Cosplaying in a Parade
Continuing on from my previous article about how to choose your first cosplay, this time I’ll be talking about things you’ll want to think about when choosing a cosplay for a parade. This is a very different environment from a convention as you wont be able to sit down, you’ll be doing lots of walking and you’ll be outside the entire time. As a result, there are some extra things you should think about compared to a convention cosplay to ensure that you have a fun and comfortable time.
For the Pride in London parade last year I went as the Postman from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess because it is a light and comfy costume that I could wear and walk in for hours without any discomfort (and because it’s skimpy if we’re being fully honest here).
Clothing
TL,DR: Wear clothing appropriate for the weather, avoid costumes with tripping hazards
It’s important to think carefully when choosing your outfit. If you choose poorly then you’ll likely be quite uncomfortable and won’t enjoy your day nearly as much. Choose a costume that’s appropriate for the weather you’re expecting. If it is expected to be sunny and warm then choose an outfit that is fairly light and breathable. Your Reinhardt from Overwatch cosplay may be the most amazing thing ever but if you try to march in it in the middle of July then you’re probably just going to melt.
By contrast, if it’s going to be cooler, think about how you’ll stay warm whilst you are waiting around for the parade to start; and, if it’s raining, what impact water might have on the materials you’ve used.
Remember you’ll be walking a lot in your costume so I’d avoid long gowns with trains that either you or your fellow marchers are likely to trip over. You may also want to avoid these types of costumes because you’ll be walking on paved roads which may damage the bottom of your outfit. Finally, I imagine you probably have things you’ll want to do after the parade has finished and you may not want to wander the city dressed up. Choosing a costume that you can easily change in and out of is a good idea so you can go back to being a regular human afterwards.
Weapons
TL,DR: Don’t bring props that look remotely like an actual weapon, keep the weight down also
Most modern conventions have rules against realistic looking firearms (usually requiring the muzzle to be brightly coloured). This is an even bigger issue at a parade where security will be higher and you’ll be amongst the general public, who may mistake your prop for a real weapon. Because of this I HIGHLY recommend that you avoid choosing a character with guns or other weapons that may cause distress to the public. If you really want to do that character and their weapon isn’t critical to the costume, then you’d probably be best leaving it at home.
Characters, such as mages and archers, that use less threatening objects as their weapon are a much safer choice. If you are thinking about bringing a prop that might be problematic then I’d recommend checking with the parade organisers as to whether it’s appropriate. Additionally, I would recommend that you cover up your prop as best you can while it is in transit just to be on the safe side. The last thing you want is for your prop to be confiscated before you can even show it off properly.
With all of that said, props can bring a lot of flair to a costume and are fun to play around with; but as you’ll be carrying it for several hours I advise you to make sure that it is not too heavy.
Shoes
TL,DR: You can’t sit down so wear comfortable shoes
At conventions, you’re generally free to sit down and take a break whenever you want. This is not the case for a parade. Once underway you will be walking several miles without the opportunity to sit down and so you need to make sure the shoes you’ll be wearing are comfy. If you can incorporate them into your costume as they are, then great, but, if not, you can make covers for them that will match your costume fairly easily (I might write about this later on but, Google is your friend here).
This also means that I’d generally recommend against wearing high heels, especially if you’re not used to wearing them (such as if you’re crossplaying). While they may make the costume look better, at the end of the day the parade is meant to be a fun thing and you won’t be having nearly as much fun if your feet are in agony. If you want to look your best for photos, then I’d say to wear the comfy shoes most of the time and change into the other shoes for photos.
Wigs
TL,DR: Wigs make your head hot and sweaty and aren’t required for a costume
Wigs generally don’t breathe very well and so your head will get very hot and sweaty. If you’re concerned about your hair being a mess after the parade then maybe skip the wig. They’re not necessary for every costume anyway in my opinion. For example, the character I am planning to cosplay for Pride in London this year is Odin from Fire Emblem: Fates and you can see that he has grayish hair while I have brown hair. I am not going to be wearing a wig though because I don’t want to and the costume will still look awesome either way. I view wigs as more of a finishing touch to a cosplay than an integral part of it (though this is probably largely due to my inability to style them well).
Pockets
TL,DR: Find somewhere to put a pocket in your costume if you can
Any cosplayer will tell you that one of the most annoying things about cosplaying is finding somewhere to keep your phone while you’re dressed up. Obviously you can just give it to a friend to look after, but most people would rather keep it on them (for easy selfies, if nothing else). Hopefully your character has pockets somewhere in their design which will make your life easier. If not, you’ll need to think about where you can discreetly hide them. Alternatively, you could bring a bag or some other accessory that goes with your costume.
Groups
TL,DR: Cosplay with friends!
This is more just something I’d recommend doing to make your day a bit more fun as opposed to a practical consideration. Cosplaying is pretty much always more fun with friends and so, if you can get a group of you together and all cosplay characters from the same franchise, then I’d recommend doing it. You’ll also look way more awesome in pictures than if you were each by yourself and you can all help each other make things.
Okay so that was a lot of information but hopefully it all made sense for you and you will now not end up picking a costume that will ruin your day. If you feel I’ve left out anything important then please let me know in the comments. If any of my fellow London Gaymers are on Discord and have any questions then feel free to message me on there (where I go by the nonsense name of Sempelata).
Next time I am going to show you how I plan out my cosplay by breaking it down into individual elements. See you all then!
