Masks Are Back

Before you head to your next convention, make sure you consider
what safety standards are going to be in place.

Before you head to your next convention, make sure you consider what safety standards are going to be in place. MegaCon Orlando* has just announced that 2-layer masks will be required for all attendees. This means the standard cloth pocketed mask or a medical grade mask.

If you are vaccinated and maintaining social protocols, don’t let a blue hospital mask steal some of the magic from your cosplay.

Here are a few tips and tricks to have fun even when we need to mask up.

Adapt & Overcome

Planning on wearing a gaiter?

Instead of sacrificing the work you’ve done, convert it.

It can be as simple as sewing a pocket for the mask inside the existing gaiter and adding a 4-inch piece of sturdy wire along the inside top edge if needed for fog control.

Hand sewing will probably be required but is not a difficult task.

Merely time consuming.

A quick video to make a pocketed gaiter can be found at bit.ly/pocketedgaiter

If your cosplay already has a full helmet or hard facial mask, consider how wearing a 2-layer mask beneath it will be possible.

Use your imagination and design a way to build in a mask pocket. Make your prop mask fully functional as a safety mask. Many futuristic and steampunk cosplays are ideal places to factor this in.

Work Some Magic

Make your own mask and make it completely unique. If you are a more experienced seamstress, odds are you have made a mask or two already in the last year. Use those skills to boost your cosplay to the next level.

Haven’t made a mask before? It’s much easier than you think. A very easy and 2-layer mask tutorial can be found at bit.ly/EZFaceMask

I had a few days until GalaxyCon Raleigh when the announcement came out that MegaCon will be requiring all attendees to wear a 2-layer mask with all costumes. I used a matching fabric to Tala’s overskirt and a combination of drawing with sharpie and hand embroidery to transfer her famous stingray tattoo onto the mask.

Make Sure You’re Comfortable

Consider is how comfortable the mask will be to wear. Most cosplays have wigs and attaching the wig around the ear is one of the key anchor points. The elastic from most mask will greatly affect your comfort.

There are ways to make a mask work without having to use elastic. I make mask holders which you wear around the neck and have a means to tighten at the back of the head.

A short video showing one way to wear it. bit.ly/lanyard4mask

If it is well-fit mask, you can pull it back below the ears and keep it snug with the lanyard. That allows you to put no pressure where the wig attaches above. If your character has earrings, you may try putting them on before and after the mask to see how they will show best. Earrings and masks are a tricky combination.

Get creative with your masks. They are not going away soon enough so take the time to make your mask an incredible addition to your costume and not a last minute one. Practice wearing with your mask, helmet, crown, or any other costume piece that might be affected by its placement. Consider how makeup is going to react to the face mask. Between putting the mask on and taking it off for photo ops or rehydrating, make up may need to be applied more often or skipped altogether.

For the most up to date information on current mask and safety protocols, click the big red button below.

Like every other aspect of cosplay, this doesn’t have to bring you any more stress than you want it to. Wearing a mask has always BEEN a part of cosplay for many people, we just need to make them as effective as they are show stopping.

Find something unique to you and make your mask one of the standout pieces of your cosplay. We are all going to remember 2020-2021 as the year of masks. Make yours a star.