One of the things I love about the San Diego Comic Con is that there is always something new to see and do. Every year, new movies, games, shows, memes, and nostalgia for old favorites create a tide of trends in booths, merchandise, and even cosplays. The ebbs and flows of pop culture are easy to see in the costumes seen around the convention. Here are some of the trends we spotted at this year’s Comic Con.
Barbie Costumes
There was a notable increase in the amount of pink worn at the convention this year thanks to the Barbie movie and unsurprisingly, we saw tons of blondes wading through the crowds wearing their favorite Barbie outfits. Some wore comfortable clothes that still were easily recognizable…
while others brought in props to help viewers recognize their iconic looks.
And it wasn’t just ladies getting in on the fun, there were plenty of Ken dolls too. This neon, rollerblading Ken costume from the film was by far the most popular.
Other Dolls
Not everyone is a Barbie fan, but the celebration of America’s favorite doll also brought out fans of other toy lines, particularly Jem (who some people mistakenly believe is a Barbie character) and Monster High characters, like this Spectra Vondergeist.
The Addams Family
Few characters are as far away from Barbie as Wednesday Addams, but with the overwhelming success of Netflix’s Wednesday, it’s hardly surprising that there were dozens of girls running around in her lacy, black dress from the dance scene, black and gray school uniform, or classic black childhood dress with the white Peter Pan collar.
With all the popularity of the newest Addams Family franchise, there was still plenty of love for the nineties versions of the characters. This Addams Family Values group was particularly delightful with the blonde-wigged Fester and his would-be widow, Debbie, in tow.
Loki Variants
Perhaps the most popular part of Disney +’s Loki was the appearance of multiple Loki variants. While it was cool to see some of the variants seen in the show, like Sylvie, it was also delightful to see people make their own alternate-universe versions of the character. This cholo Loki was a perfect fit for San Diego, where there are always plenty of people sporting this classic style.
And there’s a lot to love about this great 1600s version of the character that looks like Loki replaced George Washington. I’ll be honest though, I still don’t know if this is some secretive Easter egg cosplay featuring a costume from a comic book —either way, he looks incredible.
Mario
While there are always plenty of Mario Bros. characters at any given con, there certainly seemed to be an increase this year after the overwhelming success of the Mario movie. This adorable piranha plant is a perfect follow-up to all the sexy Bowsette cosplays we’ve seen in the last few years.
Male Genderswaps
Another trend we saw more than usual this year was men dressing up as female characters. Though there are always plenty of genderswapped cosplays at any given con (we’ve covered them ourselves in past years), these costumes are overwhelmingly worn by females —until this year, where there seemed to be more males than usual. This particular genderswap also was part of the Mario costume trend.
The great thing about these genderswaps is that they ranged from men wearing dresses or full drag to gents casually wearing somewhat androgynous costumes of female characters, like Jubilee from the X-Men.
Funny Costumes
Let me start by saying that, like Mario cosplays, there are always funny costumes at any given con. That being said, there were some genuinely hilarious costumes this year. Perhaps the most original was this “Real Life” Funko Pop of Mark. Now that’s one truly limited edition toy.
Though he may be a real person, Guy Fieri and his legendary Flavortown have largely become a meme —one that people loved seeing cosplayed by this young lady.
If you watched SNL during the 90s, you likely remember the heroic exploits of the Ambiguously Gay Duo. Plenty of con attendees must have been fans of their adventures because these two were attracted quite a crowd of giggling fans.
Inanimate Objects
The Funko Pop cosplay above isn’t the only inanimate toy-turned-cosplay, but whereas Pop toys at least have a face, this Rubik’s cube is a faceless object waiting to be solved.
When it comes to more lively object costumery, this adorable Ecto-1 cosplay is sure to speed into your life, ready to capture the ghosts hiding in your heart.
Photographs by Zeon Santos.
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