Lizzie

Hello again!

So I just updated my post that I wrote a few days ago, which included people that inspire my lolita fashion. It was one of my answers to a challenge/question in the 30 Day Lolita Challenge.

If you scroll down to the bottom you'll find my post about people that inspire me.
Most of these people were fictional characters, but there's one character that I deem more important than the others. So despite the fact I added her as an after thought she's extremely important, and I think she deserves a post of her own!
(WARNING!!!! THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST CHAPTERS OF THE KUROSHITSUJI MANGA BY YANA TOBOSO. IF YOU DO NOT WISH FOR THINGS TO BE SPOILED FOR YOU, STOP READING NOW!!!!)

It's not secret that Lizzie, like so many other female anime and manga characters (Sakura Haruno, Nannally Lamperouge, Orihime Inoue) is hated, complained about and generally bashed and insulted because she's considered useless, or week, pathetic, or unimportant. And in the case of those rabid, inconsiderate, yaoi fangirls with one track minds; a distraction and a bitch.
These are the fangirls that often hate female characters because they crush on one of the male characters that they'd rather see with another male character.
I'm not saying yaoi is bad, don't take it that way. I'm just suggesting that perhaps people should have some more consideration and respect for the female characters.

Lizzie is most certainly one of those under appreciated characters. And is frequently called all of those things that I mentioned above.
But this post isn't to discuss why she's hated, no, it's to discuss how fucking epic this chick is!!! Seriously guys!!!

So in the two latest chapters of the Kuroshitsuji manga, it has been revealed that our darling Lizzie is in fact a master (or should I say mistress?) swords-woman, and can handle two steel blades as easily as if they were a curling iron! Swiftly taking out about a dozen zombies whilst Ciel sat on the ground with a broken leg, cussing about his gun being out of bullets, and Sebastian was fighting Grell and Ronald.
 She then later offers to carry Ciel because he can't walk on his injured leg (to which Sebastian, rather adorable chuckles and says that won't be necessary *hearts in eyes*).

In chapter 58 we discover that Lizzie was forced, by her mother to take fencing classes, despite how much she despised them because she thought they weren't cute.
Her mother explains to her that because she is going to marry Ciel, she must be able to defend herself.
Once Ciel goes missing Lizzie's want to learn to fight is strengthened, and when he returns it doubles again and she makes herself a promise that she will become a wife who can protect her precious husband.

But Lizzie is still frustrated, and finds herself becoming taller than Ciel, a predicament she solves by wearing flat shoes. Something she deems childish and un-cute. But she soldiers on, and doesn't despair... and for this, I truly love her!

I can see her becoming a role model to girls -especially lolitas- who see themselves as anything but cute because of things they must do, whether it's a sport that doesn't suit the fashion, their height, complexion, weight.
They're completely wrong. Cute is just a state of mind, and things like weight, complexion and height are all parts of you that you needn't change if you don't feel like you want to or can.
To my surprise, I've been called cute a lot recently, despite the fact I'm about 5,9.

In the case of Lizzie, she's terrified that Ciel will reject her because she's able to defend herself, and is a strong, self-confident, determined woman. When they were younger he made an offhand comment about not wanting a wife that could protect herself, but wanting a wife that he himself could protect. This gnaws at the back of her mind for years, driving her to hide her talents from him.
Luckily he does accept, and is rather thankful for her fencing skillz of win in the end!

I feel deeply sorry for Lizzie, and just generally believe that no one should feel they need to hide things from the ones they love.


All in all, Lizzie is a wonderful character, and makes a perfect role model because she is a strong, confident, proud, determined, brave, young woman. With an adorable dress sense to boot!!
You should never stop being who you want to be because of what you look like, or something you do (like a sport), or someone you know. You are yourself, and your friends, partners and family should accept that, no questions asked!

x x x x
Chiru
x x x x

Felt Like Chatting

Heyo!~
I just felt like I should update... I get this feeling when I'm bored, which is a lot of the time. *Sigh* It's not like I even need to update, because I've been a nothing short of spamming you guys with polyvore coords and little updates for the past couple of days :/ sooooo... GOMEN!!!

