The Amazing Spider-man from Zentai-Zentai

Character: Spider-man from The Amazing Spider-man

Costume Purchased: Amazing Spiderman Zentai Suit with 3D Shades

Site Purchased From: Zentai-Zentai

Sizing: Custom

Special Requests: Lenses included, removable mask, soles added, upgraded suit to Jersey Lycra, hidden zippers, crotch zipper.

Price: $132.00 (including all upgrades)

This was the first (and to date) only costume I've ever ordered of this nature, an all-in-one spandex suit, and as such it was a new experience for me. Knowing that this costume would get a lot of use, as I bought it primarily for our charity events as my other costumes weren't particularly well known by children anymore, I paid for all the available upgrades to ensure it would last. This included an upgrade to Jersey Spandex, the best available material they could afford, and hidden zippers both for practicality and for the best look. I opted for a removable mask, which is something people have mixed opinions about on various Spider-man suits, as they look a lot less smooth attached to the costume, but of course allow you to remove the mask.

Being entirely honest, this is the first time I've ever received a costume and been disappointed with it right out of the packet. Although my opinion later changed, upon first seeing it, I felt the quality of the print was blurry and not particularly sharp. Of course, this was a rather silly opinion on my part, as it is designed to stretch, but it surprised me and put me off.

Once on, however, I was pleased with how the suit fitted and felt. Although wearing full spandex is somewhat strange, it fit very well and was very comfortable, and offered considerably more stretch. I would actually say if custom ordering, to be safe, order below your height and it will stretch to it, as better it stretches than be baggy, as I found mine is a little around the ankles. Spandex is, of course, not flattering, and I found myself quite self-conscious of my weight wearing it. If this is something you're not prepared for, then a spandex costume may not be for you.

 

I can't look at this picture without seeing the adventures of an over-weight Spider-man.

The print itself actually does a good job, the colours are spot on, and the texture helps create that rubberised look from the film it is based on. I chose the Amazing Spider-man suit from the first Andrew Garfield movie because to me it best represented a homemade outfit for a teenage hero, and in doing so knew any imperfections would sell the look of the imperfect suit in the movie. To this end, certain flaws, such as webbing not lining up perfectly on the feet, or changes in the dark 'grotty' texture on the shoulder panels to the body, can be forgiven as they add to the homemade look.

In long distance shots, I'm actually thrilled with the overall look. I think it looks like the movie outfit, and I love how much of the uniqueness of that it captures while still being perfectly Spider-man. The colours and texture are by far the suit's strongest feature, and I'm very happy with it in that respect.

The soles I paid extra for are just standard plimsoll soles, comfortable enough that spending all day on my feet in them hasn't bothered me, although not screen-accurate. For the Amazing Spider-man costume, in the film, Spidey has sports soles from sports trainers, and because of the way the soles are attached here, you won't be able to upgrade to that later on. If you're intending to go screen accurate and upgrade to the trainer soles later on, I suggest ordering your costume without soles, as you won't be able to do it over the feet as they are here. I'm happy with the plimsoll soles though, I can't justify the cost of screen accurate trainers as they cost about the same as the suit again, and it's not something people seem to notice.

Due to the nature of the spandex, however, don't expect much support from the soles. They're on the bottom of the costume, but there's nothing to support your ankle, so if you're intending to Spidey style flips in this outfit, be careful if you have the soles attached, as they will fly right off your feet on the stretchy material. This is due to the nature of the suit however, and not the creation of it, and I'm perfectly happy with them as they are.

I'm slightly disappointed with the 'hidden zippers', as I feel they are still largely visible, particularly the crotch zipper which amuses children at parties to no end. (I just tell them sometimes Spidey needs to go to the toilet too, but it's still something I'd rather wasn't noticeable!). Similarly, the zipper on the back of the mask seems to be visible most of the time, and in fact, due to the way its built, it causes the mask to stick out at the back. If you have a reasonable to smallish head, I'd actually advise not getting a zipper in the mask, as it should make it sleeker on your back and prevent it sticking out and not sitting snugly in the suit.

