Costume Contests at Conventions

vader45

Sr Member
I would like to know if there is this trend anywhere else or if anyone has noticed this trend of Costume contests at conventions.

I have noticed as of late the judges tend to soley focus on hand or homemade. Last 2 contests I entered I was asked "What did you Make?" And I entered as Vader. I think that is wrong and unfair to award the winners to people who homemake costumes. The last contest a store bought batman got the biggest crowd reaction but won squat.

Its so one sided and so unfair. Yeah just ignore the 10 years of research and costume assembling it took be to build my ROTJ Vader, and Im still not finished! All professionally hand made parts from all over the world. That does not mean squat since it was not my hand doing the work.

No I am not complaining about losing. I won once years ago. But if this trend keeps up Ill never have the chance to win again. I do high end costumes, not home made.
 
I would say that is what these contests are designed for: not to depreciate your work/costume,but to focus on those costumes which were (predominantly) handmade.That's just the way it goes.It wouldn't make sense nor would it be fair to show off and get credit for someone else's work.
You can still enioy your costume at a comic con,just not like that in competition format.
 
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The best way to look at it, is as a "Costume Show," rather than a "Contest". It is less of a competition between costumers, as it is a show put on for the audience to enjoy.


It doesn't matter whether it is a convention, or a bar on Halloween. The idea is to entertain the crowd. I will certainly admit to seeing well crafted pieces of art overlooked so that judges can award the prize to the most scantily clad female, have said female called up on stage and be exploited for the purpose of crowd entertainment and selling more booze.

Is the fair? Is it right? Doesn't matter. It's their party, and they run it in the way that they feel best entertains the crowd.


It is NOT really a contest. It is an opportunity for a costumer/craftsperson to have a stage and show off their work and be acknowledged.


I, personally do not enter contests due to the amount of effort and time that are sacrificed for little more than standing around waiting in costume, to go on stage for little reward. In some cases, there is a rule that doesn't allow you to have worn the costume prior to the contest, and I think that defeats the purpose.


If you like your costume and want to show it off, wear I around and get compliments from like-minded people. Spare yourself the effort to please some judge.
 
Naturally there's entertainment value also and,aside from my main motivation which is fandom,that would be my reason to wear anything to a costume show.
 
Honestly, costumes made by the person wearing them should win over costumes bought in costume contests every time, and I have costumes I've made and costumes I've bought. I don't look down on people that buy costumes or costume pieces. I have bought both, but when the contest is about a costume, time, effort and skill involved in making your own, rather than buying and assembling pieces, is far more impressive.
 
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Honestly, costumes made by the person wearing them should win over costumes bought in costume contests every time, and I have costumes I've made and costumes I've bought. I don't look down on people that buy costumes or costume pieces. I have bought both, but when the contest is about a costume, time, effort and skill involved in making your own, rather than buying and assembling pieces, is far more impressive.

This is why I brought this up because high end costume like Vader, boba or others need to be assembled for high end accuracy. It takes hard work and dedication to just assemble accurate version of these costume. A Vader build will take a year at the very least to build and probably more for some because of cost.

I poured my heart and soul into vader. He is not just a bought costume at all. I look at a bought costume as hit the buy it now and just wear. This was a build that took a long time to get right. It has a lot of my own work which is the research and extra tailoring time along with the original artists work. I feel all of that gets devalued just because I did not spend an all nighter sculpting or sewing. That is why I brought it up. And I just wanted to get the thoughts from other people.

I do like what clonesix said. I go to these cons for the fun and I do have fun! I get soo many picture requests I sometimes get stuck in one place for several minutes!
 
I'm not into costuming at all (more prop making and electronics kits..etc to make the static props work like the originals..etc)

So this is not posted to anger anyone/


But what are you researching If someone has already made the part/piece for you to buy? Is just educating yourself on the pieces to make the costume and finding someone who has already made them or makes them?

I'm not trying to downplay anything...

but should someone who has more money than you.. purchased faster than you... win!!? over you?

I personally wouldnt think that adds -anything- to your costume. It might be a great piece. You may have waited along time. You may have spent alot, Sound and found some last 'kit'... but ultimately you just bought something from someone else.. and maybe altered or assembled things.

This is not to say purchased stuff is no good... this is strictly about 'custom contests'...and that aspect.

I think unique, new, hand-made or crafted yourself will always add more to the judges eyes.
 
I'm not into costuming at all (more prop making and electronics kits..etc to make the static props work like the originals..etc)

So this is not posted to anger anyone/


But what are you researching If someone has already made the part/piece for you to buy? Is just educating yourself on the pieces to make the costume and finding someone who has already made them or makes them?

I'm not trying to downplay anything...

but should someone who has more money than you.. purchased faster than you... win!!? over you?

I personally wouldnt think that adds -anything- to your costume. It might be a great piece. You may have waited along time. You may have spent alot, Sound and found some last 'kit'... but ultimately you just bought something from someone else.. and maybe altered or assembled things.

This is not to say purchased stuff is no good... this is strictly about 'custom contests'...and that aspect.

I think unique, new, hand-made or crafted yourself will always add more to the judges eyes.

The whole point in researching is to find the costume parts that suit the individual. Finding out where to buy these parts requires research and there is so much detail and info to some of these costumes it is easy to buy something by mistake and having to repurchase it. All of them are different let alone differences in the costumes from movie to movie. And accuracy is not just handed to us on a silver platter. Researching the original costume to get as accurate as possible is important for us who want as close as possible to the original. I still learn stuff about Vader that increases the accuracy on my costume. We are fanatics who study and research the original props for greater accuracy on our stuff because we want what was on screen and nothing less. That requires a great deal of researching.
 
