You know what grinds my gears?

[qualapec]

I've only been to a couple of gatherings, both at cons and otherwise, but I've kind of noticed a trend that seems...exclusive? It kind of bothers me

Comments

[verschreibsel]

I totally get what you mean. I do have a cosplay (Hungary) but I bought it and I've only worn it once to a meet up and once to a con but I got sick and had to change so really just once

[uro_boros]

I get this

[dolthalion]

Cosplay gives you something to start the discussion with. You don't have to be careful about how you act around someone you haven't met before, you can just throw your character at them. It's not a case of intentional or malicious ignoring, but more that in normal clothes you don't stand out and there's nothing about you to initiate conversation. It also takes away a lot of the shyness of meeting someone for the first time, because you think that you already know them because you know their character.

I don't know about your local meets, but at mine we always keep games open to all, cosplaying or not.

[ackisnotback]

I get how you feel. I ALWAYS cosplay at local events, except for this past one for a local con. I just didn't feel like dressing up this time. Normally I talk to everyone and I always feel included, but this time I felt really lonley and awkward. The only people who even talked to me were people who I already knew and had cosplayed with before. Normally I'd talk to all sorts of people, so it was weird.

I think it's like the people above have already said, cosplay gives you an instant conversation starter.

[checkyoufeet]