I feel like this is *the* kind of video that youtube (or internet at large) was meant for. An experienced hobbyist sharing his knowledge on how to get into a hobby with as low of an entry barrier as possible, making it accessible to people from all paths of life. Very considerate of you to do it, and I applaud you, good sir.
I have 2 stepsons, aged 7 & 5. This video gives me hope for a common interest that we can better bond upon. Thank you sir, hope to see you in the LARPing world.
Unfortunately, men's fashion has taken a major hit over the past few centuries. This was an excellent video, helping us poor men do well with what little is available.
@@LivingAnachronism Agree. One thing I’ll add though; if it fits the aesthetic who cares if a piece of clothing was “designed for” a woman? If it’s the look you’re going for, wear it.
"Unfortunately, men's fashion has taken a major hit over the past few centuries" Not just that, but it's pretty much exactly the same as it was a two hundred years ago, especially at the more formal end. The only difference between a suit now and a suit from the 1860s, for example, is how many buttons and how likely it is to be double-breasted. It's tragic, really.
Well that depends. But one thing is certain, this video does not show anything approaching medieval fashion. Take a look at the mass of fabric used in the 13th century, how cottes evolve to become ever shorter in the 14th finally leading to 15th century doublets over joined hosen. And colours, where are the colours? Indigo (and woad) dyed blues, madder reds, weld yellows, combined dyes and finally the pure black that became so fashionable in the 15th century. And yes, even peasants wore clothing significantly richer than what is portrayed in this video, which of course does not have a single cut resembling historic examples.
I literally do not understand how you’re not among the ranks of shadiversity and skallagrim, this is superb quality content. Great stuff, will share it.
Pro tip for ladies- scarves, especially ones that are wide enough that you can wrap them like a shawl. You can even use infinity scarves like a peasant cowl if they’re big enough and you wrap + pin them right.
To my LARP's October game I wore a large wool scarf from my regular wardrobe around like a shawl and then tucked it into my belt. I got many compliments on how I winterized my kit :P
It's also practical; I have a winter cloak that's so much warmer than any coat I've ever had. So I can definitely recommend some Medieval styles work excellently in the 21st century.
LOL my wife is the living embodiment of what you said about Women's clothing. A friend went to the Ren Faire with us and didn't know what to wear, so my wife went to her closet and pulled out a few items and said "Try these on".... they were clothes she wears on a daily basis😆
This is a fantastic video. Another tip I've done in the past, when a friend has no proper footware, is to wrap their tennis shoes in burlap. That works well for children as well. Also, mostly for kids, get an old white t-shirt with no logos. Cut off the collar, cuffs, and bottom. Then soak it in water with black tea bags. It dyes it to a great yellow-white color. Black or brown sweats and you got yourself a peasant's costume.
Honestly if the clothing is neutral enough you can just grab womens clothes for some parts. Just because something is in the mens or womens section doesn't mean you can't wear it. If it isn't too frilly and more of a neutral type of clothing that happens to be in the womens section then you can grab that and use that. Sadly mens fashion and clothing is kinda static.
For real, I have done this exact thing. The outfit I wore to my first Ren Faire came mostly from the women's section of a local thrift store, and it worked perfectly!
My brother used the same tunic for his medieval peasant costume that I used previously as an overdress for my Briton woman costume…and it is literally just a plus-sized shirtdress from a thrift store paired with base layers and a belt. Looked completely different on us, and looked great both ways haha
Fun fact about those waffle-textured underclothes: When Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were illustrating "The Lord of the Rings," they dressed their models in waffle underwear as reference to represent chain mail.
@@LivingAnachronism If you use the black or dark grey versions, you can mix silver craft paint with fabric-painting medium and dry-brush, catching just the high spots; the effect is very convincing when used onstage -- but not so much for close-up live theatre, and not at all for film or video.
Ok, working mom here.... hard, long hour working mom... got home from work at midnight to see a note from my son. See, He has a field trip tomorrow, and I get to go! They've been studying medieval times and we're going on a tour of a real castle. We will all start as pages and hopefully graduate to knighthood. Anyway, costumes are encouraged. He didn't want to dress up, though I was dying to! Well, apparently at last minute he changed his mind and wants to be a peasant. I was slightly in panic mode, but this video was a huge help!! Thanks so much!
This is the best video on newbie garb that I've seen in 20 years. Well done! And I learned what a waffle henley shirt is. I have a couple just never learned what they were called.
Will do! No it's the ren fair in kuna Idaho but ya it should be a blast. I'm going to be a minstrel there, I have a Rebec and a hurdy gurdy I'm going to be playing
@@dureyinpyles6321 Oh man that's awesome! With luck I may be on that end of the country one day, so perhaps one day we'll run into each other at the faire in idaho.
Another tip: If you want your character to wear fur you can go to ikea or whatever (in switzerland we have obi, ikea etc.) And get one of those faux fur carpet and cut it into shape I did it and it works great my character wears fur "tassets" over the tunic with a wide belt and it fits for my northern dwarven style (it kinda looks like ive killed and skinned 3 wolves one for each leg and one for a fur "cape")
Just shared this video with a bunch of friends and you got some new subscriptions, sir! My wife was cracking up at all your jokes about the ladies clothes. FYI, we found this video when searching for videos about cloaks and brooches because my two boys are loving the Prydain book series and want to do some dress up. Adaon’s brooch to your TH-cam channel - what a world.
