it down to the bare basics you need to have with you. I keep my ID and hotel key card on me at bare minimum. My husband or friend will usually be willing to carry my phone and/or camera. If not, I just keep it in my hand and do my best to hide it when taking photos.
(The not-so hidden phone – photo by Fireflyfan)
Can your costume have built in pockets or pouches? Is there a place you can put a hidden pocket? If you’re doing a costume with a bunch of belt pouches, make one or two functional to carry your personal items. Make sure they’re secure, you don’t want it falling open or someone reaching it and stealing your phone. If it works with my costume, oftentimes I’ll stick my ID and key card in my sock, and if I’m wearing boots, my phone and camera came tuck right into the top.
Big skirts can hide a pair of shorts – underneath every skirt I’m probably wearing shorts, where my phone & things are secure in my pockets. The Time Lord robes I made last year had pockets built into the interior, hidden from view but easily accessible for us – and slits in the side so you could easily reach into shorts pockets underneath.
(My Marie Antoinette dress had openings where I could slip my hands in and right into the pockets of my shorts – which is what I was doing in this pic).
A matching bag – either something you’ve made or something found – is your other option. I have a Beauty and the Beast wristlet I’ve used before, it’s very small but everything fits in it, and it’s easily hidden for photos. In the past I’ve used lunchboxes a lot – they fit the larger camera I used to carry, along with everything else, and they were easy to either hand off to a friend or set on the floor directly behind you. For instance, I carried my Oz lunchbox when I was dressed as Ozma, and my TARDIS bag when I’m in a Doctor Who costume.
(My Oz lunchbox in the first photo, and the TARDIS bags I made for myself and Ash for Dragoncon 2011!)
Honestly the #1 easiest thing is to make sure you’ve got a friend you can hand things to, but that’s not always possible. Just make sure you’re keeping your items safe! Losing your phone or credit card is far worse than having a bag slightly behind you in a photo!