Communicating With Hair

The following is a research paper I did for my Cultural Anthropology (ANT 210) class. A lot of people expressed an interest in reading my final paper, so  I am publishing it here. I have omitted a portion of my conclusion that explains further research I plan to conduct because I would prefer to be the one to conduct the research. Good ideas sometimes need to be kept to one's self so they can remain your idea. Special thanks to my instructor Dr. Diana Repp at Pima Community College, I have revised this as per her suggestions during the grading process. I highly recommend reading any of the books listed in my bibliography if this topic interests you and you want to learn more. 

Statement of Research Project

Why do some people use hair as a basis to judge one another? Are these concepts taught to us culturally, or more deeply integrated into us at an almost evolutionary level? Do the standards change from one culture to another? I had some of my own ideas about this through experience growing up and also working in salons as a hairstylist. It was very clear to me that humans are communicating aspects of themselves with their hair, but not everyone interprets these messages as intended. Why? The results of my research both validated and surprised me. I had considered myself to be educated about hair before now having spend considerable money and time on the education required to take a licensing exam to become a hair stylist. I am now convinced that the education I received was not comprehensive because of how much I learned this semester.

Background

I began my research with a basic search inquiry on the computer to find books about hair. My first search yielded three good results that began to shape the direction of my research. Encyclopedia of Hair: a cultural history, by Victoria Sherrow, was a treasure trove of every aspect of every culture and how hair weaves its way into our story as humans. This book was important because it taught me about the roles hair styles have played in most major cultures, the expectations each culture has regarding hair, what is and has been fashionable to each culture. Hair: A Human Story, by Kurt Stenn, was extremely influential in the direction my research took. He speaks in chapter 5 about hair being used in communication among humans. He says on page 55, “the messages humans send by means of hair are not always easy to determine, and objective research is rarely undertaken to characterize them.” This is the approach I wanted to take. 

 

While reading Sherrow’s Enclopedia, she referenced Big Hair: A Journey Into the Transformation of Self, by Grant McCracken. Here was a cultural anthropologist’s examination of hair as a transformative part of women’s lives. This book was, in many ways, very dated (much has changed in the 25 years since it was written) and I also felt McCracken put too many personal opinions into his analysis (he also made a huge error referencing Star Trek movies, but that is irrelevant). Overall, I enjoyed reading about the roots surrounding hair color stereotypes in America and his breakdown of various popular hairstyles during the time in which the book was written. In these two aspects, not much has changed since 1995.

It was becoming clear to me that I would need to interview many people for this project but there simply was not enough time. More searches turned up new books. Me, My Hair, and I, Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession, edited by Elizabeth Benedict, was a great find. Here is a collection of stories from 27 women of various ethnic and economic backgrounds, each telling their own personal story about their hair. They are wonderful stories, each unique, and yet they share common threads. Another great find was Rapunzel’s Daughters, What Women’s Hair Tells Us About Women’s Lives, by Rose Weitz. On the dust jacket sleeve, it says “Hair . . . is one of the primary ways we declare our identity to others.” I could not have said it better. This book contains quotes and observations from interviews Weitz did while researching her book. In a way, Weitz was researching very much the same topic as I was. The last book I added was, Hair: Styling, Culture, and Fashion, edited by Geraldine Biddle-Perry and Sarah Cheang. This was a collection of academic papers by 16 other authors on a wide variety of hair related topics. Some of these topics had little to do with my project, and others like “Hair, Gender and Looking” were very useful.

Methodology

I conducted my research first online searching through Google and also Amazon for books. Most of my research was good old-fashioned reading books and highlighting passages (which is why I preferred buying the books to checking them out at the library). I also conducted an interview with a hairstylist, Kami, from Hair Architects in Tucson, AZ. As I would discuss this project with several of my peers, who all seemed surprised that I found a correlation between hair and communication, their first reactions were that I ought to spend time in a salon and at a cosmetology school conducting interviews for this project. I had already worked for a number of years as a hairstylist and attended cosmetology school too, so I knew first hand that salons and stylists were not going to be the right place to concentrate my research. However, interviewing a stylist was still useful to this project. The rest of my observations and research were conducted at home because of the COVID-19 lockdown. This was of some benefit to me because I was hard pressed to find an event to conduct participant observations and my research was not focused on a specific community.