For level two, if you have a pullover style hoodie (so, no zipper) that you can modify, remove the sleeves, and the handwarmer pocket (if there is one) and you can start there. If you are so inclined, you can get a grommet kit, split the front, fold the edges over and use the grommets as lacing holes (possibly level three)
I made a legolas costume and wore it to the fair and the greeter there bowed and said "you're the only legolas I've seen all year!" He was ecstatic and I felt great lol
I know, I rarely see LotR at all. It was SO popular, and then it was considered overdone for a while so it disappeared, but I think it is ready to be new again. Same for Narnia (though it wasn’t nearly as popular to dress up as to begin with, it’s a similar age)
I've been thinking about this since watching and something just occurred to me. You mentioned that you're not sure about women's clothing, but still managed to make a couple of suggestions. I have another suggestion. Many women have leggings of some variety. It seems to me that they could be used as hose, just need to cover up the elastic at the top and bottom. I know this video is about doing a costume for $0 but leggings are usually cheap so a guy could grab himself a pair that fits.
Something about the speech and presentation of this video really comes across to me like Internet Shaquille’s cooking videos, which I also jive with super well. Really loved this video and found it super helpful!
One of the things you can do for Level 1 garb is to turn the sweatpants inside out (tucking the pockets in, because, duh) and they look very similar to "woolen hose". This way, it doesn't look like sweatpants.
@@paulkline1574 I'm sorry if you thought it was a insult, it was genuinely question and I just explaining the reason I said what I said. As I say I do apologise if you took it the wrong way.
I found a tan pair of womens nubby silk lounge pants on sale that worked great for a homespun pair of men's pants. That along with a few yards of muslin for a tunic a couple belts, and some crocheted jute for a few pouches made an excellent costume
Just came over from Shadversity, upon hearing that good sir extoll your merits. I was greeted by this fantastic (and so very useful) introductory video on your home page...and subscribed on the spot. Looking forward to exploring your channel!
Im gonna level with you, I mostly wear women clothing when dressing for larp, to the point I routinely go browse the womens section and know my sizes and measurements for it. Its way cheeper, easier to find, and omg the boots selection alone is worth it
So happy that the TH-cam algorithm lead me to your channel - can't wait to explore your other content. Just so HAPPY to find someone focused on Men's Renaissance/ Medieval/ LARP'ing content for MEN! I know that a.lot of men don't get into it but for those that love to Cosplay AND do Renaissance Faires - this is a great resource. I'm a fairly skilled, self-taught sewer and have also noticed that there are almost zero videos on at least putting together a McCall's (or other commercial sewing pattern) for Renaissance (usually not historically accurate costumes) so maybe, if I can get organized, I can create content around that. But THANK YOU for this video (and for your channel). You look amazing and the layers are great.
Thanks so much! Detailed sewing tutorials for men's clothing would be a fantastic resource. I'm not equipped to do that, but networking, networking. If you start putting out content like that please let me know. I'm glad that the algorithm seems to have picked me up a little bit! :)
Oi, master clothes man. I wanted to thank you very much for this video and list. Some time ago I bought a linen medieval-ish shirt and i couldn't like because of the fit but the bit in the video about the belt over the clothes really solved 90% the problem that I had with it. Thank you very much!!
My very first Renn Faire outfit was simple and only cost me like $2. Black sweat pants, moccasin boots, a yard of cloth (the $2) that I cut a hole in to fit my head through, and a belt. The fabric became a basic peasant tunic that I belted off. simple, easy, and oddly enough, many thought I worked at the Faire that day.
Remember, kids, thrift stores are your friends. I haven't quite yet gotten into LARP or Ren Fairs or what have you, but I do cosplay sometimes. Thrift stores have saved me from selling a kidney.
this is so great! my husband isn't into larp or medieval things so he wont ever wear a costume, but this!! this works so well with every day clothes. thank you!
I might be a bit late to the party, but better late than never. Great video and thanks for the information. I've been interested in LARP for quite some time now and I rly want to go to my first renaissance fair in more than just my normal every day clothes.
Quick brooch idea...a nail was already suggested, but if you go to "that aisle" in Home Depot or Lowe's (the one that says "CHAINS, SCREWS, AND TIE DOWNS"...we know you giggle every time you see it), towards the hardware for chains you'll see chromed metal rings of a couple sizes, either singly or as a two-pack and relatively cheap in price...they run less than brass rings at craft stores and, whether or not you remove the chrome or not, coupled with a nail they're a ready-to-go annular brooch...penannular if you have a set of bolt cutters at home.
I love medieval my favorite Stuff is greens and browns outfits Also fantasy. forest men people who like to live in the woods and not buildings. And don’t hurt nature live in caves underground holes or trees style homes. I wish I could live and work with costumes making medieval costumes and Halloween costumes. I love Halloween medieval and festivals and wish I could do more with people
Thank you for video! I think I had some of this ideas of budget medieval looks. But I was not sure how actually do this and hhow it will be looks. Now I'm inspired. Honestly, I've always been a little jealous of girls because it's really easier for them to find some interesting cut things and create a medieval look with them. In fact, in second-hand shops in the women's department, you can find something good for a guy. X)
Thanks for mentioning the shoes. I have been working on my costume for over 10 years but as a student, the budget for medieval leather shoes was always too much... But I have recently been thinking I should invest in them nonetheless. Your words just highlighted how important they are!
I got to your channel from Skill Tree, and I'm glad I did lol. I've been thinking about visiting my local chapter of the SCA for a while now. This video gave me some great tips to get started. Thanks man!
As someone dressing traditionally feminine, I confirm that 90% of the cool, epic, medieval-looking clothes can be found in the woman part of a shop. A good tip to give a more medieval flavour a feminine outfit: wrap a white/light cloured scarf around wour head . Or wear braided updos if you don't like covering your hair. It really give that historical idea. But head-scarves are really good to hide non-historical hair colours or short hair.
Not bad advice at all. I am at level three, but I tend to adapt and / or modify modern clothes but most medieval clothes can be made quickly and easily with the exception of court clothing, that will be expensive!
