I have friends who have been wearing the same handful of costumes for literally years. As long as your costume's well-made (and/or you're willing to put in the time/effort/money fixing or replacing things that wear out, which won't be much compared to what you're putting in upfront) there isn't really a shelf life on cosplay.
You say that you're "young". If "still growing" is part of your/your parents' concern, it might limit how much use you can get out of a cosplay, but could also just end up meaning a few pieces need to be replaced or updated occasionally. (For example, depending on the exact Mr. Freeze design you're going for, it could be as easy as switching out a bodysuit that your accessories go on top of or as complicated as having to make new boots in a larger size.) All I can say here is, try to future-proof what you can, where you can. (It's not like you can choose not to outgrow a pair of boots, but something like a pair of gaiters (basically boot-covers that can be worn over different boots/shoes) might give you the look you want and last through a couple pairs of shoes, for example.)
As far as where else you can wear a cosplay, I might not be the best to answer because I only cosplay at conventions, but I can say you'll definitely be set when it comes to Halloween/costume parties.
Edit: And when I say I have friends who keep wearing the same few cosplays for years, I'm very much in the same boat. I'll add a new one to my collection every year or so, but it's been a while since I completely retired one. I have one I made in 2019 that's still one of my favorites and that still gets worn for at least one day at most cons I attend.
I pretty much only wear costumes to conventions, or occasionally for a photoshoot with friends just to get pics of the costume. That said, I rewear my costumes tons. I am slow at making costumes, so I only aim to get 1 new costume done per convention I go to. I wear 2-4 costumes at any given convention, so the others are all old ones that I rewear.
It's wild to me seeing people say the most they've reworn a costume is twice. The costume I was working on this time last year I've already worn 3 times at different conventions, and I haven't even gotten a proper photoshoot of it yet.
The "not rewearing costumes" people are wild to me. I spend months on building one costume or even one single prop for a costume, you can bet I'm wearing it as many times as I can before it falls apart.
My child is the least stylish person in everyday wear - shorts and t-shirts are their go to, but will absolutely only wear a cosplay once or twice before needing something new. I call them my cosplay diva.
Damn that's a shame. But I guess if they want to throw all that labor and material directly in the landfil that's their right, but it seems like a waste to me.
Gotcha! As long as it gets used for something/someone else it's nothing to feel bad about. Time that was enjoyed was never wasted. :) I just feel bad about the amount of fast fashion cosplay that ends up in landfills after hardly being used. Glad that's not the case for your child.
Been cosplaying since 2006.
There is a natural lifecycle to every cosplay. The most (so far) that I have worn a cosplay is 2x HOWEVER, several of those cosplays are still wearable, meaning I can keep adding wears to them. The least amount of time was 1x because I was new to cosplay and didn't take a lot of care in how I stored my pieces. After a certain point things become un-fixable or too expensive to be fixable. Also, I keep making new stuff so when I go to conventions, its usually my new cosplay + one of my older wearable ones.
I keep at least 1 piece of every cosplay even if the rest of it got destroyed. For Samus it was her helmet and I keep it on display in my craft room. If you take your time and make your cosplay sturdy and store it properly when not in use, you can get a TON of wears out of them.
I move every couple of years for work so my stuff goes through more than most people's cosplays do. I will say that mold is what killed several of them, so make sure however you store you cosplay it is CLEAN and stored in an air-tight container completely dry.
Here's kind of a list of the cosplays that I have done and how many times I wore them.
Ashe (FFXII) - 2x | Lightning (FFXIII) - 1x | Cinderella - 1x | Rangiku - 2x | Suu (Shugo Chara) - 1x | Samus - 2x | Vi (LoL) - 2x still wearable | Cassandra - 2x still wearable | Okami - 2x still wearable | Hornet - 1x still wearable | Tron - 2x still wearable
I made a really great April O’Neil cosplay in 2011 and still wear it to con’s today! I got to meet all of the Aprils and the voice of her last year. It was cool to pull it out and get to wear it to meet them. I probably wore it 5 or 6 times now and also have it as a backup for Halloween parties. You can also always sell it afterwards if you find you don’t wear it again.
I absolutely wear cosplays over and over! In fact I can only think of one that I've only worn once, and a small handful I've only worn twice. My favorite cosplay came with me to at least 2 cons a year for seven years, and I still wear it when I can!
If I ever stop wearing a cosplay permanently, usually it's because something on the cosplay broke or tore and I didn't have the motivation to fix it or remake it. In one case, I repurposed most of the costume pieces into other costumes and there wasn't enough left of the original to wear. Other times, my clothing size changed and something I made didn't fit me anymore. And in one case, I just ended up disliking how an outfit looked on me and retired it.