However, these are minor points, and easy to avoid. Although to a layman this suit may seem expensive for what it is, Spider-man suits actually run at a lot more outside the Zentai suits (where they're printed with something called a subdye), and I feel this suit holds up well for what is considered the 'cheaper' end of the spectrum. The number of choices you get with your adjustments are extremely helpful, you can fully customise the suit (or the suit of your choosing), shipping was fast and spot on to three weeks, and overall I'm happy with the look.

One element I wish I hadn't ordered, however, were the lenses. Make no mistake, Spider-man lenses tend to cost a fair bit too, decent quality ones can easily run at $65 or more, over half the price of this suit alone, and here they're a $15 add on. For the price, they're good lenses, and you can even order them not attached to the suit (it's common practice for some Spidey costumers to attach them via magnets on a faceshell, allowing them to remove them easily), but as I ordered them attached they are stuck to the mask, and not overly accurate, as best shown here:

 

Please excuse the terrible comparison pic.

 

 

The rims are made from EVA foam, which although affordable and good looking in images, still looks a little 'fake' to me and doesn't quite sell the look. The mesh making up the lenses, although not as dark and reflective as the movie version, isn't bad, and works for me (the gold colour is actually accurate by the behind the scenes shots). The main issue is the size, however. They're far too large for this particular costume. The movie suit has the smallest eyes of any Spidey costume, and being this large, they tend to lose some of the uniqueness of that costume. I'd of rather ordered without lenses and got my own, more accurate ones, in retrospect.

 

It's worth mentioning though that you can order custom lenses when you order. Although you can't change the size, there's a broad range of styles and colours to pick from if you'd rather go for something more comic-booky or just different.

 

Overall, I recommend Zentai-Zentai for these costumes, but there are some choices I'd make differently if ordering again. Definitely a good choice for a first time Spidey suit however.

The Imperial Royal Guard from Cosplaysky

Character: The Imperial Royal Guard

Costume Purchased: Star Wars Red Royal Guard Cosplay Costume

Site Purchased From: Cosplaysky

Sizing: Large

Special Requests: None

Price: $139.00

PLEASE NOTE: THIS COSTUME DID NOT INCLUDE THE HELMET

 

 

 

I had long desired to do a Star Wars costume, but had never considered any of the classic 'armoured' characters to be achievable on the kind of budget I had for costumes. However, I lucked out when a friend of mine sold me his old Don Post Imperial Guard helmet for a very good price, and I realised I could affordably create an Imperial Royal Guard costume.

With the helmet in place, I required the robes, and although deceptively easy to make, since they appear to just be wearing heavy red velvet, for accuracy, I decided to go with a purchased costume. This would allow me to have the correct under robes also, and given the cost of that much red velvet anyway, it seemed reasonably priced for something so accurate.

 

I ordered this from Cosplaysky having had a good experience ordering from them in the past, but skipped my usual decision to custom size everything. Feeling it was only a robe and that accurate sizing didn't matter, I ordered a large to be safe. This was my mistake. The robe was too large and trailed the floor. My wife took it up to the best of her ability but it meant that the hem is not quite as it should be; a result of our tampering, not the costume itself.

 

A quick word on Cosplaysky; they offer some very high quality costumes for what is a reasonable price, and some costumes that, judging by the images, aren't so great. Order the right thing, and you can have an excellent costume. I've had issues with their sizing in the past, but their customer service has always been spot on and helped me out, and their delivery is always very fast.

 

One thing to note about this costume that may be meaningless to most, but is worth stating as it's not clear on the site; this is the Revenge of the Sith version of the Royal Guard robes. The difference is that these robes have four splits in, two at the front, and two at the back. The original Return of the Jedi version only had one split, on the side, and the Attack of the Clones version had two splits, both at the front. This sounds trivial, but if you're attempting to do a specific version of the costume, its something worth being aware of. Additionally, according to the 501st Website, the Revenge of the Sith version included leather gloves worn over the top of the inside gown; something this costume also provides.

 

As for the costume, here it is:

 

 

 

In the package you get the crimson velvet over robe, faux leather gloves that reach up to below your elbow, a lighter coloured under robe, a neck piece to cover your neck and sit beneath the helmet and a sash to sit across your waist.

