Moon Costumes Blog

Cosplay with Presidents and Mardi Gras

2010-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Lincoln’s Birthday is Feb 12th and Washington’s is Feb 22nd. Splitting the difference would end us up on Ash Wednesday on the 17th, and the 16th is Mardi Gras, so instead some people get a Monday off to recover from Valentine’s Day (and in this case, Chinese New Year) celebrations and to honor two of our most famous presidents.

To honor Lincoln on the 15th, we’ve got an adult costume that includes the characteristic stovepipe hat and beard, and a jacket with an attached shirt front, vest and tie. We’ve also got a child’s costume, an educational book about Abe and a half-mask that can be paired with a beard-sans-moustache, just like he wore it.

On the 16th, don some of our Mardi Gras Accessories, including beads, feathery masks and headpieces, and shiny masks. On the 17th is Ash Wednesday. We don’t have anything that’s directly related, but if you’re in the mood for some mid-week cosplay we’ve got

Good Ash and Evil Ash from Army of Darkness
Pokemon’s Ash Ketchum
Ashe from Final Fantasy XII [12]

Then on Washington’s Birthday, you can dress your kid in the Child George Washington Costume, which comes with velvet jacket, blouse and pants and hand him a copy of an educational book from the series Heroes in History.

For adults, our Colonial Man costume lets you dress up as George Washington or any other colonial man. It’s the wig that makes the difference here, and you can find a colonial or a judge’s wig that might do the trick in our Men’s Wigs section. Check out our Early American History section and you might find that one of our Colonial Captain costumes might work too.

Combine any of the above to create a real conversation starter!

Celebrate Valentines AND The Year of the Tiger

2010-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

February 14, 2010 is the first day of the Chinese new year – The Year of the Tiger! This year, as you may have noticed, it falls on Valentine’s Day – so feel free to get creative and impress your romantic partner with what a tiger you can be!

Here are some tips from Chinese Astrology:

The Tiger is said to be lucky vivid, lively and engaging. Generally, because of their charming personalities Tigers are well liked. They may appear cool, but they have the Big Cat's instincts to pounce at a moment's warning.

People who were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974,1986, 1998 or 2010 would have the Tiger as their Chinese Zodiac sign. They’d be most compatible with Horse signs (born in the year1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002) and Dog signs (born in the year1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006), however, they say that a healthy dose of respect can make the least compatible quite happy together.

Try celebrating both holidays by adding a Tiger Ears and Tail Kit to your sexiest little outfit.
Chinese Astrology also says that in positions of power Tigers can be difficult, though stimulating, bosses. That sounds like a good reason to recommend our pimpy Tiger-Striped coat perhaps with something seductive underneath for some role-playing fun.

Or if you like your role-playing to be even more animal-like, perhaps you’d like to join the Furries, by wearing one of our Tiger Mascot Costumes and scritch or yiff your way to Valentine’s Day bliss.

However, if you just think it’s cute, dress your kid with one of our seven adorable tiger costumes and then hug them a lot for Valentine’s Day.

Variety for Valentines

2010-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

We have such a variety of interesting ways to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day! We’ve broken it down by search words. First, do a search on the word “Valentine” and you’ll get a couple of seductive outfits for the ladies to wear, as well as a few cosplay costumes:

Final Fantasy Vii Vincent Valentine – not very lovable, but still technically a Valentine!

Cowboy Bebop Faye Valentine – her revealing outfit complete with bright yellow hot pants and a matching, revealing top (and on occasion a bikini) can be plenty seductive.

Resident Evil 3 Jill Valentine – This character was designed to appeal to a wide audience of both male and female gamers, as males would find her physically attractive, while females would see her as a tough role model.

We’ll tell you a couple of cons you can wear these costumes to below.

Next, a search for “Cupid” offers a few more cute and sexy costumes for ladies…this time with wings! Traditionally Cupid is a man with wings, so do a search on wings and then jazz it up with a red or gold lamé speedo, and a bow and arrow, and you’re set.

And then a search on “Heart” brings up a whole bunch of stuff! First a selection of King and Queen of Hearts costumes, which are pretty cool, actually. Then, a bunch of extremely sexy choices that are too light on cloth to be considered costumes, and are therefore under the accessories heading. And finally, our great selection of cosplay costumes from Kingdom Hearts, as well as Pandora Hearts and Shadow Hearts Covenant.

