I'm too old to understand this subculture please enlighten me
like how do you feel when you larp as an anime character makes you feel like

>>10895583 (OP)
I would give anything to be in his position.

>>10895600
Reevaluate your life.

>>10895606
Wearing the collar obviously.

>>10895583 (OP)
Am a skinny fat holding guy like that how do I get an asian girl like that?

>>10895583 (OP)
You know when you buy an action figure? This way you can be the action figure. Better example: it’s like wearing a shirt with your favorite character on it. Just taking it a step further.

Isn't cosplay just a sexual kink

>>10895718
nah thats lolita
literally named after a pedophile book

>>10895719
name aside, lolitas are the most reactionary puritanical group ive ever seen. the mere thought of sex triggers them, because most of them are undesirable.

>>10895583 (OP)
Do you know about Halloween? Have you ever been to a Halloween party? It's like that. You dress up as a character you like and party and get drunk. Since you're in costume you inhibition is a little lower which allows you be a little more social than normal. It's really not that complex.

>>10895719
Oh look, another uninformed cosplayer who has literally no idea what they're talking about but still thinks their opinion is worth something

>>10895805
Lolita is dead, get over it.
It died 5 years ago once the undesirables and zoomers discovered it

>>10895810
People have been saying this for a decade now and its still not true. While there may be less lolitas than at its peak, lolita itself is more widely known and more accessible than ever.

I cosplay mostly because I really enjoy the character, so I can bear through wearing their uncomfortable &/or illogical outfit. I also Craft, so trying to figure out the illogical parts is fun to do. Smaller sliver of cosplaying is "hey that character design looks cool, I want to look cool too."

>>10895583 (OP)
>too old
Imagine being old and coming to this husk of a site without experiencing the golden age. If you were an oldfag, I'd say kys in jest, but actually though in your case.

>>10895876
just chill and be my egf

Funny, I too just came to this board to try and understand cosplay and fashion. I've found it difficult to make female friends in my life because I don't share their interests, my interests are more male-centric but that poses problems for me as men can't control themselves and fall in love with me constantly which is undesirable for me. I wish to understand why girls like this stuff. I found a somewhat expensive lolita dress for sale at Goodwill recently for 5$, it was my size and I wore it around for a day. I didn't really feel any different wearing it versus wearing anything else.

>>10895906
damn why does every girl on cgl write like my ex

>>10895583 (OP)
It is fun and also I want to put a little magic in the lives of children. They are delighted when they see me. I want to become a father one day.

>>10895906
>men can't control themselves and fall in love with me constantly
They don't *want* to control themselves. They want a gf. And it takes until they grow up to realize that some girls simply were never an option, like how in vidya the game was never programmed to romance certain characters. It doesn't help that lonely people of either gender will interpret any kind of attention into what they want.

>>10895906
the joy should come from deciding to wear it for an event or something. its like putting up a christmas tree. it's no good if you just "Wear it" this is why so many people cosplay only at cons, but the gimmick is to find a "Reason" to wear it. like if you are male centric in your hobbies you could wear it as window dressing to a nechronica game or something.

I like crafting a costume, sewing, woodworking, cutting foam, painting... I like discussing the process with other cosplayers that share my interests. I like dressing up as a handsome character and feeling pretty. I like wearing clothes that I would not wear in my daily life. I like the feeling when you are cosplaying a niche character and find another cosplayer from the same franchise. I like the look in their eyes, how happy they get. I like being able to make friends and meet me people solely because we are both cosplaying the same thing. It's like going to a fandom discord, except it's IRL and it filters all the lazy people that would never put enough effort into anything to get a good looking cosplay.

Male, BTW.

kys, that's how...

>>10896119
>That Time I Was Reincarnated As A Cosplayer In Another World!

>>10896118
>Male, BTW
Yeah, you kinda gave it away with the "I like crafting" part. Bitches buy their stuff instead. Apologies to the one seamstress on the board.

>>10895583 (OP)

You get a little ego boost when people ask for your picture because they like your cosplay. Double if it's something you worked hard to make. Triple if they're attractive.

