You’ve perhaps heard the word used before, and you might even have a general idea of what it is all about. Most people see it as simply dressing up and walking around as their favorite TV or movie character – and to be perfectly honest – that’s pretty much it! 😂
But what about the word itself, what does “cosplay” actually mean? Well it’s actually the combination of two words – “costume” and “play” – putting on a costume and well, playing a role or part! People have been doing this in one form or the other for decades, but it became really popular back in the 90’s in Japan, with people dressing up – and pretending to be – their favorite anime, comic book and video game characters. Costumes can range from the very simple, to extremely elaborate (and expensive).
Cosplay really took off however with the advent of conventions like “Comic Con”. Cosplayers show up in droves to these events dressed up as every character imaginable – Jessica Rabbit, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Bat Girl, Bat Man, Klingon’s, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, Poison Ivy, Iron Man, Loki… The list goes on and on and on some more.
From a modeling standpoint, cosplay is fairly new, but a fantastic way to add new dimension to your portfolio. It allows you, the model, to “act out” a role or part that you most likely would never get to do in your real life – and it’s fun!
Take the role of Jessica Rabbit for instance. Jessica is very voluptuous and seductive. And as is often the case, she is the perfect character to play for someone who in contrast in her real life is well behaved and “proper” – opposites attract, and thus you gain the most “wow factor” from people who know you when they see the photos!
However, just like anything, there are exceptions to this non-rule though, and one of those instances is when the model happens to be a dead ringer for the character they are playing! This honestly doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does, it’s a lot of fun! Tessa, who played the role of Harley Quinn for me, is an example of this.
Cautionary Consideration To Think About
Something that you should consider as a model when picking a character to play – is just how authentic do you want to take it, especially if the character is someone who is notorious for showing a lot of skin?
- Jessica Rabbit wears a red gown with an almost waist high slit in the side, and a top that reveals a lot of boob and cleavage.
- Harley Quinn’s character in the Suicide Squad movie, wears super short-shorts that reveal a lot of butt cheek.
Now here’s the thing about society that I myself find perplexing, but it’s something that you as a model need to be aware of, and that is; Family and friends can be fickle as hell when it comes to you showing skin! It doesn’t matter that you are just acting or playing a part, some will be judgmental.
The part that makes me scratch my head the most though, is the fact that, if you go to the beach, you can parade around there practically naked, and no one bats an eye about it! But dress up in something that is revealing, but still actually covers up way more than what you wear on the beach, and some people are shocked by it! I really don’t get it, and thankfully I really don’t care what some people think. But again, as a model – you need to be aware of this, and be prepared for it. I highly recommend that anything that shows much in the way of skin, that you don’t post it on Facebook unless you’re willing to listen to the “helpful” comments. 😉
Anyway… That’s what Cosplay is all about, and it’s a lot of fun! Just keep the above consideration in mind when you pick a character to play, and enjoy the experience!