Commissions and Cosplay/ Costumes: How much is this/ am I worth?

Do you love costumes/ cosplay by don't know how to sew? See all the gorgeous hand crafted costumes online and want one too? Think it will cost you $100?... well, maybe think again.
This video explores why so many cosplayers and costumers alike do not take on commissions, and for those who do, why it is important to respect their prices.
This conversation goes further than just costuming of course - corset making, shoe making, sculpture, visual arts, graphic design etc. - really, anything that is made specifically for you and is 100% personalised.
Website: www.kirileecos...
Patreon: / kirileecosplay
Social media:
Facebook page: / kirileecosplay
Instagram: @kirileecosplay

[@valkialivods8192]

I don't get people who don't understand how commissions work, that time is apart of it. The dress is half of the job

[@KirileeCosplay]

Exactly! People are used to the fast fashion consumer culture, where a T-shirt costs $5 but not understanding that the labour costs for that is maybe $0.02 because it is being made in a developing country (don't get me going down that rabbit hole of pain).

[@gothichinata4332]

I do sewing commissions occasionally and I tell everyone who asks right away my hourly rates(which is just a couple of cents above minimum wage in my country) are *plus* material and shipping costs and then a rough estimate of my hours with the words "But it might be more!" And if they're not okay with that I made it a principle for myself to deny the commission entirely because I'm bad with discussing xD Luckly haven't had any bad encounters but yeah. I try to be as direct as possible while still being polite.

[@KirileeCosplay]

That honestly sounds like an amazing way of doing it.

[@ddiana1824]

You are so right with everything you say. I am sure your dress was for about 100 hours of work so the fair price would be somewhere around $2000.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Thank you xoxo

[@Kerberos.Cosplay]

Ive had wayyy too many people ask for commissions of my cosplays from Six The Musical and the sad thing is they mainly come from people new to cosplaying and sewing so they don't understand just how much time and money goes into these things!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Funnily enough, I've had a similar thing. I've had people ask me to make them the Christine Daae masquerade outfit... without having any idea how much work goes into that costume. Over 100 hours of labour time, mostly because of the beading. I got to a stage where I just said no.

[@BlazeDupree1525]

I think I would rather make a Six costume over anything from Phantom of the opera... I've been thinking about making Anne's outfit for a while now, but it's been hard for me to find holographic green vinyl 😓. But I'll take that over the complex and detailed phantom of the opera costumes.

[@MDAVideoProductions]

I figured 1500 minimum cost for Ariel so I'm not surprised I wasn't far off. But this is 100% everything why I don't take commissions

[@KirileeCosplay]

Glad to hear we are in the same boat ;)

[@JaleaWard]

thankyou for the reminder that this is supposed to be fun!

[@KirileeCosplay]

100% YES! I do this for the fun. If I make a buck here or there, that's cool but it's not my main reason.

[@emilyw2962]

I could never do commissions. Even if I were confident enough in my abilities, I would charge what I was worth and nobody would be willing to pay that much. The only time I make things for other people is when my friends want something. But even then, it's not a commission. I simply help them make their costume. I help them design a pattern, help them shop, and then they come over and I teach them how to make their costume. It's fun! I get to hang out with friends, teach them something new, and they develop a greater appreciation for what I do.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Yes! That is the best way. I don’t mind teaching people how to sew because then they have an appreciation for clothing that they never had before

[@KnoviceCosplay]

I love helping my friends make stuff as well! sewing with others is just so fun

[@AnnieChieDesigns]

This is exactly why I only do commission work for friends- they understand the work I do and appreciate it and therefore are willing to pay the labour costs, they insist on it actually. I haven't done a commission since I have graduated from Fashion Design or Costume school, but if I did one my hourly labour costs would definitely be going up due to amount of skills I have.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Exactly :)

[@craftsncosplay]

Thank you for putting this out there! I thought of making a video explaining the pricing for commissions on my website a while ago but I really don't like being on camera. I am a full time cosplay and wig maker, so I do charge by the hour and your calculations are rather correct in how I would personally go on about it, adding on top of the hourly rate + material cost, is 21% tax (I live in Belgium, so that's a must to include), shipping cost and transaction fees. I have my own website so I do not use etsy very often, but that would be an extra cost on top of the price, as they charge about 10% or so of the amount of the listing. its not very often that I get people contacting me with low price expectations these days but I have to say a couple of years ago it was a nightmare, every 10 or so requests, I'd only get 1 approving of the price and the rest thought I would be same price as ebay stuff.

[@KirileeCosplay]

I am glad you now have set the bar and everyone is pretty much on board with that- I can imagine that it would have been very frustrating early on. And hey- if anyone bawks at your price now, show them this video hahaha!