I used to go to cons solo in normal clothes and take pictures to feel less lonely, but it actually made me feel worse because you're alone in a crowd of happy people trying to make a connection. Once I started cosplaying, people came to me and tried to be my friend. I don't think I've approached anyone at a con in years, now they only come up to me, and I have to dodge my friends sometimes just to get more floor time and meet new people..

>>10895583 (OP)
>I'm too old to understand
It's older than you've been alive.

You're just obtuse.

>>10896009
Damn, why let every thing remind you of your ex.

>>10895906
What are you into interest/hobby-wise? I could risk a ban posting a throwaway of you want chick friends.

>>10895583 (OP)
Always wanted cosplay since I was a kid because I liked to craft! And shapeshift into ur fav character is kinda fun. Loved to watch other cosplay and now I’m adult and can do that too x) I wish I had more money to do some unpopular characters but I’m working on it!

>>10895583 (OP)
I feel like it's a layer of abstraction or proxy layer so I can be at liberty to be more expressive, uninhibited by anxiety.

>>10899331
> I wish I had more money to do some unpopular characters
if you look like that start an onlyfans

>>10895583 (OP)
>what is a costume party?
>what is a costume party with a theme?
>where that there is things you really like
>and everyone else there likes them too.
I'm pretty sure OP is a troll but there's your chain of reasoning as to why it is good.
>>10895906
have you considered that you are emotionally repressed? that often prevents you from enjoying things.

>>10896133

>>10895583 (OP)
Me on the right.

I like cosplay because
1. I like costume parties with really high-effort costumes
2. I like weird people

Anime cons are kinda like catholic carnival in southern euro countries

>>10895583 (OP)
To look cool

Some people are whores, some people are autistic.

It feels nice to wear a suit, or pretend to be some anime/game character for however long - All I dreamed of as a 6 Year Old was being the Cowboy Hat Explorer or the Fuzzy Hooded Monks from Latale, and as an adult with a disposable income I accomplished something that wasn't socially acceptable back then.

That's 100% my "autism" - realistically I understand it's a waste of money, but you only get one life and given idd dress up like Sessomaru every fucking day if I could.

It's basically anywhere from play to high end fashion/engineering.

>>10895583 (OP)
I got into it to pick up chicks but that didnt/doesn't work so I enjoy the crafting aspect. I don't do a lot of creative stuff but it turns out I'm pretty good with crafting foam and have friends that can help me with cloth. That and cosplaynis an excuse for me to stay in shape. It's easy for me to slide into becoming a fatass playing vidya all day but working on cosplay and staying fit helps that.

>>10895583 (OP)

do you drive something other than a small compact car necessary to get you from point a to b? If you do, like a sports car or a truck, that can be a form of cosplay. You're not a racecar driver, nor are you a roughneck tradesman.


>>10896019
>They don't *want* to control themselves. They want a gf.

and its not a terrible strategy to find someone with common interest to be a more desirable target than otherwise, so its not like its some moral failing to take a shot. But someone with even a reasonable level of attractiveness acting like this should never happen to them is really off-putting.

>>10896009
Borderline Personality Disorder, unironically. Look up the narcissist-borderline cycle.

i love making stuff. same as anyone who likes woodworking or spinning pottery.

i love anime and japan. but you usually get a ton of crap like weebs who've only seen 2010s mainstream shit and who never learned japanese (i'm far from perfect, but at least i've passed jlpt n1). i like feeling at home with my weeb level at a con. i feel odd at cons if i dont cosplay. and i would love to wear weeb shit like geta every day but that's unacceptable for a white guy so i cosplay semi-traditional characters instead.

i like feeling like someone else.

secretly i hope if i cosplay at a con someone'll wanna fuck. i've only ever been in serious relationships brought on by love confessions, i'd love to experience a one-night stand.

I just do it because I hope it will help me make friends and maybe a gf (male) someday

>>10895906
>>10896115
way too many larpers and retards itt. you felt nothing wearing it because you bought shitty mass produced chinese crap at goodwill and threw it on like a kid playing dress up. maybe lolita just isn't your style, but you weren't wearing lolita, so how could you know? without investing time into learning about the fashion, its history, and each of its coordination elements, you're going to look like shit. enjoy your $5 poly sack you obnoxious autist.

