Quote Originally Posted by Bayohne View Post
The first evaluation mentioned is at the event, where your costume will be seen by a set of judges to determine the top 30 entries.
I was also looking for clarification on what was allowed to be entered as far as bought costumes are concerned. Most cosplay contests that I have entered have required at least 60% of the costume be made by the person entering in order to qualify for prizes. Otherwise, you can basically pay to win a contest and negates all the hard work the other contestants have put in.

The full rules mention Original Work of Authorship - "You hereby warrant and represent that as between you and parties other than Square Enix, you own all rights to all Entry Materials submitted by you; and all such Entry Materials are original works of authorship on your part and do not violate, misappropriate, or infringe any proprietary right of any other person or entity." as well as disqualification for "Infringements upon personal credit"