Crossplaying, your opinion, and should I do it?

[FamilyTeam]

"Crossplay, a portmanteau of crossdressing and cosplay, is cosplay in which the person dresses up as a character of a different gender."

We have all seen cosplayers. Like them or not, they're everywhere. Odds are, some of you reading this thread are cosplayers yourselves.

But then, crossplayers. People who, instead of dressing up as a character of their gender, they crossdress as someone from the other gender.

What do you think of this? Is this actually alright? Does it look good, and in case it doesn't, is it just a waste of time? Do you think this says anything about someone's personality, gender identification, sexuality, etc.?

The reason I suddenly decided to talk about this, and why I put this in the debate hall is because, and get ready, it's storytime:

Ever since I started playing Smash 4, Lucina has been my favourite newcomer, and one of my favourite characters period. I slowly warmed up to her, but now I can't deny she's basically my Smash waifu.
Probably about two months ago, I was talking to my best friend about the possibility of him cosplaying as his favourite Smash character Marth, which I'm sure some of you must've heard of him. I joked to him about how it would be cool if I cosplayed as Lucina alongside him, despite me being a male. Suddenly, a thought crosses my mind:
I already have some experience with cosplaying, and I've actually had interest of crossplaying in the past, so why not do it?

Ever since that day, I've been very seriously considering to crossplay as Lucina, but I've been coming across a lot of barriers. First off, I don't actually have a whole lot of support with this. Most of my friends that know about this are indifferent towards it, but both one of my Skype friends and my best friend himself have disencouraged me of doing it. Second... only one of my parents knows and can know about this. My mother doesn't seem to mind it, but my father, in case he finds out, won't take this too kindly. This sort of ties into another issue: Some people don't exactly take this sort of thing too well. Although I'm not socially awkward, sometimes I do fear what somebody would do to me if they saw me crossdressing.
And lastly, and arguably most importantly, prices!
Prices, prices, capitalism! It hurts, doesn't it?
From the start, I knew this wasn't gonna be cheap, but since the dollar's value is increasing every day and my currency's value only decreases (and it's pretty freaking low right now), this, alongside the other two things I just mentioned, make this little project of mine all the more unfeasable. Even if I got the cheapest cosplay, I'd probably still would end up having to pay 130 dollars for it thanks to shippings and customs, and my father would probably mince me if he ever found out.

This situation, these barriers, this prejudice is what made me think of all of this. So, what do you guys think of crossplaying? What do you think I should do?

 

[Rosten]

I don't particularly think there's anything wrong with crossplaying, or why it needs a completely different word to begin with. It's just cosplaying as someone as a different gender than you. I honestly don't see what the big deal is with the whole gender thing. I mean, I guess you might look a little weird if you don't look feminine/masculine enough to pull off the character. But other than that, I've got no idea why anyone would get their metaphorical panties in a twist about it.

 

[FamilyTeam]

That's the thing: In an ideal world, nobody would think any differently of crossplayers, but yeah, that doesn't happen. Sadly, some people think it's weird, immoral or whatever to dress up like someone from another gender even if it is for fun and if there are no second intentions.
Both of my friends who disecouraged me said I'd look bad/horrible dressed up as a girl (even though I've seen a crapton of crossplays where you basically can't tell that the person wearing it is a guy) and my dad... is homophobic. I'm not homosexual, I'm not even bisexual, but if I dressed up as a girl, he'd ignore all that and jump straight to that conclusion and my life would be hell. It's really sad.

 

[Rosten]

Whether or not you look good is more of a matter of how much work you can put into the cosplay itself, you're not going to look inherently worse because you're cosplaying a different gender, although it may be a little harder to play the part, so-to-speak, depending on how inherently masculine and/or feminine you physically are.

I think it's a real shame that you have a homophobic family-member, not really much to do about that sort of thing, if your dad finds out, and is mad, well. Excuse my attitude, but that's his problem, not yours. Although, to be honest, just to be safe, if you're living with your parents, I would warn against going through with this, as unfortunate as it is, cosplay isn't worth harming your relationship with someone you live so closely with.

 

[FamilyTeam]

I mean, even if I were to do this, I could probably try to fool him into thinking that Lucina is a man (She disguises herself as a man for a very good bit of Awakening, so maybe it could work) and he wouldn't think twice about it. Still risky, but still has a chance to work, it's not like he'd double-check it.

 

[Wintropy]

Biased but honest response: yes, absolutely. If you have an interest in it and don't mind buying or making the costume, I definitely think it's a worthwhile endeavour.

I have been attending cosplay conventions since 2012 and have won several awards for my costumes, and I have on more than one occasion "crossplayed" (I use the term advisedly, since I do not identify with either binary gender and therefore do not feel the term is necessarily appropriate; but yes, I have cosplay as characters that are of the opposite biological sex to me). Cosplaying is a wonderful hobby that has helped hone both my creative and dramatic skills (I've entered a few cosplay skits and masquerades, so it helps to be able to act in character), and I have made many good friends because of it. I'd definitely encourage you to get involved if you think it's something you have an interest in.

