You’re only a senior once. Might as well document the experience.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Alice Cullen cosplay — or, at least, my Alice Cullen cosplay, since I certainly can’t claim to represent all of us! My name is Vee and I live in beautiful Canada, but for all intents and purposes of this blog, I’m “Alice Cullen,” fashionista extraordinaire. I’ll be posting pictures, tips, and hints to help out and hopefully inspire aspiring Alice cosplayers — or those who simply love the way she dresses. But first, let’s answer a few essential questions.

Alice, what IS cosplay?
Well, my friend, cosplay is short for “costume play,” and it’s what you do every year on Halloween, if you’re so inclined: dress up in a costume. Rather than limit themselves to typical Halloween fare, like ghoulish ghosts and wicked witches, cosplayers dress up as characters from movies; television series; anime; comic books; manga; video games; and books — among others. Cosplayers don’t limit the timing of their costumes, either — they buy or create them and wear them at various events throughout the year, be they anime, comic, or general fan conventions. If you’d like to read more, check out cosplay’s wikipedia.

That sounds fun. But why do you do it, exactly?
For exactly the reason stated above: it’s fun! I think everyone loves to dress up in costume. There’s a definite fantasy aspect to it, as well: you are portraying a certain character, so for one day, you essentially are that character, as you’re playing a role when you’re in costume. Being able to bring your favourite characters to life is what makes cosplay so appealing for so many people.

Is it expensive?
It can be. There are a lot of things to consider when you’re making or buying a costume: buying a wig or cutting, dyeing, and styling your own hair; props; makeup; accessories; shoes; and the costume itself, which can be pricey in terms of fabric, labour, and shipping. A high quality costume is basically an investment, so you’ll need to plan and budget so that the cost won’t catch you by surprise.

If you’re buying exact costumes that were featured in movies or television shows, be prepared to spend even more, especially if they’ve been out of stores for a while. For instance, in the Twilight movie, Alice wears a Diane von Furstenberg dress that was in her 2007 collection. It sold out after Twilight’s popularity and has been nearly impossible to find ever since — and VERY expensive. Together, hopefully we can identify various pieces that have been worn by Alice in the Twilight films… and find them for as cheap as possible!

Do I have to look like a character to cosplay as them?
Not at all! No one would describe me as “impossibly beautiful,” and I’m 5’2, not 4’10, but that doesn’t stop me from cosplaying as Alice. If you put love and thought into your costume, it’s going to show, and chances are that if people are familiar with the character, they’ll know who you’re dressed as.

Why do you cosplay as Alice?
For a few reasons: because I love Twilight; because I match her physical description fairly well; and because her sense of style is very close to my own, so it’s very easy to create my own Alice costumes.

…Could I cosplay as Alice?
Of course! And I’m here to help you with that. 😉 Keep reading and together, we’ll be able to put together some awesome Alice costumes, be they movie replicas or original.

That’s all for now, Twilight fans.

xoxo,
Alice Cullen