Apparently even though I go to every convention that I can, read and watch all sorts of sci-fi and such, I’m still not geeky enough for my own good. Recently, I was in a discussion about crossplay (cosplays that are the opposite of what they normally are – think crossdressing). Then all these new words, terms, and ideas came into the conversation, as well. I was a bit overwhelmed by it so I asked on one of my Facebook groups about their opinions and if they had ever indulged in either practice, or any other non-standard type of cosplay. Huge response! Anyway, I think that visuals tell the story much better so here we go:
Crossplay is when a guy dresses as a female character, whether he’s trying to pull it off as best as possible or doing it for a laugh. Same thing applies to females dressing as male characters. Here are some of the best examples:
Most people do this with a sense of whimsy, but some are dead serious. Take for example the young lady as Green Arrow, whereas the two Princess Leia’s are just a hoot!
Gender-bending cosplay is when a girl dresses as a male character, but doesn’t try to be a guy, but more what it would be like if the character was a girl instead. Guys can do the same with female characters, interpreting them as if they were male. Some call it gender swapping, as well. Here, again, are some of the best one’s I’ve seen to date:
And last, but not least in the community, there is another faction which are those that crossover, as in that they combine two or more different genres. I’m only going to put one example, but I think it says it all.
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