And yet contests revolve around showing your (manufactured) work.Again,this has nothing to do with people not appreciating or understanding your time and effort to gather info and items.The whole idea behind a cosplay contest is,aside from you showing your costume that you worked so hard for,judges trying to figure out who scores best with the result of their own hard work.

You getting upset over the way judges rule during contests and what the criteria is for entering isn't going to change the fact that personal creative work is what they judge the costume for.That's just how contests work and it's pointless to get upset over such trivial things.Your costume was already a 'winner' before you decided to enter ;)
If that bothers you so much,you can always sign in for a cosplay catwalk where people show off their hard work/assembled costume without judgement of a jury and with the cheers of the crowd.

For your consideration.
 
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Perfect example. My Ghost Rider costume had to be store bought and modified but my Ghostrider Herlcycle was 96% made and I won Best of Show ... work pays off
 

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Though I've been to many Cons I've never attended a Costume Contest.

As an outsider, it seems obvious to me that there should be a "self-made" category and a "non-self-made" category. (Assuming there are enough entrants to have separate categories.)

From what Vader45 experienced it seems that the whole thing was a "self-made" costume contest, but not clearly labelled as such. That's unfair to the people in non-self-made costumes who think it's possible for them to win.

There's a problem, for sure: the contest would depend on an honour system. The judges would have to take the entrant's word that they themselves made most/all of their costume. (Just because an item is home-made doesn't prove that it was home-made by the person wearing it.)

I certainly recognize that people who make everything themselves are achieving much more than I am! And they deserve more recognition.

But to take my Chief Hopper costume as an example, the only thing I made was the wrist-band. It's absurd to make the police shirt and trousers when identical items are in current production. The watch is a vintage watch- would I be expected to make a wrist-watch from scratch? When the actual thing can be bought? Would I be expected to make the boots, when the same model boot is still in production?
 
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I like the solution of a split-contest concept.And yes: nudity has nothing to do with cosplay.I have been watching comic con videos in awe as I saw one skimpy dressed female after another appear in it,while it was my understanding that even little kids are supposed to be able to visit comic cons...without prematurely having to be exposed to the sex-talk.
 
The main thing about bought vs made is not everyone has been thru the pain staking process of researching and purchasing the parts for a costume... however at least at some point in most people lives be it a childhood halloween or high school themed spirit week or even a college themed party I think a large amount of people have made at least 1 DIY costume and so it's more understood.

it's a big thing for car shows as well - people tend to cheer of the restoration of a 68' datsun 510 over a bought 2018 ferrari -
 
The problem I've seen with the contests is that people don't realize even if you purchase something, there's still a lot of work that goes in to make it fit, assembled, look better or painted the way you want.
Just because someone doesn't own a production vacformer and instead bought a TK kit, doesn't make their work of assembling and finishing it any less impressive (as one example).

I think the demand of complete self-made is a bit crazy, I mean what's next, the costumer has to pick the cotton and weave their own fabric for the costume to be respected.
 
The problem I've seen with the contests is that people don't realize even if you purchase something, there's still a lot of work that goes in to make it fit, assembled, look better or painted the way you want.
Just because someone doesn't own a production vacformer and instead bought a TK kit, doesn't make their work of assembling and finishing it any less impressive (as one example).

I think the demand of complete self-made is a bit crazy, I mean what's next, the costumer has to pick the cotton and weave their own fabric for the costume to be respected.

That is the point Im trying to get across! Thank you.

Building a complex costume is not an easy task by any means at all. It requires hard word, let alone the hardwork actually making the parts. I may have not made my costumes but I surely build them.
 
But a store bought costume versus a scratch built has no comparison to one another especially if judging criteria is not strictly based upon "screen accuracy." Yes everyone on the streets will recognize you as Deadpool, Captain Jack Sparow, Anakin, Vader, or a TK however not all are going to be at the same level of accuracy in which experienced costume judges will be looking at your creation. Creation is one of the criteria that is used in the judging process so it has to be a critical part of judging when you have two individuals that look identical. What urks me is when someone who store bought a costume beats out a scratch built costume especially if the person did all the patterning, cutting, dying, sewing, etc. There is no real contest. Scratch build should hands down always win so long as it is accurate to the character.
 
But a store bought costume versus a scratch built has no comparison to one another especially if judging criteria is not strictly based upon "screen accuracy." Yes everyone on the streets will recognize you as Deadpool, Captain Jack Sparow, Anakin, Vader, or a TK however not all are going to be at the same level of accuracy in which experienced costume judges will be looking at your creation. Creation is one of the criteria that is used in the judging process so it has to be a critical part of judging when you have two individuals that look identical. What urks me is when someone who store bought a costume beats out a scratch built costume especially if the person did all the patterning, cutting, dying, sewing, etc. There is no real contest. Scratch build should hands down always win so long as it is accurate to the character.

Agree to dissagree.

I still think Built/assembled costumes should have some chance to win especially if its all high end and accurate.
 
But a store bought costume versus a scratch built has no comparison
I would argue a store bought RS props TK will be better than anything sculpted.
Most of the star wars costumes were off the shelf items. You're saying that hitting screen accuracy by buying the original items used for a SW costume means you can't win a costume contest? That logic doesn't make any sense.
 
Creation is one of the criteria that is used in the judging process... Scratch build should hands down always win so long as it is accurate...

I wouldn't disagree. It's amazing what people can make!

The issue the OP brought up is slightly different. He wasn't asked "how much of your costume is scratch-built?"

He was asked
"what did you make?"

For sure there might be times when mass-produced items are more accurate than self-made ones.

It's why I think there should be a "self-made" category and a separate "most screen-accurate" category. It's apples and oranges.

It could happen that the same costume might win both categories but it would be coincidence rather than cause-and-effect.



 
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