As for your concerns with cosplaying a character of the opposite sex: honestly, I wouldn't be worried about it. In my experience, the overwhelming majority of cosplayers are very nice, humble and open-minded people that will not judge you for your choice of costume. What you have to bear in mind is that cosplay is, at least in this part of the world, a fringe hobby; to be blunt, we're all kind of weird for doing it. But we're being weird together, and that's the beauty of it. Most of the cosplayers I know tend to be very shy or introverted people, or have experience with being a social minority (I'm friends with a lot of transgender folk in the cosplay community, for example): the last thing they want to do is to make others that share their hobby feel self-conscious or insecure. Cosplay allows them to be who they want to be, however temporarily, and in this way it's a great method of expression for them. It doesn't matter if you're a boy dressed as a girl, a girl dressed as a boy or a middle-aged man dressed as a Japanese kaiju, you're welcome to express yourself in whatever way you want to. Trust me when I say that crossplay is no more or less abnormal than anything else you'd see in the cosplay community.

Now, the tricky bit here is getting the costume in the first place. If you don't know how to use a sewing machine or have access to somebody who does know, then the easiest thing to do is to buy the costume online - but, as you say, they tend to be very expensive and honestly not of a very high quality. If you have the option of making it yourself, or even paying somebody to make it for you, then I'd advise you to do that: it tends to work out cheaper and your costume will be of a much higher standard than a store-bought one. Plus it feels great to know somebody made it individually, just for you! Either way, it's your choice, and I'd say go with whatever option is more affordable and convenient. The important thing is that you have fun doing it!

 

[FamilyTeam]

Eh, as I said before (you were probably writing while the other replies were posted), the issue with me crossplaying isn't so much the cosplayers around me (although it is something I consider despite me being fully aware cosplayers have the tendency to be more open minded) but more internal problems, specifically my father.

Again, it's not like it'd take me more than 5 minutes to convince my father that Lucina is a man (it'd be especially easy if I showed pictures of her still with the short hair and mask) to just avoid having to hide this project from him, but I dunno, I always get the feeling he might some day find out. Sure, he won't be able to stop it after it's done, but I'm scared as to what he'd do. He's far from being mentally stable. His anger problems actually nearly killed him almost a year ago.
But I also feel like I shouldn't stop this just to please his prejudiced beliefs. I know very well who I am, I'm mature enough to know that dressing up as a manly cartoon woman isn't gonna make me one out of nowhere, and at his age, yeah, he should also be mature enough to understand it.

And about the part of getting the cosplay itself... sigh...
Yeah, that might actually be the biggest barrier. I already stated in the OP that if I bought the cheapest cosplay I found, it'd still cost me about 130 dollars. Two years ago, I wouldn't hesitate to pay that for anything, really. But nowadays... 130 bucks is a bit too much, thanks to how massively expensive a dollar is, now. I'll admit I didn't consider actually paying somebody to make me one, I'll probably look into that next year, but thanks to how things are, now, I don't know just how much cheaper that would be. Common sense tells you that it shouldn't be that expensive (I'd probably pay up to, like 80-90 dollars max for it), but since every single day of my life, I see everyone throwing common sense out the window, seeing someone not try to rob me off my money would be a genuine surprise.

Thanks for your suggestion, Wintropy , or as I call you, guy with the Sakuya avatar.

 

[Kritzkrieg]

I always say:

Do what you want, its your money/life

I can see where you are coming from with the opposite gender problems and your father. It will be impossible to convince him because of generational differences. If the bigger problem is him being uncomfortable, then hide it, and go ahead. If the bigger problem is you being uncomfortable, I wouldn't recommend it. Most of the times its better for people to judge you than judging yourself.

About the actual costume, It is up to you. Don't shy away from buying it if your attempt fails and/or is too risky. If you do choose to buy it, remember, anything can be found on the internet

 

[Cheerilee]

Save your bigoted father from having a heart attack and go crossplaying when you get enough privacy to do it on your own.

 

[FamilyTeam]

If the bigger problem is you being uncomfortable, I wouldn't recommend it. Most of the times its better for people to judge you than judging yourself.

Nah, I'm perfectly fine with this. Getting the costume and making sure my dad doesn't discover it/thinks Lucina is a man are the barriers, right now.

 

[Quarium]

Seen a ****ton of girls cosplaying as male characters so~

 

[FamilyTeam]

Seen a ****ton of girls cosplaying as male characters so~

And I also see far more girls cosplaying as males. This seems like one of those cases where "It's fine when girls do it." That's why doing this is being such a delicate process, to me.

 

[Quarium]

And I also see far more girls cosplaying as males. This seems like one of those cases where "It's fine when girls do it." That's why doing this is being such a delicate process, to me.

That's my point, it is only fair for you to be able to do it as well without problems arising. Wether it looks good or not is on you to judge, but no one can tell you what to do with your goddang life and I bet no one will freaking chastise you in public for it.

 

[FamilyTeam]

I know I probably wouldn't be judged for it if I used it in an anime con.
And yeah, it should be fair, but life is not fair.