I'm a big medieval clothing and textile nerd and imo this was pretty excellent. It's great to help demystify medieval clothing and make it more accessible. Love the hoodie hoods and hose, very inventive! Done the Chelsea boots and blanket cloaks and Asian style ('kurta'?) under shirts before - good advice. I would add a straw or felt wide brimmed hat with a round crown, if wanted; great for hot sunny days. White veils for femmes, from an old sheet or scarf, pinned with sewing pins if needed, is so ubiquitous and unmistakably medieval.
Holy motherload of information! My friends and I are looking at role playing as an adventuring party for next years Ren fest and this is a ton of fantastic information!
Hey Kramer, just wanted to thank you for these videos. My buddy and I went to a big Ren Faire in Washington this week and decided to go in costume for the first time. Your advice for making some starter costumes was invaluable and I was actually really proud of how I ended up looking. Keep up the good work man!
MEN - Men's Khaki's, Pleated or Plain Front-Brown or Grey are fine as well. Mandarin Collared shirts, Henley-style shirts-Both are good. Wear a brown or black leather belt. Brown or black leather shoes or boots-NOT western boots. An Old Wool blanket -fold in half and cut hole to put head through. Wear belt around blanket tunic. If any leather drawstring or other leather pouch. Scottish Bonnet ar driving cap will work for hat. Solid or Plaid colored wool blanket as cloak would be great if available.
Maybe unconsciously for all these years I’ve bought stuff that fits but you’re right, I’ve discovered my wardrobe is 30% medieval and 35% pirates (because hey “everything’s better with pirates!”) and all works perfectly for a “very soft everyday LARP” (I don’t know how to call it!) because are my actually dresses, not random stuff for costumes. About boots (not blue ones of course)…have you ever notice how different anyone walks with boots instead of sneakers? So much heavy and bold, so much adventurer! I’m putting together some outfits and now I can wear my garb if I want to have fun and don’t look ridiculous (I’m 48, understand!) …outside I’m ok, in my mind I’m ready for an adventure, whether I walk the dog in the woods or need go to town. I've never think about it and I had it under my eyes in all these years...You taught and old dog new tricks, I’m very grateful, you lightened my life.
If you do make that modern hoodie hood, cut the plastic tips off the shoelace-style drawstring cord, and stitch the ends shut. Bonus points for removing the grommet and stitching that hole as well, or at least doing something to take the chrome level shine off of it. The modern plastic ends and the shiny modern grommets are the remaining giveaway that the hood started life as a fleece hoodie!
Also, to enhance thin soled leather boots, cut larger vehicle tire strips or pieces to boot outline with chalk and use either twine or boot laces or leather thong strips to tie the tire pieces over the sole. I cut mine out with bolt cutters and wire cutters and used gorilla glue to make reinforced sole over moccasin boot soles including a toe cover to enhance protection, which is more important than having a flat sole on moccasin boots, particularly if you intend to CAMP or hike in your costumer/period gear and wardrobe. =)
Great comment, I've seen some people do something similar with moccasins (currently making my first pair now!), they take a rasp and create a rubber dust and then combine that with glue and paint it onto the soles. Any thoughts on this method?
I beg to differ on the question of stretch materials: Tights (e.g. undergarment for skiing) in combination with a tunic are a cheap, easily available, and good-looking alternative to pants. If you got the legs for it, that is. 😉
First, I love your channel. I'm relatively new to it but have spent years researching for historical medieval reenactment (I spend my time in 12th-14th century Northern Europe as per my actual ancestory) and I've spend untold amounts of money on garb. It's rediculously hard for males to dress than women. You should point out that your advice on boots is an anachronistic shortcut. Most people, even in historical reenacting, will do exactly what you suggested for the dual reason that 1) their own boots way more comfortable to wear all day and 2) 99% of observers won't notice. Hollywood has spoiled out view of history, but in actuality leather was expensive and only people with a special need would wear boots. Most wore various versions of turnshoes, but even if we all turned to 100% accuracy in our garb, I doubt we'd put a dent in Son of Sandlar's sales. If you are building a medieval LARP costume, you really should be more specific on each stage. One would never wear chausses and pants together, for the same reason you'd not wear 2 pairs of pants. Chausses ARE pants, just a few centuries earlier, and would never be word such that the underclothes, or braes, would be seen but rather under a long tunic. Showing off your underwear wouldn't come into style for a few centuries after that. I know this is an old video, but I just noticed I had notices turned off for you! Fixed that! And thanks for high quality vids!
Been looking for inspiration for costuming for a while. And this is the best video I've found so far. I won't have to borrow spare pieces from the event organisers anymore lol
As a broke dude who was the jeans and a tshirt guy at my first ren faire last year (it was actually shorts and a tshirt), and is so excited to go again this year, I can already tell your channel is going to save my "wasted at ren faire budget" from being entirely spent on a costume the week before that wont even look good
Thanks so much for this video! It is absolutely perfect for what I was looking for and so helpful! All of the visuals of the different levels was great. Thanks for putting so much time into this!
I'm a second generation reenactor, and I think my mother would kill me if I turned up at event wearing something made from any sort of jersey. XD That said, the repurposed hoodie does remarkably fit in with the look! In my 20+ years of events I would say the essential parts of any level 1 gear is a longish cotton/linen shirt (or dress for the ladies), a leather belt, and passable shoes. Any leather or leather-looking shoes is generally fine for shoes, as well canvas ballet flats. (Also please never wear sneakers)
9:20 I am going to throw this channel’s name around the D&D community now, because with these videos, you deserve the same recognition as Lord Shad himself.
Man, a friend of mine just shared your cloak video with me and now ... I'm stuck binge watching your content and planning my 20 medieval costumed that I'll probably never use :D such fun and useful content at the same time, thanks!
