Well I made a list last week of things you shouldn’t say to costumers… so let’s do the flip side this week.
1. “You did a great job on your costume.”
It’s a simple phrase. It’s common, too. But it’s always nice to hear. Always! You can never go wrong this!
2. “You look fantastic/amazing/wonderful.”
There’s a lot of variations to this. Any pleasant adjective is acceptable. Plus it can be used to compliment the costume, the costumer, and both!
3. “You look like the character brought to life!”
Man! This is an awesome compliment to get! Honestly, anytime somebody says it to me, it leaves me GLOWING for the rest of the day. (Even if I don’t really believe it myself!) It’s one of those compliments you don’t forget. I can tell you that sometimes, comments “stick” to a costume. So five years down the road, that costumer could be pulling that costume out of the closet and remember you for telling us we looked just like the character. It’s powerful.
4. “Are you going to enter the costume contest?”/”Have you won awards for that costume?”
Even if we have no plans to enter – or even if we do enter and don’t win a thing – it’s really nice to hear that you think our costume is so good, we should be entering costume contests, and winning! And asking if we’ve won awards in the past is also nice, even if we haven’t!
5. “How long did it take you to make that?”
Giving us an opportunity to talk about our work will make us love you. You can also ask questions about the build process, where we buy supplies, what was the hardest part, etc. It’s so wonderful to have a nice conversation about costuming with someone. Especially if it’s someone who is not necessarily into the hobby, but is interested in getting started in it!
6. “You should be working in the movies/theater.”
Excuse me while I fan myself. What a compliment to get. Even if we know we’re not in a position to ever work in the actual costuming industry – the fact you think we are is high praise indeed!
7. “You are my son/daughter’s favourite character. Can they get a picture with you/I have to get a picture of you to show them!”
Is there anything better than knowing you’re making a kid’s day?? Getting to spend a few minutes with a kid who thinks you may actually BE that character is magical. Even if they’re not there in person – I’ve had so many moms/dads/aunts/uncles take pictures of me to show the kids back home. Spending time with kids at a con or event is honestly the most rewarding part of costuming for me.
8. “Has (show creator/artist/actor/writer) seen you? They would flip out!”
I know I’m personally usually too shy to approach people involved in my favourite shows or comics or movies. But hearing that can give me the confidence to do it – or at least but an extra bounce in my step for the rest of the day.
9. “Do you need any help?” (upon seeing a costumer struggling)
See a piece of a costume fall off? See a costumer struggling up the stairs? See a costumer sitting on the floor with a broken shoe? While we know most folks can’t help – offering an elbow up the stairs, or picking up a dropped costume piece for us is EXTREMELY appreciated. I once had a volunteer walk ahead of me to clear a walkway for me so I could get through a huge crowd to the stairs. That woman is my hero. I’ve had people run after me to return a piece of my costume that fell off. Even just pointing out that a costumer’s wig has slipped a bit before taking a photo is awesome.
10. “You go first. I can tell you’re tired!”
After hours of wearing an uncomfortable costume, followed by agonizing elevator waits – having someone tell you to get on that elevator ahead of them is like a light shining down from heaven. You the real MVP.
(2020 edit: once again all these gif links were broken after my flickr move. I had to guess at what they were!)