Presentation of Data

“Across cultures, hair is one of the most powerful symbols of our individual and collective identities” (Biddle-Perry 97). As far back as we can reach in human evolution, we have sought to take control and gain mastery of our hair. Even apes can be observed in the wild engaged in grooming one another. When exactly we shifted from simple grooming to tying hair back, cutting it, and even developing braids is unknown. The Ice Age Venus sculptures which date back to 30,000 BCE show “evidence of deliberate hairstyling” (Sherrow, location 149). Over the course of history, as human culture developed, we have used our hair to attract or repel the opposite sex, to mourn a loved one, as a sign of status or religious affiliation within a community, to punish or control each other, to frighten enemies, to ward off evil and bring luck to oneself, to signal gender and sexuality, to gain respect, to rebel against society, to transform our appearance or act as a disguise, to experiment with our identity and self discovery, or simply to feel control and autonomy over our bodies. Leaders and celebrities have contributed to community ideals with their own hair and created hair styles that are iconic and quickly recognizable for their place in time or their identity (see Appendix I). Each time we use our hair to do any of this, we are communicating to others around us.

In our culture, women, more than men, express themselves through their hair. “A woman’s hair is often seen as an indicator of her morality, her social position, and her allure” (Mahawatte, 193). When preparing his book Big Hair, Grant McCracken observed that men cared very little for hair, “They have declared hair a trivial matter” (McCracken 6). (This is not always the case and McCracken likely refers specifically to straight cis-gendered men when he speaks about them, but as said earlier, his book is a bit out of date and at any rate this paper focuses on women). Among women, two aspects of hair are most important: length, and color.

First let’s talk about length. What does length communicate? “ . . . abundant hair is perceived as the essential visual marker of idealized femininity” (Biddle-Perry 99). A thing most cultures and many of the largest religious groups on the planet agree on is that women should have long hair, young women especially. McCracken calls this “voluptuous hair” in his book and says it is a look many women wear while they are young, but that by age thirty “the clock is ticking” (McCracken 134). Long hair is associated both with sexuality and innocence (McCracken 134, 136). Indeed, what better time to look “sexy” with long hair than when a woman is young and seeking a mate for the first time? When I asked Kami, a hairstylist, which hair style she thought was the most timeless and always “in-style,” she responded, “I would say longer hair with long layers is more of a classic timeless thing.” In reference to long hair style that he calls “voluptuous,” McCracken said, “No one has yet attempted to rehabilitate this look” (McCracken 143).

In contrast to long hair is short hair on a woman, often adopted by older women, either because it is expected of them or because they desire to be taken seriously and shown respect at a job. Weitz refers to the “power cut” in Chapter 5 (Weitz 113) of Rapunzel’s Daughter’s; McCracken calls it “Imperial Hair” (McCracken 144). Either way, the look is essentially the same. Think Hilary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, Barbra Bush, and Margaret Thatcher; all are mature women with leadership roles in their communities. Other women such as those in Madagascar and India are traditionally expected to shave their hair when they become widows, both to show mourning and to signal that they do not wish to remarry (Sherrow, locations 444, 4511). Shaving off a woman’s hair in modern Western cultures is associated with rebellion, punishment, and even illness all of which are regarded as shocking by mainstream society and nearly always elicit such a reaction from the rest of the community. (Recall the reaction to Jo March cutting off her hair in Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women.)

For a woman raised in a Hasidic Jewish community, like Deborah Feldman, shaved hair was first a ritual and a sign of commitment to her husband and to her God, but later she began to see it as a method of control. Long after she left her community she wore her hair long and down. A friend, not from her childhood community, remarked to her that she was hiding behind her hair. But for Feldman, her long loose hair was a symbol of her freedom from a controlling community she left behind (Feldman 153,154). Feldman’s is an example of how part of the message we send with our hair can only be understood by those who understand our cultural background. The message Feldman was sending was not the one her friend had received when she looked at her. In contrast, when a woman is expected by either a marriage partner, a religious group, or her family to keep her hair long, she will often cut off her hair to announce her freedom and independence if she leaves or comes of age (Weitz 108).

While a woman’s hair length is associated with age, marital status, and religion, hair color looks even deeper into a woman’s identity and is associated with her mindset or psyche. Prior to the 1950s, if a mature woman colored her hair, she was “considered foolishly vain” (Weitz 191). While the social acceptability of hair coloring has changed, and many women now color their hair to look younger, they often reach an age where they stop and are content to look their age and accept their role in the community as an elder woman.

Each natural (and unnatural) hair color is associated with a distinct set of sometimes conflicting personality traits. McCracken outlines 6 types of blondes in his book Big Hair, “Bombshell, Dangerous, Sunny, Brassy, Society, and Cool” (McCracken 63-90). Each of these types seems to be in direct opposition and contradiction to the other. A blonde can either be thought of as cheap looking, or high maintenance. She can be bubbly and friendly, or cool and calculating. It is all in what shades of blonde she uses and how she carries her self. “Blondness and beauty are synonymous in Western myth and fairytale” (Gibson 141). Many of the Celts were naturally blonde, but those who were not would lighten their hair color to achieve it. (Sherrow, location 1366). And yet, in Ancient Rome, it was required by law for a prostitutes to wear yellow or blonde hair wigs to signify their occupation and no respectable Roman woman would want to be a blonde (Gibson 142). 