6:53 Us girls are always stealing guys hoodies so it seems only fair that you should steal something from us. Not sure if it'll fit but you can try. Also, you kind of look like Bard or Jon Snow and I think it's awesome.
OK, mom question here:) I'm trying to surprise my son (he's in his 20's) with a Bard outfit. Would these styles work? Do I need to make him a floppy hat or is that cape with hoodie on it ok? Ty! PS Really enjoyed this video:)
Glad you enjoyed. This might be a more involved answer than you were hoping for, but I hope it helps. If your son plays any form of roleplaying game, where in which he is a bard, (hence the costume I assume) he may have character art that he is using as a portrait for his character. You might find inspiration or you answer there. Bards are stereotypically pretty flamboyant, so even if you can't do the hat, consider multi tone fabrics, maybe a brocade or something, different lining from the shell. This video is only intended to be an absolute baseline, so he can always add on things or switch things out later!
@@LivingAnachronism Thank you so much:) He's actually starting to stream D&D and he's the DM. He doesn't have the artwork for it yet. He was just mentioning it'd be cool to have a Bard costume and the little mandolin or ukelee LOL:) So I'm so glad to come across your channel! Just enjoying other videos now as well! Thank you again:)
The problem is I don't have any of the clothes in this video😅 Almost all my clothes r either pastels or black and white lol Gonna have to do some shopping soon
Thanks for this video, very useful, I will participate in a medieval festival in two months, I ve seen lots of movies trying to make an acurate custome, so THANKS AGAIN
I like the medieval look for my every day look, and thank you for the tips on women's boots! I've been trying to work up enough courage to tackle working with leather, and maybe I don't have to. Low-heeled oxblood leather boots that come mid-calf and include straps wrapped around them already? I think I might have scored a hit, there! I also cleaned them and I have them coated with a blend of beeswax and jojoba oil. It not only cleans, but waterproofs the leather while allowing it to breathe. And for my first cloak pin, I cut to size and sanded a chopstick, then coated it with the beeswax blend. Bamboo chopsticks are long-fibered and don't break easily. Sanding removes splinters, and beeswax makes them smooth. There's a bit of a head on the top end, as well. Still works wonderfully after several years.
Estate sales are fantastic for fasteners and accessories. I’ve found many beautiful pins, brooches, and other pieces of jewelry that way. Especially good if you are doing fantasy medieval-one of my joys is a leaf brooch I found that was silver and gold themed, and became a deep cut piece as Pippin’s elven brooch that Aragorn finds (“not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall” and all that-by that time, the green of the brooch had faded to silver…which I imagine was due to the elf magic lol)
Blanket cloaks are awesome. My dad let me have a scratchy old grey wool blanket, and it was perfect. I got a nice penannular pin from the Townsends, but your nail idea is brilliant. I wish I'd thought of that.
I feel like this is *the* kind of video that youtube (or internet at large) was meant for. An experienced hobbyist sharing his knowledge on how to get into a hobby with as low of an entry barrier as possible, making it accessible to people from all paths of life.
Very considerate of you to do it, and I applaud you, good sir.
Thank you!
YES
I have 2 stepsons, aged 7 & 5. This video gives me hope for a common interest that we can better bond upon. Thank you sir, hope to see you in the LARPing world.
Unfortunately, men's fashion has taken a major hit over the past few centuries. This was an excellent video, helping us poor men do well with what little is available.
Definitely agree
Bring back the cloak!
@@LivingAnachronism Agree. One thing I’ll add though; if it fits the aesthetic who cares if a piece of clothing was “designed for” a woman? If it’s the look you’re going for, wear it.
"Unfortunately, men's fashion has taken a major hit over the past few centuries"
Not just that, but it's pretty much exactly the same as it was a two hundred years ago, especially at the more formal end. The only difference between a suit now and a suit from the 1860s, for example, is how many buttons and how likely it is to be double-breasted. It's tragic, really.
Well that depends. But one thing is certain, this video does not show anything approaching medieval fashion. Take a look at the mass of fabric used in the 13th century, how cottes evolve to become ever shorter in the 14th finally leading to 15th century doublets over joined hosen. And colours, where are the colours? Indigo (and woad) dyed blues, madder reds, weld yellows, combined dyes and finally the pure black that became so fashionable in the 15th century. And yes, even peasants wore clothing significantly richer than what is portrayed in this video, which of course does not have a single cut resembling historic examples.
I literally do not understand how you’re not among the ranks of shadiversity and skallagrim, this is superb quality content. Great stuff, will share it.
Probably because I just started, but thank you so much! I'd love to get to where they are one day!
husa a man of quality
@@LivingAnachronism he is right thou
You should look at Shad's newest video! Guess who he's singing the praises of?!?!?
You'll get there I'm sure just keep up the great work and quality
Pro tip for ladies- scarves, especially ones that are wide enough that you can wrap them like a shawl. You can even use infinity scarves like a peasant cowl if they’re big enough and you wrap + pin them right.
Great tip!
To my LARP's October game I wore a large wool scarf from my regular wardrobe around like a shawl and then tucked it into my belt. I got many compliments on how I winterized my kit :P
“Because.... hi.” Smooth. 😏 Good ideas, well presented. Well done, sir.
I need more of this in my life
Time to start converting my wardrobe to be more medieval so I can look properly eccentric!
I know, right? I want to convert a couple hoodies right now!
It's also practical; I have a winter cloak that's so much warmer than any coat I've ever had. So I can definitely recommend some Medieval styles work excellently in the 21st century.
