Starting your cosplay journey can be exciting, but with so many elaborate costumes and complex characters out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. For beginners, choosing characters with simpler costumes can help ease you into the world of cosplay without the need for extensive crafting skills or high-budget materials.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to cosplay costume ideas for beginners—characters that are both iconic and easy to replicate. These choices will allow you to enjoy the cosplay experience without the stress of creating complicated outfits.
1. Luffy from One Piece
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why It’s a Great Beginner Cosplay: Luffy’s costume is simple yet recognizable. His signature look consists of a red vest, blue shorts, a straw hat, and sandals. You can easily find these items in stores or online, and if you’re feeling creative, you can make the vest yourself. Add Luffy’s scar and you’re all set!
What You’ll Need:
Red sleeveless vest
Blue shorts
Straw hat
Sandals
Temporary scar makeup for the chest
2. Ash Ketchum from Pokémon
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why It’s a Great Beginner Cosplay: Ash’s costume is straightforward and easily recognizable to any Pokémon fan. His outfit consists of a casual jacket, blue jeans, a baseball cap, and sneakers—items you probably already have in your wardrobe. Plus, you can carry a Poké Ball or stuffed Pikachu to complete the look.
What You’ll Need:
Blue jacket or vest with white sleeves
Green fingerless gloves
Blue jeans
Red and white baseball cap
Sneakers
Poké Ball prop or Pikachu plush
3. Steven Universe from Steven Universe
Difficulty Level: Very Easy
Why It’s a Great Beginner Cosplay: Steven’s casual, laid-back look is simple to recreate. All you need is a pinkish-red t-shirt with a yellow star, blue jeans, and flip-flops. This is an excellent starter cosplay for anyone looking to ease into the hobby, and the materials can be easily found or customized.
What You’ll Need:
Pink or red t-shirt with a yellow star (easily painted or ironed on)
Blue jeans
Flip-flops
A gem decal or sticker for your belly button (optional)
4. Velma from Scooby-Doo
Difficulty Level: Easy
Why It’s a Great Beginner Cosplay: Velma’s classic look is iconic and easy to put together. Her orange sweater, red skirt, knee-high socks, and glasses are all common clothing items that you can either find in your closet or thrift store. Bonus points for carrying around a magnifying glass!
What You’ll Need:
Orange turtleneck sweater
Red pleated skirt
Knee-high orange socks
Red Mary Jane shoes
Round glasses (non-prescription or costume glasses work too)
Realistic contact lenses from Cosplay Contacts
5. Misty from Pokémon
Difficulty Level: Very Easy
Why It’s a Great Beginner Cosplay: Misty’s outfit is as simple as they come: a yellow tank top, red suspenders, denim shorts, and sneakers. You can put this outfit together with items you already own or can easily purchase. Tie your hair into a side ponytail, and you’ll instantly be recognized as the fiery Gym Leader from Pokémon.
What You’ll Need:
Yellow tank top
Red suspenders
Denim shorts
Red sneakers
Poké Ball or Togepi plush (optional)
