A Guide to Idol Costumes: Why They Are Made Differently than Cosplay

shaecosplay
Nov 24, 2019
9 min read

ree — Love Notes in Beyond the Bottom Costumes

Since I am no master at sewing, this week I will be chatting with Kat and Taylor from my dance group Love Notes, the seamstresses behind our costumes! I’ll be using idol as a catch all term for performers in this article to keep things succinct.

The most common mistake that idols make when planning their uniform is treating their outfit like a cosplay. Idol uniforms need to be made differently than cosplay. “The main difference in idol costumes versus traditional cosplay is wearability,” Kat says. “The costume needs to be built well enough to hold up after lots of movement, but it also needs to allow the performers to move freely without constraint. Often you see cosplayers sacrificing comfort and movement for the look, but for idols this isn't as ideal. An idol needs to have a full range of movement to be able to perform properly, but they also have to have support from their costume.” Taylor agrees, adding that “[a]s an idol, you’ll be dancing and having high amounts of movement versus just standing around and looking pretty. This essentially means that in an idol outfit you’re more likely to make adjustments to the construction of fabric choice to allow for more breathable or flexible pieces.”

In this post we will go through:

Buying Costumes Online
Things to Consider When Designing or Choosing a Costume
Common Idol Costume Pieces
Making Your Costumes as a Group
Decorating Your Costume

Buying Costumes Online

A lot of idols buy their uniforms from websites like eBay, Aliexpress, and Taobao (you will need to use a third-party agent to buy from Taobao). If you are going to buy a costume to perform in, make sure it is of good quality! Here are some places that I have used on Taobao and Aliexpress:

My personal favorite is Lion and Cat cosplay. My Anastasia costume comes from them and it is absolutely beautiful. The material is high-quality and it is well-made. It is also really easy to dance in. The costume in the picture is on my bucket list and would also be easy to dance in. The only downside to Lion and Cat is that they have a limited selection of outfits available. The good news is a lot of them are idol outfits!

Artistic Sprouts is the most popular high quality cosplay store in the idol community. Every outfit is made with the highest quality of materials and attention to detail. These costumes are expensive though: the Rin cosplay in the picture is $120. If you have the money and don't want to make your own costume, go with Artistic Sprouts.

My Angelic Angel Eli is from Nutcracker. It is made out of brocade (kimono fabric) and looks really pretty in person. It also has held up through lots of cons and a performance. Nutcracker also has a wide selection of costumes to choose from.

There are some issues that you might run into when buying costumes:

Sizing: “Typically when you buy costumes online, the first issue you run across is sizing. Often these costumes are in Asian sizing and this just doesn't work for all body types. For idols this can pose an addition concern, since as stated above, costumes need to provide support, but also a free range of movement. If a costume is ill-fitting it can constrain a performer from certain movements, or even in some cases break onstage if put under stress.” (Kat)
Material: “Additionally, these costumes are often made with cheaper material. While convenient, cheaper materials may not last through the wear and tear of performances and lack a quality look on stage. That's not to say that all costumes online are bad, however you should do proper research before investing in a bought costume online.” (Kat)
Practicality: I’ll also add that since bought costumes are not meant to be danced in, even the nicest ones may not work on stage. My costume for our first performance was Maid Cafe Eli. While the costume was really nice, the dress was strapless and didn’t have boning. I had to be really careful not to flash the crowd even with clear straps sewed in. My current “Princess Shae dress” is strapless but it has boning and a corset, so it stays on me even when I dance. Another costume I have that is really pretty and detailed is Dancer Eli from UWOWO/Ascosing. It is incredibly detailed, but since there are so many parts it is impossible to dance in. That doesn’t mean that all bought costumes are bad. My Angelic Angel Eli from Nutcracker is both beautiful and easy to dance in. Just make sure that you pick an outfit that fits and will stay on.

Kat has this advice from those who buy from Taobao: “Make sure it will fit you properly, discuss any fit concerns you may have with the seller, or even see if you can get a custom fit. Also be sure that the materials being used are something that you feel comfortable wearing and feel confident will look nice on stage. You can always modify a bought costume as well to suit your needs.”

An alternative for idols that aren’t comfortable with making their costumes is commissioning someone else to do it. There are many high quality commissioners in the cosplay and idol community, just make sure that they have experience making performance costumes!

Things to Consider When Designing or Choosing a Costume

Here are some important things to consider when making, buying, or commissioning your uniform:

Range of Motion: “The most important thing I consider when making an idol outfit is range of motion. I want to make sure that the performer has as much range as possible so that they can feel confident with their movements on stage.” (Kat)
Durability: “Second would be durability. Idol costumes need to go through the wear and tear of performances and still look good on stage. They should be made to last multiple performances.” (Kat)
Performer’s Confidence: “I always think about the performers’ confidence in the outfit. Will they perform to the best of their ability in their costume? Idol costumes are meant to enhance the performance on stage, so it should be something that they feel good about wearing and it should make them feel that they can perform at their best.” (Kat)
Fabric: “When making an idol costume, there’s a lot of fabric to choose from. Most idols have outfits that, if hand made, are usually made up of cottons and satins. A lot of people add dimension by adding other types fabrics such as chiffon, crepes, and stretch anything. Just be sure to pattern your garments appropriately so you can have full range movement. If you ever are confused or are curious to the construction or decisions made of an idol outfit it never hurts to ask!” (Taylor)
Budget: Another important thing to consider is your budget. How much do you have to spend on each costume? What is realistic with that amount of money? If you only have $30 per costume, you will not be able to buy expensive fabric and trim.
Similar Designs: “Try choosing a costume that looks the same across the board for groups or altering a design to do such. It will help you to stay sane, let you spend less on materials, and making you all look uniform on stage.” (Taylor)
Versatility: Finally, consider whether a costume is versatile if you have multiple members that will wear it. For example, we had three people wear our Omoi Dia! We made the waistband adjustable and put elastic in the skirt so that multiple people could wear it.

