I myself have gone back and forth trying to decide is it worth buying a dress form as a cosplayer. Between space limitations and price I have had to put a lot of thought into this question. Based on the ways a cosplayer can use a dress form, yes, it’s worth getting one. Now if you’ve never used a dress form or are just new to cosplay, I have an explanation as to why that is.
What are the Benefits of a Dress Form
There are many benefits to having a dress form as a cosplayer. So if you’re a buyer trying to weigh out the pros and cons, consider the following:
- Check how a WIP looks on a 3D shape – It’s one thing to put on a cosplay WIP to see how it looks while being worn, but having it displayed so you can walk around and inspected it properly is a whole lot better. I often find myself struggling to inspect the back of my cosplays when I wear the WIP myself.
- Marking hems – It’s hard to see where the hem line will fall when you’re not wearing the costume. Plus, trying to mark it while wearing it is difficult as it shifts the hem line all together to bend and move. I find marking where my hems will go much easier when a cosplay is draped on a dress form. Otherwise I require an additional set of hands to help.
- Pattern drafting – Drafting up patterns and using draping as a technique is a whole lot easier with a dress form. You can make patterns that fit perfectly to your body type as well with an adjustable dress form or one with your measurements. That way you can drape your fabric and easily draft a pattern while being able to see how it’ll look on a 3D model.
- Test out designs and embellishments – Seeing how designs and embellishments will look on flat fabric isn’t the same as on a 3D model. It also isn’t easy to plan if you’re the one wearing it because you lack a model. A dress form can come in handy for this so you can best plan out your designs.
- Tailoring and adjustments – It’s entirely possible to have a dress form with your measurements. You can also get an adjustable one to change to other measurements if you’re sewing for others. This helps make tailoring easy by putting the project on the dress form and making adjustments so it fits. This is great when you need to tailor for yourself since it’s difficult to model and pin. Or, if you have a person it’s being made for but they’re not available to model, a dress form can help.
- Display projects – If you’re proud of a project, it makes sense to show it off. A dress form is a great way to display your finished projects for all to see.
Why You Don’t Need a Dress Form
While above shows a list of reasons to get a dress form, you ultimately don’t need it. While it can help you make things easier for tailoring, pattern drafting and more, it isn’t a requirement for sewing cosplays.
Can You Sew Without a Dress Form
Now, I did say yes, it is worth buying a dress form as a cosplayer. However is it a total necessity? No. You have to consider whether you can sew without a dress form and the fact is you can. While you may need things like threads, needles and maybe even a sewing machine, you can sew without a dress form.
What Can I Use if I Don’t Have a Dress Form
If you do find yourself in need of a dress form but don’t have one of your own, there’s some easy work arounds for this.
Dress Form Alternative
- Make a DIY dress form from duct tape
- Go to a makerspace and use their dress forms
- Draft patterns on your body with the duct tape method
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