LOL my wife is the living embodiment of what you said about Women's clothing. A friend went to the Ren Faire with us and didn't know what to wear, so my wife went to her closet and pulled out a few items and said "Try these on".... they were clothes she wears on a daily basis😆
That's me too, but for my guy friends. Someone needs a cloak or something, they come to me haha!
Reminds me of when Shad wore his wife's dress.
This is a fantastic video.
Another tip I've done in the past, when a friend has no proper footware, is to wrap their tennis shoes in burlap. That works well for children as well.
Also, mostly for kids, get an old white t-shirt with no logos. Cut off the collar, cuffs, and bottom. Then soak it in water with black tea bags. It dyes it to a great yellow-white color. Black or brown sweats and you got yourself a peasant's costume.
or a slave costume xD
@@ghifarakbar8492 Practically the same thing.
Great ideas!
As a goth I haven't a hard time piecing together an ensemble my husband however only has Victorian outfits so this was most helpful!
That's kinda awesome actually
Honestly if the clothing is neutral enough you can just grab womens clothes for some parts.
Just because something is in the mens or womens section doesn't mean you can't wear it. If it isn't too frilly and more of a neutral type of clothing that happens to be in the womens section then you can grab that and use that. Sadly mens fashion and clothing is kinda static.
For real, I have done this exact thing. The outfit I wore to my first Ren Faire came mostly from the women's section of a local thrift store, and it worked perfectly!
My brother used the same tunic for his medieval peasant costume that I used previously as an overdress for my Briton woman costume…and it is literally just a plus-sized shirtdress from a thrift store paired with base layers and a belt. Looked completely different on us, and looked great both ways haha
Fun fact about those waffle-textured underclothes:
When Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were illustrating "The Lord of the Rings," they dressed their models in waffle underwear as reference to represent chain mail.
I used to use them as chain mail when I was a kid
@@LivingAnachronism If you use the black or dark grey versions, you can mix silver craft paint with fabric-painting medium and dry-brush, catching just the high spots; the effect is very convincing when used onstage -- but not so much for close-up live theatre, and not at all for film or video.
Long Johns?
Ok, working mom here.... hard, long hour working mom... got home from work at midnight to see a note from my son. See, He has a field trip tomorrow, and I get to go! They've been studying medieval times and we're going on a tour of a real castle. We will all start as pages and hopefully graduate to knighthood. Anyway, costumes are encouraged. He didn't want to dress up, though I was dying to! Well, apparently at last minute he changed his mind and wants to be a peasant. I was slightly in panic mode, but this video was a huge help!! Thanks so much!
This is the best video on newbie garb that I've seen in 20 years. Well done! And I learned what a waffle henley shirt is. I have a couple just never learned what they were called.
Thank you! Best compliment I could ask for.
Dude this is so cool!! I'm literally going to a renaissance fair in two days
Hey have fun! If for some reason it happens to be the CT Renaissance Faire, I'll be there.
Will do! No it's the ren fair in kuna Idaho but ya it should be a blast. I'm going to be a minstrel there, I have a Rebec and a hurdy gurdy I'm going to be playing
@@dureyinpyles6321 Oh man that's awesome! With luck I may be on that end of the country one day, so perhaps one day we'll run into each other at the faire in idaho.
@@LivingAnachronism ya man that would be Awesome
Dude, you may or may not have heard this before, but you look like Inigo Montoya. This is a compliment.
Another tip:
If you want your character to wear fur you can go to ikea or whatever (in switzerland we have obi, ikea etc.) And get one of those faux fur carpet and cut it into shape
I did it and it works great my character wears fur "tassets" over the tunic with a wide belt and it fits for my northern dwarven style (it kinda looks like ive killed and skinned 3 wolves one for each leg and one for a fur "cape")
Ah yes, the game of thrones extra option. (No really they used the £10 sheepskins for Night's Watch cloaks!)
@@EmlynBryn that explains a lot 😂
I have not yet watched game of thrones eventhough someone once gifted me the entire series on blueray 😅
there aren't a lot of larp clothing video's for men out there, let alone one's this helpful
Well that was interesting. I hand sew a new outfit for each Renn. Faire Year.
Just shared this video with a bunch of friends and you got some new subscriptions, sir! My wife was cracking up at all your jokes about the ladies clothes.
FYI, we found this video when searching for videos about cloaks and brooches because my two boys are loving the Prydain book series and want to do some dress up. Adaon’s brooch to your TH-cam channel - what a world.
Thank you Sir!
For level two, if you have a pullover style hoodie (so, no zipper) that you can modify, remove the sleeves, and the handwarmer pocket (if there is one) and you can start there. If you are so inclined, you can get a grommet kit, split the front, fold the edges over and use the grommets as lacing holes (possibly level three)
Already have grommet kit in tool box, another use for my tool addiction
I made a legolas costume and wore it to the fair and the greeter there bowed and said "you're the only legolas I've seen all year!" He was ecstatic and I felt great lol
I know, I rarely see LotR at all. It was SO popular, and then it was considered overdone for a while so it disappeared, but I think it is ready to be new again. Same for Narnia (though it wasn’t nearly as popular to dress up as to begin with, it’s a similar age)
Instead of Brooch you can use jute twine or leather thongs/strings or make then from leather scraps. To save those blankets you love of course.
I've been thinking about this since watching and something just occurred to me.
You mentioned that you're not sure about women's clothing, but still managed to make a couple of suggestions.
I have another suggestion. Many women have leggings of some variety. It seems to me that they could be used as hose, just need to cover up the elastic at the top and bottom.
I know this video is about doing a costume for $0 but leggings are usually cheap so a guy could grab himself a pair that fits.
Something about the speech and presentation of this video really comes across to me like Internet Shaquille’s cooking videos, which I also jive with super well. Really loved this video and found it super helpful!
I'm a woman and have been larping for 16 years - but I LOVED this video 🥰🥳
Thank you!
