Honest SimCosplay Review: Harley Quinn (SS2)
THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED REVIEW
Is SimCosplay legit? Is the quality any good? I'll be giving an honest review by going over my custom tailored Suicide Squad 2 Harley Quinn cosplay. SimCosplay is one of the many websites that pop up when you search for cosplay costumes and wigs. I've ordered costumes from other cosplay sites before, but this was my first time ordering from them.
I didn't want to deal with sewing alterations, so I spent the extra $15 to have it custom sized. Figured I'm already spending a good chunk of change, I might as well. Unfortunately it didn't turn out like I expected... more on that below. First, let's start with the good stuff!
TLDR; JUMP TO:
✔️ THE PROs
THE MATERIALS
This cosplay is definitely an upgrade from any usual costume-in-a-bag. The jacket, top, gloves, and pant's accent details are all artificial leather. To compare: CosSky's slightly cheaper version doesn't use fake leather for the whole corset top. There are side panels made with some type of fabric, and the buckle straps are strips of elastic. Looking at reference photos, it might look more accurate - but I prefer the all leather material.
CosSky
SimCosplay
THE JACKET has a nice sewn-in diamond pattern on the shoulders and sleeves. The lining inside is pretty good quality. It would be hot to wear this at Cons in the Summer, but great option for rainy days or cooler Fall months.
THE TOP comes with clear attachable straps to help hold it in place. (No awkwardly pulling it up every 5 seconds.) BUT the attaching hooks are visible, which you might see whenever the open jacket shifts. I took them off for that reason, since the top fits snug enough that it doesn't budge. Both the jacket and top have strong chunky zippers - not those dainty ones that break easily. So you don't have to worry about it busting as you try to zip it up. You can give it a good tug.
EVERYTHING ELSE is well made too. (gloves, choker, goggles)
SHIPPING
SimCosplay's shipping and processing time usually takes 7-10 business days; 10-20 for custom sizing. After getting a Tracking Number, my order came pretty fast. I ordered in December and it arrived 8 business days later, and right around the Holidays. NOTE** Shipping will be impacted by Con season! If there are a ton of large conventions coming up, there might be more orders/demand and therefore longer ship times.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Their Customer Support was dedicated to resolve my issues. Unfortunately my outfit didn't come as ordered. It was HUGE - much larger than the measurements I provided for the custom tailoring. They answered all my emails surprisingly quick and made sure to fully understand what the issues were. I provided photos showing how large it was in the top and pants with a measuring tape. They required proof of the incorrect measurements. After confirming my correct measurements again, they promised to make me a new set ASAP - no extra charge!!! My replacement outfit arrived a couple weeks later. They were patient, understanding, and wanted to make sure I was happy in the end.
✖️ THE CONs
BAD CUSTOM TAILORING
As I mentioned, it arrived MUCH larger than the measurements I provided when I placed my order. I gave everything from shoulder width, arm length, bust, waist, hips, thighs, ankles, inseam, etc. so I was pretty surprised by how off it was. It honestly didn't feel like it was tailored at all, and that I was sent a standard XL by accident...? It might explain the unusually fast delivery time. The jacket is a tad too big on me, but not that noticeable - so I kept it the way it was.
PANTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE
To be fair: this can be a Pro or Con depending on your pants preference. For me it's a Con. I prefer high-waisted skinny jeans that have a bit of 'shaping' and stretch to them. I'm not a fan of loose fitting pants. These are a stiffer material with no stretch. They fit okay, but I like my pants to be snug and stretch a bit with my movement. These feel too restricting.
ONE 'CHEAP' ACCESSORY
The belts are the only cheap looking accessories. The HQ belt is thin and uses this matte silver finish for the buckle and accent pieces. I replaced the belt with one I found online that was a real metal belt buckle. The other belt looks better, but where they placed the velcro makes it stand out. They both use velcro to close, so they're not like normal belts.
STILL NEEDED FIXING
The replacement pants still needed a bit of sewing. They fit well, except the high-waisted section. It was still big on my waist by a couple inches. So I sewed darts on each side and the back to take it in.
The gloves were a little too big on me, so I took those in as well. I was able to make them tighter around my wrists without worrying about getting my hands in and out. They have tiny zippers to make it easier!
Lastly, the diamonds on the top are smaller and more to the side when compared to the reference photos of Harley. Since I had the extra outfit, I took the larger diamonds off the pants, and sewed them over the current ones.
SO, IS SIMCOSPLAY GOOD?
I'd say yes, but order a standard size. The costume was well made with materials that don't look or feel too cheap, and their Customer Service was great. It DID suck that the original custom order arrived way off in sizing.. I'm not sure if that was a simple 'we sent the wrong one' type of mistake or what, but in the end it worked out. I appreciate their dedication to correcting the issue, even if it took a ton of back-and-forth emails. After I made those couple alterations (because I'm super picky with how things fit) I ended up with an awesome Harley Quinn cosplay!
[Below: Costume with only waist of pants altered - nothing else at the time.] If you want to see my final altered cosplay, check out my Instagram @quinnzelcosplay :)
COSPLAY BUYING TIP
In my opinion, custom tailoring isn't worth it and I don't recommend paying extra for it. Unless your body measurements spread across 3 different sizes on the sizing chart and you don't know how to sew. If you CAN sew, then buy the larger size when between sizes. Easier to make a bigger costume smaller, than have the costume be too small and tight. Trying to squeeze yourself into a cosplay isn’t fun! So keep in mind: you might have to make your own alterations to make the cosplay fit the way you want. It's rare to have cosplay fit perfectly off a standard size chart.