Peak comic con season is rapidly approaching, and if you've not yet put together your costume, there's still time to start. A catsuit or bodysuit is the perfect foundation piece for many comic book, video game, and fantasy characters. You can add your own accessories, such as gun holsters or a wig, and transform into almost anyone!
TLA published an extensive guide to cosplay lingerie last year, but just as a quick recap regarding the subject of catsuits and bodysuits, you definitely get what you pay for. While you can absolutely find cheap, stretchy catsuits via places like eBay, they may not have the quality to stand up to the full day (or even a full hour) of cosplaying. It's worth spending a little more for quality materials, or even investing in a custom garment if you can afford to do so.
If you're looking for more fantastical options, check out our previous pieces on Divamp Couture, Lena Quist, and RetroFolie. Guest columnist Alexis also wrote an amazing article on transforming a plain bodysuit into a stellar Poison Ivy costume.
I won't lie... I sort of wrote this article just so I could have an excuse for sharing this bodysuit. I went on a hardcore Mortal Kombat X binge a few weeks ago, and while idly browsing Etsy one night (the way you do), I ran across this laceup bodysuit reminiscent of the old school Mileena and Kitana costumes. And yes, those costumes were obviously ridiculous, impractical, and overly sexualized. However, there's a lot of throwback cosplay walking the comic con floor nowadays. This could be the foundation for a Dark Kitana old school-style costume (or whoever else happens to wear laceup bodysuits).
A plain black mesh catsuit offers so many possibilities. You can wear things under it. You can wear things on top of it. If it's after hours and you're at a party, you can even get away with wearing almost nothing at all with it. I might use something like this for the foundation of another take on Punk Storm, because every comic con can use more Punk Storm. P.S. Teale Coco's Levitation Leggings and Medusa Leg Harnesses also seem perfect for costuming.
Moving into slightly more opaque (but still somewhat risque territory), this partially sheer bodysuit seems like it would be perfect for someone's costume. One of the reasons I liked this is that it appears to be cut for curvier figures. I know from personal experience that many catsuits don't accomodate wider hips or a larger bottom (you wind up with a lot of strain on the seams that you really want to stay together), so it's nice to be aware of at least one option out there that seems to be made with a thicker figure in mind. I don't know what character I'd use this for, but I do like it.
I've had Alicia Zenobia's Etsy store favorited for a minute, and this matte black catsuit is undoubtedly one of her more conservative offerings (I thought about including the sparkly mermaid catsuit instead, but decided to go more "Catwoman" instead of "Creature of the Black Lagoon"). I also like this catsuit because it's perfect for the sorta lazy, can't sew, wait-till-the-last-minute cosplayer (i.e. me). If hoods aren't your thing (perfectly understandable), check out the non-hooded variations here, here, and here.
Real talk here for a second: I don't know where you might wear this catsuit or which character you would be, but I feel very strongly you should know about it anyway. Maybe you're an intergalatic space princess lost in time. Maybe you're the personification of a galaxy. Maybe you're cosplaying Britney Spears in Toxic. I don't know. But I do know this is sheer and sparkly and I like it a lot. dbleudazzled is famous for crystallizing lingerie, hosiery, and performance wear, and they do accept custom orders. If skintone mesh isn't your thing, there's also a black version of this catsuit avaialble. Honestly, I had to flip a coin to decide which to include here.
If you're a cosplayer, where are some of your favorite places to buy? And do you have any catsuit or bodysuit fit tips?