So in case you might like to do some Valentine’s Weekend cosplay, you can attend Katsucon in National Harbor, Maryland or Queen City Kamikaze in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Be a Dark and Lovely Gothic Lolita

2010-01-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you love the look of Victorian children or baby doll styles but tend to be rather dark in your outlook and prefer dark color schemes like black, dark blues and purple then you may want to become a Gothic Lolita (known in Japan as gosurori, "goth-loli"). And we can help! We’ve got four lovely dresses to choose from:

Gothic Lolita 2 Layers Dress
Gothic Lolita Tiered Frill Dress
Gothic Lolita Tea Meeting Dress
Gothic Lolita Side Trimmings Dress

Wikipedia explains that the Gothic Lolita style is a mixture of the Gothic and Lolita fashions. As with western gothic subculture, cross jewelry and other religious symbols are also used to accessorize the look, and bags and purses are often in uncommon shapes like bats, coffins, and crucifixes. Like many other Lolita fashions, the Japanese visual kei movement was responsible for helping to introduce and popularize the Gothic Lolita style. One artist in particular, Mana, a Japanese musician and fashion-designer, is considered to be the major force behind the popularization of the Gothic Lolita style, describing his designs as Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat (EGA).

One article by a follower of the movement puts it this way: “The Lolita style of dress is inspired by the romantic images of the Victorian era (1837–1901) and the Edwardian era (1901–1910), or Belle Epoque, with influences stretching as far back as the Rococo movement, which reached its height under the reign of Louis XV in the 1730s. However, the Lolita we speak of in terms of fashion differs greatly from its historic predecessors. Our Lolita lives for innocence, decadence, and a life of elegance. And she was born in the 1980s, and then coddled by her rock-god parents in the 1990s.”

Amazon.com has several volumes of The Gothic & Lolita Bible for more information, and you can become part of the EGL community on LiveJournal.

First Cosplay Museum in the World

2010-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, the Manila Bulletin reported that the world’s first cosplay museum opened in the Philippines. The museum boasts “costume displays that range from spectacular robotic and creature costumes to elegant gowns and anime garb”. It also preserves historical cosplay costumes, rescuing them from deterioration and preserving their legacy for future generations.

A joint project of Cosplay.ph (the “.ph” is the “.com” of the Philippines) and Diliman Preparatory School (DPS), the museum also offers an extensive gallery from premier cosplay photographers along with a wealth of information highlighting the landmark events in cosplay history.

Cosplay.ph says, “the Cosplay Museum is meant as an educational beacon to enlighten the general public about Cosplay, its roots and historical landmarks in the Philippines and to educate the youth on the various aspects of Cosplay.”

It is also a venue for cosplay workshops, discussions, gatherings and events like mini-catwalks or Maid Cafe days. Cosplayers are welcome to gather, interact and enjoy the company of other cosplayers without the competitive component or entrance fee that come with the usual cosplay conventions. Plus, events will occur with greater frequency than conventions.

The cosplay workshops allow anyone to learn the craft of the cosplay costume from veteran cosplayers, focusing not only on technique but also on issues from using recycled materials to balancing one’s life. The workshops strive to bring costume craftsmanship to a higher level.

As Cosplay.ph says, “It's launching is testament to the growing positive influence of Cosplay, not merely as a hobby, but as an art form and educational media.”

We at Moon Costumes have something of a cosplay museum ourselves! Just click on the word “Cosplay” on our menu to the left, and be taken to a directory of all the costumes we have available. Click on the anime representation and you’ll get a photo and description of the actual costume!

Winnie the Pooh Day

2010-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today, January 18, is National Winnie the Pooh Day! Every year on January 18th, millions of fans across the globe celebrate the birth of A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh. And of course, we’ve got great costumes for kids to dress up.

Visit our Classic Disney Costumes section or just type your favorite character’s name into our search box. Some of the costumes for babies are shown above. We couldn’t resist!

~On the left you see an adorable, and not at all depressed, little Eeyore. We’ve also got Eeyore costumes for older kids, and even one for your dog!

~In the middle is Pooh himself. We have a larger full-body plush for an older child, a hooded vest, and a costume for 3-12 month old little’uns.

~On the right is Pooh’s cute little pal, Piglet, made for 12 – 18 month-olds.

We’ve also got 3 different styles of Tigger costumes for kids, and if you want to be Kanga with Roo, try our Kangaroo Plush with Baby costume.

Take time today to read one of the classics by A.A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Or watch a Winnie the Pooh DVD or play a video game!

Did you know? (According to Wikipedia….)

• Milne named the character Winnie-the-Pooh after a teddy bear owned by his son, who was the basis for the character Christopher Robin. His toys also lent their names to most of the other characters.

• Christopher Milne had named his toy bear after Winnie, an American black bear which he often saw at London Zoo, and "Pooh", a swan they had met while on holiday.