(Those who are going) are ya'll excited for EXPO? It's in 10 days!!! XD Well, 10 days tomorrow, but it's 8 minutes to 11 (PM) so the day is basically over >_>
Have you got all your stuff read? I have, but because of England's failure to supply clear, and undye-ified rubbing alcohol my Renge wig is still very much a blonde wig *facepalm* ah well. I have a plan, and it's called patience. *Nods*

Have you lot seen the guest line up up for this May? I'm not sure whether to be happy that there are loads of Futurama voice actors doing signings, or disappointed by the lack of anime voice actors. I'm wondering whether it's because EXPO has  a bunch of disorganised over grown anime nerds organising it, and they haven't got around to posting about the other guests on the site yet? It's not really their fault, but no one has organised anything for the MCM Fringe Festival either o.o'''' me thinks EXPO is going to be rather quiet this year. Well, if it is it'll be interesting to see what it's like.
I do love EXPO, and I've only been twice, so I haven't had much chance to get bored of anything yet... but if they don't start bringing new things to the table people are going to stop attending. I'm not sure what else they could do, perhaps have a lolita orientated area? Or more official meets and photoshoots? CMV and AMV contests. Formal dances, raves? Date auctions? More panels? Maybe they should follow the example of this tiny new con in Arizona and organises some themed (by series) cafés for thirsty conventioneers to attend or take part in?
Do you guys have any ideas as to what else they could do? Just to play around with the idea. I doubt they're going to change their plans any time soon...


I have another exam tomorrow... fuuuuun!!! Except this time it's at 2pm, so luckily I don't have to wake up at 6.30am again until the 24th. The thing I'm dreading the most is the a-hole, pissy, shouty teachers. 'IF YOU TALK YOUR PAPER WILL BE RIPPED UP, AND YOU WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE EXAM HALL'. No joke, she actually said this. I was like 'Omfg! Meeep! >-<'
So glad I don't go to school! o.o


Well, I don't have much else to discuss now really. I think I'll save the other topics I was going to talk about for another post. There are a few things I'd like to do with this blog, such as start doing tutorials, and maybe start a couple of mini series'! What do you guys think of that idea?

x x x x
Chiru
x x x x

Conventions: For First Timers

Hey guys!

Today I thought I'd take my mind off impending English GCSEs and write up this little guide. I made a video version of this a while ago that you can find on my youtube channel here, and I thought I turn it into a guide on my blog as well! Lets start shall we?

The Basics:
There are a few things that you'll need to know about cons before attend them.

Firstly, a lot of conventions require you to either pre-register (pre-book tickets), or buy tickets at the door. The price can range greatly from being free cultural festivals held in markets, to £5 per day, £10 per day, or £30 for the entire weekend. I've heard of cons in America costing roughly $50 for the whole weekend, which is about £30. The English equivalent of that would be around £70, which I think is pretty ridiculous! You could pay for travel, accommodation and food for that price!
You can buy your tickets on the door of some conventions, such as most English cons like London and Birmingham MCM EXPOs and Hyper Japan (but this can sometimes be more expensive than paying a couple of months or weeks in advance). You could also book tickets in advance, for EXPO I believe it costs £30 for the entire weekend, and that gains you entry to the vendors hall on the Friday as well, when it isn't open to those without weekend passes.

Secondly, conventions are busy places, and you're probably going to be doing a lot of walking. Which means you're going to get tired, and by default hungry. Make sure you have enough money on you to buy food. Once I decided to skip lunch and save my money for the vendors hall... bad idea! I had a piece of chewing gum which made me feel less hungry. And when I got back to my friends house a couple of digestive biscuits until we could be bothered to make dinner at 11pm. Needless to stay I was probably starving but after a while I got so hungry I didn't even notice it. >_<

If you're not going to be cosplaying or wearing lolita, make sure you're in comfortable (but cool!) clothes and shoes. As I previously mentioned conventions are often busy, and a lot of the time they cover huge areas. Whether that's hotels, university campuses or specially built centers, this means a TON of walking, and shuffling around in the corridors and vendors rooms. You get tired, you get blisters and these things lead to a grumpy you, and pissy friends. Not fun!