 

Brunettes also have an array of stereotypes that in some ways oppose each other. A brunette can be thought of as mousy or boring, or earthy and exotic (McCracken 93). Regardless of how it is perceived, brown hair is typically the natural color for most people and is a color that is taken seriously. No one suspects you dye your hair if it’s brown. Where many women will use chemical means to become blonde or redhead, brunettes look natural, and therefore more down to earth, attainable, and dependable. “. . . blondes are the ones men like to date, brunettes are the ones men marry” (McCracken 96). 

 

And what of the redhead? Naturally red hair is the rarest color, and redheads have been the target of superstitions since ancient times. They were thought to be witches, to become vampires after death, and even that Judas Iscariot may have been a redhead. And yet it was a popular color in Italy and Greece, and in England after Elizabeth I became Queen (Sherrow, location 2509). Today redheads are regarded as stubborn, hyperactive, hyper sexual, hot tempered, and unpredictable. “We believe that redheads have special powers of character or, alternatively, no real powers of character at all.” (McCracken 101). More contradictions!

Many of our attitudes are passed on, generation to generation. “Because girls and women are judged by appearance, mothers want their daughters to look as attractive as possible” (Tannen 113). Women are taught that their value is attached to their appearance. Our mothers were taught by their mothers, and them by theirs, going back generations. Each mother fusses over her daughter’s appearance because it can be a reflection on her own parenting, on her own beauty, and because she wants to see her child succeed in life and be well liked and received by the community (Wetiz 80).

 

But not everyone wants to be received by their community. In some cases, as mentioned with hair cutting, we want to rebel and seek our identities, and we can do so with hair color, too. For much of our childhood, our parents make choices about hair for us. Slowly over time, a parent gives their child bodily autonomy. A parent’s decision to hand this autonomy over to their child often comes in waves, and it has become a sort of rite-of-passage for girls in America. One girl interviewed by Weitz “sculpted her appearance . . . to let other know how she felt about the world around her.” (Weitz 83). When we make dramatic changes to our appearance, for whatever reason, we are testing our community and also challenging them. We are telling them “maybe I am not who you think I am.”

When my own blonde hair began to grow darker in my mid-teens, my mother allowed me to start using hair color to maintain my “natural” blonde color, but as it grew back darker still (untouched by summer after summer in the sun) I began to wonder if it should be dyed brown instead. When I mentioned to my mother’s friend that I wanted to color my hair darker, she said “Oh you don’t want to do that, that’s something girls who have a reputation do, you’re not like that.” I did not understand her meaning. I did not know at the time that hair color in the United States was, until the 1960s, associated with women who were of low social class and loose morals and it has taken decades for it to become socially acceptable (McCracken 121). A natural blonde since I was a baby, coloring my hair darker meant, to them, the good girl was going bad and giving in to dangerous teenage angst. What it meant to me was accepting that I no longer had the blonde hair of my youth and I wanted to accept that I was growing up. Part of that meant testing out a new identity as a brunette. So two years later when my parents announced we were moving out of town, to a place where no one knew me, I seized the opportunity to go brown, getting up at the crack of dawn on moving day to color my hair to ensure that the first impressions of me in a new city were made as a brunette and not as a blonde.

Conclusion

Clearly when it comes to our hair, the interpretation is based on the background of the individual. You cannot be an exotic beauty with brown hair to someone who sees brunettes as "plain Janes". The choices each individual makes about their hair are also based on their background and their personal experiences. Where long loose hair for one woman is a symbol of her freedom, it is something she uses to hide under to another. It would be safe to say that when we make assumptions based on hair, we are judging a book by its cover without taking the time to even read the summary on the dust jacket. We wouldn’t attempt to assume what someone says in a language we don’t understand, we would seek an accurate translation. It is the same with hair. Each individual has their own unique language they are using when they communicate identity with their hair and we cannot know the meaning without a translation.

 Appendix I

Images 1-6: Beyonce, Bob Marley, Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, Charles Darwin. (Christoforou 52, 53, 72, 73, 64, 61)

Images 7-10: European woman c. 1680s, European woman c. 1770s, woman c. 1895, woman c. 1840s.

(Gorsline 92, 121, 172, 146)

Bibliography

Biddle-Perry, Gearldine. 2008. “Hair, Gender and Looking.” Hair: Styling, Culture and Fashion. ed. Geraldine Biddle-Perry and Sarah Cheang. Berg, Oxford, UK.