Fantastic video dude! Super informative and flows together well, and your personality shines through. Keep it up, you're going places!
Thank you!
One of the things you can do for Level 1 garb is to turn the sweatpants inside out (tucking the pockets in, because, duh) and they look very similar to "woolen hose". This way, it doesn't look like sweatpants.
Do you know what woollen hose actually look like. All the hose I've seen in illustrations and have worn are tight fitting, not lose fitting.
@@alanmackinnon3516 Was that an actual question, or just a thinly veiled insult?
@@paulkline1574 I'm sorry if you thought it was a insult, it was genuinely question and I just explaining the reason I said what I said. As I say I do apologise if you took it the wrong way.
@@alanmackinnon3516 Ah, "I do apologize if you took it the wrong way." The classic non-apology. So, it was an insult. Good to know.
I found a tan pair of womens nubby silk lounge pants on sale that worked great for a homespun pair of men's pants. That along with a few yards of muslin for a tunic a couple belts, and some crocheted jute for a few pouches made an excellent costume
Getting ready to put up a HS production of Robin Hood, and you, sir, are a lifesaver. Thank you!
Just came over from Shadversity, upon hearing that good sir extoll your merits. I was greeted by this fantastic (and so very useful) introductory video on your home page...and subscribed on the spot. Looking forward to exploring your channel!
Thank you kindly!
Im gonna level with you, I mostly wear women clothing when dressing for larp, to the point I routinely go browse the womens section and know my sizes and measurements for it. Its way cheeper, easier to find, and omg the boots selection alone is worth it
Best content I've seen in decades. Thank u so much
Thank you!
The thing where you spot a nice medieval thing I get so good!!
The renaissance fair is in town this month. Trying to get my gf and I looking apparently. Thanks man.
CT faire shared you and this was great! now when my guy friends say they have nothing medieval for the faire i can show them this!
So happy that the TH-cam algorithm lead me to your channel - can't wait to explore your other content. Just so HAPPY to find someone focused on Men's Renaissance/ Medieval/ LARP'ing content for MEN! I know that a.lot of men don't get into it but for those that love to Cosplay AND do Renaissance Faires - this is a great resource. I'm a fairly skilled, self-taught sewer and have also noticed that there are almost zero videos on at least putting together a McCall's (or other commercial sewing pattern) for Renaissance (usually not historically accurate costumes) so maybe, if I can get organized, I can create content around that. But THANK YOU for this video (and for your channel). You look amazing and the layers are great.
Thanks so much! Detailed sewing tutorials for men's clothing would be a fantastic resource. I'm not equipped to do that, but networking, networking. If you start putting out content like that please let me know. I'm glad that the algorithm seems to have picked me up a little bit! :)
Oi, master clothes man. I wanted to thank you very much for this video and list. Some time ago I bought a linen medieval-ish shirt and i couldn't like because of the fit but the bit in the video about the belt over the clothes really solved 90% the problem that I had with it. Thank you very much!!
My very first Renn Faire outfit was simple and only cost me like $2. Black sweat pants, moccasin boots, a yard of cloth (the $2) that I cut a hole in to fit my head through, and a belt. The fabric became a basic peasant tunic that I belted off. simple, easy, and oddly enough, many thought I worked at the Faire that day.
Remember, kids, thrift stores are your friends. I haven't quite yet gotten into LARP or Ren Fairs or what have you, but I do cosplay sometimes. Thrift stores have saved me from selling a kidney.
The importance of thrift stores can NOT be understated. Great finds almost every time.
Thank you!! I really need to level up. Great advice. Henley shirts, my new BFF.
this is so great! my husband isn't into larp or medieval things so he wont ever wear a costume, but this!! this works so well with every day clothes. thank you!
the hoodie tip is so fucking good!!! My BF is gonna look so good at the renn faire this year
I might be a bit late to the party, but better late than never. Great video and thanks for the information. I've been interested in LARP for quite some time now and I rly want to go to my first renaissance fair in more than just my normal every day clothes.
Quick brooch idea...a nail was already suggested, but if you go to "that aisle" in Home Depot or Lowe's (the one that says "CHAINS, SCREWS, AND TIE DOWNS"...we know you giggle every time you see it), towards the hardware for chains you'll see chromed metal rings of a couple sizes, either singly or as a two-pack and relatively cheap in price...they run less than brass rings at craft stores and, whether or not you remove the chrome or not, coupled with a nail they're a ready-to-go annular brooch...penannular if you have a set of bolt cutters at home.
I love medieval my favorite Stuff is greens and browns outfits Also fantasy. forest men people who like to live in the woods and not buildings. And don’t hurt nature live in caves underground holes or trees style homes. I wish I could live and work with costumes making medieval costumes and Halloween costumes. I love Halloween medieval and festivals and wish I could do more with people
Thank you for video! I think I had some of this ideas of budget medieval looks. But I was not sure how actually do this and hhow it will be looks. Now I'm inspired.
Honestly, I've always been a little jealous of girls because it's really easier for them to find some interesting cut things and create a medieval look with them. In fact, in second-hand shops in the women's department, you can find something good for a guy. X)
Thanks for mentioning the shoes. I have been working on my costume for over 10 years but as a student, the budget for medieval leather shoes was always too much... But I have recently been thinking I should invest in them nonetheless. Your words just highlighted how important they are!
I got to your channel from Skill Tree, and I'm glad I did lol. I've been thinking about visiting my local chapter of the SCA for a while now. This video gave me some great tips to get started. Thanks man!
Now that I watched this video I have a sudden urge to shop for peasant blouses lol
That sword is driving me nuts. Its bloking the door from opening. Does not decrease the level of the video, excellent work.
Set will be changing drastically, and quite shortly!
