Inventing Style:
Cospunk
Cospunk is the fusion
of cosplay, Lolita and casual fashion into one crazy, unique style of its own.
While the title was invented by yours truly, most anime fans and convention
goers dress and experiment with this style, helping them stand out in public.
In this sparkle-worthy blog post I’m going to teach YOU, yes you, how to
transform your wardrobe into a Cospunk Paradise.
1.
Find
a staple
By a staple, I mean an accessory of some sort that you will incorporate
into every outfit. This accessory can be a piece of jewelry, neckwear, a hat,
or something from a convention like a pass or a button. Your staple may change
as your fandom changes or as the seasons change. I have 2 staples that I
incorporate into every outfit:
Gothic Collar: This at first was just a casual
accessory, but as time went on I realized the collar gives a hint of my
personality to the people who see me. Now, I barely leave the house without it
on(unless I’m going to work).
Berryz Kobou Concert Pass 1/ Stocking keychain: Just
last June at AnimeNEXT, I got to meet my current favorite Japanese idol group,
Berryz Kobou. Since they inspire me greatly and I’m married to the idol on my
pass(Tokunaga Chinami, she just doesn’t know it yet =w=), it is another thing I
never leave the house with. I usually tie it around my belt loop, but when I’m
wearing a tie-belt or my cosplay belt, I wear it around my neck. If it takes
away from the outfit I’m wearing, then I tie it onto the strap of my purse or
messenger bag.
My winter staple will most likely be my Pinkie Pie scarf, temporarily
replacing the collar until spring comes again.
2.
Play
dress Up
As silly as it sounds, this style is all about combining costume with
casual. If you are a cosplayer, think of it as making your costume modern- switching
a cosplay skirt or pants with jeans, wearing cosplay accessories or the wig
with a T shirt and jeans, etc. Say you own a Lolita style dress or shirt, dress
it down with some colored skinny jeans and some punk accessories. Don’t forget
to incorporate your staple into each creation. Supporting two different fandoms
at the same time, wearing two colors that normally wouldn’t go together or wearing
neon socks while the rest of your outfit is dark is all acceptable in this
style. Just have fun with it!
3.
Accessories
are a Cospunk’s best friend.
This is the most important thing when I’m picking out an outfit,
because I am absolutely obsessed with accessories. While too many accessories
can make an outfit look like it wasn’t thought out or too cluttered, too little
would make it an ordinary outfit. Here is my max limit on accessories:
Hair- 3(one hat/headband, 2
hair ties)
Neck- 1(collar, necklace or
tie)
Arm- 4(arm warmer on each
arm, watch, bracelet)
Hand- 3(glove on each hand,
1 ring)
Waist- 1(belt, cosplay
accessory, tie, or Concert Pass)
As for a minimum, I like to
wear atleast 3-4 accessories including my two staples. I try not to wear arm
and hand accessories together on the same arm unless necessary (like a
fingerless glove and a watch, or an arm warmer and a ring). A no-no in my book
is wearing more than one neck accessory, because more often than not it takes
away from the top half of the outfit.
4.
Keep
your outfits consistently inconsistent
What I mean my this is a cospunk never wants to wear a similar outfit
more than two days in a row. You might think this is difficult to do if you
have a staple, but it’s actually fairly easy- go with a different colour
scheme, wear your hair differently, support a different fandom than the day
before, etc. This is easier to do with more accessories and clothes.
Personal photos of
Cospunk:
Shopping
suggestions(mainly for girls)
~Claire’s (Accessories)
~Hot Topic (clothes,
accessories)
~H.Naoto (Japanese fashion,
found online and at most anime conventions)
~whatabeautifullife.com (Lolita
fashion)
~Mandee(casual fashion and
accessories)
~fanplusfriend.com (cosplay,
Lolita)
You can find the most epic
things at anime conventions or even in your local market!
