"All Roads Lead to Zenithstrand"
COSTUME DESIGN
Designing and wearing one’s own costume is one of the most enjoyable aspects of LARP. It can seem intimidating, but fear not! Many larpers evolve their costumes over time, so yours doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive to start. Safety is an important consideration when building your costume. You should be able to keep warm at night or in the fall, and not to overheat in the summer.
Here are some basic tips to bring your character to life.
WHAT TO AVOID
Your starting costume does not need to impress anyone, what matters is that it should not look out of place. Obviously modern or out of place articles of clothing can really detract from your costume. Generally, simpler is better.
We advise against designing your costume to closely resemble or replicate that of anime or cosplay characters, but you can take inspiration from historical clothing or fantasy, so long as it does not look out of place in a medieval setting. For example, you can dress like a forest druid or a pirate if it makes sense for your character, but you shouldn’t dress like a space alien.
Your costume should be safe for you to engage in boffer combat. Avoid sharp edges, large spikes or protruding objects, or anything that could easily break off of your costume or become destroyed.
Bottoms: Jeans should be avoided. Plain colored or simple patterned tights, sweats, or skirts are preferable.
Tops: Clothing with writing or logos, especially t shirts, detract from the setting. If a more medieval or historical blouse or tunic is not available to you, then a plain sweater can look appropriate. A plainly colored t-shirt can easily be modified to look medieval by cutting off the collar and adding laces.
Outer layer: Some modern jackets can look really out of place and ruin an otherwise great costume. Cloaks, ropes, capelets and scarves all look great and serve to protect you from the elements. If you require a jacket for safety, you can cover it with a thin cloak or a larger costume piece. A rectangular piece of fabric pinned together at the front makes an easy cloak with no sewing required.
Shoes: While some people invest in specific shoes for their characters, many people often joke that their costumes end at their ankles. When it comes to shoes, safety should always take priority. Aesthetically, if you have a plane pair of hiking shoes or boots, those are preferable to sneakers, especially if the sneakers are brightly colored). Bare feet, high heeled shoes or thong style sandals can pose a safety risk and so should be avoided.
COLOUR CHOICE
The choice of a colour scheme can indicate a lot about the character. For a basic colour scheme, choose 3 colours, two of which will compose most of the costume, and one serving as decoration. (i.e. Brown, Blue, Gold). Here are some general guidelines for effective use of colour:
Neutral tones such as brown, grey, black, and white/off-white are able to accommodate many different costumes and characters. Neutral coloured garments are a safe choice that will be able to accommodate multiple characters.
Earth tones including shades of brown, grey, blue, and green indicate a character who is close to nature. Druids, Rangers, and nature casters, as well as wild elves, wood fae, and fauns may benefit from the choice to include Earth tones
Red is perhaps the strongest colour to the human eye, so any red garment is sure to stand out. Red is known for its associations with passion, war, and nobility.
Vibrant shades of colours such as Blue, Red, Purple, Orange, and Gold can be used to indicate an air of nobility to the character. These pigments were historically less accessible and more expensive to produce. Consider using vibrant colours for characters such as Ajaunti, True Fae, and High Elves.
LAYERS
Layers add depth to a costume. When adding layers, consider using thinner layers if possible to accommodate for summer heat. Layers can always be added but a heavy base costume that you might overheat in can cause discomfort.
Using multiple layers in a costume helps protect against hot or cold weather. Coats, fur, robes, and cloaks protect against cold weather. A light shirt or tunic will serve well in warmer weather.
It is advised to wear a gambeson or thick clothing underneath plate and chain armor, which can be uncomfortable and increase the risk of injury to the wearer.
Consider using materials of different thickness, colour, and texture to add visual depth.
Base layers are an excellent way to stay warm. In colder months, layering extra layers or wearing long underwear beneath your costume is an easy and practical addition.
ACCSSORIES
Accessories and trinkets can add details about a character that garments would not. Accessories can really help personalize a character and can quickly liven up otherwise plain clothing. A jeweled amulet worn by a High Elf may indicate their affluence and noble upbringing. Conversely, a skull upon the waist of an Orc may indicate their savagery and martial prowess.
ARMOUR
Armour serves the in-game purpose of protecting the wearer from a finite amount of damage. Combat is guaranteed to break out at some point during your game. Armour can allow you to make a heroic stand in defiance of the enemy, or buy you time for a quick escape.
Remember, while armour is a prevalent part of the game’s mechanics, it is not required. Many characters go without armour, and even heavily armoured characters don’t wear all their armour at all times. A costume can still look great without any armour at all. Conversely however, a costume consisting of just armour will not look complete, especially when considering that you may not wish to wear your armour at all times.
If you wish to wear armour, it can add a lot to your look and your in game combat experiences. Some tips to keep in mind are:
Plate, chain, and leather armour can be ordered online through companies such as Epic Armoury and Calimacil. Even a few small pieces (such as bracers or grieves) can provide a significant armour value and you may n
Plate and chain armour can often be heavy or uncomfortable and increase risk of injury if attached improperly. Consider wearing a gambeson or thick fabric underneath to protect yourself against these risks.
Despite their in game value, leather armour can often be more expensive to purchase than plate or chain armour.
When you are first starting out, there is a good chance that someone will lend you some armour for an event. There are also often many crafters in the community who can help you make or commission your own set of armour for you.