Costumes are slightly different from regular clothes. Some are delicate and handmade or use unusual fabrics and material. These outfits are tricky! They can need special care. No wonder why in Japan, there’s a dry cleaning service specifically for cosplayers.
It’s called Layer Support (“layer” is Japanese slang for “cosplayer”). According to the service’s site, the service can handle tough make-up stains and freshing up outfits that are sometimes worn for long stretches outside.
There is also free online consultation to help cosplayers figure out what kind of cleaning they need.
Pricing depends on how many articles of clothing are in a particular outfit.
For example, the “basic course” is 4,000 yen (US$32) for one outfit with up to five individual pieces.
The “deluxe course” is 5,000 yen ($40) for one outfit with up to six pieces.
Here’s how it works: You send off your costume with a form noting which areas need special attention by the cleaning pros at Layer Support. And within two working weeks, you get your costume back, all clean.
[Photo: Ringooo0]
[Photo: Ringooo0]
There is also a cleaning service for cosplay shoes and boots.
Once your costume is clean, you can also pay 1,000 yen ($8) to have Layer Support store it for one year. That’s helpful for those in cramped Japanese apartments, where storage space might be scarce, and cosplay costumes are a-plenty.
Top photo: Layer Support
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