Christoforou, Christina. (2011). Whose Hair? Laurence King Publishing LTD

Feldman, Deborah. 2015. “The Cutoff.” Me, My Hair, And I, twenty seven women untangle an obsession. ed. Elizabeth Benedict. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Gibson, Pamela Church. 2008. “Concerning Blondness.” Hair: Styling, Culture and Fashion. ed. Geraldine Biddle-Perry and Sarah Cheang. Berg, Oxford, UK.

Gorsline, Douglas. 1951. What People Wore, A Visual History of Dress from Ancient Times to Twentieth-Century America. Bonanza Books, New York.

McCracken, Grant. 1996. Big Hair: A Journey Into the Transformation of Self. Overlook Books.

Sherrow, Victoria. 2006. Encyclopedia of Hair: a cultural history. Greenwood Press. Kindle Edition.

Stenn, Kurt. 2016. Hair: A Human Story. Pegasus Books.

Tannen, Deborah. 2015. “Why Mothers and Daughters Tangle over Hair.” Me, My Hair, And I, twenty seven women untangle an obsession. ed. Elizabeth Benedict. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Weitz, Rose. 2004. Rapunzel’s Daughters. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York.

Sewing The Child

I couldn't wait for official merchandise to have my hands on a snuggely little replica of The Child.  It was suggested I make more to sell, but first of all the fabric I used was scraps, and then the store was sold out of that green color. And then there were rumors that The Mouse was shutting down creatives selling patterns. No thank you.  But I will share how I made mine, FOR FREE, because who doesn't love a fully pose-able, dress-able little doll? (Which the first, rushed licensed offering is not)  I also felt inspired and wanted the challenge as I spent a few years making sock monkeys and I enjoy making stuffed animals.  I admit that the sculpted vinyl head is definitely cuter the I can do with fabric, but I still love how my little guy turned out

First you will need to go to Etsy and buy this pattern.  While I recommend paying for the tutorial booklet, you can get just the pattern for $5.  I think I would have been a bit lost without the tutorial. Its a PDF and very easy to download and print instantly.  If you want a larger doll, well . . .  you're on your own. This doll is definitely smaller then the puppet in the movie.  This doll has arm and leg joints, as well as knee joints and a moveable head!

I used less then a 1/4 yard of lime green minky fabric and a soft pastel green in the ears.  Minky is like a cross between velvet and fur. It has a longer, furrier pile then velvet, but is shorter then actual fur.  It does not fray and is very popular for children's plush toys and baby blankets.  I happened to have lots of scraps around the house from other projects.  I painted my knee joint beads as close as I could to the fabric color, I put them on bamboo skewers to easily paint them and then seal them.

I wish I could say what size safety eyes I used, but I ordered a multi-size kit off Amazon and choose the size I liked best and I am unsure of the diameter, they are dark brown eyes.  I also stitched on bits of scrap fabric as a nose, mouth, and to create shaping around the eyes, and eventually filled the mouth in with peach colored felt.  With trial and error I cut out the ear shapes to a size I like and I did not need to fill them with interfacing for them to hold themselves up with some stiffness. Minky is very forgiving because it is furry and hides stitches well, I basted most everything in place.  I brushed some cosmetic blush on the ears and cheeks to pink them up.  I also used a very small brush to brush dark green matte eye shadow into the facial crevices to create more depth.  I attempted to stitch the fabric into facial ridges on the forehead, but its is very hard to see in Photos.

Lastly I freehand crocheted a little robe, which I hope to recreate again and add to this blog with more details for the pattern.  After all, this little guy might want to change clothes once in a while.

So You Want To Join a Cosplay Group

So you've been enjoying cosplaying and now what? What should you do next? If you enjoy volunteering and being involved in the community you probably have been looking at your local cosplay groups and thinking about joining. So, is joining a cosplay group right for you? How do you even choose a group to join?

Sure, joining a group and having more opportunities to dress up between Comic Cons looks fun but, one of the first things to consider when deciding to join a volunteer cosplay group is, do you like kids?  How do you do around children who have developmental disabilities? If you enjoy being around your friend's kids, or a niece or nephew, then chances are you will enjoy being in a cosplay group that goes to children's events.  If being around kids and having to be nice to them sounds overwhelming, or you think you lack the patience especially needed for children (or even adults) with special needs, then chances are it's not a good fit for you.

If you have determined that a community focused group is not right for you, don't abandon the idea of joining a group. There are groups out there that are more for enthusiasts and do not do very many community events. These group usually have very loose standards for joining. They can be helpful in creating genre specific costumes and they like to focus more on the fandom they represent. They will often meet together to build props or "talk shop" and can be just as much fun as a community focused group. This blog however, focuses primarily on community focused groups.
 

