If you cosplay, you have probably had a wardrobe malfunction at one time or another. A piece falls off, rips, gets stained or an overzealous fan decides to grab hold of something that is delicate and your hours of hard work crumbles before your eyes.

I have seen that many cons are now hosting “repair” stations. At laster year’s WonderCon,  SyFy’s “Cosplay Melee” hosted a rather neat service that featured pretty much anything you needed for a quick fix. However, not all cons you attend  will have costume doctors at your disposal. You will have to take matters into your own hands.

A few items I keep on hand:

Glue of all types. Hot glue is great but doesn’t do well in the sun. E6000 or other adhesives do fine in the heat but take a long time to dry. I have even used eyelash glue when nothing else was available. So try and gauge which one will work best for you in a pinch.

Fashion tape. Yes ladies and gentleman, you’ll learn that this will become your best friend. From containing excessive cleavage to fastening headpieces to bald heads or keeping those gloves on your upper arms, fashion tape is your sticky solution.

I don’t know about you but I hate it when my face falls off. I avoid the embarrassment by packing extra makeup items in case a prosthetic decides to make an early exit. There is no need to lug a huge makeup case around the convention. Only bring a small amount of makeup for touch ups in a small bag. Bonus points if the bag compliments your costume!

Duct tape. If duct tape can’t fix it, you are not using enough. Props, costumes, mouths…duct tape is magic and is a cosplayers saving grace in times of desperation (or inspiration)

Pins of every variety: bobby pins, safety pins, hair pins, straight pins. The one time you forget to include these in your emergency kit is the one time that you’ll need them.

Band aids/insoles/sunscreen-while these items aren’t necessarily what you need to “fix” costume mishaps, they are important to survival during a long day at the con. In between posing for pictures take some time for self care. Insoles have saved my feet on day one so that I am not miserable for day two and three. And sunscreen, remember that even when it is overcast you can still get a sunburn. Not only is it dangerous but it can make the following days of your con super miserable. Nobody wants that!!!!

Happy Cosplaying and may all your costumes hold together!

About the Author

Erin Jefferson-Foley (Mommy Fearest) is terrified of scary movies, gore and zombies. But she loves all things Halloween and Haunt related! Slowly but surely she has been dipping her toes into the realm of horror movies with great results. Pretty soon she will work her way up to watching a scary movie when it is dark outside. Erin has had a love affair with theme park Halloween events for the past 20 years. Her first time at an event was at Knott's Scary Farm in the late 80s when a family friend, a Knott's employee, escorted her into the park to watch Elvira and give her a behind the scenes tour. She was intrigued as she walked through the break room and realized that they were just people in masks and makeup. It seemed like only a short time later, Erin was performing for Halloween Haunt which led to her meeting the love of her life, her husband. Each year she cheers on her husband and his friends as they set up and run a home haunt. You can catch her helping with line control and repeating the same instructions over and over and over to the guests each night. She has been a professional dancer and actress for over 20 years. When she is not in the studio teaching dance or in her office writing, you can catch Mommy Fearest with her husband and two kids at various conventions throughout California. She enjoys Cosplay, Star Wars, Renaissance Faires, Halloween, haunted attractions, paranormal happenings, special effects makeup and horrible reality television shows.