June 27, 2009

Releasing Your Inner Lara: Tomb Raider Cosplay

An introduction to the world of Tomb Raider cosplay by guest blogger Sara, webmaster of laracroftcosplay.com.

Hi, I'm Sara from laracroftcosplay.com and I'm here to talk to you about the cosplay side of Tomb Raider games. For those of you who don't know, cosplay is a combination of two words: costume and play. It originated in Japan and means to dress up as a character from games, anime, movies and more.

I myself am a cosplayer and run a website about Tomb Raider cosplay, where we have a huge gallery of people who have dedicated time and effort to creating their outfits. I started the site because I wanted to celebrate their hard work and encourage new cosplayers to explore the hobby. We also offer cosplay resources, such as character and costume lists, how-to articles for creating costumes and props, and links to other cosplay and merchandise sites.

Tomb Raider cosplayer collage - click for full-size image
Just a few of the 100+ Tomb Raider cosplayers featured at laracroftcosplay.com. Click to view full-size image.

So I hear you ask why do I cosplay Lara? Well...Lara is a strong, sexy, intelligent, determined, witty and brave individual. She has qualities about her that so far I have not seen in any fictional or non-fictional characters. She's also educated, classy and well read. That in my eyes almost makes the perfect woman, and who wouldn't want to feel like their hero once in a while?

Lara has changed me as a person, which some might say is a bit crazy because she's not a real person, but it's the spirit of adventure, and strength of will and character that Lara stands for that inspires me, and so I honor her by dressing in her clothes.






I've also had countless cosplayers tell me that they were shy and had low self-esteem and little confidence, but somehow when getting into the Lara outfit they felt amazing and beautiful.

From this hobby, sprung a tightly knit community, in which we discuss and evaluate each other's work. We have become close friends and like to support each other too.

Tomb Raider cosplay isn't only for Lara look-alikes—or even just for girls. Players can have fun dressing as any character from the games or movies—male or female, friend or foe. So if you miss playing dress-up like you did when you were a kid, or you just want to try walking in Lara's boots for a while, why not give Tomb Raider cosplay a try?

I would like to say thank you so much to Stella for giving me the opportunity to introduce the world of Lara Croft cosplay to you.


Tomb Raider cosplayers (left to right): Ivan as Kurtis Trent, Jeanna as Amanda Evert and Jonathan as James Rutland. Photos courtesy of laracroftcosplay.com.

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