I was so nervous! Everyone was so supportive and complimentary though. And I was so excited to dress up as one of my favorite anime characters! It ended up being a lot of fun, and encouraged me to do it more often. It was the most magical experience of my entire life. I felt like I was home! Everyone was so nice and welcoming. I felt like I could be myself with no judgements.
Cosplay can be really intimidating when you first start out. There are so many talented people out there who make all their costumes from scratch! But there is nothing wrong with buying your costume. I will say making your own costume, even if it’s just modifying a few pieces here and there, feels so much more satisfying than buying your entire costume already made. It’s hard work, but you feel so much more proud as you’re wearing it.
One year there was an evangelist preaching outside to all us con-goers telling us what we were doing was sinful, and a bunch of cosplayers went up and gave him hugs. Well, they tried to. He wasn’t having any of it.