• The Winnie-the-Pooh stories are set in Ashdown Forest, Sussex, England, a large area of tranquil open heathland situated 30 miles (50 km) south of London.

Dragons and Other Pets

2010-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Next week we can all look forward to celebrating some interesting and fun holidays! On Thursday, January 14th it’s National Dress Up Your Pet Day!

We’ve got a great selection of Costumes for Pets that we’ve divided into three categories: Classic Costumes, Famous Characters and Halloween.

~In Classic Costumes for Pets you’ll find hippies and clowns, plus princesses, pimps and prisoners. There’s a hound dog dressed like Elvis, a Watchdog outfit that features a giant timepiece on the back and a Lucky Dog tunic covered in good luck charms.

~In our Pets as Famous Characters section you’ll find Spiderman and Superman, Mickey Mouse, Eeyore and Zorro.

~And in the Pets Halloween section, you’ll find a Pumpkin, a pirate, a witch and even Dracula!

If you don’t have a pet, but would like one that’s a little out of the ordinary, you can enjoy Appreciate a Dragon Day on Saturday, the 16th of January. Search for “dragon” from our webpage and you’ll get a selection that includes costumes for babies as well as puppets and props. Wearing our Baby Shoulder Dragon might qualify you for Dress Up by Wearing Your Pets day….

Though Dragon*Con isn’t until September 2010, you don’t have to wait long to attend VisionCon in Springfield, Missouri—a Sci-fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Comics, Media and Animation convention that includes LARPs--or ConFusion in Troy, Michigan. Both take place January 22 – 24. Then there’s Con-Jour on the 29th through 31st of January at the University of Houston at Clearlake, Texas.

Whether you want to dress your pet or yourself, Moon Costumes has what you need!

California Cons This Weekend

2010-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend in California you can find two Anime cons with some interesting guests. Anime Los Angeles has a group called The Spoony Bards as Guests of Honor. A group of musicians who love to play video game and anime music by request, The Spoony Bards have been known to play for days at a time at conventions. One example is seen in the video above, where they play the Mario Bros. theme song for the guys cosplaying as said brothers.

After meeting at Anime Central 2004, The Spoony Bards have come to be known for their ability to assemble any available combination of vocal and instrumental talents to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for fellow fans to hang out, listen, dance, laugh, and sing along. In addition to performing concerts for conventions, dances, charity, and private events, some of them even cosplay while they perform!

Also this weekend, Sac-Anime in Sacramento has film star Chris Sarandon as one of their esteemed guests. He is best known by film fans for his role as Prince Humperdinck in Rob Reiner’s 1987 film The Princess Bride, though many may also know him as the hypnotic vampire-next-door in the teen horror classic Fright Night (1985). In Con circles, he’s known and loved as the voice of Jack Skellington, the main character in Tim Burton’s animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). He has reprised the role in many other spinoff productions, including the Squaresoft/Disney video games Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II and the Capcom sequel to the original film, Oogie’s Revenge.

So if you’re in California this weekend, check out one of both of these cons and get your cosplay on!

10 Cosplayers Resolutions and 10 Cons for the New Year

2010-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

We found an online forum where cosplayers discussed their new year’s resolutions. Here are the top ones:

1. To lose or gain weight, or tone or build muscle, so they feel more confident in their cosplay costumes.
2. To be braver and go from being a closet cosplayer to a competitive cosplayer
3. To get a job, or a better one, so they can spend more money on cosplays
4. To learn more about prop making with different materials
5. To go to more cons and become more in tune with the cosplay community
6. To plan their time better so they’re not pulling all-nighters before a con or finishing things off in the hotel room
7. To restrict themselves to one costume per event, so they can focus all their time and energy one doing it well.
8. To learn to accept it if a costume won't get done in time and not beat themselves up over it
9. To become more sociable at events and to get over con-shyness.
10. To win a cosplay contest!

Here are 10 places to test out some of these resolutions:

January 8 - 10, 2010:
• Animé Los Angeles in California
• Ichibancon in Concord, NC
• Sac-Anime in Sacramento, CA

January 16 - 17, 2010 - Setsucon in State College, PA.
January 21 - 24, 2010 in Waterloo, ON - Emiko's Mini Convention.
January 23 - 24, 2010 - SoDak Con in Rapid City, SD.

And to finish off the first month of 2010 you can choose from:
• Chibi Ushicon in Round Rock, TX January 29 - 31, 2010
• Ohayocon in Columbus, OH Jan 29 - 31, 2010
• Las Cruces Anime Day in Las Cruces, NM Jan 30, 2010
• Orlando Anime Day in Kissimmee, FL Jan 30, 2010

Lump of Coal or Treats from Santa

2009-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

You may have heard that naughty children receive only a lump of coal from Santa Claus in their Christmas stocking instead of presents. Well we hope you got treats, and that you didn’t wish you had some lumps of coal on hand. In case you did, you might be glad to know that we’ve got bags of coal if you’ve got the naughty Neds and Nancys!

