I’m new to Empire and Larp in general and this was my first event, I decided to play from Dawn. I have some clothes (green trousers, green cloak and red laced shirt) but it’s the little details of the Dawnish that would make a good costume. Can anyone help?
Flower crown - in your house colours if you have some, else whatever you like best! eBay and Etsy are good sources, ‘festival flower crown’ are good search terms. Most of the simpler crowns are made of a leafy trim and individual fake flowers over a wire base, so if you can’t find the right colour combination ‘off the peg’, just buy two and combine elements, or buy a crown in one colour and extra flowers in another.
Long belt - the quintessential Dawnish belt is extra long, with a fancy buckle and/or belt end. The extra length is knotted around the buckle so it hangs down.
Tasteful bling - just a few hefty, carefully selected bits of jewellery will work wonders. Look for chunky brooches, signet rings, pendants and crowns. If you can imagine it as a signature piece of jewellery on a Game of Thrones character it’s probably the right sort of thing.
Layers - Try a surcoat, jerkin or short-sleeved tunic in a contrasting colour over your shirt. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could add a beast or other element (or several) from your house heraldry to a plain surcoat using felt or wool fabric. It doesn’t have to be front and centre on the chest - elements on the skirt of a surcoat look great, too.
Trim - If your base kit is plain, add some trim. As with the jewellery, look for simple but hefty - one wide strip of really rich trim around hem and sleeves is enough. ‘Jacquard trim’ is a good search term, combined with ‘medieval’ or ‘renaissance’
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Thank you, I was thinking about flower crowns.
I’m new to LARP as well (my first event will be in July) and have been asking similar things. From what I can tell Dawnish are bold and brash. Bright vibrant colours that stand out. In terms of details, lavish jewellery, a head circlet, jewellery, things that will make you stand out.
I hope that helps 