[@brissygirl4997]

I under estimated the cost of the dress, I said about $500 but then when you added the materials up I was like... NOPE! I follow canyousewthisforme on IG and the amount of times people won't take no for an answer, not offer payment, "exposure", or the old $50 for commissioned work is kinda ridiculous and heartbreaking! Bernadette even did a video last year where she bought a rip off of her own dress to prove the old "you get what you pay for" Since it's so easy for people to go into a shop and buy mass produced clothes these days they've forgotten that things actually cost time and money to make yourself.

[@KirileeCosplay]

100% yes. And it's not people's fault. Like you said, we live in a mass produced clothing culture so people dont understand the real value of clothing.

[@norablevens8613]

I hate it when I'm volunteered or voluntold to do something. I make things for my kids when I want to do it. Sometimes they have in store bought costumes, sometimes it's a hand made awesome costume.

[@gothichinata4332]

Nora Blevens same. My mom is always "oh my daughter will sew you that" or "hey sew that for me" without even asking(and without pay) if I have time or motivation for that! I've gone as far as teaching her basic sewing so she does the requests from her friends mostly and I just finish the tricky parts, which I compromised with her(because she doesn't like to sew so less annoying work for me :P)

[@KirileeCosplay]

I am so sorry that this happened to you.

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Yep. This is why I hate getting asked for estimates for things. 90+% of the time, over I've worked out my estimate (which of course, also takes time) they balk at the price I've quoted them.

[@KirileeCosplay]

The sad truth of it all. And doing the calculations can be exhausting in itself.

[@gooberdragon-g8y]

Kirilee I love the facial expressions you make it’s so entertaining lmao but all jokes aside you make really good cosplay educational content

[@KirileeCosplay]

Hahaha why thank you!

[@Jedimanda]

THIS VIDEO! Thank you for pointing all the true facts out. Love the channel.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you could relate :)

[@Jaeler9]

Ah ha! I was only $50us off the total! Thanks seamstress momma. Also you didn’t add the stress of the profit. Good work costs man.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Not bad!

[@ReverieCosplay98]

I make commissions myself and guessed the Ariel dress was about $1500. Ha, experience will teach you a thing or 2. So many people who ask for estimates think costumes are going to be under $500, until they realize that $500 is the materials ALONE. Those of us who make the costumes deserve to be reimbursed for our blood, sweat, and tears.

[@KirileeCosplay]

AMEN TO THAT!

[@chloe83143]

Funny you post that on the day I make a post about it on instagram haha I take commissions and so many people ask for costumes under 50-100€...

[@KirileeCosplay]

AH! What?! I am sorry to hear that. Maybe link them this video as your reply so that together, we can educate them LOL

[@chloe83143]

Kirilee Cosplay lmao yeah ! Sadly French ppl aren’t so good with English 😂

[@brissygirl4997]

@@chloe83143 Could you add French subtitles to the video some how?

[@KnoviceCosplay]

Great video & discussion Kirilee! I was actually surprised with how cheap the material costs were b/c I was under the impression things in Australia were in general much more expensive. I would have guessed 2k (USD) for that commission. I would never take a commission but personally I would charge way more than minimum wage, at least what I make from my 9-5 job. Skilled artists deserve so much more than minimum wage, after all sewing is a skilled labor.

[@KirileeCosplay]

I absolutely agree. It pains me that I am only quoting here minimum wage but I really wanted to illustrate that even on the tightest budget, this is expensive. And thank you for your kind words

[@albionwolfblaze2754]

I've lost count of how many times I've been asked to do commissions. Especially when wearing anything Vocaloid (I tend to make/wear the more elaborate modules) or my own Lolita designs. I might do them one day since I have theatrical training and know a lot of off the radar sewing shops but for right now I'm sticking with it as a hobby mainly because of my toddler trying to get into everything and the fact that my current sewing space is teeny tiny.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Priorities are important! :) It's so wonderful that you do your own cosplays and Lolita designs. I love Lolita but the community where I am is not very open to new people.

[@albionwolfblaze2754]

@@KirileeCosplay Thank you 🥰 My local community is suuuuuuuuper small and most of my friends who are into it live hours away so I just wear Lolita for me. I style them after historical garments most of the time so I do Victorian and Rococo tailoring research at the same time. It makes up for not having many people to wear it with. 😊

[@alaskacosplay]

I dont really do commissions because I am mostly a designer for myself because I dont wanna disappoint anybody by ruining their day at the con because of my construction. Although I do a couple of commissions but its mostly wigs since I love styling wigs into gorgeous creatures made of hair as well as getting the reactions from wearing custom wigs myself. I learned the wig techniques from your channel and Im very grateful to you for providing the instructions in order to do so,

[@KirileeCosplay]

Oh I am so glad they helped!

