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The simplest tip is, don't wear it as often. It's hot in Baltimore in August (as in, it's not unusual for the temperature to be over 100 degrees with 70-80% humidity), and even lightweight and breathable fabrics like cotton become a touch pungent after only a few hours. When you get into the satins and PVCs and velvets and broadcloth that most cosplayers use, you're looking at fresh to gross in a few minutes. Of course, inside the BCC it's usually not too bad, but all the same - you'll sweat.

Use the same rule of thumb you'd use for all of your other clothes: Wear it A. for eight hours/one day, or B. until you feel disgusting in it, whichever comes first.

Febreze will not destroy the funk of several days of congoing. Frequent showers help.

Bottom line, if you're set on wearing it all three days, only wear it for a few hours each day.

Edited by ZGL
fixed a grammar bug with a smiley
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Actually, depending on your costume, bringing supplies WITH you to the BCC might be wise -- just a good washcloth, towel, soap, and deodorant, in a ziploc bag, can allow you to use the BCC's restrooms to freshen up from time to time. A quick spongebath and ffresh deodorant can go a long way to making you feel less icky, too.

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Wearing the same cosplay for three days straight isn't exactly the greatest idea in the world, but if you want to keep it funk-free just make sure you don't do anything in it that will make you sweat a whole lot, and don't wear it all day long. Maybe change out of it mid-afternoon, or don't out it on right away and wear it through the evening. About 6 hours a day should be the maximum. Stay cool, try not to sweat, and if it starts to smell, just don't wear it anymore.

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One thing to do is if you know of a good cloth freshner that you enjoy the scent of and you don't over use it!

This is actually a secret used to keep Professional Theatrical Costumes Fairly Clean without the Wear of Washing them.

The costumes themselves actually end up lasting longer.

But what you do is turn the outfit inside out and use a LITTLE bit of Febreeze or other odor deterrent for cloth specifically (and I am keying in on LITTLE bit because we all know you don't wanna smell like the bottle of the stuff, it's like the AXE rule!), let it sit over night and voila a little bit fresher for the morning.

That's just a hint I've learned from my Drama Days, Hope you find something that works for you

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  • 2 weeks later...

great thread question.

Ive been wondering about this too. my cosplay requires a full unitard and since that is hugging my body i can imagine its not going to stay fresh all day - and I want to wear it for 2 days [but not on sunday]. if the unitard does get sweaty - and im sure it will - how can i get it back to freshness? [and without a magical washer and dryer?]

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am slo glad that this thread was started cuz I am cosplaying for first time this year also and I was just going to bring a change of clothes and the costume. But now I know to bring let three sets of clothes and the costume. Also is underarmor brand shirts do they do the infamous clothing roll while wearing them. The reason why i ask this is because I am a big dude and the character I am going down as has like tight shirt and I am thinking of buying underarmor for the shirt but I don't blind people with butt crack if the shirt does the infamous clthing roll. So does anyone know if it does that???

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great thread question.

Ive been wondering about this too. my cosplay requires a full unitard and since that is hugging my body i can imagine its not going to stay fresh all day - and I want to wear it for 2 days [but not on sunday]. if the unitard does get sweaty - and im sure it will - how can i get it back to freshness? [and without a magical washer and dryer?]

If you're staying in a hotel then a quick dunk in a bath tub of warm, soapy water, plus a rinse should do the trick. Wring it out and hang it up to dry overnight and it should be ok for the morning. You might want to spray it with a little fabreze in the morning to make it smell a little fresher.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I don't sweat a whole lot, but I do have a costume for each day, normally. The best things you can do are shower EVERY day (I know some people that shower two or three times a day) and don't wear your costume all day (take a break. Some of those shoes are murder... even if you don't think they will be).

Some of the hotels have washers and dryers. (Holiday Inn did a few years ago.. I got stuff all over my costume, washed it and put it back on) You could wash your costume at the end of each day, if it is washable. You'll be surprised what you make that can go in the washing machine too.

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Some of the hotels have washers and dryers. (Holiday Inn did a few years ago.. I got stuff all over my costume, washed it and put it back on) You could wash your costume at the end of each day, if it is washable. You'll be surprised what you make that can go in the washing machine too.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Different people take different times to get a distinctive funk, it really depends on how much you sweat.

Myself, I do not require a whole lot to keep the funk off, even with some of my most body covering costumes. I shower twice daily at conventions, one before I am in costume and one after. I spray down the costume with the febreeze after I am out of it, and layer on the D.O. And that is all I need.

Now I know some people need a multitude of showers after being in a sticky costume to get the stink off them.

Also, how much of your body will be covered? Because its a costume that reveals plenty of your body, you will probably keep far more cooler then someone in a full body mascot.... lol.