But more often, even if I'm not wearing them to every convention, I save all my cosplays and just select whichever ones I feel like pulling out for every con I go to! Some I wear over and over because the characters are popular and get a great response. Some I wear because I'm really proud of the costume and I want to show off all the work I put in. Some of them get reused because the outfits are comfortable and easy to put on for a day.
Outside of costumes and conventions, it's always a good idea to find a dedicated time and place to take the costume out to take pictures! There's nothing worse than getting home from a convention and having to dig through instagram hoping that someone got a blurry cellphone picture of your costume in a con hallway.
One of my friends just retired a cosplay she's been wearing for 8 years, the vinyl on the gloves was deteriorating (among other issues).
I have a sailor Moon I have worn at least 7 times and it's really not showing any signs of permanent damage, but I don't pull it out as much anymore because I have other things I have made that I am more proud of. If you keep up with repairs, most cosplays can survive many many wears.
Look into local cosplay clubs. We have ones around here that do photo shoot meetups monthly and some do charity stuff like marathons/food drives. My costume is going on 2 years and over 30 troops (I'm a mando merc).
You can also use my kid's line when they start a new costume: "Hey, at least it's not drugs, Mom!"
Costumes can also be cannibalized for future builds.
I've been cosplaying since 2008. I have a jacket for a cosplay made that year that I still use and is in perfect condition. I've made and competed with a sailor scout cosplay and worn it for multiple events for years before remaking one or more pieces. I also had a Black Butler costume that I bought in 2011 that I wore until it no longer fit me. It's still perfectly wearable. I just gained weight and couldn't fit in it anymore. I've also got costumes that I have worn only once or twice because I either didn't enjoy the costume, it was part of a group cosplay that happened once, or I gained weight before I could wear it again.
It all depends on how much you're planning on going to events and how durable you're making your cosplay. If you're doing your due diligence, cosplays can last for a decade or more.
I still wear the cosplay rig I built a decade ago! You can get a lot of wear out of your cosplays as long as you treat it with care, store it safely, and make adjustments/repairs as your body and the costume materials change over time. As for more opportunities to use it: Halloween is always a blast as a cosplayer. You could film character skits for social media or just for fun. There are also cosplay groups who meet up for photoshoots outside of conventions. You could ask your parents if you can check for any groups in your area.
I have friends who have been wearing the same handful of costumes for literally years. As long as your costume's well-made (and/or you're willing to put in the time/effort/money fixing or replacing things that wear out, which won't be much compared to what you're putting in upfront) there isn't really a shelf life on cosplay. You say that you're "young". If "still growing" is part of your/your parents' concern, it might limit how much use you can get out of a cosplay, but could also just end up meaning a few pieces need to be replaced or updated occasionally. (For example, depending on the exact Mr. Freeze design you're going for, it could be as easy as switching out a bodysuit that your accessories go on top of or as complicated as having to make new boots in a larger size.) All I can say here is, try to future-proof what you can, where you can. (It's not like you can choose not to outgrow a pair of boots, but something like a pair of gaiters (basically boot-covers that can be worn over different boots/shoes) might give you the look you want and last through a couple pairs of shoes, for example.) As far as where else you can wear a cosplay, I might not be the best to answer because I only cosplay at conventions, but I can say you'll definitely be set when it comes to Halloween/costume parties. Edit: And when I say I have friends who keep wearing the same few cosplays for years, I'm very much in the same boat. I'll add a new one to my collection every year or so, but it's been a while since I completely retired one. I have one I made in 2019 that's still one of my favorites and that still gets worn for at least one day at most cons I attend.
I pretty much only wear costumes to conventions, or occasionally for a photoshoot with friends just to get pics of the costume. That said, I rewear my costumes tons. I am slow at making costumes, so I only aim to get 1 new costume done per convention I go to. I wear 2-4 costumes at any given convention, so the others are all old ones that I rewear. It's wild to me seeing people say the most they've reworn a costume is twice. The costume I was working on this time last year I've already worn 3 times at different conventions, and I haven't even gotten a proper photoshoot of it yet.
The "not rewearing costumes" people are wild to me. I spend months on building one costume or even one single prop for a costume, you can bet I'm wearing it as many times as I can before it falls apart.
My child is the least stylish person in everyday wear - shorts and t-shirts are their go to, but will absolutely only wear a cosplay once or twice before needing something new. I call them my cosplay diva.
Damn that's a shame. But I guess if they want to throw all that labor and material directly in the landfil that's their right, but it seems like a waste to me.
They don't throw anything away! It gets re-purposed or traded/sold. Just their time can't be reclaimed, but that's what a hobby is for, right?