Each bag comes printed on two sides--one side with the message “You’ve been naughty” and the other with “Merry Christmas”. Three lumps of imitation coal are included to really drive the point home, or spread the wealth among many misbehaving family members. Or you might want to do what they do in Scotland, where it is customary and lucky to give coal as a gift on New Year's Day because it represents warmth for the year to come.

If instead you found that you had so many gifts to give, or perhaps you dressed as Santa and your costume didn’t include a bag made for the express purpose of being filled with goodies for good girls and boys, you’ll like our Santa Sacks! We’ve got three different styles:

The Santa Sack is a velvet bag that measures 30 x 36 inches, has gold embroidered lettering wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a gold colored drawstring is detailed and two jingle bells. It even includes a 12 inch shoulder strap for easy handling!

The Santa Toy Bag is red velvet with a green velvet collar and bells and matches nicely with any of our elf costumes if you need a helper.

Santa’s Toy Bag is a red cloth bag, with a cartoon of Santa Claus with toys spilling from his sack and the message “Season’s Greetings” in bold black lettering.

It’s never too early to prepare for next Christmas—do it while you’re thinking of it!

The Nutcracker Suite

2009-12-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

At the holidays, you’re bound to have heard about a performance of The Nutcracker Suite, or Nutcracker Ballet. If you’re not sure what it is, Wikipedia explains that it’s a fairy tale-ballet in two acts about a girl’s adventures with a Nutcracker.

In Act I, at a Christmas Eve party Clara's mysterious godfather produces a bag of gifts for all the children. Three life-size dolls each take a turn to dance, but Clara is left without a gift. It would seem that he is out of presents, but he gives her a toy Nutcracker, in the traditional shape of a soldier in full parade uniform. Clara is overjoyed, but her brother Fritz is jealous, and breaks the Nutcracker.

After the family go to bed, Clara creeps downstairs to have a look at her Nutcracker, but when the clock strikes midnight, mice appear and surround her. The Nutcracker comes to life and his band of soldiers rise to defend Clara, and the Mouse King leads his mice into battle. Clara helps the Nutcracker by throwing her shoe at the Mouse King, the Nutcracker seizes his opportunity and bests him. The mice retreat, and the Nutcracker is then transformed into a prince.

In Act II, Clara and the Prince travel to a world where dancing Snowflakes greet them and fairies and queens dance. They arrive at the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy where the people of the Land of Sweets perform several dances for Clara and the Prince. They can include a Spanish Chocolate Dance, a Chinese Tea Dance, an Arabian Coffee Dance, a Russian candy cane dance, Marzipan shepherds, and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. After the festivities, Clara wakes up under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker toy in her arms and the curtain closes.

The Three Wisemen

2009-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you’re doing a Christmas nativity play, even if it’s at home, you’ll need the three wisemen, also known as the Magi, or as the three kings. Type in the word “wiseman” in our search field and you’ll see a great selection of Christmas costumes for both adults and children.

Imagine the Christmas classic “We Three Kings” playing in the background as these costumes parade across a stage!

“We three kings of orient are bearing gifts, we traverse afar.

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star!”

Wikipedia has a wealth of information about these figures if you want to know more, but they tell us that since the 8th century in the Western Christian church, the three wisemen have been commonly known as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. We just call them Wiseman I, Wiseman II and Wiseman III. But we also have a Blue Wiseman and a Wine Wiseman—you can see the children’s versions of the wine and blue wisemen accompanying Wiseman III in the photo above, who holds a gift bearing either gold, frankincense or myrrh…or perhaps a combination of all three.

Wikipedia goes on to explain:

“In contrast, the Syrian Christians name the Magi Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas. These names have a far greater likelihood of being originally Persian, though that does not, of course, guarantee their authenticity.

“In the Eastern churches, Ethiopian Christianity, for instance, has Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenians have Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma. Many Chinese Christians believe that one of the magi came from China.”

We’ve also got some shepherds and a Mary costume to complete the Nativity cast list. Now all you need is a manger and a baby! Of course, you could also include farm animals that have been displaced by the visitors. Check out our team mascots section for a horse and a cow, a ram, even a reindeer for a festive twist.

Top 3 Christmas Couples Costumes

2009-12-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

We’ve chosen three pairs to spotlight this post that cover three categories: Classic, Cute and Naughty but Nice.