Common Idol Costume Pieces

There are a few items that are really common in idol uniforms. These are things that we have used more than once in our performances:

Tops: The most common shirt used in idol uniforms are white button down shirts. It’s always good to have a button down and a few neck bows in your closet for casual events.
Waistbands: Love Notes also uses waistbands in a lot of our uniforms. Omoi, Wake Up Girls Beyond the Bottom, and Next Chapter all have waistbands! They help to accentuate your figure and gives the outfit a cohesive look. They are a bit more complicated to make, however.
Skirts: Love Notes has only made two types of skirts since our inception: single and double circle skirts. They are very popular with idols because of the way they move when we dance. Kat has said that it’s pretty easy to learn how to make them, and since they are a staple in idol costuming that would be an easy way to dip your toes into sewing. You can sew horsehair into the skirt to make it flow better, as well as wear a few petticoats underneath to make them poofy. Another common skirt type is pleated, used in school uniforms. Pleated skirts are also pretty easy to make; I used this tutorial to make one for my Angel Beats cosplay when I was twelve.
Shoes: BUY DANCE SHOES! Seriously, I can’t emphasize this enough, they're so much more comfortable than regular shoes and they hold up so much better. They don’t have to be expensive; the ones I use cost me $27.

Making Your Own Costumes as a Group

Idol groups don’t just have to make one uniform, they have to make several. This can be difficult when not everyone knows how to sew. “When Love Notes started out, we bought our costumes online and only then realized how diverse our members were body wise,” Taylor says. “After that fiasco, we decided to sew our own costumes. Until the past year, there was usually only 2-3 people making the entirety of the costumes. This wasn’t a bad system per day, but when you have limited time and expenses help is definitely needed.” Here are some things we have learned about making costumes as a group:

Be consistent and efficient: If you are in a group, you need to consider how you will get all of the costumes done. “The hardest thing for me when it comes to sewing outfits for Love Notes has been consistency and efficiency,” Kat says. “When making costumes for a group as large as Love Notes it’s important to make the process efficient, however I also don't want to sacrifice the consistency or quality of the outfit. I want each girl to feel like their costume was made for them, however when making seven outfits, I can't take twenty hours on each costume alone. So figuring out the best way possible for me to stream-line my process while also taking the time to put the same effort into each costume has been a challenge. Luckily I have a team that works with me, and I'm able to get lots of support when I need it!”
Modify premade outfits: “If you can, reuse pieces of other outfits or find garments online you can alter. These are great because they usually will allow for more movement than regular cosplay,” Taylor says. For example, Love Notes’ Beyond the Bottom shirts were made by modifying a tank top that everyone bought off of Amazon. Kat added the sleeves and the collar, and you can’t even tell that the base is a normal shirt. Save time and money where you can. As long as the outfit blends together and everyone has the same base, it will be hard to tell that it wasn’t sewn by you.
Work together: “Everyone has a part to fufill [when making group costumes]” Taylor says. “This is such an important rule. Even if only a handful of you know how to sew, the rest of the group should be making accessories and placing rhinestones. It’s a team effort, and doing a little something is better than nothing at all.” Love Notes has sewing parties after practice where we all go to Jo Ann’s (you can use their sewing machine classroom for free if you call ahead!) and sit down and sew. Those who aren’t great with a sewing machine can help with things like pining and cutting fabric. There are also things besides sewing that they can help with. For example, Sydney (who can sew but I’m still going to use her as an example) made awesome hairpieces for Beyond the Bottom that didn’t require any sewing whatsoever. For Aqours Omoi outfits, we painted the polka dots onto the skirt with fabric paint; it was something that anyone could do. Finally, as Taylor says rhinestoning is another easy way to help, especially because it is so time consuming. You just need to put glue on the back of a rhinestone and stick it onto the fabric.

Going the Extra Mile

Let’s be real; idols are sparkly and extra! We want to look amazing on stage. Kat and Taylor are experts on taking our uniforms to the next level. “There are lots of ways to make idol costumes look good, and each person has an individual opinion on what they like,” Kat says. “I believe the most important part to making an idol costume shine on stage is to start with quality materials. It might seem convenient to just buy the cheapest fabric there is, but sometimes it’s worth it to put in the extra dollar for the quality of the costume on stage. There are other ways you can dress up a costume (like one you buy and just want to make look better or one you want to add a personal flare to) such as including trim or little rhinestones. These are things that can be added on with minimal sewing experience, and can sparkle up any outfit! I like to say do lots of research, look at other idol costumes you might like, and try out some things. Each performer has their own personal taste on what they like, and ultimately what's important is that you feel good about your outfit!”

If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Instagram (@shaecosplay)!