Kimmy Schmidt is one of the most popular shows on Netflix. This article features a fabulous Kimmy Cosplay and talks about what Cosplay really is.

Today’s post is designed to introduce you to a relatively new and and sort of “underground” craft movement that is steadily gaining in popularity. People who are into this do not refer to themselves as crafters, but I think they are actually quite incredible at crafting. I’m talking about Cosplay. Maybe you have heard of this from you children or grandchildren. I can tell you it’s EXTREMELY popular. What is it?

Basically people make a costume of a favorite character. Yup. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it can be simple. And it can also be the most elaborate costume you can imagine. Characters range from Disney Princesses to Marvel Comics Superheros. I’ve even seen an adorable Daphne and Velma duo. Zoinks? What do you mean you aren’t sure who that is? When was the last time you had Scooby snacks?

There are conventions or CONS as they are called all over the country where people go dressed up as some cool and often obscure character. Some people buy the costumes online and just add a wig and some makeup, so they aren’t really doing too much. Other people are extremely elaborate and draft patterns to sew the costumes and search thrift stores for the right elements to design and finish their character. It can be pretty amazing, actually.

Today I’d like you to meet a lovely new friend of mine, Jamie. How did we meet? On Instagram, of course! I was searching Kimmy Schmidt hashtags and Jamie turned up in a COSplay of Kimmy. I commented on the costume and we started following each other. The wild thing is she’s part of a Navy family, and soon after we met online, they were stationed here! To celebrate the new season of Kimmy Schmidt we got together for a Kimmy themed photo session. There’s more to the story, but you’ll have to wait for fall to see part two.

Reader, meet Kimmy, er Jamie…… She’s here today to explain to us what all this COSplay madness is about.

Yeah. She’s adorable! And we had so much fun doing these pictures. We visited the Arts District in Norfolk, VA and took photos with the murals. I just love that cities are supporting local artists painting all this cool art. If you have areas like this in your city, I highly encourage you to go visit. It’s super fun!

Jamie put all the pieces of this costume together by combing through second hand stores and she sewed the butterflies onto her sweater to completely personalize it as Kimmy’s. Other costumes, she’s sewn from scratch. Jamie does a lot of COSplay, and I thought it would be fun to interview her about it. I did not know much about it, and I thought you might be in the same boat. Chances are good if you have someone under 25 in your life, they are into this.

How would you describe Cosplay

I’m sure my answer is going to sound really lame and sappy!
I think cosplay can be described, and means something so different to everyone!
For me, it is a way to express and share something I am passionate about. Cosplay is a creative outlet for me. It also helps me to meet new friends and bond with old friends. I really don’t even know how to explain it completely. It is a feeling. Cosplay is love. (I told you it would be really lame and sappy!)

How did you become interested in doing it?

When I started really doing cosplay I was already running a party business. So, basically dressing in cosplay for my job! I didn’t cosplay at my first convention. But after I saw all the people there cosplaying and having so much fun…I was hooked! One of the main draws for me too was dressing up in a costume for something that I really loved, and getting to meet people and make friends because of it! It is an easy way to open up a dialogue with someone. If someone recognizes your cosplay, and it is from something they also love…You can go right into a conversation about it!

What was your first character?

This is a kind of difficult question to answer — Since I feel like I have lived in a constant state of playing dress up since I was little! 😉 I think my first actual COSPLAY where I tried to be really accurate to the costume and the character was Hermione from Harry Potter. One of my best friends and I dressed up as Ginny and Hermione to go to a midnight book release!
(you can see why we are fast friends….her first official character was Hermione?? How cool is that?)

What is the first thing you do when you start putting together a new character?

Mainly just lots of research! I usually cosplay characters from shows/movies that I really enjoy. Deciding to cosplay a character gives me an excuse to watch whatever they are from again! I also do a lot of searching for images of the character on google, instagram and tumblr. I take screen shots of their clothing or hairstyles from different angles. I also search hash tags for other cosplayers who might have cosplayed the same character or similar characters to draw inspiration from them.

Why did you decide to dress up as Kimmy Schmidt?

I have been a fan of Ellie Kemper for quite some time! I binge watched season 1 as soon as it came out! My best friend actually suggested cosplaying her! I hadn’t thought of it..since most of my cosplays are from cartoons, anime and manga. At the point when I made my Kimmy Schmidt cosplay I couldn’t find anyone else who had cosplayed her….so it was really exciting to create!

What personal touches did you make to the bits and pieces of the Kimmy Schmidt costume to make it instantly recognizable?

I made sure to choose the outfit that she wore in episode 1, and the outfit that they had been using for most of their advertising at the time. I just tried to be as accurate as possible! My favorite touch has to be the purple jansport back pack though!! I had to go to multiple stores in a hunt to find a solid purple one too!

Where can we find you online?

I’m on instagram as @whimsicalwishescosplay 🙂

I hope. you enjoyed this week’s special interview, and that you learned something new about COSplay….and why your teenagers are so into it. Maybe you can help them craft their next character. Glue guns and glitter go a long, long way when it comes to crafting costumes for cons!

See you next week! If you are new to the site, please sign up for my email list before you leave! The box is below and that way we can stay in touch. Kinda like Kimmy and Titus. ( and if you are not watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix, please change that!)

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Author: Pattymac

Patty loves figuring out new ways to use pom poms, where to stash more yarn and is always wondering what to bake next...chocolate or lemon? When not dreaming up new things to knit (or bake), she loves riding her beach cruiser on the Boardwalk, escaping to mid week movie matinees, and planting new things in her container garden.