Genderbent Cosplay: What It Is and How to Do It

Cosplay is a fascinating world, where ordinary people can step into the shoes of fictional beings. Cosplay allows for endless and limitless creativity in how a cosplayer brings a character to life. For instance, a female cosplayer may creatively portray a male character by adding some feminine adaptation to some parts of the costume or makeup. This is an example of gender bending in cosplay. In this article, we will delve into that and some tips on how to properly execute a genderbent cosplay.

One important thing to note about gender bending is that it pertains to changing the gender of the character being portrayed to match the cosplayer’s gender. This can be done by slightly modifying the character’s clothes or features to something more indicative of the cosplayer’s gender. For example, a female cosplayer who wants to dress up as Joker can rock a long wig or long, dyed hair; and even wear a skirt instead of pants. Listed below are a couple of guidelines you may want to keep in mind if you want to explore this way of cosplaying:

1. Be sensitive to cultural appropriation

As with anything, there are lines which must definitely not be crossed in order to avoid offending certain groups of people. There might be certain characters based off of a certain cultural group and genderbending them might come across as offensive or insensitive. The character might also have some parts of their costume which are intended to be used by those of their gender. This is why it is important to properly do research on a character to avoid potential concerns.

2. Modifying the costume

There are various approaches to modifying the costume–it can simply be modifying the costume’s fit and length to match your proportions, adding or taking away of some accessories, adding or removing facial hair, makeup, and the like.

3. Portraying the character

One way to stay faithful to the character despite bending its gender is by still embodying their mannerisms, posture, and expressions. Reinforce the portrayal by maximizing the character’s props, if any. Apart from that, cultivate an empathetic mindset that allows you to understand the character’s thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This emotional connection will reflect in your portrayal, because the more you intimately know your character, the more you can speak, move, and sound like them.

By keeping these in mind, you can expand your horizons and foster a deeper understanding of the characters you will be portraying in the future. Having a better sense of empathy for characters and learning how to portray them well will help you become a better cosplayer.