You also need to consider what characters you are most interested in cosplaying. The best characters to cosplay with volunteer groups are ones that kids know and love, which means ones that are current in the media.  Cosplaying a character that children are not familiar with can make doing events a lot less fun.  Kids know who Spiderman is, but they have probably never heard of Dick Tracy, and I can personally attest to the fact that they don't know who Rogue from X-Men is.

Another thing to ask yourself is: how open to critiques of your costume are you? Most members of volunteer groups pride themselves in making their own costumes and putting a lot of time and effort and money into having them as accurate as possible.  Store bought costumes are sometimes ok as the quality of Halloween costumes has improved greatly in the last few years. But most groups will prefer that your ensemble to look as much like the real deal as possible and not like something anyone can pick up at Party City.  Even custom made items that have won awards might not be screen accurate. Think about it like how the Santa Claus that is actually an older man with a real beard is going to be the most believable to children. Even if you purchase your costume it might be necessary to make alterations to it. That being said, you will likely get asked to submit photos of it for approval upon applying. There will be judges reviewing your photos and they will likely ask you to change one or two things. If that is something that might rub you the wrong way or hurt your feelings, or you are a person inclined to argue with the judges, a costume group might not be a good fit. Remember, your attitude towards the judges and the group in this situation gives the group members and leaders an idea of what your personal character is like and how well you will fit into the group.

Being asked to make alterations is not a "no you cant join us," its simply asking you to work a little harder and your costume making will always improve if you are open to meeting the group's standards. Don't panic! You are likely to find support from members in making changes and they will send you pictures and links of what they expect and even places to purchase supplies.  While it can be frustrating to be asked to alter a costume when you've worked hard making it (and maybe spent lots of money doing it), the judges are usually very experienced costume makers who only want to help you improve as a cosplayer and look your best. (I have seen a member of a Star Wars group make 9 different version of the same garment until they were approved! And with zero complaints about it. That is someone who cares.) You are representing the group as a member and the judges have more experience both representing the group and interacting with the public (especially children), and want you to succeed at events with the rest of the group.  They also want your costume look as carefully crafted as the rest of the group, which can always be a challenge for a newcomer.  You are also going to be more open to public scrutiny of how nice you look when your photos end up all over social media and possibly even the public news, these groups do not want any members be spoken ill of in these public forums.

If you are open to making improvements to your costumes and want to always improve as a cosplayer, then a cosplay group is a great fit. Getting honest feedback about what works, what doesn't work, and what could be better will only help give you a standard to work towards and enable you to get better as a cosplayer.  Costume groups need and want members who take pride in their costumes and are always wanting to improve them because it helps the group to overall have an impeccable appearance.  Groups who are known for their high standards get invited to some of the best events in the area you live in.

You will find that the level of costume quality varies from group to group. Groups with lower standards can be a good place to start for a newer cosplayer. But if you plan to improve and get better and better with each costume you make, you will find that these groups will not challenge your skills. They will always approve a costume regardless of quality and you will never get feedback about where you could improve it. If you are a more sensitive person in regards to constructive criticism, that type of group would be the right fit.

Lastly, do you want to join a group because you want to be able to bring joy to people at community events and dress up between Conventions, or because the group gets free passes to the local Con? Sadly there are more people joining groups and only volunteering to help out at large Comic Con type events and get that free pass, but they don't sign up to represent the group at smaller events in between those Conventions.  The smaller events is what the group is really about and wanting to attend those should be at the top of your list.  Personally, growing up as a kid, my family couldn't afford to go to Disneyland.  I didn't get to go and meet any characters until I was 12 and it was less magical then if I had been 6 or 7.  Knowing that I can bring that experience to kids in my area who might be in a similar situation makes me really happy.  And if those kids can't afford Disneyland, chances are their family might not be able to take them to a Comic Convention either.  That is another reason the small local events and hospital visits are so important.

So you enjoy being around children, you are open to making changes to your costumes to improve them, and you love the idea of going to small charitable events. But there are so many groups out there to choose from. How do you pick? I personally have been in five different groups (and have left two). If you are new to your local cosplay community it can be overwhelming to find a place you can fit into.

If you are apprehensive and want the opportunity to get a feel for the local community in general it's always a good idea to join a cosplay community page on Facebook.  I am in like six or seven of these groups myself and started out interacting on community pages before I ever joined any groups. You will likely encounter members of local groups in these forums and get a feel for what the members are like.  You can also get feedback about your costumes and get crafting tips before ever submitting them to group judges.  Or if you have submitted a costume and were asked to change something you can also get tips for making the changes. I have found these groups to be invaluable to me as I have worked on several of my costumes.