As someone dressing traditionally feminine, I confirm that 90% of the cool, epic, medieval-looking clothes can be found in the woman part of a shop. A good tip to give a more medieval flavour a feminine outfit: wrap a white/light cloured scarf around wour head . Or wear braided updos if you don't like covering your hair. It really give that historical idea. But head-scarves are really good to hide non-historical hair colours or short hair.
bro im in the middle of making a medieval short film and this is GOLDEN
Sweet gear. I'm totally down for a follow-along type tutorial for diy boots!
This was helpful and delightful. THANK YOU.
Literally the most helpful video I’ve seen OMLLLL
Living Anachronism: "I really hope i've inspired you to make your own outfit" 19y/o me :*cutting up jackets for leg wraps*
Not bad advice at all. I am at level three, but I tend to adapt and / or modify modern clothes but most medieval clothes can be made quickly and easily with the exception of court clothing, that will be expensive!
thank you so much i have 2 top quality costumes that are so comfy and nice
Thank you so much for this! I've been looking for two years for something like this
I'm a big medieval clothing and textile nerd and imo this was pretty excellent. It's great to help demystify medieval clothing and make it more accessible. Love the hoodie hoods and hose, very inventive! Done the Chelsea boots and blanket cloaks and Asian style ('kurta'?) under shirts before - good advice. I would add a straw or felt wide brimmed hat with a round crown, if wanted; great for hot sunny days. White veils for femmes, from an old sheet or scarf, pinned with sewing pins if needed, is so ubiquitous and unmistakably medieval.
Excellent additions!
Been looking for costume ideas for my D&D character (he's a wood elf druid). This helped so much. Definitely subscribing! Thanks for the video!
This is amazing and im only just starting in larp so this is perfect
this is really helpful i basically wore brown pants light green self dyed shirt and flip flops for my first ren faire lol
Coming back to this vid every Ren Fair
Holy motherload of information! My friends and I are looking at role playing as an adventuring party for next years Ren fest and this is a ton of fantastic information!
Hey Kramer, just wanted to thank you for these videos. My buddy and I went to a big Ren Faire in Washington this week and decided to go in costume for the first time. Your advice for making some starter costumes was invaluable and I was actually really proud of how I ended up looking. Keep up the good work man!
Really cool ideas.
MEN - Men's Khaki's, Pleated or Plain Front-Brown or Grey are fine as well. Mandarin Collared shirts, Henley-style shirts-Both are good. Wear a brown or black leather belt. Brown or black leather shoes or boots-NOT western boots. An Old Wool blanket -fold in half and cut hole to put head through. Wear belt around blanket tunic. If any leather drawstring or other leather pouch. Scottish Bonnet ar driving cap will work for hat. Solid or Plaid colored wool blanket as cloak would be great if available.
You damn genius.
Maybe unconsciously for all these years I’ve bought stuff that fits but you’re right, I’ve discovered my wardrobe is 30% medieval and 35% pirates (because hey “everything’s better with pirates!”) and all works perfectly for a “very soft everyday LARP” (I don’t know how to call it!) because are my actually dresses, not random stuff for costumes.
About boots (not blue ones of course)…have you ever notice how different anyone walks with boots instead of sneakers? So much heavy and bold, so much adventurer!
I’m putting together some outfits and now I can wear my garb if I want to have fun and don’t look ridiculous (I’m 48, understand!) …outside I’m ok, in my mind I’m ready for an adventure, whether I walk the dog in the woods or need go to town.
I've never think about it and I had it under my eyes in all these years...You taught and old dog new tricks, I’m very grateful, you lightened my life.
Shoes are absolutely the holy grail of garb. They make or break your look
If you do make that modern hoodie hood, cut the plastic tips off the shoelace-style drawstring cord, and stitch the ends shut. Bonus points for removing the grommet and stitching that hole as well, or at least doing something to take the chrome level shine off of it. The modern plastic ends and the shiny modern grommets are the remaining giveaway that the hood started life as a fleece hoodie!
Thank you for this. Awesome video for the occasional Renfest attendee.
Also, to enhance thin soled leather boots, cut larger vehicle tire strips or pieces to boot outline with chalk and use either twine or boot laces or leather thong strips to tie the tire pieces over the sole. I cut mine out with bolt cutters and wire cutters and used gorilla glue to make reinforced sole over moccasin boot soles including a toe cover to enhance protection, which is more important than having a flat sole on moccasin boots, particularly if you intend to CAMP or hike in your costumer/period gear and wardrobe. =)
Great comment, I've seen some people do something similar with moccasins (currently making my first pair now!), they take a rasp and create a rubber dust and then combine that with glue and paint it onto the soles. Any thoughts on this method?
I beg to differ on the question of stretch materials: Tights (e.g. undergarment for skiing) in combination with a tunic are a cheap, easily available, and good-looking alternative to pants. If you got the legs for it, that is. 😉
This video shows that there are no excuses to not dress up for a faire! Really resourceful and thoughtful video here, new favorite channel!
First, I love your channel. I'm relatively new to it but have spent years researching for historical medieval reenactment (I spend my time in 12th-14th century Northern Europe as per my actual ancestory) and I've spend untold amounts of money on garb. It's rediculously hard for males to dress than women.
You should point out that your advice on boots is an anachronistic shortcut. Most people, even in historical reenacting, will do exactly what you suggested for the dual reason that 1) their own boots way more comfortable to wear all day and 2) 99% of observers won't notice. Hollywood has spoiled out view of history, but in actuality leather was expensive and only people with a special need would wear boots. Most wore various versions of turnshoes, but even if we all turned to 100% accuracy in our garb, I doubt we'd put a dent in Son of Sandlar's sales.