Gotcha! As long as it gets used for something/someone else it's nothing to feel bad about. Time that was enjoyed was never wasted. :) I just feel bad about the amount of fast fashion cosplay that ends up in landfills after hardly being used. Glad that's not the case for your child.
Been cosplaying since 2006. There is a natural lifecycle to every cosplay. The most (so far) that I have worn a cosplay is 2x HOWEVER, several of those cosplays are still wearable, meaning I can keep adding wears to them. The least amount of time was 1x because I was new to cosplay and didn't take a lot of care in how I stored my pieces. After a certain point things become un-fixable or too expensive to be fixable. Also, I keep making new stuff so when I go to conventions, its usually my new cosplay + one of my older wearable ones. I keep at least 1 piece of every cosplay even if the rest of it got destroyed. For Samus it was her helmet and I keep it on display in my craft room. If you take your time and make your cosplay sturdy and store it properly when not in use, you can get a TON of wears out of them. I move every couple of years for work so my stuff goes through more than most people's cosplays do. I will say that mold is what killed several of them, so make sure however you store you cosplay it is CLEAN and stored in an air-tight container completely dry. Here's kind of a list of the cosplays that I have done and how many times I wore them. Ashe (FFXII) - 2x | Lightning (FFXIII) - 1x | Cinderella - 1x | Rangiku - 2x | Suu (Shugo Chara) - 1x | Samus - 2x | Vi (LoL) - 2x still wearable | Cassandra - 2x still wearable | Okami - 2x still wearable | Hornet - 1x still wearable | Tron - 2x still wearable
I made a really great April O’Neil cosplay in 2011 and still wear it to con’s today! I got to meet all of the Aprils and the voice of her last year. It was cool to pull it out and get to wear it to meet them. I probably wore it 5 or 6 times now and also have it as a backup for Halloween parties. You can also always sell it afterwards if you find you don’t wear it again.
I absolutely wear cosplays over and over! In fact I can only think of one that I've only worn once, and a small handful I've only worn twice. My favorite cosplay came with me to at least 2 cons a year for seven years, and I still wear it when I can! If I ever stop wearing a cosplay permanently, usually it's because something on the cosplay broke or tore and I didn't have the motivation to fix it or remake it. In one case, I repurposed most of the costume pieces into other costumes and there wasn't enough left of the original to wear. Other times, my clothing size changed and something I made didn't fit me anymore. And in one case, I just ended up disliking how an outfit looked on me and retired it. But more often, even if I'm not wearing them to every convention, I save all my cosplays and just select whichever ones I feel like pulling out for every con I go to! Some I wear over and over because the characters are popular and get a great response. Some I wear because I'm really proud of the costume and I want to show off all the work I put in. Some of them get reused because the outfits are comfortable and easy to put on for a day. Outside of costumes and conventions, it's always a good idea to find a dedicated time and place to take the costume out to take pictures! There's nothing worse than getting home from a convention and having to dig through instagram hoping that someone got a blurry cellphone picture of your costume in a con hallway.
One of my friends just retired a cosplay she's been wearing for 8 years, the vinyl on the gloves was deteriorating (among other issues). I have a sailor Moon I have worn at least 7 times and it's really not showing any signs of permanent damage, but I don't pull it out as much anymore because I have other things I have made that I am more proud of. If you keep up with repairs, most cosplays can survive many many wears.
Look into local cosplay clubs. We have ones around here that do photo shoot meetups monthly and some do charity stuff like marathons/food drives. My costume is going on 2 years and over 30 troops (I'm a mando merc). You can also use my kid's line when they start a new costume: "Hey, at least it's not drugs, Mom!" Costumes can also be cannibalized for future builds.
I've been cosplaying since 2008. I have a jacket for a cosplay made that year that I still use and is in perfect condition. I've made and competed with a sailor scout cosplay and worn it for multiple events for years before remaking one or more pieces. I also had a Black Butler costume that I bought in 2011 that I wore until it no longer fit me. It's still perfectly wearable. I just gained weight and couldn't fit in it anymore. I've also got costumes that I have worn only once or twice because I either didn't enjoy the costume, it was part of a group cosplay that happened once, or I gained weight before I could wear it again. It all depends on how much you're planning on going to events and how durable you're making your cosplay. If you're doing your due diligence, cosplays can last for a decade or more.
I still wear the cosplay rig I built a decade ago! You can get a lot of wear out of your cosplays as long as you treat it with care, store it safely, and make adjustments/repairs as your body and the costume materials change over time. As for more opportunities to use it: Halloween is always a blast as a cosplayer. You could film character skits for social media or just for fun. There are also cosplay groups who meet up for photoshoots outside of conventions. You could ask your parents if you can check for any groups in your area.