Today’s question is…
I can’t handle being in costume more than an hour or two at a convention. It’s too hard. Do you have any tips on being able to stay in costume longer?
Sometimes wearing a costume at a convention – especially a big convention like SDCC or Dragoncon – can be overwhelming and extremely difficult. So here are my tips.
1. Don’t stay in costume if you’re tired of it.
The easiest thing to tell you is that, if you’re tired of it, change. That can be hard, when it’s fun being in costume, but there comes a point where it’s time to put on street clothes and enjoy the con without the hassle. You’re not obligated to anyone to stay in costume, and if it’s ruining your experience, there’s no point to it.
2. Always carry a change of clothes.
If your hotel is nearby or onsite, this isn’t an issue, but if you’re driving into the con from home make sure you bring a change of clothes with you, just in case, whether you plan on changing or not. (After all, you never know when there might be a costume malfunction!)
(My dad doing a quick repair to my Lulu belts.)
3. Always have a repair kit
Speaking of costume malfunctions, make sure you keep a few basic essentials for costume repair in either your room, car, or bag. I tend to try to carry a few things with me in my bag: safety pins, a small sewing kit, tape. In my repair kit in my room, I keep a hot glue gun, glue sticks, a larger sewing kit, multiple kinds of tape (toupee, double stick, electrical, gaffer’s), elastic, velcro, and glue. If I’m wearing something that I can hide it, I’ll put a few safety pins in my hem just in case they’re needed, either by me, or someone else. (Here’s my FAQ on my repair kit!)
4. Make sure you eat & drink.
Drink plenty of water; carry a bottle of water with you, and take advantage of the water jugs or stations most hotels and convention centers will have set up.
And don’t forget to eat, please! Nobody wants to deal with a hangry costumer. It can be really hard to eat in costume, either just because of makeup or not wanting to spill, or just hard to find a place to sit and have some peace. If I know it’s going to be a long day, hard to get something to eat, and/or something I’m afraid to spill on, I pack a few snacks in our bag, something that can easily broken up and snacked on throughout the day, like a Clif bar or similar. Make sure you eat before getting into costume, too, have breakfast, or lunch. Get it out of the way so you don’t have to deal with it once you’re in costume. If you have to eat while in costume, pick something you know won’t make a mess – no hot dogs with mustard dripping everywhere.
Try to find a corner where you can eat where most people won’t see you, or in a place where everyone is eating – most convention halls have tables set up in front of their food vendors, and I’ve found most people won’t bother you if you’re eating there with everyone else, especially if you’re at an interior table that’s hard to get to. If you have pieces of your costume that can come off, do it, that’s usually a signal to people that you’re on break.
Sometimes people don’t take the hint, though. Give them the benefit of the doubt; they’re probably really excited to see your costume and just really want a picture and are afraid they won’t be able to find you again. I’ll usually go ahead, put myself back together, and let them take a picture. But if it’s too much trouble, you’re too tired, or you’re right in the middle of your first bite of lunch – politely tell them you’re “on break,” and maybe mention where you’ll be later. Honestly, this is why I tend to skip sitting at an obvious spot at a table and prefer to find a dark corner and just sit on the floor where no one can see me.
5. Don’t let stupid people ruin your con
There’s nothing you can do if someone’s going to be rude. Don’t let it ruin your day. I’ve had people come up and tell me that the other cosplayer there today looked better than me, or that they hate my character, or that I’m too short for that character, etc. So what? Shrug and move on. Soak up the positive comments more than the negative.
6. Have a handler or helper.
One of the essentials for me wearing a costume is to have a handler. My best friend Ash acted as a handler for me for years at conventions, and now my husband does it. It’s so much easier to hand your bag off to a friend so you can pose for a photo than to set it on the floor, and to have someone who can tell you, “hey your wig is flipping up in the back again,” or to help safety pin something if a repair is needed. They can also take pics of your costume with your camera for you, and keep weirdos at bay. Both Ash and my husband know when I’m uncomfortable in a conversation with someone, and know to get me out of the situation.