[@YlvaTheRed]

Making historical clothing is a full time gig for me, KZbin is my hobby 😆 I am very upfront when approached about custom work, but because I have a website with a wide variety of standardised items at various prices points, most people approaching me with serious intent know exactly what to expect before they contact me. It's very clear when enquiries come through, who has looked at my existing work, and who has just blown in from the wild, so I can easily adjust my approach to the client.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Hahaha! Fair enough- I’m glad you have got to the point where your customers know what to expect

[@YlvaTheRed]

@@KirileeCosplay I know it can be really hard for people doing their first few commissions to set clear expectations, but it's super important to have them outlined, even just for yourself!

[@moonfrogcos2813]

I'd say about 350 for the ariel dress I guess I do t know I feel like it's worth so much more and I don't want to under value it and possibly insult you I'm really glad you posted this I've had a really bad few days and this made it so much better that you ❤️😭❤️🙏🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏😭😭❤️❤️😭😭❤️

[@KirileeCosplay]

Hehehe ALL GOOD! You didn't insult me at all. Most people guessed around what you guessed and to be fair, there are many places online that sell mostly out of China who will do a lovely version of this cosplay for that amount of money :)

[@CraftsyPenguin]

I might use this video in the future as an illustration for people... I don't even make costumes, but the same goes for beaded jewelry and friendship bracelets. The materials might be cheaper, but still, the hours spent on making things count and so many people don't get that. Even if I count the lowest hourly wage, it often gets to the point where I feel people won't buy the product because they are used to some of the hobby makers selling this kind of "small stuff" for cheap.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Mate I feel every word you wrote there. People in general just don’t get it.

[@Kartsie]

Thank you for this video. It was very helpful for me to understand my worth.

[@KirileeCosplay]

I am so glad it was helpful for you!

[@OhColorMeAmazing]

I do commissions for 3D printing, and I like doing it as it helps pay for the cost of maintaining my machines and adding on to them. I also commission wig stylists when I need a highly styled wig as I am not very good at wigs, haha. But I personally would never do costume/wig comissions as they would stress me out too much with fitting and being within a certain budget.

[@KirileeCosplay]

That's awesome that you do commission but you also commission other people. Wigs stress me out big time LOL

[@chaoticbubbletea7463]

I would love to start taking on commissions because there are some amazing designs out there I want to make but wouldn't suit the character or don't have the confidence for

[@KirileeCosplay]

That’s awesome! I guess the only downside to taking on commissions is that you don’t get to choose what you need to make unless you specifically disclose- I will only make X. And that might mean you don’t get lots of clientele- but you will be niche :)

[@BlazeDupree1525]

I'm going to round up on my guess for the Ariel dress a little and say $400 for the materials.

[@BlazeDupree1525]

If I considered labor and quality pay $700-$1000 easy

[@KirileeCosplay]

It all adds up :)

[@deathwizard1996]

Hobby is a hobby. Making things cost a lot and time. It is hard to factor the cost of materials and labor to make a stable job. It is hard to make things and see who is willing to buy things

[@KirileeCosplay]

Couldn't agree more :)

[@Midlife_Manical_Mayhem]

great video. i was guessing about $1k (USD) because i knew fabric is NOT cheap! that's one of the reasons i quit sewing for myself years ago. then add to it the amount of work that goes into items like this, i would have said $20/hr (USD), but no idea how many hours it would take to make. i've started watching some cosplay/costumers lately and i love the work and dedication that goes into the items y'all make.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Thank you so much! It nice when people get it :)

[@misswazzra]

You nailed it!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Thank you!

[@merindymorgenson3184]

I only make clothes for my kids, because I can try them on as I go. I don’t have a dress form, and rarely have someone to help me with fittings, so it’s too hard to do my own. So, if I were to do a commission, I’d have to have them commit to coming in for several fittings, and I’d have to have make more than I make at my usual job for it to be worth it. Which means for me to make even simple costumes would end up sorting over $1000. That’s not even for a costume as complicated as that Ariel costume. It simply wouldn’t be feasible. And the quality of materials you’re using would be a lot more lasting than those cheap online dresses.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Exactly - keep it for fun!

[@cynthiabasil8356]

I've done the occasional job. I don't like it. The last big sewing job was a costume for a friend of a friend. I put in lots of time asking $5 per hr. It still came up to a lot of money for 2004. They were mad anyway said I wasn't giving a good friend price. To get paid at all I had to accept what they were willing to pay. I'm not a professional but as a mortal there is no such thing as spare time.

[@KirileeCosplay]

Exactly. You are making something for someone else and it is not your own project that you are passionate about. It is not okay of your “friend” to say that about you

[@MetteAaes]

I stopped making commissions because I had a stress induced breakdown. I was taking on way to much, and it was my free time (I have a full time job). Now I only take on small commissions. I no longer take on full cosplays, it's just to much work. I make plushies instead, it's fun and a lot easier. (And no fit problems XD)

[@KirileeCosplay]

That sounds amazing - and a fair amount of fun!

