Garb Tips

[Juggernaut]

I would love to have a thread where people share cleverisms about making and wearing good garb. I will start.

For Fatties:
Our pants always fall down. This makes us slow to drop to a knee and slow coming up from a knee. Suspenders are awesome for this. Heavy-duty claw suspenders are available at hardware stores for about 12 bucks. They have the strength to bite and hold your pants and the straps go under your tunic. I sewed buttons into my fighting pants and then used button-hole suspenders, but the claw ones are so much easier to deal with.

This way the crotch of your pants is actually right up on your nuts and you have much more freedom of movement. Plus you can show off your Manel Toe or Juggernuts.

More tips please.

[Korbin the Mad]

Layers! Garb on the inside, garb on the outside, and garb inbetween, and you're good to go.

Also, pick a theme. You don't have to be completely static, but if you want garb that goes together, match it up with a theme and run with it. Maybe you're Roman or Viking, maybe you're a pirate, maybe you're an orc, maybe you're a cyborg ninja demon (dear god please no), but whatever you are, try to pick/make garb that goes along with it.

Learning to machine sew is the greatest thing one can do if they want unique garb on the cheap. It's not hard to make basic clothing, and as your sewing skill increases, your garb will evolve. The next time you want to drop $120 on a tunic and pants combo or a spiffy jerkin, just go get a sewing machine instead and you'll have better garb (and more of it) in the end.

And if you're committed to using storebought garb, alter that ****. Do something to make it yours. Garb that isn't signature isn't great garb, imo. Good garb, maybe but not great. I recall seeing a guy at an event wearing a surcoat that I knew specifically from Museum Replicas. I noted a few other things from there that he was wearing, too. Sure, he looked neat, but he had spent like $400 on his garb and all I saw when I looked at him was a magazine ad. Don't be that guy.

[Purgatory]

im my experience, going to the thrift store and looking in the womans area even if your a man works out well. its cheap clothes and the old grandma stuff can actually be bad * garb if you work with it

if your not a good sewer you can learn a few easy stitches ( medieval sewing was not at all seemingly straight ) and stitch hap hazard so that it will give character to your outfit.

for girls the grandma skirts can be layered up for a look and effect.

any material will work too use old sheets or go to thrift stores and get them for cheap they can make great tabbards.

find the costume jewerly that is big and ugly works awesome as well for flare pieces. the large elastic belts youll see woman wear or the ones at the stores that are a ton of there.... also good for touches on garb

[Arrakis]

im my experience, going to the thrift store and looking in the womans area even if your a man works out well. its cheap clothes and the old grandma stuff can actually be bad * garb if you work with it

if your not a good sewer you can learn a few easy stitches ( medieval sewing was not at all seemingly straight ) and stitch hap hazard so that it will give character to your outfit.

for girls the grandma skirts can be layered up for a look and effect.

any material will work too use old sheets or go to thrift stores and get them for cheap they can make great tabbards.

find the costume jewerly that is big and ugly works awesome as well for flare pieces. the large elastic belts youll see woman wear or the ones at the stores that are a ton of there.... also good for touches on garb

No. Just no.

First tip: Wearing women's modern clothing on the field is not wearing garb. It's just not understanding how to dress yourself.


Other tips:

Cheap Fabric - The cheapest way to get really nice-looking garb is to raid your local Goodwill or other thrift stores for cheap cotton bedsheets. Twin sheets are typically $5 per set and yield close FIVE yards of 60"-wide fabric plus some extra bits from the fitted sheet's corners. That's enough fabric to make a tunic and a pair of drawstring pants and bang: You look better than most fighters at any given event.

Basic Garb - Get a pair of sweatpants. Cut out the bottom elastic. See tip above (Cheap Fabric) and get a sheet and make a tunic by following this tutorial: http://www.dagorhir.com/gear/content/ga ... _tunic.php It's really not very hard. Just measure, cut, and assemble. See if any of your friends, your mom, your friends' moms, your grandma, your dad, anybody you know sews and has a sewing machine and this will go lightning quick. If you have to hand-sew it, it's still no more than a couple evening's work with the TV on in the background. Add a simple thin leather (leather was expensive in the middle ages; belts were skinny) or woven cloth belt from that same thrift store and you have garb. Upgrade pants when possible.

Long Sleeves - Seriously, long sleeves make your tunic cooler and keep you from getting sun burned. It's also more accurate-looking for almost every persona.



...More to come...

[Juggernaut]

Yes! These are good tips! More Please!

[Purgatory]

i didnt mean womans modern as in reg everyday clothing. example, i found 4 skirts of my grandmothers and gave them ot one of the girls inmy group. she cut them into a scarf skirt. you can make all kinda of things like that with the cheap clothes that no one buys.

dont take for face value be creative! go buy some clothes and see what you can do. yes sheets are good idea but to do more with it as for trim and character.... its as easy as 20 dollars.