>its like putting up a christmas tree. it's no good if you just "Wear it"
lolita fashion is clothing. it's not cosplay. it's designed to be regularly worn. your "reason" to wear it is that it's fucking cute and makes you feel good about yourself. as someone who also has mostly traditionally male hobbies, the way you dress has nothing to do with what you do in your free time. and if some dumbfuck moid giving you a hard time over your frilly dresses makes you want to stop wearing them, then lolita is not the fashion for you.

>>10895583 (OP)
i dont

>>10895718
It is for me. Though my wife just plays dress up and role plays the character. I just get to live out my nerd fantasies.

>>10910774
Boosting this. The larp here is so obvious.

>>10895718
if you're a soulless normie whose only hobby is masturbating to porn everything is a sexual kink I guess

>>10895583 (OP)
Around Halloween a couple years ago, I reflected that I didn't do a single thing for the holiday anymore, not since I was a kid. I got this strong urge to get a costume, a good one. It all sort of spiraled from there.

>>10895883
im a boy

>>10913325
>soulless normie whose only hobby is masturbating to porn
what in the world has happened to 4chan nomenclature??

Because there's something special about watching Kim Possible and a black Sora rocking out at a rave while a Ruby Rose and Wendy from FT engage in serious discussion in the corner.

Once saw a black guy in a red and white maid dress with the Pizza Hut logo on the apron going hard at dodgeball. He was our team's mvp. He kept yelling "no one out pizza's the hut!" when throwing the ball.

>>10920180
it's this simple op

>>10896182
Fuck, I've been doing this for the last 2 years. Wandering around in Con until my back screaming in pain just to gained a lousy memory of it, and haunted by self doubt that I would never finished my own project...

>>10895600
>anything
Then treat your baldness, learn to dress yourself, hit the gym and get plastic surgery if necessary.

>>10895719
>>10895786
Are they freaky whores who get off to dressing like dolls or are they frigid killjoys? Kek you retarded faggots can't even make up your minds.

>>10896142
Any cosplay tutorial source is full of women and mostly made by women. Just because you spend your time gooning to onlyfans whores and underage tiktokers in aliexpress cosplays that doesn't mean you have any picture of the scene kek.

>>10895583 (OP)
>why do you cosplay
So i can feel like her

>>10926998
op here
i love you
do you have a bf

>>10895583 (OP)
Because I was a lame student and now I am wage cuck, slaving away in office irl and I need to be someone else who is less miserable. When I cosplay, I allow myself to be someone else. Also cosplay motivate myself to care for my body, skin care, workout. I really don't want to be me, so might as well do better to be a character I love.

I like being a badass warrior and being complimented at cons.
Also seeing kids excited when they see me in cosplay is pretty awesome.

>>10927859
are you pedo

You never worn a halloween costume?
Its like that but there is a party

you aren't a badass anything champ

>>10932653
Nice bot post

>>10931286
damn, you're fucking brain dead

>>10895583 (OP)
I like getting attention, being cute, and weeb/nerd shit.

>>10896118
Based and truthpilled. The reward is getting to have the chance of putting it on after many days of hard work. Seeing others, complimenting others and receiving em back. Nothing quite like it. Sure is an adrenaline and dopamine hit. Now I know what all women are attention whores

>>10908563
That’s impressive if you passed jlptn1 considering that’s the most difficult level and shows you r eligible to interview for work on virtually any job in Japan. I think the standard should be all weebs should at least try to pass jlptn5. And if u haven’t experienced a 1night stand passed college, it gets more difficult thereafter esp if ur not above a 7/10. I’d say the next best thing is wearing ur cosplay to a Asian massage parlor for a happy ending lol.