On the subject of grumpiness... some conventions in America (such as Sakura-con) have things called pre-reg days, where those who have already booked their tickets (those that bought their tickets months in advance) can queue up and receive their con badges. Which are the American equivalent of tickets. I actually like this idea more, as they're more permanent than paper bracelets and you can keep them forever as a record of the cons you attended!
But these queues can last hours, and hours, and hours. So take a DS, take an ipod, take a book, take a friend even. Take something to relieve the boredom! This will help prevent frustration and crabbiness later on. Occupied cosplayers are happy cosplayers!

Must haves:
Obviously there are things that you absolutely HAVE to bring to conventions, here's a list of things that you may or may not decide you need. Not all of them are essential, but some are!


Camera: obviously an essential! Cons are good times for doing photo shoots because you have all your cosplay buddies in one place, and if you don't have a photographer booked then you'll need your camera to take photos!
Also, a lot of people enjoy taking photos of other cosplayers, so it's a good idea to bring one to either do that, oooor film you and your friends being retarded con high idiots as you goof off and most likely injure yourself in some way or other!

Plasters: As I just mentioned injuries are common at cons, mostly due to your, or other hyper people being slightly retarded and doing something you normally wouldn't. Therefore a plaster or two may be a good idea. Either to patch up any possible wounds, to place over little toes or heels that are rubbing on shoes, or to cover some irritated skin if a costume is rubbing. I keep one in my camera case all the time!

Mobile/Cell phone: I promise you, you will DIE without this! I got left behind at the first convention that I went to, and if it wasn't for my phone I probably wouldn't have seen my friends again >_<
Cons are busy so it'll be really hard to find people again, or meet up with them in the first place if you don't have a phone. Don't forget to trade numbers with people who you will be meeting up with for the first time, though only if you trust them of course!

Notepad and pen: Often there are signings with voice actors or artists, and it's good to keep a notepad, and a couple of pens in your bag just in case they don't have paper or their trusty sharpies!

Safety pins: Or maybe even a needle and thread! To deal with any cosplay malfunctions that may occur!

Money: Well, this is kind of a no brainer! There's a vendors hall, obviously you're going to want to buy stuff! You're also going to need money for food, entry tickets and if you're taking public transport train or bus tickets if you don't have a pass or haven't bought them yet.

Pain killers: Some people like bringing a couple of pain killers with them to stop wig head aches in their tracks. Personally I'm the kind of person that dislikes conventional medicine and would rather rely on homeopathic remedies (WHICH DO WORK!!!! CHA!!!) to stop aches and pains. That or just ignore it. But wig head aches can be a right bitch when you want to enjoy a con so if you don't mind popping pills take a couple with you to ease the pain. OR go to your local health food shop and ask for/find some Arnica. This is a homeopathic remedy that works in much the same way as a pain killer. It's made from Arnica flowers. There are absolutely not side effects and the little sugary pills taste nice too! Though, you have to remember not to eat or drink anything (other than water) for a minimum of 5 minutes before and after you've taken it to get maximum results.
It relieves bruising and if you've fallen over and hurt yourself can help ease the pain and calm you down a little bit. I'd recommend Arnica at a grade 200, and if you can't find that, then grade 30, but take two pills instead!

Hand sanitizer: Yet again, not something I carry around with me. Not because I don't like it, but because I live in London, and have probably contracted many illnesses and diseases from just breathing in the subway air, let alone touching a railing at a convention.
But if that's the way you roll feel free to pop some in your bag!

Food: If you're stingy like me and would rather save your money then consider bring lunch with you. Whether you just bring a packet of crisps from home, or actually make a proper sandwich, bring something will help lower the amount your spend, or help you conserve money for another time!
If you're staying in a hotel nearby without any food this is kind of eliminated, but it might be an option to try finding a store of convention campus, which is often a WHOLE lot cheaper! Promise!