[Plithut]

I think the best advice that I can give, that hasn't already been given, is that good garb takes time, money, and dedication. Does this mean you need to drop $400 on a single piece? Not at all, but do not be afraid to start a project that might take a couple of years due to funding. I know that I have had two or three projects in the works for the past couple of years that I throw money at when I am able. For example, one day, I will have myself an awesome cloak. This cloak has been something that I have worked towards now for 3 years. 3 years ago, when I had more money, I commissioned a custom clasp from a friend, then last year picked up a wolf pelt. In the time between I have been collecting the fabric and pattern that I want to use. Hopefully, within the next year or two I will have a cloak that has a larger price tag, but it was also done in manageable chunks.

Also, modify, modify, modify. No garb set is ever complete. Trust me.

[Forkbeard]

It's all about basics.
DO NOT wear gym shorts under your garb. It rips and then your in gym shorts. Same goes for t-shirts. If you NEED to wear one under your tunic, fine, but don't wear a printed concert t from your favorite **** band. Wear a plain one.
Make 3-5 tunics. They are cheap and easy, we all seem to get drunk or violent at some point in an event andeither rip out clothes or get nasty **** all over it. If you have a spare, you're cool.
Make/get extra pants. I always pack an extra pair of plain dark grey sweats with no elastic at the ankle, just in case everything else fails. Turns out I wear them alot.
Make a kilt like mine. 4 rectangles pleated and sew together. Flods up small, looks bad * and is not hot. Doesn't touch your crotch, so doesn't get smelly after a long event. Altogether good back up garb for hot weather.
Last, store said extra garb in your weapon bag, so you don't forget it.

More elaborate fancier garb is the bomb, but you always need to have backups in cover your * in disasters. A good collection of the basics will serve you well.
FB

[DragoonAntoinette]

Garb doesn't have to cost you your first born child. Garb is creative, and you can turn old pillow cases into a killer jacket, or an old skirt into baggy pants. Garb can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be.

Start simple and build up. Forkbeard said having extra is a good thing. **** happens at events, its rains, it snows, it bloody hot or it can be freezing cold. Always have extra garb on hand.

If you feel lost or you are scared to sew or want to learn, talk to the vets in your realm. They can help, most are willing to help. Use the resources that are available to you. Talk to other people in other games who are considered talented tailors or seamstress.

The most important thing I think I can say about garb is this:
If you feel uncomfortable in your garb then you are going to come to resent wear it. Find what you like, that's with the confines of the rules and wear it.

[Artemis]

Anyone can have garb, but it's the accessories and decorations that make you look great.

Keep on the lookout for a good belt.
Have a leather mug attached to you belt with a mug frog.
get some pouches or horns.
If you can get 2 or 3 square feet of leather, bracers aren't that hard to make and look awesome!
Find some kind of headgear. Anything that looks period. hat, cap, bandana/scarf, helm, anything.
decorate your clothing! you can buy pre-made trims at any fabric store, go ahead and buy some and put decorative edges on your clothes. If you want to embroider something, have fun! You can't go wrong with trying to hand-stitch a design. Research it, do it, and it may just completely the look you were trying to go for. Worst case scenario, you just cut it out and start over. Do some research on what works best

Girls: make a sturdy dress out of denim that ends about calf-length.
It's completely possible to fight in a corset that you haven't pulled too tight to breathe.
I've found that a nice bodice/vest over a floofy shirt with tight sleeves and then nice looking pants (i used a pair of brown dress pants from a thrift store) look wonderful together.
I'd recommend avoiding wearing a peasant blouse or something similar that has very poofy sleeves. My experience is they tend to get caught on things and tear or get messed up somehow. If you make something, try more fitting sleeves. It's easy. Just measure the circumference of your wrist, measure the circumference of your armpit/shoulder, measure how long you want it, add seam allowances, and make a trapazoid. You now have your sleeve piece.

I would like to echo what previous posters have said. Get your fabric from thrift stores! Just check once in a while for a set of sheets in colors you can use. A queen-sized sheet should be enough for any tunic/shirt you want to make.

you can never use too many pins. When you make something, pin it together well just to see how it fits/looks before you sew it. When you do sew it, pin it well so you know it's going together how you want it. It's worth the extra time.

[Arrakis]

Good tips, Artemis.

Just be sure to use trims that don't look obviously modern (colors too bright, patterns that are mundane, etc.) and, preferably, use pouches and belts and whatnot that are appropriate to your garb; a viking in a long tunic would look very strange indeed with a knightly metal plaque belt from the 14th C. and a late-period kidney-shaped pouch!

Absolutely right on headgear, though. Hoods are super easy to make ( http://www.virtue.to/articles/hoodlum.html ) as are viking caps ( http://histvarld.historiska.se/histvarl ... mmossa.pdf = http://historicenterprises.com/hat-viki ... ath=99_190); a simple bandana or scarf is just a square of whatever fabric you have handy, perhaps with the edges hemmed or zig-zagged; turbans are one-strip-of-cloth easy and appropriate to a lot of garb styles.

[DragoonAntoinette]

For girls it is easy enough to find jewelry that goes with your feast garb, hair pins what have pearls or "dimonds" on the end make for a really upscale look if that's what your going for. Flowers in your hair is a nice touch as well. Braids are really good looking if you want to keep long hair out of your face and are easy to do.

I found a really good cobbler that does period footwear at a more affordable price then i have seen in other places, http://www.bootsbybohemond.net/

He has a number of different soles, i feel the lugged work boot sole would be good for fighting...