Editing Costume (section)

== Sporting events and parties ==
Public sporting events such as [[fun run]]s also provide opportunities for wearing costumes, as do private [[masquerade ball]]s and [[fancy dress party|fancy dress parties]].

=== Mascots ===

[[File:The Chief Firemouse, Mickey Mouse, Disney World (NBY 8235).jpg|thumb|The Chief Firemouse, Mickey Mouse, Disney World (NBY 8235)]]

Costumes are popularly employed at sporting events, during which fans dress as their team's representative [[mascot]] to show their support. Businesses use mascot costumes to bring in people to their business either by placing their mascot in the street by their business or sending their mascot out to sporting events, festivals, national celebrations, fairs, and parades. Mascots appear at organizations wanting to raise awareness of their work. Children's Book authors create mascots from the main character to present at their book signings. Animal costumes that are visually very similar to mascot costumes are also popular among the members of the [[furry fandom]], where the costumes are referred to as [[fursuit]]s and match one's animal persona, or "[[fursona]]".

=== Children ===
Costumes also serve as an avenue for children to explore and role-play. For example, children may dress up as characters from history or fiction, such as pirates, [[princesses]], cowboys, or superheroes. They may also dress in [[uniform]]s used in common jobs, such as nurses, police officers, or firefighters, or as zoo or farm animals. Young boys tend to prefer costumes that reinforce stereotypical ideas of being male, and young girls tend to prefer costumes that reinforce stereotypical ideas of being female.<ref>{{cite book|title = Rituals and Patterns in Children's Lives|publisher = Popular Press|year = 2005|isbn = 978-0-299-20830-1|page = [https://archive.org/details/ritualspatternsi0000unse/page/225 225]|editor-last = Jackson|editor-first = Kathy Merlock|url = https://archive.org/details/ritualspatternsi0000unse/page/225}}</ref>

=== Cosplay ===
{{Main|Cosplay}}
[[Cosplay]], a word of Japanese origin that in English is short for "costume display" or "costume play", is a performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea that is usually always identified with a unique name (as opposed to a generic word). These costume wearers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play, so they can be seen most often in play groups, or at a gathering or convention. A significant number of these costumes are homemade and unique, and depend on the character, idea, or object the costume wearer is attempting to imitate or represent. The costumes themselves are often artistically judged to how well they represent the subject or object that the costume wearer is attempting to contrive.