Contact lens cases and sterilizer: If you plan on wearing contact lenses with your cosplay, or fashion contact lenses in your lolita coordinate then it would probably be a good idea to bring your lens cases and sterilizer with you.
If you're staying nearby in a hotel you probably won't need to. But for those who commute from home to their local cons (for me it takes about 45 minutes to and hour) there's always the chance that you're going to be wearing them for as long, or longer than you're supposed to. It's nice to have the option to remove them as well they begin irritating your eyes.

What to expect:
In this section we'll cover the events and other things to expect at conventions.

Queues: We already really covered this, just make sure you've got someone to talk to, or something to do and they really aren't that bad! ^-^

Masquerade and cosplay contest: These are events that you usually have to enter a couple of months in advance, but basically a masquerade is a contest of skits! Cosplayers perform a skit that lasts roughly 5 minutes on stage and can win prizes, or trophies and certificates.
Cosplay contests run in a similar way, except they are more like a fashion show for you to show off your cosplay. Usually they have rules like 'you must have made the majority of the costume yourself. Shoes, wigs, headbands and other such items are exempt from this but you may NOT customize or alter other items for use in your costume!'
Pretty simple really!

Panels: Panels with voice actors where you can ask them questions, or panels run by other cons goers. Fighting Dreamers Pro have done panels on basic wig styling and cosplay on a budget. You can have panels for lolita, drawing, games or other fandomable things!

Signings: Either free ones, or ones where you have to pay £15 for a photo with the respective star or voice actor which they then sign.
London EXPO has played host to the cast of Merlin, the actress who plays Jackie Tyler in Doctor Who, many, many voice actors such as Yuri Lowenthall (English dub Uchiha Sasuke, and voice Ben 10!), and directors, producers and other actors from series' like Firefly, Stargate, CSI and Warehouse 13 (or whatever it's called >_<)

CMV/AMV contests: Contests where the best cosplay music video, or anime music video wins a prize!

Games corners: Often conventions have rooms or corners devoted to Yu-Gi-Ho, or Magic card players. Or places where you can test out new game releases (at the last EXPO you could test out the new Naruto game).

Cosplay picnics, cosplay olympics, meets and photoshoots: A lot of the time people attending the con will arrange their own fun and host events. They're all pretty self explanatory really, usually they are seperated/categorized by fandom (series).

Raves and formal dances: Yet again pretty self explanatory. Some larger conventions hold concerts where the bands or singers who sung opening and ending songs for anime or games will perform.
More common are raves and formal dances. A lot of the time people will just wear wigs, or other small aspects of their costumes with rave outfits or prom dresses. Or they'll make specially ball gown dresses or suits for the dances.

Artists Alley: A room or section of the vendors hall devoted to budding artists or those looking to sell their wares. Often lolita clothes, handmade jewelery, doujinshi, fan art, props or taking commissions on wigs or artwork.


These are just a few of the things you can expect from most conventions. You'll have to check out the time table for your respective con on your own because sometimes they offer other events like date auctions, tea parties, formal dinners etc that I have no experience of.
I hope this guide helped any first timers out, and maybe even gave those who've been to a few cons some new ideas!
If you have any questions or suggestions don't hesitate to ask!

x x x x
Chiru
x x x x

Decora Dreams: A Rough Outfit Guide

Hey there guys! Firstly let me thank my few followers for following XD it's nice to know people actually read this stuff ^-^