>>10918604
Also a dude dressed as Bungie Era Master Chief dancing with a Peach (SMB) while a caucasian Light Yagami and Middle Eastern Batgirl are getting wasted in the other corner while watching a video explaining Beyblade lore and they don't give a damn about not being able to hear anything because they are drunker than the Russian dude doing the DJ work while cosplaying Sombrero and Poncho Raiden (MGRR)

>>10923601
Women are the best crafters especially when it involves fashion, color theory, makeup etc. which is why the competitive or high level space is dominated by women. But the cosplay community is also heavily motivated by attention whoring at the entry level. Your average man is more likely to enjoy crafting without feeling the need to show off and there are other hobbies that can provide that.

>>10933380
If you're talking about people who make cosplay for themselves, yes women dominate because they like attention. Men own the best fashion companies however. Even in terms of cosplay, ie Dokidokicos is owned by men.

>>10895583 (OP)
1. forces me to improve my crafting in areas i wouldn't consider otherwise
2. everyone likes feeling attractive, this is like the weeb version of enjoying dressing up nice for special things
3. i love the interactions, "bringing characters to life" and whatnot. i'll be real if someone says it's not at least a little bit for attention and impressing people they're lying.
3. competitions
4. escapism, conventions are just larping lite. you get to step into a cosplay and have everyone treat you like the character for a day + it's so much more fun to attend conventions in cosplay, having people call you out and stuff. going ooc always feels like a waste to me
5. doing stupid shit and taking pics of it. like the thread img kinda

>>10933418
wait im not done
comps especially for a few reasons, but primarily because it's so incredible to be in the greenroom and see everything everyone else has made, complimenting everyone's stuff and just generally talking about crafting with people that are at/above your own skill level. you get exposed to aspects of crafting that maybe you've only slightly considered but that other people have dedicated years to; ie i'm mostly into textiles and metal but seeing cosplays with insane wigs or props always sends me into the stratosphere
also 6. it's kinda about the challenge, watching or reading something and going "i wanna figure out how to make that"
also the general crafting reasons

>>10933419
wish I was good enough for competitions. all my friends buy cheap premade stuff and I'd love to have those conversations you describe with other actual makers

>>10933426
Crafting isn't that hard. Just time consuming and expensive. If you really want to make a competition ready cosplay pick a project and just give yourself enough time to execute.

>>10932752
this me too. Never been so popular in my life til I put on the cloak

>>10933426
agree with >>10933439 - hard, in the way that researching and doing mockups forever is boring, but i believe that with enough time(and willingness to learn) you can do literally anything. it's kind of all patience and trial and error (also novice isn't too bad- especially at small cons, mostly sewing beginners- i believe in you anon)
>t. starting a cosplay for a con a year and a half away because it's intimidating
also desu if you're hungry for talks with other makers there's competition discords(i know not the same as irl but still nice)

>>10895583 (OP)
for you

>>10895600
Get professional help

>>10926998
I'm looking for a yuki gf
Add cerenlover420 on discord

Do it for laughs anon

>>10895718
It can just be to have fun anon.

>>10895600
plenty of coomer cons yoiu can go to with girls who will do this for a few bucks

>>10926998
what hapopen 2 dis pic
even when u click da thumbnail it not show

OP do wahtever you want as long as you own it

>>10939440
ok

>>10936323
Nice

>>10895583 (OP)
Me on the right.

>>10895786
Puritanical is a buzzword.
Opposing slavery was the most relevant unpopular puritanical trait back when puritanism was relevant.

>>10943208
Lose weight.

>>10943221
I accept your concession. Time to grow up and resolve your daddy issues.

>But what about this irrelevant thing
You accept nothing, and lose weight

>>10936321
gay

quality thread

>>10943200
Hi

>>10895583 (OP)
Designing and making things is fun, and I like communicating my favorite shows to people who might know them. I only do characters semi-niche or older shows, so I feel like I'm contributing to the part of cosplay that isn't just "I wanna dress up and have my picture taken" attention-whore side of things.

>>10895583 (OP)
Three reasons, personally
First and foremost, to have fun.
Second, it helps me make friends at cons.
Third, I like the attention and having photos taken of me.

>>10926998
Just buy some new ports.

>>10954844
please have sex with me

>>10955452
no