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lutternoodling · 4 years

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How I Packed Carry-on For Four Months of Travel

A mostly exhaustive list of what I packed to live in Cape Town and Italy, to be in summer and winter, to feel stylish and able to take on any adventure, and to not buy new things!

My partner, James Martin’s, post on what he packed is here too! https://jameslmart.in/packing/

(Some example outfits! Featuring dresses and layers, boots and go-to sneakers, and some of my warmer layers)

My partner and I spent the last four months living abroad. We spent three months in South Africa, mostly in Cape Town with side adventures to Kruger National Park and a camping road trip in the Karoo (South Africa’s mountainous, semi-desert region), and then a month traveling Italy from Florence in the North to Sicily in the South. Along the way, we were both working remotely, trail running and hiking as much as we could, helping out at local farms, and exploring and soaking up as much of everything as we could. We lived cheaply, simply, and wonderfully, and we tried to pack that way too :-)

Packing Philosophy:

Versatile, functional, classic, able to mix and match

Mostly things that could be sweat in and would be easy to hand wash and air dry

I wanted to feel stylish and professional if I needed to

I wanted to feel like I “fit in” in every place I’d be

I wanted active clothes that would allow me to do any activity (ended up running on trail and road, hiking, farming, swimming, camping, joining a gym, on safari, and taking a dance class)

I wanted to feel like I could run a workshop or work at a co-working space and fit in

I needed pieces that could be layered or used in multiple climates (Cape Town summer and Italian winter)

* I wanted to pack light but I also wanted to feel good in everything I owned and have enough things to make life feel comfortable/me/not limited (the #balance!)

And I didn’t want to purchase anything new for this trip (or on this trip, at least out of necessity)! Everything below I already owned or acquired second hand

A few notes on this list:

I’ve noted the things I acquired after I left.

Most of the items I’ve had for a very long time (I chose a few of them because I’ve had them so long and worn them so much I wouldn’t be sad if I had to get rid of them on this trip).

I posted some links just for reference, a lot of these available second hand or new from sites like Poshmark/eBay, not encouraging anyone else to buy them just a useful idea of what I found to be basic, versatile, and functional

James and I ended up shipping a box home with some gifts and more summer-y clothes before leaving for Italy. This made the second stage of our trip way easier!

(The Osprey 46, empty and packed. Shoes loaded in first in bags, then packing cubes, then rolled clothes. Notes below.)

Bags:

1 carryon, 1 backpack, 1 purse, 1 fanny, 2 totes

Osprey, Porter 46 black. Did so much research on this but these are what swayed me:

Lockable padded laptop compartment

A backpack with hip straps so you can walk with it without carrying weight all on your back

Compressible and able to fit in all carryon sizes

Really easy to keep organized, which is super important if you’re repacking nightly

A front loading compartment

Company with a lifetime guarantee

Had previous version of this bag that I used for longer travels for years, but the newer versions included the padded laptop compartment. I sold mine for $46 and found a second hand bag in the new version locally for $40!

I was definitely nervous that the bag would be too small to fit what I’d need for this trip, but I’ve learned that no matter how big the bag, you will always find a way to fill it, but if you force yourself to constrain what you pack, you’ll be happier. Was definitely true for me on this trip. It was a squeeze and the bag was always packed full, but I didn’t need any more than I had with me.

James got one of these used in red also! Both of us would highly recommend them.

Daily backpack (Timbuktu), my perfect tiny backpack, still fits a laptop, reflective/waterproof

Messenger bag purse (Roots)

A classic, James and I both had one since good unisex design. Great organization and secure for travel. Can wear it more fanny pack style too. Packed this in my backpack on travel days.

Fanny pack (L.L.Bean), great for hikes or day trips, liked being able to see my stuff in the city

Packing cubes!!!!!

These were organizational keys! Made having to pack up and find things quickly in the later part of the trip every night doable.

I like having different colours to make searching for things easier and ideally double zippers so you can access things from either side.