I have been inspired to write an article by this here Fruit-tella packet, and the many blog posts and youtube videos I have watched recently on the ever growing - and already huge - fashion Decora, or Fairy-Kei. They are not, essentially the same thing (Decora being an even more peppy, accessorized and OTT (over the top) version of it, though they do follow similar colour schemes and basic themes.
~~~Please note: I am no expert on this subject!!! These are just my personal views and opinions!~~~


As you may have guessed before I'm mainly interested in Lolita, classic, ouji-sama and I guess gothic and if you can count it as a style bittersweet, but Decora has just caught by eye and I have been drawn to it. I won't be donning any pastel petticoats, or just skipping around in fairy wings and bloomers any time soon though. Like I did at first with Lolita, I'm quite happy to just sit back and admire the girls who have the courage to make hair clip helmets on top of their bubble gum pink tresses. Wow, what a lot of alliteration ^-^....

 This would be a good example of a toned down Decora ensemble, or perhaps just Fairy-Kei. It depends on what your own personal preferences are. But as you can see clearly on the girl seated on the shelves, and the girl standing, nooooo skirts. As far as I know, skirts are usually worn with Fairy-Kei, so I'd place this more in the Decora zone.


Accessories:
I think accessories would be the easiest thing to tackle first seeing as they are probably what hold this style together. Without them it would look awfully plain, with to many though, it can look gaudy and cheap.

You can use a lot of sweet lolita accessories in Fairy-Kei and Decora, bright pink headbows, and cute bracelets, necklaces, rings, "geek glasses" in bright colours,  socks, broaches and keyrings are all elements of an everyday outfit. Just make sure they're roughly these colours: pale pink, yellow, pale blue, cream, pale yellow, white, bright pink, blue, mint, mellon and lilac. If you have any old toys like; mini My Little Pony Dolls, Polly Pockets, or left over Barbie food from the coffin of toys that fell prey to Old Father Time, feel free to turn them into jewelery, by hot gluing them to rings or (if the toy is small enough) hair clips. You could twist a little screw with a loop on the top into a piece of uneaten Carbie Victoria Sponge cake and hang it from a small chain with an assortment of other kawaii nommables?

Hair/Wigs:
It's quite normal in this fashion to have unnatural hair, and it certainly isn't unusual to wear a wig to achieve it. Many, many girls nowadays have realised the harm dye does to your hair and have now opted for the - perhaps more expensive - but far less damaging option of purchasing a pastel, two tone, gradient or just plain crazy wig. As a cosplayer it's normal to me, but other people may have slight qualms about wearing one. I say go for it. Yes, it may be expensive, but it will certainly pay for itself once you've had it for a while. If you're using your wig once, twice, maybe three times a week you're going to be getting a lot of use out of it, so what would be the point in skimping and buying a bad quality wig if you're going to be using it that much? Well, there isn't a point. You have no excuse what so ever xP.

On my travels of the interwebz  I have discovered two sites from which you can purchase good quality, very pretty, "natural" looking wigs. When I say "natural" I mean natural as in that they look like you dyed your real hair brown and mint green, and it isn't synthetic fibers on a head shaped net that you pulled onto your head over a wig cap.
The first site I found is called MintyMix and they have a small, but pretty epic range of gorgeous wigs (certain ones, like the pink and blonde split come with clip on pigtails). I've read reviews for these and they say that most of the wigs are very full, and have been slightly teased underneath to add to the body of the wig.

Another site I came across is Cosplay wigs USA, who, despite their name sell a let of gothic and lolita wigs as well as just your natural coloured wigs. I haven't read any reviews for their wigs, but they look to be of very similar (or the same) quality to MintyMix's wigs.

Makeup:
Well now, this is a tough section for me. I'm not a frequent wearer of make up, and I only bought my first foundation of any kind yesterday, I own 1 tube of mascara, 2 brushes, hardly any eye shadow, 4 different eyeliners, some crappy kids lip gloss and lipstick and a little dazzle dust and concealer. T.T I'm fourteen, it's quite sad actually. Ah well, here goes.
The makeup for this style is very much like the clothes, it sticks to pale pastels and muted colours. One thing it does go crazy with though, is RHINESTONES!!! CONTACTS AND FALSE EYELASHES!!!!! All pretty normal things when on their own, but imagine them all at once behind a big pair of non prescription "geek glasses". It's really up to you to research this part a little more, I'm afraid all I can do is tell you the basics.
