Drag & Design: A guide to buying Drag

When it comes to buying Drag the first thing you should invest time in is knowing who your Drag persona is. They can evolve over time as many Kings and Queens have but as a blueprint for what your want to show, having an idea who your Drag fantasy is, would be the best place to start. There are many different types of drag so you will want to figure out which one fits you best. For example do you want to do a full celebrity diva impersonation, do you want to do lip-syncing performances or will you be a comedy Queen. There are so many types of Drag out there, so you need to make sure you pick one that suits you best and Drag up accordingly

Get the Face:

Your make-up is one of the most important parts of your Drag look, as it is the thing that gives you an identity. You need to figure out what works for you and your persona, so try looking at other Drag artists and tutorials online that can help you with the application. Once you know what you want to do with your face, you need to go out and buy your essentials. These essentials are contour, eyeshadow, eyeliner, foundation, beard cover (for the Queens), eyebrow product, baking powder, fake eyelashes and glue. Without these products you will not be able to fully transform into your Drag persona. When it comes to buying products, start by seeing what other artists recommend or use, find an artist that you relate to and get the same or similar products they use. If you haven’t got a lot to spend try places like Boots and Superdrug, products there are cheaper and you can also find a lot of dupes from more higher end products.

Get the Hair:

Wigs are also another important part of your look for Kings, Queens and Drag creatures alike, but they can be really expensive. If you’ve got cash to splash try looking out for specialist performance wig vendors like Webster Wigs which cater for Drag artists on the regular, these places will also offer styling services. However if not, try looking in your local wig stores or even online stores like Ali Express, Shein and Amazon. These wigs might not be the most amazing quality, but with the right hairspray and styling tools you can create something fierce. So before buying we recommend you watch some wig styling videos that show you good tips and tricks, alternatively there are a lot of Drag artists who offer Wig styling for anyone not so seasoned in it.

Get the Body:

Your body is a big part of your overall Drag look and persona, it’s not the most important part of your look, but it helps you achieve your own fantasy. The first thing you want to do is figure out your silhouette, which will work with your own personal body type. This will vary widely depending on the type of Drag performer you are, Kings, Queens or Non-binary Drag. An important thing to remember is that you need to look proportionate no matter if you want to look curvy or not. To do this you will need to invest in a corset or waist trainer and some pads. Additionally for Kings you may want to purchase breast binding equipment to help build your masculine fantasy. If you can spend the money then go to places that make pads corsets and binders especially for drag, if not then you can make your own pads and buy corset waist trainers or even binders from Amazon or other online stores. For the Queens you will also want to invest in some tights, as this will help create a seamless look when you have your pads and corset on. These are just the basics, for the Queens may want to invest in bigger breasts or Kings possibly a codpiece to replicate the private regions, either way the choice of how much you push your aesthetic is up to you.

Get the Looks:

For many Drag artists, clothing is not the most important part of drag, but it does contribute to your overall look. When it comes to looking for clothes you want to find something that fits your Drag persona. There are no real rules when it comes to finding clothes, but depending on what look you want to serve will depend on if you can use an off the rack item or clothing or whether a custom made garment will be required however this can be expensive. As you develop in your Drag experimentation you may find you can design and construct your own looks because no one will know your Drag better than you but remember when it comes to serving a look, the success can often be in the smallest of details so don’t cop out on the accessories, they can make or break a look.

We only covered the basics here and if you are wanting more advice, reach out to your local Drag artists who will be more than happy to shed some light on the tips and tricks on buying Drag, or is you are going to a Drag show, if you get the chance to meet your performers ask them for some help, more often than not the Drag community are always willing to foster new Drag children into their ranks.