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learn to relax.

a lot.

it will lower your body temperature.

use a parasol.

stay in the airconditioned inside.

use light fabrics which have a bit of room to let air go through.

wear something light underneith so it can be taken off when you're out to lunch and such.

maybe even go the extra few bucks to go to the nice restaurant so you get better air conditoning.

don't stay in places where people are as concentrated because of their body heat.

fabreeze it.

hang it up and make it all nice.

use that super strength type of anti persperant that is advertised by those muscled men with shaved heads.

never ever wear it to the dance. D:

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  • 2 weeks later...
One healthy ninja advice: don't sit on the floor even if you're tired.

Just out of curiosity, why not? XD Just because I've seen tons of videos with hundreds of people doing it.

Because it's filthy and it'll get your costume dirty?

Seriously -- thousands of people tramping through the BCC make the floors pretty gross by the end of the day, and that's assuming it's not icky out or nobody has stepped in anything.

When you're all gone at the end of the very long day, around 3am, a team of cleaners tackles the cleaning chores and they scrub that carpet every night with this huge beast of a machine. But it gets pretty filthy again very quickly.

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One healthy ninja advice: don't sit on the floor even if you're tired.

Just out of curiosity, why not? XD Just because I've seen tons of videos with hundreds of people doing it.

Because it's filthy and it'll get your costume dirty?

Seriously -- thousands of people tramping through the BCC make the floors pretty gross by the end of the day, and that's assuming it's not icky out or nobody has stepped in anything.

When you're all gone at the end of the very long day, around 3am, a team of cleaners tackles the cleaning chores and they scrub that carpet every night with this huge beast of a machine. But it gets pretty filthy again very quickly.

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for me it always helped to not do things that would make you sweat like crazy and stay indoors as i had to. the other thing that helped was wearing breathable costumes...or costumes that allow you to keep cool in one way or another. i never really wear the same costume twice at summer cons though...it is hard when the heat and humidity make it so it is far from to go outside unless it is night.

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I can't believe no one said this!

WET ONES

For about $1 you can buy a small "travel pack" of 15 antibacterial hand and face wipes. Its much smaller & easier to take with you than a towel and soap (which you should have in your hotel... but I mean, this is a pocket item for the con). Takes off makeup and good for food stains too. Even though they say hand and face, we use em to run into con bathrooms and wipe off sweat.

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I can't believe no one said this!

WET ONES

For about $1 you can buy a small "travel pack" of 15 antibacterial hand and face wipes. Its much smaller & easier to take with you than a towel and soap (which you should have in your hotel... but I mean, this is a pocket item for the con). Takes off makeup and good for food stains too. Even though they say hand and face, we use em to run into con bathrooms and wipe off sweat.

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This may seem like over kill, but a few dryer sheets in your suitcase or bag will help prevent odors while in transit(Maybe helpful for people coming from farther away) Nothing wrong with having a good starting point : )

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Yeah, I pretty much agree with what everyone has said. Don't wear your costume all day, esp. if its a heavier material, wear an undershirt so if you sweat...you'll most likely get that more icky than the costume.

In past years, I've tended to make my cosplays out of popalino (sp?) aka the stuff police shirts are made from and I didn't get that sweaty, although I did do a shower before and a shower after donning said cosplay. You have to take into account the weather and how many pieces you'll be wearing...that way you can interchange something for a lighter fabric so it'll be more managable to wear more than once. Do avoid crashing on the BCC floor if you're wearing white/ light colored clothing...you will end up rather dirty. Trust me, take a look a the floor by the end of the night. O.o Find a couch or chair to perch on for a few minutes.

agent_airline, omg yes wet ones are a must have during summer cons. I'm glad you mentioned that! :D

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I make sure to design costumes for the weather they're being worn in. Summer cons, I make sure they're light weight, breathable, and don't cover excessive amounts of skin. (Short sleeved, at the very least, modifying where I have to.) I don't sweat very much, but my bf does. So I try to design for him. I try to make and line costumes out of cotton so they breathe and give him an extra layer to sweat through. Wearing an undershirt and staying in air-conditioning as much as possible helps too. As well as Fabreezing the costume at the end of the day and showering as need (and as possible. :D) Bring a change of clothes, just in case.

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hm, no one has mentioned it that i noticed, but i'm sure it'll help a little with the funky (as it's main use is keeping hte costume stain free in a particular area)...

PANTYLINERS

wut? yes, panty liners. put them under your arms inside your costume and they prevent sweat stains in the pits. and if you know you're getting ikky, you can change them (and kinda wipe yourself down in the meantime) and this way the stain/stench doesn't linger in your costume. yay theatre tricks :o

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hm, no one has mentioned it that i noticed, but i'm sure it'll help a little with the funky (as it's main use is keeping hte costume stain free in a particular area)...

PANTYLINERS

wut? yes, panty liners. put them under your arms inside your costume and they prevent sweat stains in the pits. and if you know you're getting ikky, you can change them (and kinda wipe yourself down in the meantime) and this way the stain/stench doesn't linger in your costume. yay theatre tricks :D

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