No.6 Discussion Board

I think this deserves its own thread? So people that don't want to be confronted with the potential negativity don't have to read and the chat thread can be used for lighter conversations.

Let me copy the part from Weisel in the other thread so I can answer to that here:

As for cosplay and weight, I totally get it. I've lost quite a bit of weight in the past several years, but I'm still a little in the "overweight" range. Everyone I've cosplayed with has been thinner than me and it's a bit difficult to feel confident in that situation because I've been curvier than every character I've cosplayed, and that's really apparent when I'm with someone thinner than me. I know it's silly to get caught up with beauty standards like that, but with cosplay, it's hard not to! Personally I use shapewear as a sort of solution. Of course it doesn't make me skinny looking, but it smooths down the curves I have. I actually use a binder, a corset, and some compression shorts (I need longer shorts though). It makes a big difference in my self confidence as a cosplayer just because it draws the attention away from the fact that I've got some serious lady curves and instead makes people focus on all my hard work. I first noticed the bit with the corset when I was cosplaying from attack on titan and I borrowed a corset from a friend. I'd been really self conscious because the tucked in shirt really showed my squishy stomach, but the corset hid that and wasn't too uncomfortable at all! Basically, it doesn't matter how much you weigh and cosplay is for fun, but little tricks like shapewear under costumes or contouring to hide chubby chins (I do that all the time for my squishy baby face) can make cosplay more fun by concealing those things that make you feel insecure and let you actually focus on enjoying the experience.

I agree very much that this actually does bother me more so with cosplay than in general, the looks of a character can be influenced by the body type you have and cheating only works to some extent.

Shapewear actually is a great idea. I've noticed that I tend to feel a bit more comfortable with my long binder that has a slight compression material overall and is a bit like a shaping top. I felt a bit better with that one, but if you have layers of fabric like I did with InuYasha I actually couldn't stand the long binder in August and made one myself that is just a tube of fabric with an elastic sewn in. Works well and is safe to let you breathe, but it only takes care of the chest and nothing else.
That's essentially also the fault I see in shapewear, it can be dangerous when the climate or the convention rooms get too warm. Heatstrokes are no fun.

My figure is more androgynous, my shoulders and hips practically have the same width and I have almost no waist or boobs (but a fairly sturdy ribcage instead). Which is technically a nice base for crossplay but everything extra is immediately looking squishy and doesn't form into nice curves and in eveyday life it's one of the most frustrating things to find a pair of pants that won't squish your waist or make weird folds around your hips. (It's actually making me shop in the men's department a lot.)
The only womanly thing I seem to have inherited are the chunky thighs and from my viewpoint that makes me look very strange in combination.

My personal solution to this is a plan to get back into lifting and then probably get over to body weight exercises to keep the muscle and the flexibility. Though that's not an instant solution for sure and I have a very resiliant metabolism, which is good and bad. The good part my muscles develope rather quickly, but getting rid of fat is really tedious.
(I would have agood set of genetics to survive in the westblock, but in a place where we have what we need in abundance my body just likes to make a little back up deposit...)

Also a general thing to the topic of figure and cosplay. I keep noticing that (sadly I have to include myself too) People keep envying the skinny ones, even for characters that one should objectively think: 'wait, he/she is an active and strong peson, wouldn't an athletic body actually look more authentic than the skinny one?' and it WOULD make sense, but the eyes and comments still very often go to the skinny ones.

It's just typical peer pressure in the form of society that makes me feel self-conscious very often. Personally I'd want a more healthy form and I really kind of want to pull out of the unrealistic ideals that society often has. Yet, I just can't stay unaffected.

Still, I suppose I've got my head straight enough that my goal isn't to starve myself to something, but take a path that is different from how I am now, but also medically healthy.

Well, this was a long rant, but not bad to get out. Also the topic shouldn't be just for weight or figure issues. Any form of insecurities you feel you can share or discuss.