The Fun of Putting on A Costume
"Cosplay" is a combination of the words 'costume' and 'play', a sort of performance in which participants dress up like different characters. The characters could be fictional or real, from history, politics, tv, or even ads. If you're able to visualize it, you are able to produce a costume to represent it. A lot of variation can come into play, with cosplayers interjecting new styles into their costumes, or even swapping a role's gender.
Those who engage in cosplay are usually devoted followers of the media inspiring their costumes. This is not always the case, however; a designer may simply take ideas from something they've observed, or perhaps a production business might employ models to wear a costume to advertise their product. Even so, a lot of cosplayers are amateurs who participate for the fun of it, instead of industry experts spending countless hours and 1000s of dollars on each costume.
By far the biggest number of cosplayers are anime associated. American cosplayers frequently gather at events held all over the Usa and Canada, mainly anime related, but often dedicated to sci-fi or comics as well. Other convention participants are going to take their photos or ask to have photos taken together. Many take part in official and semi-official costume competitions, private photo shoots, and parades.
Cosplaying, through personal connections, various websites and forums, and professional networking offers these fans a feeling of community. For many, it's all they've ever wished for.