The Thrift-Shop Cosplayer: Cosplay: Sonic the Hedgehog (2015)

I wasn't planning on going to PAX in Seattle originally, but a badge fell in my lap about a week before so I decided I had to go and see my game-and-computer-loving friends. But what would I cosplay as? Well, my 99 cent blue wig (the sister to the purple wig I used for Hit Girl) popped into my mind and before long I had a plan for a Sonic the Hedgehog costume!

All in needed was some blue "sporty" clothes, some spikes and ears for my hair, and those iconic red shoes, I decided. Oh, and some golden rings.

A new thriftshop, Lifelong (which supports AIDS research and related charities) had recently opened in my neighborhood, so I stopped in there first. It. Was. Amazing. I got a pair of blue workout shorts for 79 cents! The blue no-sleeve shirts I found were also only a couple dollars. I have officially decided that Lifelong is always going to be my first cosplay stop in the future.

After that, I stopped by Goodwill and was thrilled to find the perfect red tennis shoes. Sadly, they were a size too small, but I took out the insoles and found they fit okay; I would just have to wear cushy socks to make up for the lack of padding. The perfect shoes were $5.99

I stopped at a costume and novelty shop to get the blue tights, and there I found GIANT hoop earrings. A little electrical tape to cover the pointed earring part and I had perfect Sonic rings. The novelty shop bill was about $16.

It's Seattle, so I packed a long-sleeve jogging jacket for the evening, but the outfit worked as is for most of the day!

Just some felt, glue gun, and styling for the wig to be clearly "Sonic"-like. All in all, it worked out great and most people could tell who I was right away.

PAX was also a ton of fun, and it was neat to work outside of my comic-book cosplay comfort zone!