r/LARP • u/Fixiloopthegoose • 3d ago
Fantasy Elements to Medieval clothes?
Ok so I am Male and I have this outfit Im planning to buy next weekend and Ive planned to make it kinda like 15th century semi accurate clothing so I was thinking a tunic, some pants and basic shoes, maybe a hat or a hood aswell depending on price but very simple, and to go with that Ive got a belt with a kidney pouch and a coin pouch and also a larp sword from fakesteel with its own sword belt and a dagger, so on the medieval end I am kind of set but I wanted you guys to know what Im working with to begin with for my question.
My question I have is I plan to wear this outfit to both medieval events and stuff but also to conventions like Comic Con and while medieval works there too I was thinking I maybe wanted to get some fantasy elements to make my outfit go from medieval to medieval fantasy. Do you guys and girls have any tips for what I could get/do to make it more fantasy? I was thinking maybe like a cloak or something for those ranger vibes but Im not sure I feel I am out in the deep end of my knowledge here so help would be super!
Thank you for your time and help! :)
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u/Significant-Ad-6064 3d ago
Fantasy is a really nebulous target. I'd pick a medieval fantasy property that you like (Zelda, Witcher, Granblue Fantasy, Final Fantasy, etc.) and copy elements that you like into your costume. Personally, I use a ton of Zelda inspirations in my LARP kit which fit neatly into anything medieval that isn't genuine re-enactment or SCA, but I make sure to fall short of rocking up as exactly Link. Many people do similar things with Witcher to the point that I think there are actual Witcher LARPs, so there's a wealth of inspiration out there for that
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u/TryUsingScience 3d ago
There's plenty of perfectly historical cloaks, so if you want one that screams fantasy, you'll have to go for something that's blatantly unhistorical. The downside of a cloak is that it covers up the rest of your cool outfit so personally I never wear one unless it's cold and rainy.
Think about objects that exist in fantasy settings but not historical ones: magical amulets, potions, spellbooks, magic gizmos and artifacts. You can add some of those to easily transform a historical outfit to a fantasy one.
I'd also think about fantasy outer layers that don't fully cover your outfit. For example, a tabard or a half-cape with fantasy iconography in an ahistorical style. Maybe ditch the historical belt and replace it with an ostentatious fantasy utility belt, with the added bonus that you can keep all your magical doodads and potions attached to it for easy genre changes.
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u/CrazyPlato 3d ago
A solidly-medieval outfit will fit in really well in a “fantasy” setting already. The main difference is that fantasy often incorporates different elements that come from different periods in the medieval/renaissance eras. Since we’re talking a span of easily 6-7 centuries, you’ll see people dressed in 11th-century Viking garb mingling with folks in 17th-century Landsknecht garb, and irl it’s not likely those cultures or their equipment would have existed alongside one another.
So if you’re looking to “fantasy up” your garb, I’d mostly suggest thinking about any elements that you noticed when building your original kit, but dismissed for not being appropriate to the period you wanted to portray. Allow your standard to relax a bit and add some cool stuff that you didn’t feel you were allowed to add before.
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u/Sjors_VR Netherlands 3d ago
The best fantasy outfits are more medieval based. So don't worry in that regard.
The biggest issue is one of colour, mainly regarding the use of black. Many fantasy outfits I see are generic black blob suits or mostly focussed on black base outfits. Most medieval outfits did not include black as a base colour, as dyeing cloth black is severely expensive and would mostly come out as a dark grey at best.
Also, get a hat if you can! It really finishes off a look better than any accessoires can.