Hi! I don't talk as often on Subeta, but I figured this might be the kind of subject some people here might be more familiar with, and maybe could give me some advice.

I'm working on my Shoto Todoroki (My Hero Academia) cosplay, that I plan on wearing for a convention in July. It's not my first cosplay, but it's the first time I'm trying to cosplay as a character who doesn't look like me. You see, I'm afrolatina, and even though I consider myself non-binary, I have... uh, breats... so I usually stick to characters that look similar to me, at least skin tone wise. I've cosplayed as América Chavez (Marvel), Moana, and Connie (Steven Universe) in the past, and I had fun doing it, too.

This time, though, I felt like I really wanted to try to cosplay as a character that I have a deeper emotional connection to, and Todoroki really is one character that I like and relate to a lot. I bought the wig, which should arive next month, and I've made some tests on his scar, although I'm not satisfied with how it looks yet. But now I'm having the worse case of cold feet, especially since I have brown skin, and people tend to be... more judgmental on the convention I'm going.

Sorry for talking too much! But I would really love to hear (or read lol) any kind of advice you guys may have on how I can, you know, feel less stressed/anxious about being able to pull it off? (advices on how to hide my breats would be appreciated, too) :)

I can't really speak to all of your concerns personally as a white woman (although I do cosplay men frequently, but I'm also butch lesbian so I feel like that's a step closer.) But I can say that I've seen a lot of cool posts on tumblr about cosplaying while black or otherwise cosplaying white/light-skinned characters while having dark skin. There seems to be a good culture of positivity around these posts--this photoset of a black man cosplaying Todoroki has over 900 notes!

While I realize afrolatina people might not necessarily have as dark of skin tone as some of the people in these posts, I hope you'll be able to draw some inspiration and positivity from them nonetheless. I also follow the cosplay subreddit and frequently see cosplayers of color on there as well :) Just remember that cosplay is intensely personal and it's something you do for fun, and no negative comments or detractors can take that away from you!

As far as being worried about your chest, I'd recommend seeing if you can find a safe binder. I'd advise against binding with an Ace bandage, as this can be damaging to your lungs and ribs. I've heard good things about G2CB brand binders and also Underworks, although I've never personally used them (my own binder was a gift and I don't know where it came from.) If a binder isn't an option, you can always try layering two tight sports bras or using women's shapewear which can be bought at places like Target and Walmart in the lingerie section.

Again--sorry if any of my skin tone related advice is in poor judgement, but I hope this is helpful! You can always DM me if you want to chat more :)

thank you very much for your advices! I feel like I should definitely look into buying a binder, especially since I don't really like my breasts showing on clothes even on normal days, so thanks for the suggestion! And as for the skin colour, I understand this might not be something you can personally talk about, but I will definitely take a look on the links you suggested me :)

I feel similarly about myself and cosplays. Although my problem is with being overweight. I feel like I'll always be judged for that. I did a couple of really great cosplays, one of Donna Noble from Doctor Who and another...who come to think of it, was a black female and I'm as pasty white as can be...Rochelle from Left4Dead2. I didn't get any comments about it...but then maybe that was because I was also carrying a copy of her shotgun lmao.

I've never cosplayed, but I feel like the point of it is to show everyone how much you care about and love the show and character by showing your work on the outfit. That's why I find it weird when people try to gatekeep who can use their own body as a vehicle to make a tribute to a character. It's like telling a child they can't be a tiger for halloween because they're "not a real tiger"...

People should stop being judgy and focus on the work of the outfit and dedication to the character instead of trying to use the real person underneath it as an argument against it. It's a weird thing for people to expect, like the actual character themself is going to show up and not clearly just another human trying to have a good time. You're doing nothing wrong by dedicating to Todoroki, it's anyone who has a problem with it who is doing something wrong.

Sorry I didn't have any real advice, I wish you luck and hope the people you meet will be positive about it!

I can vouch for t-kingdom if you want binder quality assurance. I have been using one for years and it's super comfortable and good quality.

Thank you all for your advice. I've seen cases of people being a bit mean to cosplayers where I live in the past, and I guess it made me a bit self-concious about the whole thing. But thank you all for the encouragement, I definitely like the idea that I'll be able to use my body as a "tribute" to this character that I really like, so thinking like that helped me put my mind at ease, at least a little bit.

And , thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely look into their binders ^^