It's a well known fact that cosplayers aren't liked or respected by so-called "regular" society. They're seen as a sort of strange subculture that enjoys looking silly and treating each convention as though it were Halloween. I'd like to take a moment to address that sort of mindset, especially in regards to the quality of cosplay, and the fashion trends of other subcultures.

Cosplayers are partially to blame for this view. Many don't work on the details of their costumes, or choose costumes unfitting for them. This is especially prevalent with Sailor Moon fans, who despite their weight or gender, elect to dress up as their favourite senshi. A word of advice: If you're going to play Sailor Moon, at least attempt to fulfil some of the physical requirements. Playing the character you enjoy is a great idea – go for it – but do the character some justice. There's a fair chance that there's a gym near you, so use it. Many cosplayers do hit the gym merely to tone up for their roles. It's a convenient excuse for yourself to get in shape; Abuse this excuse, period.

Costume construction is also a big deal. A lot of people slap together a quick half-job and then try to pass it off as the character's outfit. The reality is, no matter what you do to try and convince everyone that you are Himura Kenshin, you may in fact be nothing more than a cheap imitation. If you don't have time for one or two of the smaller details, that's fine. No one expects you to fulfil everything. At the very least however, try to work on your actual sewing. Make the seams right; use quality materials; and if for some reason you run out of time, make sure any faking you do on the details isn't detectable.

Barring these two factors, I'd like to address the external problem next. To the observer looking in: Yes, we're silly. We know we look silly. I assure you that the Sailor Man you've seen on the internet and possibly at a local convention is aware he looks ridiculous. On one hand, if the costume is done correctly, give credit where credit's due. On the other hand, feel free to laugh along with the rest of us. God knows a good portion of us do it, even if we don't readily admit to it. Surprisingly, there have been a couple of Sailor Men which actually take more care getting into the role than some females do. That at least, is commendable, and I urge some ladies to take note of the craftsmanship.

Looking silly is part of cosplay. It's accepted and liked. Conventions are the equivalent of carnivals for anime fans, an inversion of most of society's regular trappings, if only for the weekend. It's a time to let down your hair and not worry so much about how regular society sees you. From Friday to Saturday, you're with friends at the carnival. When Monday rolls around, you're back to being a regular person in society, and everyone's happy again. I encourage the outside of observer to equate this with a giant party – You don't really care how people see you at that point. While I also encourage some form of decency, it must be understood that conventions are highly liberal settings and aren't meant to be taken as regular behaviour. At least, not when it comes to most fans.

Regarding other subcultures such as the goth trend, or rap culture, or anything else that can be filtered into this category, step back and take a look at how silly everyone winds up looking when they adopt a style. Goths favour heavy makeup and drab clothing. Most goths look like they emerged from one of Anne Rice's nightmares. Rap culture favours overtly baggy clothing, to the point that one wonders if a strong enough breeze will turn half a high school's population into human kites. Cosplayers look like clowns, actors, and street performers from Montreal. It's all silly, and yet it's all accepted by that specific subculture. It's incredibly difficult to find a subculture that doesn't have its share of "Sailor Men". It's also incredibly difficult to find people from a different subcultures who aren't readily willing to criticise each other's styles.

That said, criticism won't end. It can't. Someone will always find something to complain about. But the otaku themselves can put an end to many of the derogatory comments themselves. Raise the bar of quality on cosplay, work at your costume like never before. Even now it's starting to happen, but it needs to happen faster and with broader range.