Classic
Our Classic selection is a Victorian Santa Claus costume accompanied by a Velvety Mrs. Santa. We have several Santa suits and a few Mrs. Claus costumes, but this costume hearkens back to a yesteryear when our ancestors would have celebrated. Santa has a velvet cape and caplet with a long hair border that’s trimmed in gold and is even partially satin lined. The short-sleeved green satin tunic is trimmed in gold with a gold colored rope belt. Mrs. Santa wears a long velvet dress trimmed in rich faux rabbit fur, and a satin apron with pocket brocade and faux rabbit fur trim.

Cute
Our Cute selection is Elves! In the photo, it looks like two costumes sold together, but it’s not--just two people wearing the costume two ways. The set includes a deluxe velvet red and green tunic with a red and gold braided belt cord. Two gold bell accents hang from the belt, and a separate collar has gold bells too. There’s a matching velvet elf hat with bells and a pair of deluxe elf shoes. (But the green and red tights are’nt included.)

If you’d like to let the man look cute-in-a-childlike-way, but prefer the woman to look cute-in-a-sexy-way, check out this little she-elf suit!

Naughty but Nice
And finally, our selection for the Naughty but Nice category—a Hug Hefner Meets Santa Style Smoking Jacket comes complete with red velvet, full black lining, faux fur shawl collar and cuff trim, and snow white Playboy logo embroidery on back. It also comes with a Santa hat, and pipe!

For the lady, the Adult Santa’s Helper costume is the perfect fit. A red velvety halter dress with white trim and bow, it even includes striped stockings!

No matter which you choose, you’re sure to have great holiday fun!

Ordering Fun Holiday Costumes

2009-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Going to our Christmas Costumes section will dazzle you with red, white and green! From Santa suits, elves and reindeer, to the traditional, the fun and even something for the ones already know they’re on the naughty list.

For those who only want to accessorize, there is also plenty to choose from—like antlers that light up, Santa hats (with and without bells), vests, elf shoes and toy bags for the loot.

We have something for pets and infants, inflatables for the lawn and mascot outfits for those who prefer to dress as snowmen and snow women! They’d certainly be warm and cozy inside, as would most Santa suits.

For those in the warmer climes who want to be a bit naughty, we have several “Santa’s Helper” outfits that are short, cute and trimmed with just enough white fur to give the impression of snowy holiday celebrations. We also have lumps of coal to give to those who have been so naughty they don’t deserve a gift from Santa!

Whether you’re in a play, hosting a party, or just having holiday fun, we’ve got something for everyone. From nutcracker costumes to Jesus and the wise men, (be sure to also check our Religious Kids Costumes for plays), we even have a book about magic tricks just for Christmas, stockings to hang by the fireplace and sleighbells to create the jingle we all listen for. We’ll look at a few favorites over the next few posts.

For the holidays, we offer prompt service! This means that we ship same or next business day for most orders. You can also check UPS transit times using the links provided on our FAQ and Shipping Page.

Happy Holidays!

A Gamers Christmas Carol

2009-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

The video above is from the web-series The Guild, about a group of online gamers—written for gamers, about gamers by a gamer. Created by and starring Felicia Day, it follows the Guild members’ lives online and offline. Episodes vary from 3-8 minutes in length, and since season 2, The Guild has been distributed by Xbox Live and Microsoft and sponsored by Sprint. You may have seen their previous music video, “Do you Wanna Date My Avatar?”

The characters who make up "The Knights of Good" are:

Codex – a cleric and healer whose costume is reminiscent of Princess Leia’s slave outfit mixed with a Renaissance lady
Vork – a fighter, dressed like an armor-clad Robin Hood
Bladezz – a rogue, dressed like a noble knight
Tinkerballa – a ranger, scantily clad like the heroines in Final Fantasy
Clara – a mage in blue and
Zaboo –a warlock in blue and red, both also looking a bit like some of our Final Fantasy costumes.

The show follows the life of Codex, the healer of The Knights of Good, who attempts to lead a normal life after one of her guildmates shows up on her doorstep.

Cast members Jeff Lewis (Vork) and Robin Thorsen (Clara) were recently interviewed on The Bob Bendick Podcast, a comedic chat show about making it in the entertainment industry, and mentioned the show’s reception at conventions.

Jeff said, “We go to conventions a lot and there, like Comic Con, Blizz Con ...gaming conventions, we’re very well known. The fans are very fervent.”

Robin said, “It’s very flattering when people come up to you and want to take a picture with you…. They’re amazing, and I appreciate it. It’s nice.”

We can re-create the costumes from The Guild, or anything else you like! Check out our custom costumes form.