The best way to ultimately pick a group is to ask yourself: what/who do you like to cosplay???  Are you into Marvel or DC? Do you prefer Comics or maybe Disney? Scifi and TV shows? Anime maybe? Or maybe video games are your thing. Chances are there is a group for that.  In fact there are even four different official groups just for Star Wars on an International scale.  The best way to find these groups is to check them out at a local Comic Con event.  Then follow up with a Google or Facebook search.

Alright, you have settled on a local costuming group you feel is right for you, but you are still not sure. Here is a list of questions to ask yourself when you look at a cosplay group you might like to join:

- What is the leadership like? Who are the leaders? How long have they been cosplaying? How many costumes have they made? (Self-made costumes go a long way in speaking to experience vs always buying high end stuff) How long have they been in the group? If the group is several years old, and they have always been the sole leader, that is not always a good sign, especially if the non leadership members constantly change. Just like in a retail setting, constantly getting new "employees" is the sign of a management problem. If leaders never change but the rest of the members do, it might be best to avoid that group.  Sure, some members are constant in a group with that type of leadership model, but if those are people who are close socially with the leader then there is a clique within the group.  You are joining to have fun, not be in a cult or revisit high school.  Just know that newer groups have not had a chance to evolve in this way and you should use your best judgment.  Newer groups are still taking shape and figuring out their rules as they encounter new problems.

There are groups that regularly vote in new leaders. Groups that vote this way are usually a safe choice because at least if you object to someone being in a leadership position your voice will be heard if you speak about your concerns. And being that it's all volunteer work and people get busy with jobs and life, it is nice for leaders to step down for a break sometimes. It also helps when the leadership and costuming judges are always comprised of the most experienced members.  

-What sort of characters are in the group already and what can you bring to the group? Let's be honest. If you cosplay Wonder Woman and there are 5 active members in the group who also cosplay Wonder Woman, and you have no plans to cosplay any other character in the near future, you're not bringing anything to the group and you may find you won't get to suit up very often. 

I was recruited to a group that had like 6 members with Harley Quinn costumes and every Con I went to they were all there in the booth at the same time. I put off joining until saw firsthand that in my particular area none of those members bothered going to smaller community events as that character, which is really only where I wanted to wear my costume. Only then did I feel comfortable joining. It's not a big deal to have multiple characters at big events but at something like "Superhero Night at the Zoo" it can be awkward.  Children will be quick to notice multiple characters and quick to pick out differences, they might even decide that you are not the "real" character since they just met the "real" one.

Many groups (or event organizers) will specifically request that there only be one of a certain character at an event. For example, its ok to have a bunch of Stormtroopers but there can be only one Darth Vader.  However the busier the group is, if there are multiple events in a day, it can be a good thing to have 5 different Wonder Women if they are all willing and able to go to separate events.  Or for especially long events, characters can trade off short shifts; it is hard to wear some costumes for long hours.

-Does the group allow you to join other groups? This (and a few of my other questions) is something you might have to specifically ask a member. But always try to carefully read through a group's rules if they are posted publicly. And don't be afraid to ask the group leaders these questions. If you are discouraged from asking questions like these, that can indicate a poor leadership issue.  You may also find that a group says membership to other groups is ok, but when you bring it up group leaders make various comments about those other groups that are negative and discouraging. This indicates that while they have it in the rules as being allowed, the leadership personally feels threatened by members being in multiple groups. Groups with two-faced leaders could become problematic for you later on.

Most groups allow membership to multiple groups. Maybe you like being Batman and Starlord but have to join two separate groups for the opportunity.  Most of these groups go to the same events and you will find yourself dividing up your time among them. You should also be realistic about how much time you can commit to a group, especially your weekend and holiday time as that is when most events are.  You will often find that when several cosplayers are memebers of multiple groups, those groups have better working relationships with each other and there are no rivalries or animosity between them.

-Does the group place restrictions on how you use your costumes?  Earning money in an approved costume for a character appearance is specifically forbidden in the Star Wars groups and this is because the group has licensing permission to portray the characters publicly with the understanding that they don't earn money in their approved costumes. (The loophole being that if you have a duplicate costume that wasn't approved you can do as you please with it). So if some of your plans including working private parties in the costume as a face character and it goes against the groups rules, the group might not be a good fit.

What sort of reputation does the group, and especially its leaders have? This is probably the hardest  question to answer.  It can be hard to get an accurate answer because if you ask group members they will always feed you positive information and not have anything negative to say.  If you ask people who have left the group why they left, you might be concerned that anything negative they say could be an exaggeration based on hurt feelings, but there are also always people who just stop cosplaying and drift away from the scene altogether.  Since you will always get biased information, the best thing to do is to ask both active members, and those who have left (if you can find them), what the group and its leaders are like and draw your own conclusions.  You might even ask a trusted friend who has been around the local cosplay community longer then you have what they think of the local groups.

