Okay, so I have some explaining to do. Yes, this post was late, and yes, I said this post was going to be rescheduled. However, I decided to do this one because it’s the one I’m most inspired to do right now! Also, I didn’t post yesterday because I was sick, but I am quite better today so here we go!
  Have you ever heard about casual cosplay but don’t quite know what it is? Or have you just plain never heard of it? Maybe you’ve heard of it but don’t quite know how to do it? If you’ve said yes to any of these things, then this is a post for you!
  First off, let’s start with a basic definition of casual cosplay: Casual cosplay can be interpreted in many ways, but the basic definition of it is working the style of a certain character of characters into an every day style. Many people casual cosplay on the daily, wearing their creations out and about to school and other places, while some prefer only to casual cosplay at conventions and cosplay specific events. However, the beauty of casual cosplay is that you can wear your outfit anywhere and still fit into the crowd!
For instance, I made a casual cosplay for Vriska, a troll from Homestuck, and was able to wear it out to eat and look somewhat “normal.” This is because the outfit was just a mostly black, normal-looking ensemble, and with it I wore blue lipstick and a realistic long black wig that was a normal hairstyle. That casual cosplay was quite bold though, and would only work for someone who has a darker sense of style and enjoys wearing bold makeup on the daily, so let me go ahead and give you another example!
My second example is my Jake English casual cosplay. Jake English is a male human from Homestuck who is very easy to casual cosplay. Of course, I am gender fluid so dressing as a day is part of some of my every day styles, so this may not work for everyone. The point of these examples isn’t to give you a template to copy off of, but rather to supply you with a basic idea of what casual cosplay is so you can begin to build your own! That being said, my Jake English outfit is one that I can wear anywhere with ease and look mostly normal. For this casual cosplay I wore a shirt with Jake’s symbol on it (just a plain white shirt with the symbol ironed on), green or black shorts, my combat boots, a jacket that matches the shorts or the symbol, fake glasses, and a realistic black wig cut similar to Jake’s.
See how easy casual cosplay is? Aside from finding pieces you need, it can be quite easy! If you are having trouble finding pieces for your CC, then please consult my Cosplay Guide: Shopping post for helpful tips and tricks! Anyways, it can still be quite a competitive thing, so just remember that the only thing that is truly important is for you to enjoy it and have fun! Nobody else’s opinion truly matters but your own!
Another use for casual cosplay is to wear it to a convention! A lot of people who don’t have the time to work on a full cosplay do casual cosplays instead! This is a good way to still show your love for a character when you don’t have the extra time to go all-out and make every piece of their full outfit! Some cosplayers such as myself wear them to conventions on days that they know they will only be shopping or when they won’t be there the entire day. If you do it that way, you can still fir in with the cosplay crowd without having to get into your complicated cosplay for only a few hours!
All of this being said, casual cosplay can be a very awesome tool for anyone! Casual cosplays can even be worn to school (excluding schools with strict dress-codes or uniforms)! That way, people who don’t get what you’re cosplaying can still compliment you strictly on your cool makeup or on your outfit that day! Also, it’s a good way to get around doing body paint and wearing horns for Homestuck trolls. Casual cosplay for Homestuck trolls is called “Humanstuck” because it is the trolls “stuck” in their human forms!
  Now I will show you a few examples of casual cosplay versus just plain cosplay!
- Cosplay:
These are all examples of normal cosplays! They are usually quite complex and require a lot of time to make and to get into! The first one is Kurloz, the second is Brobot, and the third is John (all from Homestuck)!
- Casual Cosplay
These are all examples of casual cosplay. These are all much easier to piece together but still stay true to the character that they are trying to portray! The first two are already labeled, and the next three (all from left to right) are Eridan, Karkat, and Sollux, all from Homestuck! You can probably already tell that if you are a Homestuck fan, because they are very distinctly those characters without being 100% canon!
All of my examples are from Homestuck, of course, because Homestuck is my main fandom and what I have most experience cosplaying from. However, this definitely applies to other fandoms as well! Casual cosplay is all about your interpretation of a character, so go for it!
This was definitely a short post but I have said all I need to say! If you have any questions or inquiries please contact me at HannahCosplayStuck@gmail.com or leave a comment below!Â
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