Steampunk Themed Cosplay at TusCon

2009-11-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

A citizen journalist/blogger wrote about TusCon, a sci-fi, fantasy and horror convention that took place in Tucson over the weekend--this year with a Steampunk theme. This was her first con, so she shared her discovery.

“I admit while I am a die-hard sci-fi/scary book and Star Trek fan, I have not ever attended a convention for their genres.
“This little convention has a 36-year history and has usually been small with no advertising and is mostly centered on the literary arts. This year they had authors, panels and readings...an art show... dealers, movie screenings, anime, computer gaming, and CosPlay.
“I mostly saw costumes that were kind of western, kind of futuristic and didn’t understand why at the time…CosPlay is short for 'costume play' or in other words dressing up with an opportunity for role play. This year they had a CosPlay competition with a steampunk theme. Steampunk? What the hec is that?
“Just then I came across…Gary Hayes, all 6 feet 6 inches of him, in steampunk attire… I asked him, okay, what the hec is steampunk. He asked if I had ever read Jules Verne. Of course! Or seen the Wild Wild West series or movie. Yes! Well, that’s steampunk – futuristic western themes. Ahhhh. (If you have never read Jules Verne, you better get on it).”

In an earlier post to our costume blog entitled “You Might Be a Steampunk”, we explained that storylines and characters that fit in the genre come from the era when steam power was still prominent. The written works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne are central to the subgenre, but themes found there have been played out in anime and manga, film and role playing games, among other places.

Our Southern Gentleman costume would be a good fit, especially if accessorized with shiny brass retro-futuristic gadgets! Or we can always create a custom costume to your specifications....

When Costumed Characters Get Cash Crazy

2009-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

The L.A. Times’ Hero Complex column -– a great one for comic fans -- reported that a man dressed in a Spiderman costume was arrested in Hollywood last week. Distressing indeed, but apparently, it's only the latest in a string of incidents involving movie characters and celebrity look-alikes who vie for space -- and attention -- along the tourist-filled corridor that includes Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Performers in superhero costumes, Elvis costumes, and others have worked on Hollywood Boulevard for years. They collect tips from tourists by posing for pictures or performing in front of the theater.

But sometimes the fun has turned violent. Tourists have complained that some costumed characters become abusive when the tourists refuse to pay them to pose for pictures. There have also been brawls. Two years ago, authorities convened a "superhero summit" designed to reduce tensions among the performers.

The meeting was prompted in part by an incident in which LAPD officers arrested a man in a Star Wars costume, dressed as the furry brown Chewbacca, for allegedly head-butting a tour guide who complained about the impersonator's treatment of Japanese tourists.

In other incidents, actors dressed as the superhero Mr. Incredible, Elmo the Muppet and the dark-hooded character from the movie "Scream" were arrested for aggressive begging. A man dressed as the horror film character Freddy Krueger was also taken into custody for allegedly stabbing someone, although no charges were filed.

This time, the victim, who said he had been hit on the face and arms, refused to press charges against the costumed performer. But when they discovered the warrants, Loomis was booked, and it appeared that the suspect and victim knew each other.

"Typical Hollywood; it's always something different," said Lewis, an officer at the LAPD's Hollywood station. As she spoke, Loomis, still wearing his Spider-Man outfit, sat nearby, handcuffed to a bench.

Get Furry with FurFest 2009

2009-11-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

This video takes you into the world of the Furry with a news story on AnthroCon in Pittsburgh from a few years ago. It’s a con for anthropomorphic cosplay, as well as for anyone fascinated with anthropomorphics--or humanlike animal characters. This could include artists, animators, writers, costumers, puppeteers, and just everyday fans who enjoy cartoon animals and their kin.

For those of you in the Midwest, you can go to FurFest 2009, coming up November 20 -22 in the Chicago area. Other furry cons include the Furry Fiesta, coming up in Feb 2010, the Furry Weekend in March and the Halloween-themed FurFright.

The website Therianthropes.com explained that a furry lifestyler is generally considered to be a person who has one or more of these characteristics:

• Integrating a perceived animal nature into one's persona (gait, use of voice, personality, instincts, etc.)

• Totemistic beliefs, specifically with regard to animal spirits

• A belief that animal instincts exist within humans, regardless of whether they are separate, immaterial spirits, part of the genetic code, caused by reincarnation from a previous animal life, or anything else

• A furry lifestyler may also take on physical attributes of an animal, although this is rare. Such attributes may be: hair style (including facial hair), tattoos, articles of clothing (e.g. a tail or ears), or jewelry. In a few extreme cases, some wealthy lifestylers have used elective surgery to affect a physical transformation.

• The practices and viewpoints of some Furry Lifestylers have some similarity to the ideas of Otherkin and Therianthropy.