Marshall’s carries good brands of these too!

Canvas tote bags

We used these all the time, for groceries, day trips, etc., and they pack away to nothing

Tops:

Tank tops: 3 nice, 2 running

Basic black tank (Topo designs)

Basic white linen tank

Basic striped tank

Gray running top x 2

T-shirts: 1

Basic white (Madewell)

Long-sleeve: 1 nice, 2 running (brought 1, acquired 2)

Black running top

Neon running top (thrifted in SA)

Basic black long-sleeve (thrifted in SA)

Bottoms:

Shorts: 2 nice, 3 active

Blue denim (Madewell)

Khaki (second hand Patagonia)

Black running (Oiselle)

Navy running (Outdoor Voices)

Pink running (Nike)

Leggings: 1

Basic black (running or casual)

Pants: 2

White jean (COS)

Black jean

Tights: 1

Black (for dresses in winter)

Dresses:

3 (brought 2, acquired 1)

Green maxi dress

Blue travel mini dress (Oiselle) (acquired: my mum left it for me when she visited)

Black floral t-shirt dress (secondhand from my sis, can wear in winter with tights)

Intimates:

Pajamas (tank and shorts)

Bathing suits x 3

Speedo for lap swimming

One piece and bikini

Sports bras x 3

Bras and underwear

Socks (mostly ones that could be worn running or everyday)

Layers:

4 (1 shirt, 1 sweater, 1 jacket,1 scarf)

Denim button-down, thrifted

Basic black sweater (Lululemon)

Black packable down jacket

Gray infinity scarf

Shoes:

4 (1 day sneaker, 1 boot, 1 road running, 1 trail running)

White sneaker, go-to everyday shoe I can walk forever in without aggravating my plantar fasciitis (Nike)

I add silicone heel cups for added cushion

Waterproof boots for farm work, hiking, water, or winter (Blundstones)

Road running shoes, black for running or style (Brooks)

Trail running shoes (Salomon) (acquired: first week in SA when it became clear we were going to become trail runners)

(Top: all of my packing cubes and clothes not in cubes I rolled to pack, Middle: All clothes packed plus what I was wearing on the plane and bags that also got packed / All of the bags and miscellaneous things, Bottom: cosmetics on left / packed Osprey and daypack on right)

Running Accessories:

Hand-held watter bottle (Nathan)

Phone carrier (Koala Clip)

Hydration trail vest (Nathan 5L with bladder)

Anti-chafing stick (BodyGlide)

Gua Sha tool for massaging tight calves etc. (Like this one)

Resistance band

Spiky ball to roll feet out

Electronics:

Laptop

Camera, found a great second hand point-and-shoot that didn’t take up much space but took great photos

Kindle (inherited from my brother, AMAZING to sync with a library and have infinite free books instantly)

Converters for Europe and SA

Misc:

2 hats! (running and casual)

Goggles for swimming laps

Notebook and journal

Sketchbook and minimal art supplies in a pencil case

Reusable water bottle

Reusable coffee cup (Keepcup)

Sporks!

Cosmetics (minimal) obviously, but not going through those fully here :-)

Minimal makeup

Soap tin

Daily cosmetics

Homemade face wash and washcloths

(James wearing the Osprey Porter 46 and his day pack. How we looked on travel days!)

Hope this can be helpful for someone (or to my future self remembering how to travel light and enjoy it) :-)

#packing #packinglight #travel #livingoutofabackpack #livingabroad #packinglist #packingblog #carryon

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kentonramsey · 5 years

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How A Booming Resale Business Could Lead The Future of Sustainable Fashion

Wayback when (before it became chic), rummaging through thrift stores and Church charity shops to buy secondhand clothing carried a certain stigma — they were tiny, often disorganised spaces packed with racks of old T-shirts, polyester blouses, and all sorts of strange, costumey garments from any decade accented by a hint of mothballs. But for many shoppers, thrifting was about more than bargain-basement prices: It was also where you could stumble upon a mispriced vintage Chanel jacket that cost less than lunch. People who love thrifting describe it as a treasure hunt, one that eventually migrated online to eBay and, for those looking to do slightly less work, the early version of Nasty Gal. For the most intrepid of shoppers, the opportunity to sift through finds that weren’t professionally merchandised presented the greatest sartorial reward of all: deciding for oneself what was cool and “in style.”

In recent years, the contrast between buying secondhand and shopping in a glossy brand flagship has blurred pretty significantly. Online resale sites like The RealReal, Depop, and Poshmark, all of which launched in 2011, have made buying used clothing as simple and appealing as ordering groceries on FreshDirect. Browsing product listings often feels more akin to perusing a department store website — or, in the case of Gen Z favorite Depop, scrolling through Instagram. EBay, the granddaddy of online resale that launched in 1995, draws 182 million active buyers globally, and has made it possible for millions to earn major money selling on its site. (This is, after all, how the once-revered Nasty Gal got off the ground.)

Shoppers everywhere are eating it up: Not just those who are short on cash, but people with annual incomes in the millions. Tech investors are pouring money into the space, with Depop raising over £50 million in June and ThredUp closing a £143 million round last month, bringing its total funding to more than £245 million. The RealReal, which focuses on luxury fashion, went public on the Nasdaq stock market this summer, bringing a new level of legitimacy to the business.

The business of secondhand clothing isn’t changing just because of its explosive growth, though ThredUp estimates that the sector was worth £19 billion in 2018 and could swell to £40 billion by 2023. In recent years, resale sites have realised that they’re finally able to capitalise on their businesses’ inherent sustainability factor. As concerns over fashion’s tremendous environmental impact have grown louder and more persistent, resale — and, to a certain degree, the clothing rental business — has become something of a white knight for sustainability in fashion. According to the New York Times, fashion accounts for 8 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and a majority of new clothing gets incinerated or tossed in the rubbish within a year. In light of alarming facts like these, buying used clothing has started to look like a seriously good alternative — even for beginners not so familiar with searching through the discount racks.

Chloë MacDonald-Comely, 26, swore off fast fashion as a New Year’s resolution, citing its immense waste and the higher potential for cheap fabrics to shed microplastics. Mistrustful of greenwashing from brands that make big but (upon closer inspection) flimsy sustainability claims, she started buying secondhand clothing on The RealReal, Depop, and Instagram.

“I think that resale in the long-term is better for the environment, because you’re not creating waste,” says MacDonald-Comely. “It feels more impactful to stop creating the need for consumption, because I think that’s a big part of sustainability — the over-consumption of everything.”

Shoppers like MacDonald-Comely are changing the way that resale sites talk about sustainability. Executives at The RealReal, ThredUp, Rebag, and Rent the Runway say that environmentalism has always been a pillar of their businesses, which promote reuse over purchasing new, but in the last few years it has become clear that customers are increasingly turning to them as a way to reduce their impact, too. With that encouragement, resale and rental brands have proceeded to roll out marketing that more boldly broadcasts their eco-friendliness — a feedback loop that heightens consumers’ awareness of these companies as a lower-impact substitute for buying new clothing. And that, of course, can shift our shopping behaviors.

“It feels more impactful to stop creating the need for consumption, because I think that’s a big part of sustainability — the over-consumption of everything.”

—Chloë MacDonald-Comely, 26

Sustainability “is baked into the DNA of the company,” says Erin Wallace, brand director of ThredUp. “However, ten years ago, that was not what people were talking about. Leading with that message would have gotten us nowhere, quite frankly.”

When ThredUp launched in 2009, its biggest hurdle was convincing shoppers to buy pre-worn clothing in the first place, since it still carried a stigma, says Wallace. (In what now seems like a very smart business move, ThredUp launched as a site for secondhand children’s clothing — hand-me-downs being more widely accepted — before expanding into women’s clothing, hooking the parents who were already customers.) To compete with low-priced fast fashion brands in the aftermath of the Recession, ThredUp’s marketing emphasised its affordability, wide brand selection, and practicality as a closet clean-out tool. For those who found eBay too unpleasant and time-consuming, ThredUp provided a more convenient, appealing way to acquire the same things.

But Wallace says that over the last two years, customers have also become focused on the sustainability aspect of resale and are more receptive to marketing around that topic. Hesitant to make environmentalism a central piece of its wide-scale advertising efforts until it was a proven lure to shoppers, ThredUp began dipping its toe into the conversation on Instagram, where it posted an open letter to Burberry about its practice of burning unsold product in 2018. (It got more than 23,000 favorites.) By this spring, apparently, ThredUp had the evidence it needed: The site teamed up with Olivia Wilde in April to launch a collection of screen-printed secondhand clothing, explicitly driving at the idea of reducing textile waste.

Because it trades in luxury brands like Gucci and Balenciaga, The RealReal has made product authentication a key piece of its value proposition to customers; eBay launched its own authentication program in 2017. The RealReal employs more than 100 experts who specialise in areas like jewelry, watches, and leather goods, though its work to weed out counterfeits has seemingly had its hiccups. (“The RealReal puts all items offered for consignment and resale through its own unique, rigorous, multi-point and brand-specific authentication process before it accepts them,” a rep for the site wrote by email. “We stand behind that authentication process for everything we sell. If there is ever any question raised as to authenticity, we will always work with our customers to make it right and continue to provide a safe and reliable platform for consumers to sell luxury items.”)

82% of the RealReal’s customers now cite sustainability as an “important reason” for shopping on its site.

—The RealReal’s 2019 resale report

But shoppers aren’t just coming to The RealReal because they want certified Hermès. In its 2019 resale report, The RealReal said that 82% of its customers now cite sustainability as an “important reason” for shopping on the site. Allison Sommer, Director of Strategic Initiatives at The RealReal, says that number has been gradually ticking upward in recent years, spurred on by its first designer partnership, with Stella McCartney, in 2017. McCartney is one of fashion’s most vocal advocates for eco-friendly design, and in working with her to incentivize consignment of her collection, the consignment site spoke about sustainability in a way that, Fashionista’s Dhani Mau wrote at the time, “the RealReal hasn’t really emphasised in its marketing to this degree before now.”

With reports on the disastrous effects of climate change growing ever more dire, demands for action have dominated headlines in recent weeks, as with 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg’s forceful speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit and the youth-led Global Climate Strike. It’s no wonder consumers are thinking more carefully about how their purchasing decisions figure into the bigger global picture. Resale and rentals run opposite to the buy-it-and-toss-it ethos of fast fashion.

Resale and rentals are, of course, just one way to tackle fashion’s enormous climate footprint. Sustainable fashion, which once called to mind hemp sack dresses and the like, has undergone, as they say, a major glow-up. In July, the luxury conglomerate LVMH took a minority stake in Stella McCartney with an eye toward improving sustainability efforts across its portfolio of labels, which includes Louis Vuitton and Dior. While McCartney has invested in using vegetarian leather and recycled synthetic fabrics, other brands have launched fabric recycling programs (Madewell turning worn-out denim into housing insulation) and are reconfiguring their supply chains to reduce energy and water usage (Levi’s is developing jeans, which typically carry a heavy environmental impact, that require less water to make). Gucci, Versace, and Prada are among the fashion houses that have pledged to eliminate fur from their collections over the last few years. The idea of luxurious, environmentally friendly fashion is no longer an oxymoron. It’s becoming the norm.

But buying or renting used clothing online isn’t without its environmental costs, which executives say comes down to shipping and packaging. To that end, The RealReal has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030. To contend with its packaging waste, Rent the Runway swapped out plastic mailing bags for reusable garment bags in 2015, though it is also the largest single dry cleaner in the country. Is it a green dry cleaner? Gabby Cohen, Rent the Runway’s SVP of brand, communications, and business development, says that the company doesn’t use PERC, a toxic chemical traditionally used in dry cleaning, and notes that it’s always looking to reduce its environmental impact on that front.

But compared to recycled fabrics or supply chain waste reduction, which requires faith that a brand really is making good on its promises, buying pre-worn clothing and selling your unwanted garments has a compelling materiality. You may not know how that secondhand dress got made, but you know with certainty that at the very least it’s not a new dress.

“It’s a feel-good moment,” says Charles Gorra, the founder and CEO of Rebag, which sells used handbags. “I’m actually doing something. I’m actually being proactive in solving this.”

Gorra believes that more impactful change is yet to come. Brands ought to bake resale into their business models, he says, engineering clothing and accessories to be more durable (to accommodate a longer lifespan) and offering resale services to customers, whether on their own or via a resale partnership. Clothing companies have historically been hesitant to work with consignment sites, seeing them as an unknown or a threat to sales.

After its Stella McCartney partnership, Sommer says that The RealReal reached a “tipping point” in the number and frequency of brands reaching out about partnerships. Like Gorra, she views resale as a key part of the fashion ecosystem.

“We absolutely see resale as a built-in part of every single retailer and luxury brand,” says Sommer. “It should be an assumed part of the shopping experience.”

Besides, it would be great for marketing. What retailer doesn’t want that sustainability glow right now?

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

How A Booming Resale Business Could Lead The Future of Sustainable Fashion published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/

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templeofgeek · 4 years

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Whether you have been into cosplay for years or are just starting out, we all have learned one thing: it can get expensive! However, I am here to remind you that it does not have to cost an arm and a leg to create a cosplay. Doctor Who is my favorite television show, and I have created so many cosplays from it. Here, I will show you a break down of my cosplays, where I got certain pieces, and how I made and put together others.

Print on demand

Finding screen accurate pieces for cosplay can be difficult. It can also get expensive. However, print on demand websites are wonderful. Redubble is a print on demand website where artists’ renderings are applied to shirt, sweaters, dresses, etc. These might not be totally accurate, but they will be extremely close and way less expensive. For example, the striped shirt for the Thirteenth Doctor that I own came from Redbubble.

Thirteenth Doctor cosplay shirt

Ace cosplay shirt from Redbubble

Also, my Ace McShane (companion of the seventh Doctor) cosplay shirt came from Redbubble. The “Ace” patch was found on Etsy, but it does not seem to be available at the moment. This cosplay as a whole was a labor of love.

Ace McShane, played by Sophie Aldred,companion to the 7th Doctor

Maddie’s Ace Cosplay. Photo taken by Monica Duarte

Ace cosplay fabric from Spoonflower, cut into the individual patch pieces

Spoonflower is another great print on demand website. This website is more geared toward specialized fabric designed by artists. Since a lot of the patches couldn’t be found for Ace’s jacket, I checked Spoonflower just for fun. Not expecting anything, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was fabric made by an artist of a few of the patches that cannot be found. On Spoonflower, you can order sample sizes of fabric. This was the perfect size to get the “patches” I needed for Ace.

Redbubble replica shirt based on the Tshirt worn by the 12th Doctor

Redbubble replica shirts based on the Tshirts worn by the 12th Doctor and Rose Tyler

More options for print on demand websites include teepublic and society6. Both of these websites have designs made by different artists that are printed directly onto apparel.

Thrift Store and online consignment stores

Tweed jacket from thrift store for Eleventh Doctor

Thrift stores, secondhand stores, and online consignment stores are a gold mine for cosplay! Most of the coats from the different Doctors can be a bit pricey, but finding an alternate at a thrift store or website works perfectly. My very first cosplay was the Eleventh Doctor, and I found a wonderful tweed jacket there for $7. It was a bit big, but having it fixed (or fixing it yourself!) will still cost you less than buying a screen accurate coat/jacket.

Eleventh Doctor cosplay

Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith

eBay, Depop, and Poshmark are some of my favorite places to find secondhand outfits and pieces that you may not be able to find in a regular store.

Ebay is where I found the bomber jacket for my Ace outfit as well as most of the patches and pins. This is the image I used to identify what was on her jacket. To be honest, a lot of these were either impossible to find or were not in circulation anymore. It was still a fun treasure hunt!

River Song, played by Alex Kingston

River Song Cosplay. Photo taken by Katie York, Gallifrey One 2019

Also, once in a while, eBay (or Depop or Poshmark) will have screen accurate or close to accurate Doctor Who items. I was lucky enough to find Mels/River Song’s Ecote Urban Outfitters screen accurate dress for way less than it was in the stores. However, be mindful of shipping. If you are in the United States and you found something in the U.K., then shipping may bring the price back up.

Bill Potts, played by Pearl Mackie. Companion to the 12th Doctor season 10

Knock-off Bill Potts bomber jacket (front)

Knock-off Bill Potts bomber jacket (back)

There is also an alternate Bill Potts jacket that was circulating eBay that works perfectly. It isn’t TopShop, but who can tell? (See above images)

Clara Oswald, aka “Souffle Girl” from Doctor Who episode “Assylum of the Daleks”

Alternate “Souffle Girl” wedged sneakers from Depop

Depop is an app purely for secondhand clothing items. You can type into the search bar “Clara Doctor Who cosplay,” filter the results to international or national, and find great options. I found Souffle Girl alternate shoes on this app for $12.

DIY Cosplay Projects

Sometimes, making props or pieces for a cosplay can be a little intimidating. It doesn’t have to be, and it does not have to be expensive. Find things at your local discount store that can easily be painted or even cut/molded into what you are looking for. Craft stores have a lot of options for materials that do not cost much at all.

The TARDIS. The time and space ship the Doctor uses to travel.

The TARDIS is one of the most fun “characters” in Doctor Who to cosplay. There is so much you can do with her!

Ballerina TARDIS cosplay. Photo taken by Katie York.

My very first TARDIS cosplay was a ballerina version. I used a blue corset that I had purchased from eBay for a Snow White variant I made a while back. The black Forever21 leggings were in my closet already, and I threw on some black flats. Now, the tutu is an Amazon find. I made the windows out of felt pieces I already had, but felt in general is quite inexpensive, and you do not need much for this. The “St. John’s Ambulance” and “Pull to Open” patches were printed onto iron-on fabric paper and ironed on to more felt. I attached them with sticky pins since safety pins do not work well with the bones of the corset.

Punk Rock TARDIS. Gallifrey One, 2019. Photo taken by Monica Duarte

This is my punk rock TARDIS. Rather than purchase ripped leggings (which are so expensive!) I cut a pair of my own I hadn’t worn in a while. The patches are actually printed out images using iron-on printer paper. Way less expensive and less of a hassle than trying to find or create patches. The flannel and the spike jewelry are from Amazon. Since I did not need to wear the flannel as an actual sweater, the size did not matter to me. Sometimes, sizing on Amazon changes the prices, so I went bigger in order to spend less money. The temporary tattoo that says “Gallifrey” in Circular Gallifreyan was made at home. Amazon also has temporary tattoo printer paper available, so I found the Gallifreyan image on Google and printed it out. (I actually printed several in case it didn’t go on right the first time.)

My 5 year old son was also the TARDIS. His costume is much more simple since it can be hard to keep a small child in cosplay. I used a blue t-shirt from a craft store and iron-on paper to attach the windows and signs. The headband light is a clear plastic cup. By request of my little guy, I used blue sparkly pipe cleaner around the bottom of the cup (top of the light). Then, I used blue felt for the strips down the side. In order to get the cup to stay on the headband, I Gorilla glued a piece of cardboard from an Amazon box to the cup and then to the headband.

Dalek. Evil alien from Doctor Who, first appeared in 1963.

Ravenclaw Dalek cosplay. Photo from Gallifrey One 2018

This Dalek DIY Ravenclaw dress was part of a group at Gallifrey One where we were Hogwarts Houses versions of Daleks. Now, there are a couple of ways out there to make a Dalek dress, but I chose the easiest way possible. The bulbs are Styrofoam spheres cut in half and painted with acrylic paint. I glued them on with Gorilla glue. DISCLAIMER: If you are using Gorilla glue on fabric like this, put a piece of parchment paper in between the front and the back. Otherwise, the dress or shirt will be glue together…I learned this from experience. The belt was an inexpensive Amazon find, and the Ravenclaw patch came from Etsy. The “lights” in my hair were made with plastic jello shot cups glued to a couple of bobby pins. That plunger was from the Dollar Tree, and I painted the handle silver to match my house. See that wand? It’s a chopstick painted black!

Gallifrey One Hogwarts House Dalek group. Photo taken by Katie York

Ace cosplay picture taken by Monica Duarte

The patchwork and pins for my Ace cosplay were all attached by hand. She is by far my most favorite cosplay that I have ever created and pieced together. Sewing patches onto a bomber jacket was not something I was going to attempt, so I used Gorilla glue for most of the patches. Also, Ace does use safety pins to attach quite a few of the patches to the jacket. This made application of a lot of them pretty easy.

Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. Companion to the 9th and 10th Doctors until season 3.

This Rose Tyler “Tooth and Claw” outfit uses iron-on patchwork for the shirt. A lot of these designs can be found online, printed out, and then ironed onto your shirt. Iron-on transfer paper can be found at just about an craft store. When in doubt, Amazon!

Download the image below for your own cosplay DIY!

youtube

Closet Cosplay

A lot of Doctor Who costumes can be created by clothing you already have in your closet. You can absolutely create a whole look from “regular” clothes or piece your clothes with purchased and/or created pieces. For example, with my Ace cosplay, I already had the leggings and boots, and I found the skater skirt on clearance from Hot Topic.

9th Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston

9th Doctor cosplay

The Ninth Doctor is a wonderfully easy closet cosplay. Grab yourself a black jacket, a solid, dark colored shirt (olive, dark red, or dark purple will work), black jeans, and black boots. Will it be perfect? No, but every Doctor Who fan will recognize you!

Purchasing licensed pieces

Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor – Doctor Who _ Season 12, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America

Photo taken by Monica Duarte, Gallifrey One 2020

Her Universe currently holds the license for current Thirteenth Doctor products. Within this brand, there are pretty-close-to-accurate Thirteenth Doctor pieces. Her blue and pink shirts are both available. You can also find her coat and culottes. Do not be afraid to treat yourself and purchase these pieces! They are high quality and as close to accurate, I believe, that you will get other than spending a fortune on the legitimate pieces. Side note: the culottes and coat from Her Universe do run a little big. The coat is fine, but I did have to alter the culottes so they were a little shorter.

Her Universe coat, culottes, and 13th Doctor top (pink)

The BBC Doctor Who Shop also has so much to choose from. From sonic screwdrivers to socks, this is where a lot of the licensed products can be found. Lovarzi currently holds the license for the Fifth Doctor’s (played by Peter Davidson) official Cricket Sweater.

Ultimately, just have fun! Cosplay is meant to be fun. The word “play” is in the name! Do what works for you. This fun hobby does not need to cost you a fortune. When it comes to Doctor Who cosplay, there is always a way!

For more cosplay guides:

Temple of Geek Chic: Her Universe 13th Doctor Collection

How To Cosplay Grunge & Air Force Captain Marvel

How to Cosplay Allison (The Rumor- #3) from The Umbrella Academy

Corinna’s Chilling Closet Cosplay: Cosplaying Sabrina on a budget

How to Cosplay MJ from Spider-Man: Far From Home

Cosplay on a budget: how to create Doctor Who cosplays #DoctorWho #DoctorWhoCosplay Whether you have been into cosplay for years or are just starting out, we all have learned one thing: it can get expensive!

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