In need of advice around group aesthetics/branding

[GremlinJoe]

Hello all you lovely people. : )

I posted a couple of days ago about making a League, Free Company character. After all the super helpful posts on that thread, I know I want to be an armoured mercenary medic with my own unit.

My problem is that if you make a group/unit, how do you give it a unique and cohesive look/theme without resorting to something drastic like a uniform?
I want members to feel like they are joining something tangible, and to feel excited about adopting the look of the unit, without it costing them an arm and a leg.

Hopefully some of you have overcome this and are willing to share some wisdom.

Many thanks, Joe : )

[Geoffrey_Willoughby]

There’s a range of things possible here.

If you’re going for cheap, simple and striking, there are a couple of things to decide.

Unit colours (if any), unit symbol (if any), unit size (approx).

This is easier with an example. Let’s say your company is in red and white, with the symbol of a pair of crossed swords.

So you could ask your unit to source soft kit (ie not armour) in neutral colours, and in red/white if possible (red shirt, white trousers, for example).

You could go with tabards, made in the right coloured fabric and with your symbol painted across them, but that will look a little closer to Dawn or Highguard than you might like.

The cheapest option might well be belt tags (10cm wide, 30 long, attaching to a belt), red down one side, white down the other, the swords painted on (fabric paint). Pretty simple to construct.

For something a little more visible, how about sashes? Wide over one shoulder, narrow looped through the belt at the opposite hip, colour scheme as of the belt tags…?

If you asked for, say £10 from each member, you could probably get half a dozen of these run up by a costumier.

You may have to ask about this on the League Facebook group, as my fashion advice defaults to Dawnish

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks again @Geoffrey_Willoughby,

You have given me so much solid advice! I appreciate it. : )

I’ve joined the League’s FB group so I’ll try and get some inspiration from their posts too.

Your sashes idea sounds really good though. Reminds me of the old highlanders with their tartan sashes. This may well be the way forward and I’m excited to start sketching up my character.

Thanks again Geoffrey : )

[Bradstyley]

I can thoroughly recommend Rosemary Warner for making embroidered group kit, she’s contactable via Facebook, she made our Urizen group’s embroidered stoles

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks for the suggestion @Bradstyley,
It would be perfect to have some insignia to stand out with.
Her work is topnotch too, that stole looks great. I’ll definitely be comissioning her in the future. : )

[Mark_Wilkin]

Like people have mentioned with the League, pick a colour scheme and a symbol and then let people run wild within those boundaries.

In the League the Sea Wolves do this with Yellow and Black plus an embroidered symbol that you can stick anywhere on a costume, sash, belt loop or whatever. They also have matching pins to wear as well. (@Artemisia do feel free to show off other people in your group )

If you’ve given people a colour scheme then people can do the full breadth of the League costume brief (I am contractulally obliged to mention the Landsknecht booty shorts option here) and still look like someone in your group.

And why not, here’s a bunch of my Highguard group demonstrating the same concept within the Highguard costume brief. Our colours are Black and Gold, with the Gold being mostly an accent set against the black. We’ve got our gold crossed keys which shows up in sashes, badges but also jewellery and rings. It’s much more understated than what a League Mercenary Unit would do, but people recognise us by our colours at this point as we’ve all been consistent with the look.

So yeah have fun with that, just don’t use Black and Gold as it’s pretty well trod territory on the field .

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks again @Mark_Wilkin this has really helped. : )

Really useful to see some examples in action! I completely agree about letting people do their own thing, your guys and the Sea Wolves look great with their own interpretations of the theme.

I’ll get to working on a eye-catching symbol and colour combo… just not black and yellow/gold ; )
Unfortunately the booty shorts will be compulsory…

Just kidding.

[Geoffrey_Willoughby]

@Mark_Wilkin

So yeah have fun with that, just don’t use Black and Gold as it’s pretty well trod territory on the field

My Dawnish House is Tour De Cendres. We ALSO wear black and gold, occassionally getting into confusion with the Sea Wolves and Felixs Watch…

Checking for colour/symbol overlap is big and clever

[Augustus]

I quite like your tabard idea. In the context of the League, I think it would make the group’s aesthetic resemble The Three Musketeers in a very cool way. The rest of their outfits would need to be Quintessentially “League-ish”, though, in order for it to counter-balance the intrinsic “Dawnishness” of the tabards, keeping their overall branding on brief. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/bf/4b/e0/bf4be07639d7a66b88b7d419db5c484d.jpg

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks again @Geoffrey_Willoughby, I love the tabards, iconography and the decorations on the armour.

Currently I have a rough idea of what the unit will be like. A red main colour with accents of yellow, orange and black. The symbol will likely involve a lantern as a tie to the vigilance virtue. No names so far though.

There wouldn’t happen to be a list of groups by any chance?
It would be useful to go through and avoid any clashes.

[Geoffrey_Willoughby]

Doesn’t sound familiar, but I’d advise you to ask on the League forum or their Facebook page. My listing of all League colour schemes is years out of date

https://www.facebook.com/groups/459784360702068

[Noserenda]

Tabards are generally excellent, though im not sure how well the work with the League as they are highly iconic bits of Dawnish and especially Highguard kit.

Id advise looking over the heraldic rules and possibly articles on picking colours for painting miniatures as a lot of the principles cross over for colour choice.

The Sea Lions are a great example of not being entirely uniform but strongly featuring the two colours almost entirely and using branding with the group logo, plaster it over everything you possibly can.

Embroidered patches are particularly great, slap em on clothing whenever possible. Get a good looking, simple banner for your tent, display it prominently where you can see it from outside. Shields, boxes, hats, anywhere you can slap a symbol, do it

[GremlinJoe]

Hey @Noserenda,

I appreciate the feedback,

Couldn’t agree more about using miniature painting colour theory to pick a scheme. I’ve been in the hobby since childhood and picking the colour scheme is one of the best parts.

