Halloween goes year-round when Cosplay enters the chat
From a weekend at Comic-Con to a school play, dressing up is an artform
SEPTEMBER 2024
This article is part of our A Stitch In Time campaign.
Whether it’s for Halloween, a weekend at Comic-Con, or a school play, anyone who’s ever transformed themselves into their favorite fictional character understands the costume is the key to unlocking a world of unlimited imagination and immersive storytelling. In cosplay, which is a blending of “costume” and “play,” sewists and crafters combine artistry with craftsmanship. They also show off their creativity, become a hero for a day, and make new friends in a growing community.
Some of these kindred spirits could look like elven royalty in a medieval fantasy, rebels in the Scottish Highlands, stylish steampunks, and anime teens. Thanks to historical clothing patterns, others could appear as Renaissance faire folk, Regency-era aristocrats, and Jazz Age flappers. There are also pop culture favorites such as space traveling rebel pilots or powerful caped villains, Harry Potter® and his classmates at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dorothy and the witches from “The Wizard of Oz®,” and a coterie of Disney® Princesses. Even pets can play a part, dressed up as footballs, spiders, and detectives.
Cosplay is “just a celebration of culture,” said Raine Emery, a Utah-based costume designer, influencer, and cosplayer, who’s introducing her fantasy-themed “Spellbinding Elegance” dressmaking patterns with Simplicity Patterns. When she started learning how to sew as a teenager nurturing her interest in cosplay, “I liked that it was an expression of love for the show [and] the characters. And it just allowed you to insert yourself or a part of yourself into that show or that world,” she said.
In Just in time for Halloween, Raine Emery is launching a collection of patterns for Simplicity Costumes. “Halloween is when cosplayers thrive,” she said. “It is definitely my favorite holiday.”
Raine is the latest among the biggest names in sewing, crafting, design, and entertainment to create costumes with Simplicity, McCall’s, and Butterick. 1986 Simplicity introduced sewing patterns based on Walt Disney costumes. Two years later, the company expanded its offerings with patterns of Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, Popeye, and Star Trek characters. While Xena, the Warrior Princess, trilled her battle cry on TV, fans could respond on their sewing machines, stitching her black and gold outfit with Butterick’s pattern. In addition to Xena, the crossover between pop culture and home sewing was brisk in the late 1990s. Anime, manga, and video games started becoming mainstream in the U.S.
Some cosplay emphasizes femininity and female power, appealing to trendsetters in women’s fashion as well as rising stars in the sewing and crafting worlds. Amid cosplay’s growing popularity, Cosplay by McCall’s launched in 2015. Yaya Han, a costume designer from Atlanta who’s appeared on the TV shows “Heroes of Cosplay” and “King of the Nerds,” became the first cosplayer to launch a cosplay-centric line of patterns with McCall’s. A self-taught sewist, she has released over 30 patterns. Her designs for McCall’s include a wool tuxedo jacket with peaked shoulders and a lined vest, a curvy bodysuit with a collar and tie, and a traditional Chinese Hanfu outfit with long scoop sleeves to compliment the men’s Hanfu costume.
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DIY Cosplay and Halloween costume patterns enable sewists and crafters of most levels to create mesmerizing costumes, fostering creativity while ensuring each character comes to life with your special touch.