Buying:ORDER YOUR WIG BEFORE STARTING YOUR COSTUME!! Seriously. Order it at *least* 2 months before you need it. Wig companies are notorious for not having wigs in stock and *not* telling you such when you order them. Bug them, and they get really pissy. Or ignore you. If you have a question about a wig, CALL them. Really. I've had too many emails totally ignored.
Where to get them:
Beauty supply stores -- The first wig I got was from such a place. They should have some catalogs to look through, and you can get some advice on choosing one. Bring pictures of your character! This way you won't have to describe the style you need til you're blue in the face. The staff may look at you a little weird, but once explained, they can be invaluable for advice.Costume shops -- You *may* find what you need, but be forewarned: You get what you pay for. Costume wigs are usually such poor quality that it's really not worth it. The hair tangles way too easily and they aren't all that thick either. And forget about trying to style them.
Online -- You have to be really careful, and shop around for prices. Understand their policies too. That aside, here's some places I keep bookmarked:
Online wig shops
Picking out a wig:
Honestly, the actual shopping for the right wig is a pain in the butt. I have yet to find a wig that was perfect right out of the box, so... the best advice is to find one that you can modify. Of course it all depends on what you need, but if you can't find it, the best route is to get a straight, long wig and cut it. And sometimes it's cheaper to do it that way as well. Oh, and anything with a "skin top" will look more natural-- it emulates a scalp.For example: The Tomoe costume. Looked all over and settled on one with bangs, and about midback in length. What I couldn't tell was that it was really thick-- so thick, that her signature ponytail would be huge. Not good. Exchanged it for a Godiva wig-- much thinner, has a skin top. Took it to my hairdresser to cut. MUCH better. Just what I was aiming for. Now I just need to style it. And it was about $40 cheaper to do it that way.
Tools:
Before I get into styling, here's a list of some helpful accessories you should have:wire bristle brush, metal pronged hair pick (the metal counteracts static)styrofoam head, T-pins, wig stand with table clamp
styling products: wig hairspray, pomade (spray detangler is optional)
velcro rollers (no need for bobby pins!), flat metal hair clips
Styling:
Cutting: Personally, I don't trust myself with a pair of scissors, so I bring wigs to my hairdresser. Bring several pictures of the character, at different angles.Detangling: I've discovered the wonders of pomade! Just a tiny bit conditions the hair, allowing a comb to go right through. All you need to do is rub a little on your fingertips, and rub your hands a bit to distribute it evenly, so it just coats your hands. Then gently stroke the hair and work it through. Too much and it will get greasy. It will calm the hair and relax any curls as well. Now the real work-- Work in small sections at a time. After the pomading, the minor tangles should come apart fairly easy with your fingers. It'll look a bit like halloween cobwebs. If you have to pull the hair away, pull gently. If you have knots, try to separate the section further, then pick out one hair at a time 'til it gets its smallest. You won't be able to save all the hair in the knot. Start from the bottom and gently pick through the tangles as you work up the length of the hair. You should be able to gently comb straight down once the tangles are out. If it gets unruly while you're doing this, stop and spritz it with a little water and let it sit for about an hour to calm down.
Curling: Depends on the quality of the hair. The idea is to warm (ie. melt) the hair enough for it to be malleable, then let it set til it cools off. If it's a good quality wig, you should be able to spritz it with some water, then use a round brush or rollers and a hairdryer on low. My dryer has that "cold burst" button, which I found makes it go a little faster. Otherwise, it has to be damp, set, heated and left alone. A diffuser attachment for the hairdryer is good if the hair can't take straight drying. All in all, take your time and do it in layers if it makes it easier.
Ponytails/Pigtails: The truth of the matter is you cannot put your average wig up in high pigtails and expect it to look natural. Wigs are sewn in the style they are meant to be. Plus, costume wigs are made with the bare minimum in the hair density department.
However, I did get a Sailor Moon wig from Fifi Mahoney's. It doesn't have a center part, but they did a fairly good job. It looks like they did put part of it up in actual pigtails, but left a section in the front for full bangs and a tuft from the crown to cover all the netting in the back. Then they made the odangos and added extensions for the full pigtails.
The Rubber-band trick: However, I did learn a little trick for putting up long hair... (Long hair won't cooperate when trying to put it up in a rubberband.) First, take a bobby pin and hook a hairband through the prongs. Then make another loop between the prongs to anchor the band on the bobby pin. DO NOT PUT THE HAIR THROUGH THE HAIRBAND! With one hand holding the hair up in the ponytail, wrap the hairband/bobby pin around the base of the hair like a ribbon, "threading" the whole bobby pin through the loop of the hairband, kinda like threading a needle, except the bobby pin is the "thread" and the end of the hairband is the "needle". Once you pull the bobby pin through the loop, it should pull tight like a slipknot. Then you need to pull it in the opposite direction to tighten it, wrapping the rest of the hairband around the base 'til the end and then clip the bobby pin in the hair so you can't see it.
Storage:
First, you must let your wig air out before putting it away. Brush out any tangles. It's best to pin to a styrofoam head and store it in a box.. If not, at least put a hairnet over it and store it in the box it came in. If the hair is long, just twist the length into the wig's cap. You really want to keep a wig from getting dusty or the color fading, but keeping a supply of wig shampoo and conditioner is a good idea.