 

[Cheerilee]

Life is not fair for anyone, that's what makes it fair. Give your father a break, do the crossplay when you're moved out of the house and at an event where you know you won't trigger his mental instability and cause him to have another near death experience. Yes he's bigoted, yes you're liberal. So sad. So depressing. If you want him dead then by all means go ahead and do it.

 

[FamilyTeam]

Yeah... It's sad.
I'll have to make up my mind before I make the investment of buying the cosplay.
I wish I could have one long, calm talk to him about this whole thing without risking him having a childish rage fit and ending up in a coffin. That sort of bigoted behaviour benefits absolutely nobody.

 

[Flonominal]

I'm gonna be straight up honest with you, I think crossplaying is weird. However, we are all humans. We all have something "weird" etched into us and we all do things that can be seen as "weird". So, crossplay if it makes you happy, we all have limited time on this Earth so why should we worry about what others think? People spend wayy too much time thinking about what others will think and not really enjoying ourselves. So, just do it. If you know you will enjoy it, then go for it. And if your dad really minds you doing it, then just tell him what I am saying rn. Good luck with it and have fun :]

*Edit: I am in no way trying to diss you or anyone who crossplays, cosplays, etc. Please don't take this as a diss, it's just my thoughts.

 

[AZ_Spellbound]

I fully support crossplay. I have crossplayed a lot and basically am a full time croasdresser

 

[FamilyTeam]

I fully support crossplay. I have crossplayed a lot and basically am a full time croasdresser

Thanks for the reply! (Even if it's a tad late)
I've decided I'll risk doing it, and I even bought the cosplay already (I'm just waiting for it to arrive). I might post photos of it here when it's complete!

 

[AZ_Spellbound]

Very cool. I think you should be alright in terms of you appearance. Lucina isn't exactly Peach or Zelda, its not like you are wearing a big dress or anything. Did you get a wig too?

 

[FamilyTeam]

Very cool. I think you should be alright in terms of you appearance. Lucina isn't exactly Peach or Zelda, its not like you are wearing a big dress or anything. Did you get a wig too?

Ah, yes! I made a list of everything I need and everything I already have:

• Crown/Tiara;
• Blue wig ✓;
• Shoulder pads (Ordered);
• Cape ✓;
• That red ribbon on her cape;
• Blue gloves ✓;
• Belts;
• Dress (Ordered);
• Blue long-sleeved shirt ✓;
• Sheath;
• Falchion;
• Blue pants ✓;
• Shin pads (Ordered);
• Boots ✓;

So, basically, right now, I don't have the tiara, the shoulder pads, the red ribbon, the belts, the dress, the sheath and sword and the shin pads.
If you don't count the things I ordered and haven't arrived yet, I only don't have the tiara, the ribbon, the belts, and the sheath and sword. I don't plan on getting the mask or contact lens. Those parts I ordered will probably arrive later this month or in May. The ribbon and the belts are probably really easy, but I have no idea what I'll do about the things related to the sword and the tiara. 90% of the budget I had went to the parts I ordered (you might've noticed they were all things I definitely couldn't buy or make myself).

 

[AZ_Spellbound]

Ahh i see, well it sounds like you going in to right direction. Lucina would be a super fun cosplay. When is the con?

 

[FamilyTeam]

Early July. It's not exactly soon, but it's not like it's that far away either. I'm trying to get everything done ASAP.

 

[AZ_Spellbound]

Anime Expo?

 

[FamilyTeam]

No. I'm not from the States. It's an anime convention from São Paulo. It's really big (probably not as big as that one) so there'd probably be people noticing me, there.

 

[AZ_Spellbound]

I see, well have fun

 

[Dutch Kirby]

Well, if people can't accept that you want to cosplay a female character, f*ck them. That shows they have some problems, not you. Crossplaying doesn't make you gay/bi/trans/whatever. And even if it would, there isn't anything wrong with that.

Of course I can't force your dad and friends to accept it, but if your friends would seriously ditch you for doing this, they aren't real friends.

If you really want to do this cosplay and manage to get enough money, by all means, go for it.

 

[FamilyTeam]

Of course I can't force your dad and friends to accept it, but if your friends would seriously ditch you for doing this, they aren't real friends.

By this point, all of my friends are okay with this, but my dad isn't and won't ever be. I can just find ways around that.

 

[comics]

I've grown up in a traditional family and it is out of my realm of understanding.
Just don't be surprised if people think you are strange or identify as a woman outside of cosplaying, too.
That's just life, though. You have your right to do whatever you want, and there will be people who understand where you are coming from no matter what you do in life.

 

[Tino]

There is nothing wrong with cosplaying really, especially if you like to dress up in a costume based on a female character.

Hell, I'm a guy and would dress up as Rosalina if I want to.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

By this point, all of my friends are okay with this, but my dad isn't and won't ever be. I can just find ways around that.

VERY late, I know, but Lucina disguises herself as Marth and manages to convince the main cast she's male. If your dad's being a **** about it, say "I'm dressing as a character called Marth"