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I want to cosplay as Yuffie at me next con. I have a few things that could work....

~ boots (I'm borrowing)
~ butterfly shirt (it looks similiar to the flower design, dark navy, white butterflies)
~ Shorts (I have like three pairs that look close enough, just need to add the black thing)

I would need:
~Dark star (optional)
~headband
~socks
~armbands
~wig (I can just get one on Halloween)

if this doesn't sound good I will try to find a Yuffie costume instead....

I'm one of the lame girls who likes to crossplay (I bind down my chest and everything, people actually think I'm a boy until I speak OOC) and I fit my brother's AC Cloud costume better than he does, so I wear it.

I have people planning to cosplay other people though (but we have to wait for our Sephiroth to grow out his hair before we can do it, which would be like 5 years from now) but I'm working on Vincent myself, to replace my brother's Cloud costume (which is oficially MINE now) and my girlfriend might cosplay Dead Aeris (bloodstains and all XD).

The claw is pretty easy, unless you want to make it out of sheet metal. Ever hear of a wonderful thing called Wonderflex? (I'm new with it myself, and still suck, but I'm working on it) You can find someone on Gaia or Myspace or Cosplay.com who can teach you how to use it or do it for you if you give them your arm measurements.

Funny cosplay story: For a few years now there's been a couple who cosplays Cloud and Aeris to Otakon. Three years ago they were soo cute, getting pics and all... and then another couple walked up (out of costume) and allowed them to have their toddler for a photoshoot, with them supervising... Here the 2-year-old girl was cosplaying Aeris (little pink dress, with a rod and a pinky in her mouth) and the people were like "Holy crap, Aeris had a kid!!!". The next year (two years ago) Aeris had somehow managed to get both of them to cosplay in the Honeybee Manor dresses (lingerie, tiara, blonde wig and cologne all) and got hit on so many times Cloud locked himself in a bathroom stall.

And as for ugly men cosplayers cosplaying girls, google the term "Sailor Bubba". You'll see. And "Man Faye". Both equally scarring...

Hahahaha! Rufus could wear a Tinkerbell shirt, c'mon! ^_^

Cosplay is a very delicate situation for me. Normally I detest cosplay with a passion. It gets me really mad when people who look nothing like the character try to pull them off. You should stick with someone you actually have a chance of looking like. just because you have an orange sweater, does not make you Naruto.

Don't go with store-bought costumes, because chances are, someone might have the same one. And where's the fun in that? Store bought costumes are cheaply made and manufactured with bad material. Go down to your thrift store, and find some stuff there. There's always good cosplay material at consignment stores of that sorts.

As well, even though this may sound superficial, weight is an obvious problem. If you do not fit the costume, then don't wear it. If your wearing a belly top and your belly is hanging out, then don't wear it. There are plenty of other characters that would suit you better, and make you more appealing. Also... guys... stick with male characters. You just ruin the cosplay when you do a female... unless you have feminine qualities (Hour glass body and what not) Woman can pull off make characters because they can build up from it, not work down.

wigs... do not use wigs... unless the wig looks real. You can usually find some pretty good wigs in a Carribean hair store... they may over-price them though. But they usually have real wigs and hair extensions. Fake costume hair is bad though. It ruins the cosplay because the fake hair makes it look like there was no effort put into it. But I'd suggest real hair.

Final Fantasy characters are a bit easier to cosplay, so I say go with final fantasy. Because most of the characters have clothe like material rather than armor, it is easier to find clothes that match. Characters like Tifa and Zell are good because they have no weapons and their clothes are simple.

Papier mache = delicate. If used right, it can look awesome as armor. As long as it's glossed and colored right. Just don't let anyone touch it, or you'll be sorry. Cardboard... stray away from cardboard. Cardboard = not enough originality.

Side note:

Stray away from Naruto and Sailor Moon. They ruin cosplay for everyone.

... wait... what were we talking about again? o_O

oh yeah... erm... I saw a cosplay that blew my mind at this one fest I went to. It was L from Death note. His hair was real and all messy and L-like. And he was walking around bare-footed. It was pretty cool... he probably got syphilis, but still pretty cool.

oh, BTW... I don't cosplay... I'm just more observant than I should be... O_o

(sorry but I feel like saying my opinion)

you don't cosplay? then, why are you hard on people that do...

I mean, last year I did someone that I looked like, Naru from Love Hina, but the thing was, no one recongized me at all. My hair was a little bit short because I wasn't sure if I was doing Yuki Cross, Vampire Knight, or not. ( I did Yuki early that year at my friend's party, but my hair takes forever to grow back)

I have a sewing machine, I just don't know how to use it.... plus I'm taking Apperal Development class this year (so that would help)

wigs... where the heck am I gonna find wigs... (only place I can think of without going all the way out of town is Walmart on Holloween... but then it looks fake, plus I'll have to cut it...)

What I'm trying to say is that, it's hard work people cosplaying... and not everyone has the time... (but I agree about the males cosplaying as girls >.< and the girls as males)

i want aeris costume

I've seen that picture... X_X