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Cosplay (costume play) is an extremely popular hobby amongst anime and video game fans, and it's quite a common sight to see a large portion of anime and game convention attendees dress up as their favorite characters. Unfortunately, it can also be a bit intimidating to newcomers. This guide will explain what some of the common early cosplay pitfalls are, and one easy way that ladies can go to a convention as an iconic character without spending a fortune.

Overdoing It

Trying to decide what to cosplay can be a bit overwhelming at first. As you look around at cosplay images on the internet, many elaborate and exquisitely-detailed famous cosplayers may appear on your screen.

These types of costumes are generally made by cosplayers that have years of experience, as well as lots of time and money. Unless you're already well-versed in costuming, sewing, and even making props, these kinds of costumes aren't a great place to start.

Cosplay is a $390 million dollar industry in Japan alone, so many online sellers offer custom-made costumes for sale. However, they generally come in two varieties: well-made, but very expensive, and poorly made but fairly cheap. Neither option is particularly inviting for newbie cosplayers, unless you have a lot of money to spend.

Use Sundresses

Instead of doing something over the top, you can create a very simple cosplay that won't cost a lot or even require any sewing skill. Three iconic anime characters can be cosplayed just with a simple sundress and a few accessories.

Asuka

Asuka of Neon Genesis Evangelion is a super easy costume to do. In her introduction scene on the show (and many subsequent episodes), she wears a simple yellow sundress with a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. Though it sounds extremely simple, it's also equally iconic to fans of the series. Beyond that, all you need is reddish-brown long hair (or a wig) and a pair of red sandals, and you're good to go.

Megurine Luka

Megurine Luka is a voice and character from the Vocaloid music program. She also wears a sundress; hers is white, knee-length and also has spaghetti straps. She generally wears calf-high brown or black boots with it, and has long pink hair. Again, the Vocaloid series is highly recognizable: Luka has appeared alongside fellow Vocaloid Miku in some concerts where they project her as a hologram for fans to watch perform.

Luna

Finally, Luna from Sailor Moon is another excellent choice. This one requires a little extra work, but it's definitely worth it, as a Sailor Moon remake is currently broadcasting online, so it's more popular than ever.

Luna in human form has long black hair, has a crescent moon on her forehead, and wears a yellow sundress with spaghetti straps. Luna's dress also has a layer of black tulle underneath the skirt, and she wears a yellow bow around her neck. If you're planning to cosplay Asuka, you could even modify her dress on the second day of a convention and change characters!

Cosplay doesn't have to be complicated to have a good time and be easily recognized. With these three ideas, you can easily cosplay well-known characters just by wearing a summer sundress similar to theirs. There's also two extra perks to using a sundress: since most conventions are held during the summer, you'll also stay cool and comfortable the entire time, and you can wear the dress casually when the convention's over!