The Costumer

Generally, it’s always important to consider weather for your costuming. It’s sometimes difficult to balance looking good at a LARP, faire, or con with feeling comfortable.

General Notes:

• Tights get hot and sticky during the summer.
• Costumes get drenched in sweat, so try wearing an undershirt and make sure to wash your costume after the event.
• Certain fabrics breathe better than others. If you are making or purchasing a costume, do your research. Real 100% cotton breathes better and is also accurate and usable for historical events as well.

At LARPs:

• The staff and wolfpack over at Seventh Kingdom IGE run a blog for LARPers; a recent post highlights important tips for LARPers doing their thing in the summer.
• Here are some more tips for costuming for comfort at a LARP:
• Layer if possible–most climates will get cool at night and will be warm during the day.
• Incorporate your hydration as part of your costume. Depending on the era, you could use a canteen (WWII LARP) or drinking horn (medieval/fantasy LARP) to store or carry water.
• Kevin Tjia from LARP Source also notes that summer costuming tends to be easier for women than men.  Most medieval/fantasy gear for men is designed to have long sleeves, whereas much female costume is designed to be layered or show a lot of skin.
• See the below note about corsets.
• Always consider heavy-makeup races for all seasons. Prosthetics and makeup don’t always hold up so well with a lot of sweat. Plan on re-applying if you go with a non-human race. (more…)