The problem I find is that colour schemes seem dictated (to some degree) by what stock costume colours are available. Currently I’m trying to figure out how to make a more interesting scheme with the colours offered.

The current idea is to make some sort of Landsknecht highlanders unit with tartan sashes. I just have an awful feeling that it’s probably better suited to another nation. Which is a shame when the materials to do it are so plentiful and cheap.

The idea of ordering a bunch of patches sounds pretty smart though. It would be easy enough to do and would be nice to hand out to new members. Definitely advice that I will use. : )

[Mark_Wilkin]

Remember you can always start out with a symbol, a colour scheme and a bunch of patches or belt loops and then as people are able to upgrade their kit from whatever they started with they can aim to get costume in the colours of the unit. Don’t think you need to match what everyone else has now right when you start out, there are some folks in the League who have been larping for decades and have wardrobes to die for.

Go with what you can get and potentially if you’re going splash out on one thing, get a banner made if you can afford it. As they look cool and are a rallying point for your group on the field. You can also get a magic one (Either a mercenary banner or magic standard) made eventually, but to start with they’re just useful as things to carry and make you look cool .

Also I’m not sure that Tartan fits any nations colour scheme, it’s a little too strongly associated with highlander, kilts and the like. But ask in the League FB group and the mercs who are active should tell you what their colours are and you can see what spaces are left

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks @Mark_Wilkin,

You are right, best to start with the basics and work towards the more elaborate ideas over time.
I’ll have a look at patches and a banner and go from there. : )

I had a feeling that tartan would be a bit much. No worries though. I’m sure best solution will come with time.
Thank you for the heads up!

[Augustus]

I think Mark’s right about the Tartan idea- I could be wrong here, but I’m pretty sure I read on the wiki that tartan patterns aren’t allowed :(. It’s a shame as I also really enjoy the highland aesthetic, but at the same time, I can understand the need for the rule, as it must be a nightmare for them to balance a cohesive mix of radically different cultures that still complement one another aesthetically.

Have a little look on Etsy.co.uk for alternative fabrics- I’ve been finding some really decent quality fabrics on there for my costume, and I like that my money goes towards small businesses. So many patterns, weaves, fabrics, and in virtually every colour imaginable. I haven’t found it too expensive either, but it depends on the fabric, of course.
Let me know how you get on with your design, and Good luck!

[Augustus]

Your faction looks badass. I think as long as a band keeps their outfit’s silhouettes true to their Nation’s brief (like Tour De Cendres have done spectacularly) I think it would help mitigate the confusion with another Nation’s group that shares the same palette (I am liable to eat these words amidst the chaos of my first battle, when no doubt everything turns a blurry shade of red ) Overall, it’s definitely wise to opt for a rarer combo of colours if you can get them to suit your character/band ideas.

[Mark_Wilkin]

@Augustus

I think Mark’s right about the Tartan idea- I could be wrong here, but I’m pretty sure I read on the wiki that tartan patterns aren’t allowed

Aha now that I go look on the Navarr Look and Feel page the specific mention is this

https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Navarr_look_and_feel#Less_Appropriate

It is fine to include some plaid in your costume if you wish - fabric with a tartan pattern is found throughout the Empire and elsewhere. However the best tartans to use are overwhelmingly the patterns that use a few colours at most, usually in subdued tones. The modern tartans that have bright contrasting colours are best avoided wherever possible.

So sorry @GremlinJoe I was wrong on them being completely out, but the League look and feel brief talks about

The riotously bright uniforms of the free companies mostly comprise two colours, with sleeves and trousers in the main colour, slashed to let the contrasting colour show through.

And

The palette is rich and autumnal. Wine reds, golden yellows, supported by rich oranges and deep blues and blacks.

While on the costume page

“The northern cities are colder in climate, and clothing reflects that” - They are still city dwellers however and will not let inclement weather get in the way of good fashion. The northern cities will merely add more layers: a longer outer gown or a sleeveless surcoat or both. Fur is seen and heavier fabrics such as thick brocade and velvet. These may be darker in color but still sumptuous. In the north leather might be used in a very tailored way for garments. To the southern cities this might seem very drab indeed.

So still probably best to steer away from Tartan in the League.

[GremlinJoe]

Thanks @Mark_Wilkin for all the research,
Nice to know that plaid has its place. Just not in the league, which does make a lot of sense. ( I hope your research inspires someone from another nation though.)

I had seen that section about the Northern cities before and its definitely peaked my interest. Currently the idea of playing a city dweller who runs a hunting lodge is quite appealing. (More specifically the idea of playing a grizzled hunter/ explorer with tall tales seems like a lot of fun to rp.)
I’d still use the landsknecht style and silhouette, with the puffy slitted sleeve and trousers. But use far more brown leather and dusky/earthy shades to reflect the outdoor lifestyle.

@Augustus yeah, I’m hoping someone from another nation sees this and adopts a splash of tartan. It would be nice to see : )

And I completely agree about Etsy. Already found a seller who makes amazing custom belt favours and banners for larp. (Mosswood studio is the name of the shop if you are curious.)

The selection of fabric is pretty overwhelming. Definitely leaning towards dusky colours though, lots of Deep reds and purples.

[Augustus]

I tip my coif to your helpful efforts, Sir!

lol I knew I’d seen some forbidding mention of Highland tartan, but that’s good that the non-gaudy version is allowed. It looks cool on classic medieval outfits, and would definitely suit some Navar types.
(I’m gonna make a OOC mini-game in September to tally how many characters I spy using Tartan in their outfits. And no, it’s definitely not sad- this data could save the Empire one day! (Mayhaps the Vallorn recoil in fear from Tartan? )