Therianthropy, Wikipedia tells us, refers to the metamorphosis of humans into other animals, which have long existed in mythology, appearing in ancient cave drawings such as the Sorcerer at Les Trois Frères.

Otherkin are a primarily Internet-based subculture of people who identify in some way as non-human. Common creatures otherkin identify with include angels, demons, dragons, elves, extra-terrestrials, fairies, kitsune, lycanthropes, and vampires, among others.

Gogo Yubari Halloween

2009-11-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of me in my Gogo Yubari costume I purchased from you a few months ago. Enjoy & feel free to post this pix up on your site. Thanx!
-Sin

Wicked...
- Erik

Assassin's Creed

2009-11-13T07:49:00.001-08:00

"I thought you might like a picture of the costume. thank you sooo much. I love it" - Becca

The Wonderful LARP of Oz

2009-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post to our costume blog, we mentioned this year marks the 70th anniversary of the movie, The Wizard of Oz. So it’s therefore timely that an Oz Larp would be about to take place, November 13 – 15! Here’s a paraphrasing of a description from a post to LARPspace.com:

With the Wicked Witch destroyed, the Wizard passed his crown to the Scarecrow, widely believed to be the most intelligent creature in Oz. Then the girl and the Wizard returned to their own lands, leaving the Scarecrow to rule.
Devices left behind by The Wizard have been studied and improved upon by those of the Tinsmith-trade, leading to the creation of a complex art of steam and gears, whose power rivals that of magic.
The Constructs, those timeless servants of Oz, have become more common in the land. While only a scant few, like the Scarecrow, are beings animated by the Powder of Life, many others are once living creatures saved and given new life by the Wizard's Sciences. Beings sustained by complicated machines and strange devices are called the Tin Men.
The animals in Oz have always been able to talk, but now most wear clothes and carry weaponry, like any other respectable Ozian. Now The Lands north of The City of Emeralds are in peril once again and a new summons from the Scarecrow King is put forth:
"Adventurers from all across Oz, bring your might--be it sword, spell or craft to aide this troubled land. Beasts have become uncommonly savage, Constructs have begun malfunctioning, Rumors of a terrible power amassing strength are whispering among the other territories. The time for the great deeds of heroes has returned."

Check out our Wizard of Oz costumes and accessories, not to mention masks, hats and wigs, and check out LARPSpace.com for more information. The pictures were borrowed from the LARP’s Facebook Event Page.

Time for Pacific Media Expo!

2009-11-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Media Expo is coming up this weekend, so get ready to experience “The Crossroads of Asian Pop Culture”. Pacific Media Expo considers itself a new generation of convention for a new generation of fans. PMX, for short, it brings the cutting edge of Asian entertainment to America, whether it is the newest anime from Japan, the hottest bands from the Pacific Rim, the latest street fashion from Harajuku, or the most disturbing horror films from Asia. PMX seeks to create an entertainment community for artists, industry, and their fans.

We mentioned to you in our costume blog in September that the cosplay Fan film, Fanime, would be filming interviews at PMX. But you can also look forward to the PMX CosFest, their Official Cosplay Competition.

They’re planning for this event to truly be a cosplay extravaganza, with great skits, special performances, and amazing costumes. They welcome costumes from J-Rock to J-Pop to Anime to C-Pop to Asian film, Asian animation, Asian comics, Asian-origin video games, or Asian music stars. They also welcome EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita) and EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat).
Online CosFest registration is now closed. But you can still sign up for the event at the convention. For more info, see their website.

Also, though not cosplay, it is a chance for girls to dress up…there will also be an Angelic Pretty Wonderland Tea Party for everyone who likes clothing covered in lace, frills and ribbons like that of the fairytale princess. Light snacks, tea, and entertainment with your friends, plus get a chance to talk with Maki and Asuka from Angelic Pretty about the creative process behind your favorite designs and learn what inspires them. L.A. fashion designer Tarina Tarantino will be attending the Wonderland Tea Party as a special guest of Angelic Pretty.

Check it out!

Costumes to Celebrate Thanksgiving

2009-11-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween may be over, but we can still dress up for Thanksgiving! We’ve got almost a whole month to plan, so here we go!

Do a search on Thanksgiving from any page on Moon Costumes.com and you’ll find a Men’s Pilgrim costume, and some children’s costumes: a pilgrim and a Native American warrior. There’s also a mascot costume of a turkey carrying a pilgrim. But that’s not all we have!

