The Cosplay "Glow-Up": A Guide to Upgrading Your Old Costumes with New Skills

As you develop your skills, you might want to revisit past costumes. That means it's time for a cosplay "glow-up." This is a guide to upgrading your old costumes with new skills so you can improve for competitions, cons and more.

When to Upgrade an Old Cosplay

If you aren't certain whether you need to upgrade a cosplay, ask the following questions:

• Have I learned new skills since making the costume? - If yes, think whether that new skill could be good to use for that costume. That can be a great reason to upgrade it.

• Is the costume very old? - If you answered yes and ultimately the costume is no longer in wearable condition due to aging, it might be time to give it an upgrade or full rebuild.

• Am I still happy with the look of the costume? - If you no longer like the costume due to how it looks, fits, etc., you can revamp it into something you love again.

• Did I use materials of lower quality on the original build? - Sometimes when we're new to working on cosplays, we opt for cheaper materials to avoid a huge investment. If that's the case, an upgrade for better quality fabrics and more is a great idea.

• Have I significantly improved with a skill since I made the costume originally? - With practice comes skill refinement. So if you feel like you have greatly improved a skill set you used originally in a costume, it might be a good time to revisit it and then you can compare how your skills have evolved.

• Do parts of the costume incorporate fast fashion items? - We've all purchased fast fashion items for our cosplays. Sometimes you just weren't up for crafting that piece, had a time restriction or limited budget. So if you did this at one point, consider an upgrade by remaking it.

How to Upgrade an Old Cosplay

If you're ready to start revamping a cosplay with your new and improved skills, consider the following:

• Needlework:

  • Tailoring - Ensuring your cosplay fits you well is a must to glow up a costume. Take time to do some tailoring so it has the perfect fit while you wear it.

  • Upgrade fabrics - Did you opt for cheaper fabrics originally? Take time to upgrade for more quality fabrics by remaking certain sections or entire pieces.

  • Incorporating structure - Add interfacing, stiffeners, linings or boning where it makes the most sense to upgrade your garments and give them better structure.

  • Detail work - Lace, trims, rhinestones and buttons can be swapped with more accurate or higher quality pieces to upgrade the small details.

  • Ironing or steaming - Over time, garments get wrinkled. Give them a proper ironing or steaming to ensure they look clean and well kept.

  • Create undergarments - Making undergarments can elevate your craftmanship and help give you an edge in competitions. If you had previously purchased stays, petticoats, hoopskirts, etc., consider making your own.

  • Adding trims - Adding trims or replacing old ones can help give you a cosplay glow-up. Find one that best fits the character and elevate your look.

  • Upgrade fasteners - If you chose fasteners that weren't as secure or not as easily hidden, consider upgrading them with sturdier, more accurate options.

• Props & Armor:

  • Weathering - Give your props and costumes more realism by weathering them. Add battle damage, chipping, rust, dirt and grime to really upgrade your cosplay.

  • Repainting - Was the paint job not well done or didn't quite match for colors? Consider repainting armor and props to get a cleaner coat and better color matching.

  • Replace materials - Did you use cheaper craft foams or would a prop maybe have been better if you 3D printed it instead? Consider changing your material choices to replace or upgrade props and armor.

    

• FX:

  • Wig care & restyling - Wigs should be washed around every 8-14 uses. Part of a glow up is sometimes some simple maintenance and tidying up spikes and styling as they loose their hold.

  • Makeup - Try bolder makeup looks and techniques. If your character wears makeup or incorporates SFX, you can try doing this too in your cosplay.

  • Making prosthetics - If you chose mass produced prosthetics or never branched into that realm, consider making your own so they're a perfect fit.

  • Change lights - Have you started learning to work with electronics? Consider adding lights or upgrading things like fairy lights you might have opted for in the past.

• General Upgrades:

  • Add accessories - Replace fast fashion or foam jewelry and accessories with 3D printed, resin casted or printed and other high quality materials.

  • Make comfort related upgrades - If parts of the costume caused pain or discomfort when wearing it, try making upgrades to be more comfortable. Swap a wig for one that doesn't cause a headache, shoes that don't hurt and even add fans to helmets.

  • Review the costume first - Look for what looks "cheap", poorly made, doesn't fit well, is inaccurate or is broken. This will help you plan out the upgrades needed for your specific costume. A test wear can help with this.

  • Find what works - Make sure you pick out what is reusable and looks good. You want to find what you can salvage as either a base for remaking or to keep altogether. Especially if you're considering revamping the entire costume.

Rebuilding a First Costume

You can also consider completely rebuilding your old costumes. Rather than just reworking portions of it, save the old cosplay so you can compare the two when you rebuild an entirely new version of it and have a major cosplay glow-up.

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Conclusion

As time goes on, your skills and knowledge will grow. So it might be worth considering upgrading costumes and props to experience a cosplay glow-up. This is a great way to push you to explore new skillsets and compare how they've evolved over time.

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Share Your Cosplay Tips and Stories!

Whether you're a seasoned cosplayer or just starting out, it's important to find ways to upgrade and "glow-up" your costumes and props. We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with revamping cosplays, so please leave a comment below sharing your favorite thing about it.

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