Are cloth costumes inferior to armor costumes?

After the recent cosplay competition which I attended I can help but ask, "are cloth costumes inferior to armor costumes?" I also began to think what cosplay is really about and how should competitions look at costume accuracy, craftsmanship in the like. Help me understand more about this issue and add your input and feedback as well.

Armor costumes are cooler?

If you are cosplaying armored characters like Transfoprmers, Monster Hunter, Gundam, Iron Man and the likes, it is right to say that you are way cooler? You are even cooler if you do the costumes yourself right?

Personally, I would say that people who can make their own costume specially difficult armor costumes are really very talented. They have the skill to create awesome costumes. I however, disagree that their cosplay and costumes are cooler than others. Why, well should cosplay be judged by that? I personally don't think so.

Disparity between cloth and armor cosplay and costume

Is there a big disparity between an armor cosplayer and a cloth cosplayer specially when it comes to competition? Would an armor cosplayer naturally get a higher score and approval than a cloth cosplayer?

In most competitions where there is Costume and Craftsmanship criteria that seems to be the view. The more difficult your costume and the more intricate it is the higher will be your score. Is that fair? Well, if it is a competition, I think a certain weight or advantage should be given to give credit to the level of costume.

However on another note the accuracy of the costume should also be put into consideration and at least in some way create a balance between armor and cloth.

What should be the basis of good cosplay?

A good cosplay is not based on whether it is armor or cloth. For me key factors in saying that your cosplay is good includes:

Characterization which means how you portray the character once in costume whether in a competition or just within convention.
Costume accuracy which means how accurate your costume is compared to the actual costume of the character.
Overall value. This is the totality of your cosplay and includes if the character fits your personality as well.

You can also modify the costume and create your own version and still be considered as good cosplay. In the end it is not about winning a competition or being tagged as a better cosplayer. What matters most is the fact that you enjoy cosplaying and entertain others in the process.

What do you think? Do share your view.

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