Cosplay for the Curvy

[salsaplant]

Let's face it-- We're not all built like supermodels. We're not all size 0, thin as a railing, or anything like that. Some of us have curves, some of us have a larger frame. BUT DOES THAT STOP US FROM COSPLAYING?! NO!
Talk about cosplay techniques, show off pictures, share experiences (both good and bad if you wish), share your opinion about cosplayers who have more to love. Just because we have curves doesn't mean we can't do kick a** cosplays!  

[salsaplant]

I'm amongst the curvy cosplayers-- I'm not "heavier" or anything like that (for lack of a better word, sorry) but 42'' chest and 38'' hips makes it harder to cosplay for me, especially when I do cross-plays (which is what I mostly do anyways). Girls like us do so much more intense binding, omg >.< I've learned to reduce my breathing where most people would probably pass out from lack of oxygen, that's how tight I have to go.

I'm happy for the curvy/plus-size people who have enough confidence to cosplay in whatever they want, I just wish that people wouldn't be such douchebags and could see past their body size and appreciate the time/effort they put into their cosplay.  

[Herr Skit]

I'm really glad you made this topic; oddly enough I was going to propose that one aimed at heavier-set cosplayers be made; I too am a heavier-set cosplayer. (But at 4'10", I'm also rather short, and have had some rather blah medical problems leading to my weight gain in my past) And well, I absolutely hate it when people heckle those that aren't "completely fake mostly-silicone" type of person, but those of us that are, well, a bit "curvier" to borrow your phrase.

Though I don't have any tips, at this moment to share, I really look forward to seeing what everyone else says in this thread, because any knowledge they can share will really help me.

Also;
Question:

Cross-playing when you're very definitely a woman; is that painful, or do some "curvier" cosplayers just bypass the crossplaying all together because of... Oh, I don't know, insecurities or heckling by the jerks that always seem to show up at cons?  

[salsaplant]

I find that most crossplays are usually done by girls who have more of an androgynous figure, yes-- Curvier cosplayers I find instead do a female version of a male character instead of having to go through the trouble of binding and looking like a boy.
Binding when you have a larger chest... Is painful. The only reason that I continue to do it is because I've gotten used to the compressed/restrained feeling as well as learned to control my breathing. I wear a compression shirt which squishes the twins down to a manageable size and then bind them again on top of the shirt to get as flat as possible (as extreme as it sounds, I found that duct tape works the best on top of my compression shirt).
I think the insecurities also play a part as to why they don't crossplay, but I think for the most part it's the fact that it's obscenely hard to flatten a large chest to look like a guy.  

[RyanJakobi]

Curvy Hilda.

Course, you may give a few normal congoers bad shocks. sweatdrop  

[salsaplant]

RyanJakobi

Curvy Hilda.

Course, you may give a few normal congoers bad shocks. sweatdrop

"Normal" con-goers? That's an oxymoron-- Nothing about con-goers is "normal" XP
Also, I don't see how heavier-set cosplayers aren't "normal" con-goers...
Care to clear up what you mean?  

[Storm17]

I'm definitly on the "curvy" side as well, as far as binding goes it's a pain but I've actually gotten use to it (after my 1st fiasco were I started not breathing) so I guess just practice wearing them around know what method works, how tight you can go and how to keep them up. Myself I haven't invested in a compression shirt yet but I use to wide ace bandages and a smaller sized sports bra, it makes them about A-B sized and it stays in place!

As for other tips, always make something on the large size, and then make sure you make it fit to your body (Not too big or too small, it's just not fun trust me). Also always always try on a costume to make sure everything works okay! One of the my worst costumes was when I just grabbed everything last minute. The t-shirt was a little to tight, and my soccer shorts from elementary school were wayyyy to short. I looked very awkward in most of my pictures, well even more so than usual.

Hmm....I guess this could work for everyone....oh well this is my two cents!  

[Aki Drache]

I definitely have curves, but I'm also overweight, and not just by a little bit. I've crossplayed, but tend to stick to female characters. I hate binding, because my.. assets.. are on the large side. With a compression shirt (with tape and bandaging for extra measure) I find that I can get them down to a reasonable size- in fact, I've been mistaken for a real boy when crossplaying on several occasions. One of my friends is also overweight, but she finds that if she cosplays popular characters (e.g, Kingdom Hearts Sora) people definitely don't seem to comment as much. As for me, I've found that I do get a few negative comments, but it's easy to shrug off with confidence. After all, cosplay is about fun, isn't it?
I have no practical tips, but I definitely advice confidence- it makes a huge difference to the overall experience and reactions.  

[burgawinosourus]

I'm quite curvy as well. What with a 39" bust, 32" waist and 42" hips. I'm quite large. -_-;; I'm also 5'11 so I'm built for female cosplays but I'm usually a lot taller then the character themselves. So I try to cosplay guys but its so hard to hide my womanly figure. DX But I also have a bit of chub but its not too big of a problem. Thank goodness, I just can't do anything showing midriff. :/

I find it funny, my friend who loves to cosplay a long with me always will find the fan service character and tell me I'm going to cosplay her. Then she goes and try's to find one more suitable for her physically. XD  

[AirborneInfection]

I've got some curves going on as well. I've got a big butt AND boobs (damn my spanish side....) but the rest of me is actually quiet small. It's hard to find something that compliments both of those larger factors, but I've found a good bra and a pair of spanks (binding undergarments) usually do somewhat of the trick. Also, altering cosplays to fit you personally better, and knowing your body type well enough to know how to accent things, rather then accentuate them.

 

[Sleepy-Pandy]

I'm a little bit heavy, and my chest is huge.I'm very tall also. x-x; I tend to crossplay because I feel less judged about my figure. (I'm not a twig, sorries) >_>;

Binding is definitely something I hate to do, but at the same time, it looks considerably better when I do.  

[Kaliscopic Kindal]

I guess you could say im a chunk xD
I have a chubby cheeck baby face so not every character is ideal for me.
I try to pick a character that would look cute as a chunk xD...Kind of like a teddy bear.
But yeah,size shouldnt matter,its all about having fun in my opinion xD

 

[User_1017918]

I'm a big guy and so I always end up cosplaying either large characters or monsters. It's pretty tricksy to find a good one to fit me since most character's a small ( I'm 6'1 ) and thin ( I'm 300 pounds ) but I manage to pull it off on occasion. xD I find that sliding into a torso wrap helps along with making the costume larger then myself so it fits comfortably.  

[DoktorJackal]

The main rule I have for the 'heavier' individuals that wanna cosplay is pick a cosplay where you're wearing a number of layers or at least mostly covered. Skimpy clothes are a no-no.