Cosplay is a huge piece of the fandom pie. From once-a-year-at-Con cosplayers, to those who travel hundreds of miles every year to cosplay all around the Country, to sneaky cosplayers who construct costumes so subtle they can be worn to work, cosplayers (it seems) are everywhere. Some view cosplay as a way to embody their favorite characters and to bring their inner warrior or hero or evil genius out. Some just love the art of creating elaborate costumes and intricate armor pieces. Some revel in the spotlight and the attention they receive while wearing the costume of a beloved character. Whatever their reasons, cosplayers are generally a dedicated and creative bunch of people. Given, however, that the basic idea of cosplay is to dress up as a character (often from a comic book, video game, cartoon, etc.), and that many characters are drawn with a very specific, exaggerated, and sexualized physique, is cosplay really an area of fandom that fosters self love and body acceptance?
For me, this question came up when I found and shared
this "breastplate" contraption to a social media cosplay group I'm a member of:
