Formspring Follow up

A follow up question to an answer I had given earlier

i'm sorry i didnt even realize i havent givin you any info on my build or character i'm so ditzy sometimes when it comes to talking to new ppl i like alot of mecha animes like gurran lagon , s-cryed, i also like hellsing well i adore hellsing
my build is XXXX about XXXX but plan on slimming down a bit before con i'm so terrible at being social i dont have any screename to use for future coraspondents so if you want to choose one for i'll go by that in the future fellow otaku

So I received this in response to an answer I had given previously.  I will take the time and give a bit more of an answer now.  I am going to assume that you are a male, planning on doing a female costume.  If it is the reverse, much of what I say will be still applicable, you just need to alter the bodyshaping that you use.

First piece of advice, don't start work on your costume until after the 'slimming down' part of your plan is complete.  It is impossible to predict exactly how your body will change with excercise.  As such, if you make an outfit on what you think your new measurements will be, there is no guarantee that it will find in the end.  It may end up too loose in some places, too tight in others.  So make sure that you know what your measurements are before you start, so you don't waste time, money and effort.

I'll admit that I'm not as familiar with the anime that you have listed.  The only character who is female from Gurran Lagen that I know wears a bikini top and small shorts.  As such, that series is not a good one to pick from right now.  It is possible to do such a character, and do it well, but it requires a great deal of experience to make the body shaping appear natural.  And even with all my costume work, I would not be able to make something like that.  Hellsing is likely to be a better choice, since the outfits are primarily military style uniforms, which make hiding body shaping devices much simpler.

Speaking of which, body shaping is the foundation of crossplay.  It is impossible for me to give you a specific layout, since every person is different.  Likely you'll need to adjust it over time to get a more natural look for you.  Some pieces can be made yourself, such as breasts (there are online tutorials), but I find that you get what you pay for.  Homemade breasts often do not look good.  A good quality pair will be expensive, but will look much more real.  And there is no way to make a home made corset.  You will definitely need to buy that.  Make sure you get an underbust corset, not an overbust one.  The overbust style has cups that are meant to lift the breasts, but on a male torso they will not fall in the right place.  Further, they don't work well with fake breasts, often simply mashing them against the body, making them look flat and distorted.  Get a strong, steel boned underbust corset.  I suggest Glamour Boutique, their prices are good, they have plenty of information for picking the right size, and my friend has used them before so they are reliable.  Hip and butt padding are the easiest to make for yourself, with a little practice.  As for the boy bits, this is a matter of personal preference and comfort, whether you prefer tucking, taping, or gaffs.  Experiment at home and see what works.  You want to make sure it won't come loose, but that you can handle wearing it for long periods of time.  Be wary of very tight clothes, as bulges, seams or the corset bones may show through and give the game away.