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[IsaboeBraginski]

Hi I'm New here and i was wondering if anyone could help me. I have not got to cosplay yet. My first cosplay will be Ai Enma from Hell Girl. I was wondering if any of you lovely little Sunflowers could tell me sites where i could get the costume? That aren't CosplayMagic.com, Trustedeals.com, or Milanoo. May i ask that you not tell me to make it myself becuase i can't sew for anything. Thank you so much for any help or advice!

[usuyukisou]

First off, are you looking for Ai's winter school uniform? Or her kimono (3rd season has a different design)? Or another outfit?

[IsaboeBraginski]

Oh Yes her Winter Uniform.

[Ithlia]

Actually, I would recommend checking out the commission forum on this website. You can look up reviews of commissioners so you can avoid the bad ones, but find a good one. They can sometimes be cheaper than buying the cosplay off of a store, but sometimes they run about the same price. However, unlike a website, a commissioner can provide you work in progress pictures, you can suggest a certain fabric you want, ask to make any alterations to the cosplay, etc... which most websites don't offer. Plus, in my opinion, if you get a good commissioner it is more trustworthy than a website, but that's just my opinion.

[dizzymonochrome]

I second the above comment. If you're going the route of buying your cosplay, you'll likely get better quality and results by finding a commissioner than going to a cosplay webstore.

I would only caution that you try to find someone within your area if at all possible. I had a bad experience with getting scammed by a girl in Spain who I tried to commission once. She basically stole $200 from me, and I couldn't do anything about it because she was on the other side of the planet. The other good reason for choosing someone in your area (which I didn't realize at the time) is that you can do fittings in person and have your cosplay properly tailored to fit you.

[Ithlia]

Originally Posted by dizzymonochrome

I second the above comment. If you're going the route of buying your cosplay, you'll likely get better quality and results by finding a commissioner than going to a cosplay webstore.

I would only caution that you try to find someone within your area if at all possible. I had a bad experience with getting scammed by a girl in Spain who I tried to commission once. She basically stole $200 from me, and I couldn't do anything about it because she was on the other side of the planet. The other good reason for choosing someone in your area (which I didn't realize at the time) is that you can do fittings in person and have your cosplay properly tailored to fit you.

I agree completely with this comment.


However, if you can't find someone that is close enough for you to have your cosplay delivered by him/her, or meet in person, I would recommend finding someone that is at least in the U.S, and possibly on the same coast as you. However, you could also try finding a commissioner on the forums of any conventions that you plan on attending, since I'm assuming they are somewhat close to you. I still recommend looking here first, since a lot of well-known commissioners go on this website. I can't really vouch for anyone since I don't commission my cosplays anymore, but there are some really good reviews up that can help guide you towards the right commissioner ^_^

[IsaboeBraginski]

I feel even more stupid asking this but what is a commissioner?

[Ithlia]

Originally Posted by IsaboeBraginski

I feel even more stupid asking this but what is a commissioner?

Hehe, it's ok to ask questions ^_^ A commissioner is a person who makes cosplays for people, props for people, and even style wigs for people. At least, that's what it means in the cosplay community.

Basically, a commissioner is someone you pay commission to (aka just pay XD) to do something for you, such as paint a picture, paint a house, etc...

[Kildread]

I'm going to go against the flow --- for your first actual costume, by all means *do* go to wholesale online stores. Emna Ai seems like it would be pretty easy to find there.

A commissioner is someone you contact with reference pictures asking to make that costume for you, they will give a quote of the amount they'll need to make it, you'll need to give them details and your measurements, etc, etc.

Short: It's someone who tailor-makes a costume for a someone in exchange for money.

I wouldn't recommend it for your *first cosplay ever*.