Shoutout to the thrift store by my bus stop that basically funds my whole cosplay habit

I spent like 2 years buying brand new fabric and patterns for every costume I made, and my wallet was crying. Then I missed my bus one day back in March and walked into this Goodwill near the station just to kill time. Found a huge white bedsheet for 3 bucks that I used as the base for a character with a big cloak. Then I started looking closer at their clothes section and realized I could buy actual shirts and jackets to cut up and modify instead of sewing everything from scratch. Last month I did a whole steampunk outfit using a vest that was 4 dollars and an old skirt that I turned into a coat. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize you've been overcomplicating the whole thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_stone336d ago

Ain't that just buying cheap stuff instead of making it from scratch?

rodriguez.cora5d ago

I mean, I get what you're saying dylan_stone33, but "buying cheap stuff" kind of misses the point for me. When I find a 2 dollar button up shirt with weird seams, I'm not just saving money, I'm getting pre-made structure and details I'd have to spend hours making from scratch. Like, that shirt already has cuffs and a collar and sometimes even those little pleats on the shoulders. Cutting that up and reworking it into a fantasy tunic gives me a way better result than my clumsy sewing on flat fabric ever did. It's more like remodeling than just buying a costume. The challenge switches from "can I make this piece exist" to "how can I transform this thing into something totally different.

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