If you are building a medieval LARP costume, you really should be more specific on each stage. One would never wear chausses and pants together, for the same reason you'd not wear 2 pairs of pants. Chausses ARE pants, just a few centuries earlier, and would never be word such that the underclothes, or braes, would be seen but rather under a long tunic. Showing off your underwear wouldn't come into style for a few centuries after that.
I know this is an old video, but I just noticed I had notices turned off for you! Fixed that! And thanks for high quality vids!
Been looking for inspiration for costuming for a while. And this is the best video I've found so far. I won't have to borrow spare pieces from the event organisers anymore lol
Great video man! Looks like I found my Halloween costume this year!
As a broke dude who was the jeans and a tshirt guy at my first ren faire last year (it was actually shorts and a tshirt), and is so excited to go again this year, I can already tell your channel is going to save my "wasted at ren faire budget" from being entirely spent on a costume the week before that wont even look good
Thanks so much for this video! It is absolutely perfect for what I was looking for and so helpful! All of the visuals of the different levels was great. Thanks for putting so much time into this!
I'm a second generation reenactor, and I think my mother would kill me if I turned up at event wearing something made from any sort of jersey. XD That said, the repurposed hoodie does remarkably fit in with the look! In my 20+ years of events I would say the essential parts of any level 1 gear is a longish cotton/linen shirt (or dress for the ladies), a leather belt, and passable shoes. Any leather or leather-looking shoes is generally fine for shoes, as well canvas ballet flats. (Also please never wear sneakers)
Sir, my legs absolutely won’t fit into my sleeves for hose.
9:20 I am going to throw this channel’s name around the D&D community now, because with these videos, you deserve the same recognition as Lord Shad himself.
Thanks very much!
Man, a friend of mine just shared your cloak video with me and now ... I'm stuck binge watching your content and planning my 20 medieval costumed that I'll probably never use :D
such fun and useful content at the same time, thanks!
6:53 Us girls are always stealing guys hoodies so it seems only fair that you should steal something from us. Not sure if it'll fit but you can try. Also, you kind of look like Bard or Jon Snow and I think it's awesome.
Thanks! What a compliment!
Best advise from this.. wear your own clothes.. they fit and make you feel comfortable thus believable to be something a character would wear.
OK, mom question here:) I'm trying to surprise my son (he's in his 20's) with a Bard outfit. Would these styles work? Do I need to make him a floppy hat or is that cape with hoodie on it ok? Ty! PS Really enjoyed this video:)
Glad you enjoyed. This might be a more involved answer than you were hoping for, but I hope it helps. If your son plays any form of roleplaying game, where in which he is a bard, (hence the costume I assume) he may have character art that he is using as a portrait for his character. You might find inspiration or you answer there. Bards are stereotypically pretty flamboyant, so even if you can't do the hat, consider multi tone fabrics, maybe a brocade or something, different lining from the shell. This video is only intended to be an absolute baseline, so he can always add on things or switch things out later!
@@LivingAnachronism Thank you so much:) He's actually starting to stream D&D and he's the DM. He doesn't have the artwork for it yet. He was just mentioning it'd be cool to have a Bard costume and the little mandolin or ukelee LOL:) So I'm so glad to come across your channel! Just enjoying other videos now as well! Thank you again:)
@@kathrynann patchwork cloak, flamboyant colors, etc would work really well. This is really nice of you!
@@TwoJaysMoon ty:)!
I saw this dude on Shadiversity and I've been looking all over for him since and IVE FINALLY FOUND HIM! subbed
imma take these advices to cosplay as a tropeiro, a south american colonial knight if you may. Thanks for the help!
The problem is I don't have any of the clothes in this video😅
Almost all my clothes r either pastels or black and white lol
Gonna have to do some shopping soon
I'm here from a Shadiversity Shoutout.
Checking you out for him, Subbed and staying for the content.
Thanks for this video, very useful, I will participate in a medieval festival in two months, I ve seen lots of movies trying to make an acurate custome, so THANKS AGAIN
Solid video, enjoyed the ideas and the way your personality comes through without being ridiculous or over the top and annoying. Well done!
man looks like Matthew Hopkins from the neck up, and from the neck down a mage from the elder scrolls 🤣 mans rockin it
Im going to my first ren fair in two weeks and I'm so nervous that my outfit isnt going to be up to par!
Don't worry about that, go and have fun!
I like the medieval look for my every day look, and thank you for the tips on women's boots! I've been trying to work up enough courage to tackle working with leather, and maybe I don't have to. Low-heeled oxblood leather boots that come mid-calf and include straps wrapped around them already? I think I might have scored a hit, there! I also cleaned them and I have them coated with a blend of beeswax and jojoba oil. It not only cleans, but waterproofs the leather while allowing it to breathe.
And for my first cloak pin, I cut to size and sanded a chopstick, then coated it with the beeswax blend. Bamboo chopsticks are long-fibered and don't break easily. Sanding removes splinters, and beeswax makes them smooth. There's a bit of a head on the top end, as well. Still works wonderfully after several years.
Estate sales are fantastic for fasteners and accessories. I’ve found many beautiful pins, brooches, and other pieces of jewelry that way. Especially good if you are doing fantasy medieval-one of my joys is a leaf brooch I found that was silver and gold themed, and became a deep cut piece as Pippin’s elven brooch that Aragorn finds (“not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall” and all that-by that time, the green of the brooch had faded to silver…which I imagine was due to the elf magic lol)
Blanket cloaks are awesome. My dad let me have a scratchy old grey wool blanket, and it was perfect. I got a nice penannular pin from the Townsends, but your nail idea is brilliant. I wish I'd thought of that.
This channel is amazing. Took my garb from lvl 1 to 10. 🙌🏽🙌🏽❤️👌🏾