Rules

COSTUME GUIDELINES:

● Every costume submission must be predominantly handmade (crafted from scratch), accounting for at least 70% of the competitor's effort.

● Prohibited are store-bought costumes or those primarily composed of store-bought garments, encompassing items from any retailers .

● Permitted store-bought items include wigs, notions, trims, belts, shoes, jewelry, and most accessories. The inclusion of other items is subject to the judges' discretion.

● Participants are strongly encouraged to present reference and progress photos of their costumes during pre-judging. These images may be provided physically (as print-outs or compiled in a build book) or digitally (on the contestant’s personal phone or tablet device). For efficiency, digitally displayed images should be organized in a designated folder/album on the device. Competitors in Journeyman and Masters categories are expected to provide multiple progress and reference photos.

● Commissioned costumes may only be submitted if the costume creator is present at the pre-judging session.

COMPETITION RULES:

● This competition is open to all attendees of The Nostalgia Con with a valid event badge or bracelet.

● Only one entry is allowed per person or group.

● No individual is permitted to submit multiple entries.

● A maximum of 100 entries are permitted, with 50 slots allocated for online registration. The remaining slots will be reserved for in-person registration at the convention. In the event that all slots are filled before Saturday, a waitlist will be created. Individuals on the waitlist will only be contacted if sufficient registered contestants fail to attend pre-judging.

● Individual entries are restricted to one person, while group entries may include 2-10 individuals.

● Completion of the entry form is mandatory for all contestants.

● All costumes must originate from established sources such as cartoons, comic books, anime, video games, tabletop games, television shows, manga, novels, movies, etc.

● Costumes must adhere to a PG-13 rating or lower, with nudity and provocative costumes strictly prohibited.

● Unacceptable behavior, including but not limited to trash-talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, and bullying (both in-person and online), will result in removal from the competition and potential expulsion from the convention.

● The use of harmful or potentially harmful materials, such as water, cigarettes, flames, fireworks or sparklers, smoke, silly string, confetti, or any other substances that can be fired, launched, or dropped, is strictly forbidden.

● All props and costumes used in the competition must comply with The Nostalgia Con’s Prop and Costume Rules and must be tagged by Prop Check.

● Cosplay does NOT imply consent. Taking photos of other contestants without consent while in line or backstage is prohibited. Inappropriate touching or communication with other contestants will lead to disqualification and potential expulsion from the convention.