Top 10 Sustainable Cosplay Tips: 8) Planning ahead

8.) Plan ahead!
Do you have a costume that's in your "to do pile"? Well plan ahead! Will it need certain undergarments like a corset or bustle or petticoats? What other costumes in your to do list need the same thing? Keep a list! As we do a lot of historical, one set of petticoats, split drawers, bustle pad, and well fitting corset means we only NEED that one set! This can be used for many costumes. This also helps if you frequent second hand stores and auctions. Know you'll be needing red fabric for that certain costume, you might get lucky and find an entire bolt of moire taffeta from the 50s for 10$ bucks at an estate sale like we did! This is more of a money saving thing vs a planet saving thing obviously.

Also this will save your SANITY for a con! Unlike what Heroes of Cosplay shows, nothing genius is going to come out of a week of sweat shopping. We've pulled something passable out of a night or two of slaving tho so it can be done but there will be tears. 

EXAMPLES

1. MADAME RED: Knew I'd be doing this costume three years ago and have slowly been working on it and collecting the pieces when they go on sale like patterns, fabric etc and making all the pieces.
2. SHOP BY SEASONS: know that you'll need lots of fake fur for a costume, or tons of wintery stuff for an Elsa? If you plan a year ahead you can hit the sales and get things for a better price than trying to find snow flake decorations and fake snow in summer. It can be done but you will pay through the nose for it. This really applies to real life clothing shopping and steampunk: you will get awesome coats at a quarter of the price by shopping OFF SEASON in spring vs trying to get them in fall. 
3. Know you're going to a certain convention a year ahead? GO ahead and book your room as soon as the convention block opens. If you DON'T go just cancel! If you try and get a room at the last minute you'll be paying more unless you get really really really lucky.
4. SAVE GAS: know you need to get a bunch of stuff for your costume stuff? Pull a Warcraft and hit all your quest points at once! Sure it means you need to plan ahead vs going to Joanns every day or making a bunch of different trips but it will save you time and money in the long run