With cosplay, the act of dressing up as a character, becoming more popular, sophomore Juliet Pecher is getting involved and sharing her hobby with the student body.

Pecher has been doing cosplay at conventions for 4 years and sharing her cosplay on social media for 2. Pecher’s favorite things about cosplay are sewing her costumes, styling wigs, and doing makeup. “It’s really fun to connect with others who are interested in the same fandoms as I am,” said Pecher.

Cosplay characters can be real or fictional and are typically from movies, books, or video games. Some cosplayers go to conventions around the world where they show their costumes and interact with other people who have the same interests. Cosplayers can gain large followings through social media, where they share images or videos of their outfits.

Sophomore Lola Mullins, Pecher’s friend, explained, “Pecher’s cosplay consists of characters from various shows whether it be popular shows or smaller ones and she does a great job of adding her own touches to them.”

The cosplay community has been growing for years and gaining more widespread interest, but there are still people who don’t understand the art.

Pecher explained that sometimes it’s hard to have confidence in her hobby because it has a reputation for being “cringe” or “weird.” Comments like these can hinder interest in cosplay, but artists like Pecher who enjoy the profession look past them.

While the point of cosplay is to dress up as a character, it is also a way to find confidence in oneself through artistic expression. “When I take a look at the work cosplayers put into their art, I can’t help being proud to be 1 of them,” said Pecher.

Mullins said, “Juliet’s cosplay inspires others and often helps spread creativity to her followers… [and has] helped other people start to cosplay more openly.”