As for nail varnish, choose colours that compliment your outfit, Decora and Fairy-Kei aren't so much about sticking to a few colours, but choosing five or six that compliment each other and work well together.


Tops:
As with a lot of things in this fashion tops are usually white or pastels, though just plane solid colours would work as well. Try stick to the light end of the spectrum. You don't want to be walking in the shadows for this style. Try finding a t-shirt with an adorable screen print on the center front, like a My Little Pony, or a cupcake?
A ruffly loli blouse would work well too!





Bottoms:
No, I don't literally mean bottoms as in someones butt. But I do mean what to wear on your bottom half! XD
Now, I'm not one to say 'run around in bright pink bloomers with some layered tights and leg warmers!' Not at all. Because I discovered Lolita before Decora, I see that as something you should only do if you're about to get into bed, or have just got out of one. It's not the kind of thing I'd advise wearing in public... pastel petticoats on the other hand, they're a totally different thing.
I personally would wear just a petticoat out, I would feel the need to put at least a thin skirt over the top, but with Decora that's all part of the look. You might need to layer them to stop your unicorn panties showing through, but the more poof the better!
You could use your everyday white lolita one, but you don't want to get that dirty and risk it getting on your skirts do you? So I suggest buying a special one, make it a light colour again (though not white this time unless you're going to be wearing about three of them), and it could have a big love heart embroidered in the lower hip area, or it could have ruffles on the bottom. It will be seen this time so feel free to purchase one with little extras like those!

Or if you're not quite feeling brave enough to wear just a petti out in public then wear a sweet lolita skirt over the top. In either a solid colour, or one with a simple ish print on it.


Legs:
Think British punk, but in pastel or neon ^-^  that's what you're trying to achieve with your legs, layers! Not ripped tights and fishnets, hell no! But perhaps a pair of footless tights or thin cotton leggings, a mismatched pair of above knee socks and some legwarmers?
Yup, that's it, layers are key! Just don't go to crazy on this part, you don't want to feel resistance when you try to bend your legs ^-~


Shoes:

Ah, finally! Shoes!!! I hear you cry! But what kind? XD Well, I'm not sure what you're expecting, but they're nothing like the shoes you'd wear for lolita, maybe a pair of teaparties would work, but here you want to stick to brightly coloured, thick soled trainers! I'd give you a name, but I really have no idea what they are called. For more information check out this blog post.


Bags:
Perhaps a cute tote bag? Or a fo-leather purse in a pale colour? Bags, (again) aren't my strong point, I seem to accumulate lots of really bad ones >_>'''''


For more information or just more Decora and Fairy-Kei fun check out these youtube channels, blog posts and DeviantART accounts:
LawlFactory (or Pastel-Ai)'s youtube

miobabyloves's youtube
Pastel-Ai's DeviantART

Lolita Charm blog posts by Victoria Suzanne:
Lolita Fuse: Fairy-Kei
Frills to Fairy: One Skirt, Two Ways
Pastel Pop Darlings: The Fairy-Kei Guide


Have fun on your pastel adventures guys!!
x x x x
Chiru
x x x x

 DISCLAIMER: ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS!!!!! I ONLY OWN THE FIRST ONE!!! I GAIN  NOTHING BY SUBMITTING THEM HERE!!!!! I will also remove them if asked.

When Parents Won't Allow It

   Good evening ya'll! This will be a post about parents who won't let their kids cosplay, and the possible misconceptions that could be driving their decision.
I've been thinking about it for a while, and I finally came to the conclusion to just 'go ahead and write it!' this blog is currently and primarily here for people of the age where they are still under the ruling of parents or guardians, those who still live at home and don't have the right to say, 'I'm an adult! Get out of my life!!' Without getting grounded and their privileges forcibly removed.

    I shared a reasonably brief conversation with a girl on youtube a while ago, who wanted to "crossplay", that is, she wanted to cosplay a boy. She'd been fighting her parents over it for months and they'd been telling her that a) no, she could not bind her chest, it was unnatural, and b) she was a girl, and it was strange for her to want to wear boys clothes.
Something I would like to ask the parents is this; 'when you were little, and you played pretend games with your friends or siblings, did you not at some point pretend to be a prince, a princess... or a knight? A little pickpocket boy? Or a flower girl?' if they answered no, then I'm almost positive they'd be lying. Who hasn't wondered what it would be like to be the other gender in their lifetime? some people feel so strongly that they should have been born the opposite gender that they decide to undergo hormone therapy and have varying surgeries. I suppose these parents that ban their children from cosplaying a character of the opposite gender are the same people who are averse to FTM or MTF transitioning as well?

   Getting back to cosplayers... my own personal take on this is that it's only dressing up, just a little more elaborate. Like putting on a costume to appear in a play, you wouldn't stop a man playing the part of Juliet if it was a traditional production of Romeo and Juliet would you?
Personally I don't know what I'd do if my parents wouldn't let me cosplay boys, because of my height, and natural flat chestedness I find it a WHOLE lot easier to don the garb of a male character. That's not to say I don't enjoy being a girl, because I wouldn't give that up for the world, but cosplay is different.
My parents and family are quite open, the only people who have ever seemed to have a problem understanding the things I'm interested in are my Nan and Grandad on my mother's side. They (oh so stereo typically) watch a ton of television, and there fore go along with a lot of common misconceptions.
   

 

   Which brings me to the many things people think cosplay means.
Really, there's only one HUGE biggie that parents have MAJOR trouble with... "cosplay is dressing up in slutty kitty maid outfits and saying 'nya' all the time whilst bending over in a suggestive manner for photographs taken by older, badly dressed men with hygiene issues". Toooootally wrong there oh dear adults who govern our lives!!!
Just to confirm, if there are any research driven parents reading this, no, it is most certainly NOT like that!!! Cosplay, is the portrayal of a character from a manga, anime, tv show, book, film or video game. An no, not all anime is full of sluts, and big breasted, innocent, confused, young girls. Not in reality. You wanna see what real cosplay and anime are like? Go search Fullmetal Alchemist (cosplay), or perhpaps Naruto Shippuden (cosplay)! That should give you some idea of what some of the most famous anime in the world is like.

    Moving on. Other parents may think that cosplay is a way to draw attention, and is just a plea for someone to look at you. But truth is, many cosplayers were nerds and losers in school and they had always admired the people who had the courage to dress up as their favorite characters, and then one day decided that they had that courage as well. Others just naturally arrived at the decision, such as myself. It seemed fun, plus I needed a Halloween costume ^-^

  
(Note, this was not my first cosplay!! It was my 3rd, and the second male cosplay I had done. My first was terrible so no one shall see evidence >_>)

    Another thing parents associate with cosplay, is lolita. Because of lolita being abused in anime and manga throughout the years it has come to be viewed by those on "the outside" - as it were - as something sexual, and something girls wear to attract the attention of pedophiles. Mostly because of the novel 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov. Thus, parents associate anime with pedophiles, and cosplay with pedophiles, and conventions with dark corners for said pedophiles to lurk in.

    Now, doesn't it seem that all of these misconceptions have been just about cosplay as a whole? Well yes, they all are. It's only made a little more confusing for parents or grandparents when you say, 'oh yeah, and I need to find some good heels for this cosplay as well' just after you've explained that it's a boy you're cosplaying. My nan's reaction was, 'so.... this is a boy... who wears heals?... Is he a heshe or something?' awkward much? It's hard to explain that you're not cross dressing (because that is basically what it is, nothing wrong in that though XD) as a boy who's cross dressing as a girl? >_<

    And thus, I am done with my rant. I truly hope that if you're reading this, parents, you will reconsider your decision about not letting your child cosplay or crossplay. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them!

All the cosplayers featured in this article are girls cosplaying as male characters.
Pictures from top to bottom:
NajoKoji as Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII
Cvy as her own Steampunk version of The White Rabbit from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
ChirucupcakeChan (AKA me) as Ciel Phantomhive from Kuroshitsuji
OzTheNekoMaster as Oz Vasselius from Pandora Hearts



Photos (c) of their rightful owners. I'm fine with taking them down if requested to!!