 

For the most part, this costume delivers exactly as offered. The outside of the robe forms a very striking red velvet (considerably brighter than my old helmet you can see; but accurate to Revenge of the Sith, I believe the original Return of the Jedi robes were darker but brightened in post production). Here you can see the pleather gloves provided, which fit well and are high quality, as well a glimpse of the under robe. Despite the four way split, for the most part the costume hangs together well, hiding the interior lining. Although the costume doesn't feel particularly like clothing (it feels costumey) with this type of thing it is understandable, as it in no way resembles traditional clothing. Colour wise, the under robe seems accurate, and resembles essentially a basic dress. (Hours of fun from your costuming colleagues every time you put it on if you're a male costumer!).

 

The under robe seems to match what is seen on screen perfect in my opinion, the sash adding a little detail if anybody ever manages to see beneath the main robe. The gloves match the outer robe well and therefore manage that feat of making your hands seem invisible while standing holding the Force Pike (here, in fact, a curtain rod with some wrapping and a torch stuck on it).

The only real flaw I have to say with this costume (bar my mishap with sizing; entirely my own fault) is the inside lining of the robe. Here, for a costume for conventions, sci-fi days, and general Star Wars trooping, it is entirely fine. However, if you intend to use this costume to apply for 501st entry, it is unfortunately not acceptable:

 

 

 

As you can see here, the inside of the robe is a light red, almost orange, silky material. Unfortunately, the 501st demands that the inner line of the robe either be the same colour velvet as the outside (for Revenge of the Sith only) or a dark burgundy or wine colour, meaning that sadly this costume does not apply. As I have no intention of using the costume for anything like this anyway, it didn't bother me, but I would have preferred a matching colour on the inside, as this way, when the robe hangs open, whether due to wind or movement, its very noticeable. A matching red on the inside, even if fabric and not velvet, would have eliminated this.

 

 

 

One final 'problem' to be aware of with this costume, it is very very hard to keep uncreased. This is not an issue with Cosplaysky, the velvet look of the costume requires to be made of this material, but by nature, it is impossible to iron, and arrives creased in its packet. Thus far, I've been unable to get the creases out, even a cold iron leaves marks, and ironing it underneath other clothing has proven ineffective. Fortunately when hanging, this isn't too noticeable, but this is something to be aware of if you decide to go for this costume.

 

Overall, provided you aren't looking for 501st Approval, these robes do the job. They look the part, are striking, and are a source of many compliments in costume; even from fellow Star Wars costumers. The Royal Guard really do provide a striking presence, and this is a perfectly affordable way to achieve the look and obtain everything you need to pull the costume off perfectly.

 

On a final note, to round off this costume and provide footwear, I purchased Cosplaysky's Superman Boots. While I doubt the 501st would approve, they're comfortable, match well, look certainly like real leather although they aren't, and provide an affordable way to get red boots for the costume. Worth considering.

 

 

 



 

Captain Hook/Killian Jones from Procosplay

Character: Once Upon A Time's Captain Hook/Killian Jones

Costume Purchased: Once Upon a Time Killian Jones Captain Hook Cosplay Costume

Site Purchased From: Procosplay

Sizing: Custom

Special Requests: None

Price: $139.00

This was the first costume I ordered from Procosplay, and as such, I was anxious about the product they would deliver. As many know, the quality, and legitimacy, of some of cosplay sites can be called in to question, so using any for the first time can be a nerve racking experience.

However, I found some people who had ordered from them before, and they offered this costume, which was, at the time, unavailable anywhere else. (Since ordering, Cosplaysky have begun to offer a more expensive version, but I'll touch on that later).

As this is my first article about Procosplay, I'll touch on the service. Custom sizing is offered and available for an additional six dollars on any order. This is, in my experience, an absolute bargain, particularly over other sites like Cosplaysky that can charge up to $25.00 extra for custom sizing. Delivery was excellent also, three weeks on the dot from ordering, which including costume construction and being sent from China to England was very promising. The only negative I have about the ordering process was that I actually never got e-mail confirmation that the costume had been dispatched, and had to contact the sellers to confirm it had been as I wanted it by a certain date. Fortunately, it had been already posted and simply there is no automated system to inform you of this.

As for the costume itself, here it is:

 

The costume did not include the boots, the hook, the sword, or any of the jewellery. While it did include a belt, in this shot, I'm using my own as I found it to be a very cheap and unconvincing pleather.

