The Axioms of Costuming

by Matt "GotWookiee" Pfingsten

Like any hobby, experienced costumers have a lot of great advice for the novice. Here are some helpful and common words of wisdom, and what they mean:

You get what you pay for.: There is reason why a cheaper material or tool is cheaper. Sometimes it requires more work to get it right, most of the time it is lower quality or poor durability. Not a universal truth.
There's always time to do it right, but never time to do it twice.: Don't rush a project or cut corners. It's much harder to redo something than get it right the first time. Take your time and do your homework.
There is a world of difference between home made and hand made.: The phrase home-made conjures up images of armor made from cardboard and scotch tape, like the kiddie projects you made when you were knee high to a grasshopper. Hand-made is something we associate with works of art, something that a single talented individual has devoted their time and energy to creating. Superior to something that is made on an assembly line.
Expect to do everything at least twice.: Making mistakes is a part of the learning process. You are going to have some trouble your first time trying a new technique, material, or tool. You'll learn from the experience and probably try it again and do it better the second time around.
"I want it now, I want it cheap, I want it to be great." You only get two so choose carefully. Sometimes you only get one.: If you want something to be extremely high quality in a short amount of time, it will cost you a lot of money. If you want something quick and cheap, it will quick and cheap. Some costumes are the exception. A high quality Rebel Fleet Trooper costume can usually be done for less than $200, cheap by the standards of this hobby. It can also be done in a short period of time compared to most costumes. That's all three. By contrast, See-Threepio is a project that will almost certainly take a year or more to make and cost thousands.
Measure twice, cut once or never measure, cut yourself.: Learning will waste a lot of parts and materials. Don't be sloppy and waste more than you need to.
Test, test, and test again. Then test some more.: Things work amazingly well on paper. Test everything you do on a small scale to see if it works right before you waste materials or destroy something when its prime time. See how comfortable and durable stuff is.
Use the right tool for the right job.: Don't try to sew a Jedi costume by hand. Don't try to sculpt an alien with a butter knife.
Use the right material for the right job.: Don't try to make an animatronic or mechanical mask with regular mask latex rubber. Don't use the white 2-ply cotton for your Jedi tunic.
The devil's in the details. Details make the costume.: Pay attention to the weathering of a prop or the texture of a fabric. Observe the shape of the nose of the alien you are creating.
Read the directions, then break the rules.: Learn how to do it right before you experiment or come up with your own ideas. You can't break the rules until you know how to use them.
Keep your tools organized and well maintained. Wash cured plaster or stone off of your paint mixer. Keep your drill's batteries charged. Keep your needles and knife blades sharp. Clean your rasp.
The only foolish question is the unasked one.: Don't be afraid to ask a "stupid question." Remember that we were all newbies at one time.
There are no easy costumes.
There is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.: Cheap can refer to a low price but often it refers to low quality. Inexpensive stuff is how a frugal costumer can save money without sacrificing quality.
Costuming on a budget is about getting the same results for less money, not making something cheap.: Don't be sloppy or thrifty. Be creative to save money. Costuming on a budget also means choosing a project that is within your means to do well. If you can only afford a Rebel Fleet Trooper, don't tackle See-Threepio.
There is no such thing as a finished costume.: Even if you do a lot of testing, you will find that parts of your costume are uncomfortable after long periods of time. Costume pieces wear out over time as well. You will also become dissatisfied with the quality of something you thought was amazing when you made it.
You can always find the perfect material or part when you don't need it, but its nowhere to be found when you do.: Murphy's Law applies to costuming as well.
Always pre-wash natural fabrics.: This will shrink the fabric, so when you washed the finished garment it won't shrink.
This is an expensive hobby. If you can't afford it then you can't afford it. Don't charge it or "live beyond your means.": Your bills are more important than your hobbies.