Something to watch out for is the possibility of subtle sexism within a group.  Look to who runs the groups, and who has run the group in the past, to get an idea.  Groups that historically favor men in leadership roles and have few to no women in any Administrative roles (and especially if a group leader gives leadership privileges to whomever they are dating), can all be signs of there being a potential underlying sexist atmosphere.  Keeping in mind that some groups, like Princess groups, cannot always have a balance in this area because those groups specifically attract female cosplayers.  Groups that strive to democratically maintain a balance in this area are to be commended.

I hope this blog provided some helpful insights and given you some things to think about when choosing to join a costuming group.  Happy Cosplaying!

Sewing Sub-dye Spandex Suits

When I first started sewing printed spandex suits, or "subdyes" two years ago, all I had to go off of as a guide was one simple graphic. 

Along the way I made a lot of mistakes and eventually found a process that works for me. So I'm putting it into what I hope is a detailed guide so that the next person, whoever you are, can have an easier sewing experience.

First you want to use a strong poly thread and a machine with a stretch stitch. I recommend creating a double seam, just in case something pops open during wear. But if you use a good thread with the stretch stitch, that shouldn't happen.

It all starts with the "butt seam". Don't sew up the leg inseam until you sew that butt seam, this prevents ugly bunching of the fabric in the crotch area and if you are sewing a male suit this makes putting a zipper into the inseam for ease of toileting easier.

After the butt seam, you should be able to sew the leg inseams from one toe all the way up then down to the next toe.

After this you can attach the back pieces to the tops of the bottom portion in the back.

Next, sew up the side seams and attach the shoulder pieces (if you are doing a mask you should have it done, I don't sew suits with masks).  The curvier part of the shoulder pieces attaches to the back and the straighter edge attaches to the front.

After that you will have your arm opening ready to attach the sleeves. This is also when you would add 7" zippers to the sleeves

After the sleeves are attached, put in your back zipper.  Every suit I have sewn has used a 22" hidden zipper.  I use the back waist seam to tack down the end of the zipper.  For more info on sewing hidden zippers into stretch fabrics, check out this video, it was by far the most helpful one I've seen,

Once the sleeves are on, you can begin the gloves.  The gloves are the most generously sized part of the costume and have the biggest seam allowance. Sew the thumb pieces to the palms, then pin the palms to the back.  

If you have a sold colored suit with no stitch lines, place a  hand on the wrong side of the palm and mark or trace your hand to make a guide. You can go bigger and resize them smaller. The 4 way stretch makes godets unnecessary.  Sew the fingers and DO NOT cut them apart, slip the opposite hand inside and see how it fits and adjust it if you need to.  Once you like the fit you can cut them apart and trim the excess off. 

Next attach the other half of the thumbs to the back of the glove and them you can sew the inside seam on the thumb and connect it to the index finger. Put your hand in and mark this area if the seam is deep enough and adjust as needed. 

Now you are ready to close off the sleeves at the wrists, there is usually some extra fabric here or there, and some last adjustments on the fit. 

If your suit is maskless, then now is the time to create the neck hem and adjust the fit if it needs to be tighter and more fitted.

And you're done!  The suit is ready to wear. It's ready to install shoes in or paint.

My Video for adding Shoes to a suit on Tiktok

My First Snow White Costume

So I went to my first Comic Con- The Phoenix ComicCon (2014).  I've always wanted to go to a Con but stuff keeps coming up and happening and I do this thing several days a week called "work" and it can interfere.  I only went Saturday because the husband "wasn't sure" back in December that we'd be able to make it and made me wait to buy the tickets (Hey, guess what? Our Saturday passes bought in June 2014 cost as much as four day passes did in December 2013 so we saved $0 by waiting!  Never again!)

I went as Snow White.  Of course I had to go in costume.  I already had a Snow White costume planned because I work part time as a face painter and there had been past requests for a Disney Princess painter.  And seeing as how of all the princesses I probably look the most like Snow.  Also, I already had this red bow headband . . .

I wanted to put a spin on my costume and do a 1950's style dress (I'm not sure everyone got that at the Con though)  I choose vintage Simplicity 3780.  Puffy sleeves, sweetheart neckline, full skirt- everything you need in a princess dress!

I also took loads of step by step pictures of how I did the red tear drop inserts on the sleeves.  On my cell phone.  Which I dropped while working at the Pima County Fair- and was subsequently stolen (if you don't turn a found cell phone in to Lost And Found, or leave it where it lies- you're stealing!).