 



What was included, however, was the coat, waistcoat (or vest), the black undershirt, and the trousers. This, to me, was actually a very good deal, as all of these items are hard to find specifically as how they should be for this costume, and assembling them separately would have required custom orders and considerably more cost.

Before going in to further detail, I'd say overall I was very pleased with the costume for the cost. The quality is high enough that I feel it transcends being a simple costume and has the appearance of something that could be genuine clothes, something that could be worn on screen, and that's something I always look for in my costumes. It's instantly recognisable as Hook, and remains my favourite version available. As mentioned earlier, Cosplaysky now offer their own take, and while from the images I suspect their coat is superior, the version they offer is a jet black version on the inside also, with a leather waistcoat; accurate to  certain scenes in the series, but I've always preferred the red fabric waistcoat (actually belonging to Hook in series flashbacks). It brings some colour and makes the costume look more like genuine clothes to me, and not an article of designed costuming.

Sizing wise, I found it fitted very well, bar the trousers, which were lose. Fortunately, they have belt loops and therefore could be worn with a belt, and this wasn't an issue. Everything was very comfortable, the fake leather was convincing as the real thing, and felt very soft and genuine. The trousers lacked pockets, which was somewhat disappointing as it made storing things difficult, but they were comfortable and looked the part. The shirt and waistcoat I was very impressed by, the black shirt in particular seemed perfect to me, and the waistcoat felt very much like a genuine article of clothing, with solid metal buttons, lining, and a good pattern that felt accurate to the series. It's not perfect, the buttons really needed to be darker (at some point I plan to touch them up with black paint), as did the under pattern, but for the price, it essentially served its purpose and was a good item.

The coat, however, is the key part to Hook's look, and it's here that the costume isn't quite 100% screen accurate. While I'm going to criticise slightly now, I'd like to say I was actually overall pleased with the coat, it looks the part, is instantly recognisable, feels comfortable, is made of a good material and is nice and light to be both comfortable and suitably dramatic (what's the point of a long coat if you can't make it dramatically swish behind you, after all?). However, there were a few drawbacks.

Firstly, the coat is not functional. By that, I mean the buttons do not work as buttons and the pockets are simply pocket flaps. Not an issue if you're using the coat purely as a costume piece, as I was, but I know a lot of people out there desire this coat as a clothing item, and as such, it's not appropriate for that.

Secondly, there is an issue with the sleeves. They're huge, and lengthy, which is reasonably accurate, but are slightly too long. This causes a minor issue in the look of the costume. Hook in the TV show always has the flared sleeves of his pirate shirt visible, sticking out of the coat sleeves. Due to the coat length here, it swallows them up, and they can't easily be seen.

 

Visible here by my sword hand, and slightly by the hook itself

 

 

The biggest flaw, however, rests in the turned up sleeves and collar, as well as the pocket flaps. As you can see in the above image, these are decorated with a zig-zag stitching pattern that is actually screen accurate, but on the real costume, is actually on fabric. The coat is leather, but the turned over collar, the sleeves and the pocket flaps are fabric.

 

Here's an image of the actual costume to best demonstrate this:

 

 

 

This image also highlights the final flaw with the coat, in my opinion, and that's that the collar doesn't sit correctly when popped up. As you can see in the above image, the collar should sit flared backwards, away from the neck, but the Procosplay costume's collar sits around your neck, which ruins something of the essential look of how the coat sits.

 

Overall, these flaws prevent the costume from being perfect. For the price, what you get is very good, and I would certainly recommend it if you're attempting to achieve a Captain Hook costume without wanting to spend literally hundreds of dollars. However, don't expect screen accuracy for what you're paying. From the images, Cosplaysky's Hook costume appears to have a more accurate coat, but I much prefer the underneath of the costume here, not just based on personal preference, but on the fact that I feel this version pulls off the costume it is attempting better than the Cosplaysky one. There is also a significant price difference, even with its current discount Cosplaysky's costume runs at considerably steeper than Procosplay's, although I would love to one day see one of their coats in person and see what it's like in comparison.

Overall, I recommend Procosplay, as long as you're aware what you're getting isn't screen perfect. They provide solid quality quickly, and offer an unusual selection of costumes you can't find elsewhere. Just be prepared for some flaws and accept what you're getting is at a bargain price compared to elsewhere, so it might not be as perfect as it could be.