Costume help

Nations Urizen
1

I’ve never done LARP or costume design before, so i was wanting to get some advice from more experienced players. Below is what im considering basic kit for my first character (minus wepons). Let me know if there is anything i am missing, if something could be done better, anythings off brief or some suggestions.

Parameters: I am playing a rough-around-the-edges Urizen battlemage, so function over style (but im not a Navarri so a little style is fine :yum: ), no long robes (cloak is fine) and i would like to avoid some of the ‘unnatural’ colors.

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Boots: i’ve been told that the costume ends at the ankle and that comfortable and waterproof shoes are very important

Trousers: These seem comortable and urizin, plus the price point is a big plus

Torso base layer: again, good price and seems very Urizen.

Torso upper layer: couldnt find anything for this one so suggestions are welcome. i want somthing sleaveless and a gambeson seems great for style and protection from improperly pulled blows, but i may have some rules problems. if i painted A BUNCH of runes on it would that help? ('ha! now its mage armour!")

Cloak: a good cloak is a must as i plan on it being my main protection from cold and rain.

Urizen sash: this just looks awsome, plus im sure i could pass it off as mage armour as well (herobelt)

Mage armour: dont worry, im going to be heavily modifying it to look more ‘mage-y’. I’ll paint it another color (gold), glue on some (plastic) gems, and another feature that i’ll leave as a surprise.

Gloves: hey, my hands get cold

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sorry for the long post, but again i have no experience in this sort of thing and i want to make sure i get this right if im spending this much money.

2

Initial assessment:

Trousers, shirt and cloak are good, if a little drab for Urizen. On the other hand, if you get some of that gemlike snakeskin for the sash and use it for trim, you’ll create a unified look and a little more sparkle. Ditto the gloves.

The armour… well, mage armour should not be useful as actual armour… you may be able to modify the look, but gluing things on can get tricky. I’d suggest no “cut” plastic gems, as they may have edges etc, and remember that people will be bouncing latex weaponry off it. Some sort of smoothed gems (round glass pebble beads) might work.

Assembling a suit of mage armour can get a little tricky, you may wish to check other posts on these forums (on the same subject) and some of the Urizeni photos.

The boots… well, for April, they’ll likely be covered in mud fairly quickly. If you can find some good hiking/walking boots, they are also a good purchase, and look a little more appropriate when clean.

An often used term for your costume is “soft kit”. Have you considered asking on the Urizen facebook page as well?

3

It all looks ok, I would also 2nd the hiking boots idea stated above as the ankle support is priceless. You will be wearing these all day most of the night all weekend/ Thurs to sun. Wellies can rub and be quite uncomfortable after a while.
Your soft kit looks ok but i think you need some more layers. It gets COLD at night. Especially just after Easter. Consider some kind of long sleeves.
Also consider dyeing some of your kit, It all looks grand and the right cut and style. But if you want to brighten it up a little its a quick and cheep way to modify kit.

and Welcome to the Hobby.

4

Torso upper layer - consider one of the Merryl, Eryn or Laylin tunics from Burgschneider https://burgschneider.co.uk/tunic-shirt-medieval.html. They’re wool felt, nice and warm and quite thick so extra protection from unpulled blows! Or have a look on eBay for a long waistcoat or sleeveless duster - something that comes to knee or mid-thigh will get you that long Urizen look without getting tangled around your shins and would work nicely with the trousers.

If your cloak is your main protection from cold and rain I’d invest in something warmer. Canvas is good for cutting the wind but once wet it takes an age to dry and it’s a poor insulator. Wool is warm even when wet. If wool doesn’t work for you, look for something like a polycotton shell lined with fleece. Remember you can layer modern thermals under your kit.

Mage armour - honestly, if you’re going to be heavily modifying it anyway I’d go for leather bracers and greaves - less dicey with the mage armour rules. Darkblade do good plain ones and you can get arms and legs for £35. Or get some more of that lovely holo-scale fabric, some metal rings for lacing and some pleather to back it and make your own.

By the by, are you in the UK? I noticed all the links you posted are in dollars/in the US. Shipping stuff from the US is really expensive and there are lots of similar suppliers here or in the EU - Mytholon is a cheap-and-cheerful one lots of people use.

2 Likes
5

Take a look at this list of traders. A good number turn up to events in the field and they are all UK/Europe based.
https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Traders

6

Definitely go for plain hiking boots or army boots over Wellingtons if you’re doing any fighting at all. If you’re worried about wet feet get some sealskinz, and make sure you air your boots out at night. Support, comfort, and grip is very important. I’d say good boots are the best investment a LARPer could make.

4 Likes
7

Boots: will definitely switch to hiking boots

cold: i was planning on wearing modern thermal underwear under this

Cloak: on rain-proofing

mage armor: the secret plan i mentioned for the mage armour would only work on metal, so thats why im reluctant to give it up. it’ll look really cool and worse comes to worse i can sell it

1 Like
8

In that case I would make sure your chest armour is oviously mage armour and avoid plate if at all possible.
Bring the modern thermals just be aware you will want some selves over the top so so you can control your tempriture.

9

i was planning on making the snakeskin sash my hero ‘belt’ and, to me at least, that thing screams magic!

10

Rather than those Tunics, which while very nice are maybe on the edge of the brief for Urizen, May I recommend a Thobe (also called a Thawb or Jubbah) as they give a bit more of the flowing length you’re looking for with Urizen and also have high collars.

1 Like
11

As a Urizen Mage myself (Spring ritual/battle Mage) it seems very good as first kit goes.

Boots -as many people have said hiking boots are the best but if you really want something similar then look at riding boots. But I’d recommend hiking boots as they’re a lot easier.

Trousers and tunic - I used very similar (in fact the same trousers just a different colour) for my first kit. They work rather well (the trousers are a challenge to keep up though, so you’ll need a tight sash/hidden belt) but I’d recommend more layers. Layers are very Urizen help stay warm and add to the look. I’ve had events where I had a thermal vest, 4 more layers then a cloak and still been cold, so more layers is never bad. I’d suggest mandala studios if you’re in the Uk.

I’m term of armour I’d look at Darkblade studios as said before. I use their ‘jewelled’ armour items and one of their hero belts as they work well and look clear as a hero item.

Gloves are useful and a must have and I think those would work well, although may look a little modern with the touch points but it’s hard to tell in photos and is probably okay in person.

Overall it should all work really well, the advice is all really good. Again the shops are good but you seem American base so most advise will be from a U.K. stand point. But I wish you best of luck and hope you enjoy it.

1 Like
12

Mage armour: would something like this be more appropriate, with lots of different colors for the scales and runes painted on each of them?