In our Early American History Costumes section and you can find more costumes that help celebrate the first days of America. But you should know that though we want to use politically correct terminology to acknowledge the contribution of the Native Americans to Thanksgiving, not all costume names reflect this. So please don’t take offense, or think we intend or encourage any disrespect. Many costumes are named using terms that were accepted in the past. For example, you’ll find an adult male Indian warrior, a Native Brave, American Indian Man, a Brave, an Indian Man, Indian Maiden, Little Fawn Leather, along with a Colonial Man, Colonial Shirt, Colonial Breeches.

For women, you’ll find costumes for a Pilgrim Lady or two, a Native Princess, Colonial Girl, Prairie Woman, Tiger Lily, Indian Maiden, Indian Princess, Indian Lady, Pioneer Dress, Colonial Lady, Indian Princess, and Pocahontas.

If you search for “Turkey” you’ll find two more team mascots to complete the collection with the costume mentioned above.

And if you go to our Kid’s Historical Costumes section you’ll find a couple of Colonial Girl costumes, and Indian Girl, a few of Colonial Boy costumes, a Pilgrim Girl, and American Indian Girl, a few Indian Boy costumes, and a Pilgrim Boy.

So put on a family play re-enacting the first Thanksgiving, and then be sure to join our Facebook group! Happy November!

Theme Parties Need Themed Supplies

2009-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

So you want to throw a different type of get-together for your friends. Check out our Party Supplies section and get some fun ideas!

We have 50’s cutouts, cheerleader pom poms and a rock’n’roll record centerpieces. Use our 3-packs of vinyl records to hang from above or place wherever you need a little something. A “Rock ‘n‘ Roll Banner” tells everyone that rock ‘n’ roll is here to stay.

A disco ball may be from the wrong era, but what the heck? Our 20th century costumes section has 50’s pink ladies jackets, sock-hop outfits or T-birds costumes, OR a variety of hip, disco ensembles. Choose one era or both!

A Hawaiian themed party could use our inflatable palm tree, or click on Luau for more great additions like grass skirts, plastic leis, straw hats, temporary hula girl tattoos and Hawaiian print clothes, even for your dog!

A witches’ hat that sings “Do you Believe in Magic?” might be a cute twist for a Harry Potter party – like the Sorting Hat’s cousin! We've got a Hogwarts Banner, a few different cauldrons and even Dobby the House Elf in our Props and Décor section, plus costumes like school robes, and accessories like scarfs and glasses.

And don’t even get us started with the Halloween decorations! We’ve got a classy skull chandelier and a nicely matching skull wreath with black leaves for the door... new labels for your wine or soda bottles to make them seem like “witches brew” or other scary concoctions... and Whisper the Ghost’s eyes to cover your windows, plus much more in our Props & Décor section!

At Moon Costumes, we’re not just about costumes, but we’re all about the fun.

All A Twitter About the New York Anime Festival

2009-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Twitter made it possible for the New York Anime Festival to be enjoyed in real-time by those who weren’t there. Examiner.com’s Twitter Entertainment reporter, Tammy Todd was our go-to girl for info and pics.

On Saturday, Sept. 26th, she told us that the NY Anime Festival (NYAF) was a trending topic for Twitter buzz within minutes of it's opening. Thanks to photo sharing Twitter applications like Twitpic, eye-popping pictures of cosplay were available for anyone who wanted to see.

A photo from the article's slideshow. On Sunday, Sept 27th, she reported on the climax of the Festival for many attendees—The Yume Cosplay Masquerade Contest. Participants competed for prizes, with the grand prize being a trip to Japan. Dressed in costumes of their favorite Anime, Manga and video game characters, cosplay performers acted in skits, dance routines and performed comedy bits around their characters. Flicker and other photo sharing services were sent a barrage of photos of cosplay performers only to be re-tweeted or re-posted on Twitter.

Number 4 of 10 from the article's slideshow.

Twitter continued it's weekend love affair with cosplay. Check out the trending topic on Twitter using the hash tag #NYAF. Posts included:

@EF Elmer "Final Fantasy cosplay group strikes a pose http://twitpic.com/j5wji "

@kart21 "Cosplay Not just your nerdy pimpleface boy http://bit.ly/Pwggl "

@ethics gradient "Arrived around 7 for #NYAF, caught...not much except the epic Cosplay Variety Show. I approve!"

@RockLoveJewelry "Was stopped for a ton of photos at NY Anime Fest - and interviewed for the steampunk documentary. Great evening with that krew! Thanks guys!"

@victoryfarm "A few photos from NY anime con... http://is.gd/3H2fT Farmhand was stopped for photo's countless times, including japanese anime mag."

@Deathstriker182 "Yes, I do! All those looking for #NYAF photos from Friday, look no further! http://supakitsune.djcubanking.com/nyaf/ "