[@MetteAaes]

@@KirileeCosplay It is

[@LoveSebLefebvre]

I really did enjoy this video!!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Thank you!

[@nix_cosplay]

I've been doing cosplay commissions for 2 years now! My worst story is when I quoted someone 450 and they said I'm crazy and they could get it for 45. That's just a bit more than the SHIPPING from Australia to the US. I was especially shocked because they were very particular about what they wanted, which is totally fine, but something you have to pay for. Generally my clients are lovely, and I feel like my prices weed out anyone who doesn't value my time!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Ah! It really makes you wonder don't you. Next time someone says something like that, send them this video. I'll lay it down for them so you don't have to waste your breath :P

[@olubunmiosinuga7258]

Do not negotiate on your price. If someone doesn't like it. You walk away. Someone else will pay for your talent.

[@mmcgartland2095]

Thanks for calculating this.

[@mmcgartland2095]

I tend to not value my complexion embroidery enough on costumes so thanks.

[@KirileeCosplay]

My pleasure. It sounds like you suffer the same as the rest of us lol undervaluing oneself

[@monikita777]

Great video!!!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Glad you liked it!

[@Candle_Liar]

Hi! What is the name of the shelf behind you?

[@KirileeCosplay]

It’s the shelving from ikea :)

[@emmascustomcloset]

I opened for my first commissions today (I simply want to make children's princess dresses because of the obvious fitting issues. It's much easier to base it off of mannequin sizes lol) and am terrified that when I tell someone the price, they'll try and undercharge me. Doesn't help that I am a bit of a sensitive person when it comes to pricing. I just don't want to undervalue my work because I know what I'm good at and expect people to know what I'm worth

[@KirileeCosplay]

You deserve what you set your prices as. Don’t undersell yourself!

[@emmascustomcloset]

@@KirileeCosplay thanks so much! After a little bit more digging, I found an easy way to get almost exact adult measurements on my form so I'm going to open commissions for adults later

[@LadyB_20]

I've made accessories for weddings such as flower crowns, boutiniers and pins. Accessories are a teensy bit cheaper to commision. My only issue at times is that I don't know how to do costing.

[@KirileeCosplay]

I hope this helped! Do you give yourself an hourly rate and then figure out how long it would take you to make something?

[@LadyB_20]

@@KirileeCosplay Not really an hourly rate, usually its per piece. Cost of materials divided by how many pieces were made then add in a bit for labor.

[@KirileeCosplay]

I hope you don’t undercharge yourself

[@LadyB_20]

I hope not but I also get goodies on top of payment so its a fair trade 😁

[@sarah-the-dog-lover]

I was thinking 800 USD but that was partly because I know how much fabric costs

[@KirileeCosplay]

Well, you weren't far off! :)

[@LoveMe06HateMe]

Alright id definitely say $500 USD for the Ariel dress? Not that I have enough money for that but thats definitely what id price a nice quality one for. But I definitely think that price would rely on the costumer being so confident in their costuming that they would be able to spend not a ton of hours on it, so that their labor cost would be low.

[@LoveMe06HateMe]

Ok yeah, not very realistic obviously haha. This definitely helps me understand why some etsy made stuff is so expensive!

[@KirileeCosplay]

Hahaha thank you for being honest with your answer. And to be honest, if you had some only make the skirt and the bodice and maybe the petticoat/slip, you might be able to get it for $500 usd. But no wig or crinoline ;) But this is exactly why there are sites like the ones I listed when you can get it cheaper (and the quality isn’t terrible :))

[@kurleykath.]

$1000

[@KirileeCosplay]

Pretty close!

[@SailorAstera]

$2k

[@SailorAstera]

Ah I was a little high xD

[@KirileeCosplay]

To be fair, it is probably correct if I was to do the proper amount of hours and maybe pay myself more than minimal wage

[@SailorAstera]

@@KirileeCosplay yeah! And see, a Sailor Guardian costume is like... so much less fabric... 👀😛♥

[@freakypetOZ]

I paused just before you started quoting costs for materials alone and said -"$200 for the completed outfit? That wouldn't even cover fabric costs, let alone other materials! Then you have the cost of putting it together....." People are wilfully ignorant in my opinion.

[@KirileeCosplay]

100% agree. And like I mentioned, you can get something for that price but it isn't going to be made from my hand and it shouldn't be made by the hand of someone else who is making it as a one off.

[@roxiepoe9586]

I am not making anything for anybody for minimum wage.

[@KirileeCosplay]

100% agree.