NERDSWAG: Geeky Style for the Cosplay-Phobic

How to dress with character, when becoming one is too hard.

Every convention-goer has been wowed by the creativity of some of their fellow fans, from elaborately made-up Orcs to giant Pokemon. They’re fun to look at, and great to take pictures with. But let’s face it – elaborate cosplay is a chore to do unless you’re dedicated to it, and frankly, those outfits can interfere with your day, like when you have to figure out where to put your wallet and keys, or how to fit into a bathroom stall. Still, you want to fly your freak flag, and we get it, as does Course of the Force co-host Ashley Eckstein, who’s helping us give away awesome new Her Universe tees to help you out! (And extra chances to win them on our Facebook, Twitter, and Google + pages!) Besides that, we also have some low-stress pointers:

Easy Does It. You don’t have to be a winged anime demon – there are plenty of great pop-culture characters who dress more simply. Agent Smith from The Matrix, for example – black suit, shades and you’re done, plus you can also tell people you’re Tommy Lee Jones every once in a while, just to mix it up.

I Am Irony, Man. People love funny costumes almost as much as the realistic ones – out-of-shape or unemployed versions of iconic characters always bring a smile. Buy a simple pre-packaged superhero costume at the mall, but make sure it doesn’t quite fit properly. Just be willing to laugh with the people who point and stare. Own it, like “How To, Batman.”

2, 4, 6, 8, Who Can We Approximate? There are some exceedingly clever folks out there who know how to assemble already available garments into a con-ready costume of sorts. We’re partial to Bel at Cartoon Closets, who provides links to every item that make up her ensembles, and gives male character outfits a woman’s touch for that other convention staple – the sexy female version of a male character.

Quali-tees. If you can’t sew the best cape, you can at least sport the coolest T-shirt. Skip the simple superhero logo tops you see at every Target – you’re going to want shirts featuring higher geek-level references that make the average convention passers-by feel smarter because they get it. And speaking of getting it, get entered to win four such shirts in Doctor Who designs from Her Universe. Just in time for San Diego Comic-Con International, this giveaway closes July 5th, 2012. So unless you can also travel through time, head over to our Facebook, Twitter, and Google + pages for your bonus entries as quickly as you Con, er, can.

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