(Ash chilling in the background.)
Handlers are also a must for people wearing armor or helmets, like stormtroopers – often times it’s hard to see a child trying to get your attention, and the handlers can help with that, or you have a kid beating up your codpiece – the handler can get the kid away from you.
7. Know your limits
How about after four or five hours in your costume, it’s gotten to the point of being extremely uncomfortable? Maybe you’re feeling claustrophic inside your helmet, or panicky because there are too many people wanting photos, or you can no longer feel your feet in these shoes. Please, do everyone a favour and take a break or get out of the costume before you get snippy with people, especially your friends. I’ve been there, I’ve been a bitch to my friends for no reason other than the fact I was uncomfortable, and nobody likes it. Go put on a different costume, or street clothes. If you’re where you can’t do that, take as much of it off as you can, find a corner, and chill for a while. This is where having a handler can come in handy again – if you’re just in a state where you don’t want to be bothered, they can be the “bad guy” and explain to photographers that you need a break right now.
8. Take care of your feet
An uncomfortable pair of costume shoes can make or break your entire day. Make sure you take the time before the con to break them in, and wear extra socks if you can for padding. Bring moleskin and bandaids in case of blisters. Buy some nice inserts if you can. I talk a little more about costume shoes here, I think it is.
(note the discarded uncomfortable shoes on the floor.)
As I mentioned before, Scholl’s makes some “Fast Flats” shoes that can fold up very small to fit in a bag. If your shoes are KILLING you, you can pop these out and put them on for the walk back to your room. Or if you have room, carry a pair of flipflops or sandals with you so you can change if you need to. My husband carried a pair of shoes in his camera bag for me at Megacon one year because I not only had a hard time wearing my Sally Jupiter boots, but I’d also sunburned the top of my feet the day before at Disney World. I wore my flipflops to the convention center, changed into my boots, and then changed out before walking back.
9. That annoying badge
Most conventions demand you have your badge front and center around your neck. Well, I guess I’m a rule-breaker because I don’t do that…. I have a collection of lanyards that I bring to put my badge on, and I’ll usually loop it around a lower part of my costume (belt, belt loops, etc) or put it in a pocket. I’ve also had my husband carry it for me, but I’ve gotten in trouble with that in the past, so I don’t recommend it if you’re in a place it’s going to be checked! A few cons I’ve been to have had button badges and wanted them pinned somewhere on your chest – sorry but I refuse to jab a giant pin back through my costume. I’m a rebel, I guess.
(where I forgot to hide my giant badge with the hot pink ribbon.)
Most convention security don’t mind if you don’t have it around your neck, so long as you show it to them at the proper points (entry into the con/dealer’s room, etc). If you are taking photos, go ahead and take it off and put it in your bag or hand it to your handler – you don’t want to lose it, and that way it won’t be in your good photos. There’s not much more you can do about those convention floor photos, though!
10. Do your research beforehand
I wanted to get Stan Lee’s autograph the first SDCC I went to, but didn’t do any research on where he was going to be/charging/etc. I got to the con and wandered around, in an uncomfortable costume, for hours, trying to find him, find info on it, and it wasted a lot of time. I eventually found out he was only signing posters and they’d given away all the tickets the day before. What a bummer. If I’d done my research beforehand I wouldn’t have gone through all that. If there’s something you really want to do, make sure you get as much info beforehand as possible and plan for it.
Also give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. At a big convention like Dragoncon, I tell myself the time I need to be there is 20-30 minutes before the actual time I need to be there, just due to moving through crowds, waiting on elevators, getting stopped for photos, etc. If you’re driving to the con, plan for traffic, finding parking, lines, etc.
I’d like to end with saying thank you right now to Ash, Chase, my dad, my mom, Cath, Mel and anyone else who has had to deal with me getting into and wearing a costume at a con. You guys are awesome and thanks for putting up with my silly hobby. LOL.