I'd like point out that this dress has a very unusual sleeve design that requires the use of gussets under the arms.  Several people said for continuities sake I use the baby blue satin.  I went with the dark blue bodice velvet because it's stretchy (more arm mobility) and also, sweaty under arms (unavoidable in Phoenix in June) are more obvious on pastel satin and less so on dark velvet.

I had to re-work the neck line THREE times.  The first time I was lazy and didn't use a stiff facing along the neck line but attempted to attach the trim (as seen on the grey dress) in yellow left over from the skirt.  The second time I used a flimsy facing cut from the velvet.  My used pattern actually had a facing cut from a stiff felt-like material tucked inside that the previous owner had cut- so I used it to line the neck, then added the velvet facing.  So the neckline finally kept its shape!  And finally, because after extensive research of other Snow White costumes I found on Google, I put white eyelet around the neck instead of the big stand-up collar.  And I pleated one of the sleeves the wrong direction, but I really don't think anyone noticed.

I'm not to thrilled with the skirt.  It was meant to be a three panel pleated thing and I was working with a pattern that was about 3 sizes too small.  I had cut the bodice larger but because of the stretch in the velvet- I had to take it all back in (you can use a pattern that is a bit too small if you use stretch material!)  The yellow glitter satin on the skirt was not stretchy.  I cut all three pieces bigger and had plenty to work with on the skirt, but I really think it would have looked better if I'd cut 4 pieces in the original size because I have seams in weird, off places and seams should line up nice with other seams, it just looks better.  Also I got a little food on the skirt at lunch and a water mark from leaning over the bathroom counter at the Con and I'm pretty sure that it has to be dry cleaned or all the glitter will wash off.  And finally when you have a dark blue bodice and a pale yellow skirt- what color zipper do you use?  I went with dark blue (because I had one and didn't have to run back to the store).  I can't sew the hidden zippers.  Snaps would have been another option but the fit was snug and snaps can pop open.  Also, I should have cut the sleeves much bigger, I have "fat" arms and they're a pretty tight fit.

My petticoat I ordered directly from Malco Modes.  Amazon is cheaper, but I couldn't order until the week before the Con and all the places on Amazon say that it takes 17-28 days just to ship and I couldn't wait that long.  Malco had the best price (even with a 2 day shipping splurge I spent less then the local costume shops charge!), they had the lace trimmed, soft nylon type I wanted and I could pick the right length.  Which happened to be the 26" Petites "Tea Length".  I'm not very short but my skirt was just over 26" and everything else was either too long or too short.  They have a great color selection too.  The shipping invoices they sent were confusing and the item arrives a day later then expected- but it was still quick shipping!  Ultimately, the petticoat was the most expensive part, it cost more then the fabric I used on the dress.

And finally, I made a necklace.  I got the pendant at Hobby Lobby and added "S" and "W" charms.  Coincidentally- my actual initials are "SW"

So, how was the Con?  Crowded, overwhelming, and really fun!  I got up at 5am so we could leave early and be in Phoenix by 8am, but our ride slept in.  Then we decided to go get breakfast.  Then my husband knocked a baby bird out of a tree and I wouldn't leave until (true to Snow White character) they found a tall enough ladder to put the bird back in its nest.  So we were pretty late leaving.

I forgot my pain meds and spent most of the day reeling from pain in my left shoulder and hip, and I'm sorry to say I think it shows in the pictures.  I'm not smile-y enough.  Never leave the meds at home!  (SMH)  My false eye lashes started to come loose and had to be removed halfway though the day because I put them on so early- so that won't be happening again.  The headband started to pinch after a few hours so I think I need to find a new sort of red bow.  I also attempted to wear what I though was a "low" heel and didn't make it past the building where you pick up badges before I switched to my ugly flats- so I was stuck hauling heels around in my tote all day.  I really need to get a good pair of flats for this costume next year.

I had lots of people ask for photos so I think my costume was a success.  My camera is not working very well so I didn't take any myself.  One little girl named Gracie in a Cinderella dress chased after me twice for photos and she was the cutest thing ever!  Another woman told me Snow White is her favorite!  The only picture I've managed to find was posted to Tumblr by Dani.  So she's my favorite person from the Con for using social media and just being really sweet in general.  My "annoyed" face is purely me trying to smile even though I'm hurting, I really did like taking pictures with people! I really did have fun!  We went to the Bruce Campbell panel (my husbands favorite actor ever) and waited in line for the Nathan Fillion panel, but we were idiots and didn't get the hand stamp when we left Bruce's panel and everyone that went to the panel before Nathan's (the panel after Bruce) was actually camped out to see him and didn't leave so there was no room for the rest of us (and it was a HUGE line).  We should have camped out too.  But the best part was my husband saying that we will do all four days and get a hotel next year!