I've worked at a viking museum here in sweden. I can say one thing... at the end of the day. All of us smell like smoke. The blacksmiths more so than anyone else. and honestly I don't think I've ever seen any of the blacksmiths with clean clothing. Charcoal has a tendency to basically turn any piece of fabric black.
A great thing to consider if you're playing a character that is a blacksmith. Roll around in some charcoal for realism! I find smoke after one day or so to remain fairly pleasant, but as soon as it starts to get stale, I at least begin to feel the need of visiting the village bathhouse ;)
The problem with pipeless "black" furnaces, sure. Not a thing for a later medieval period when chimneys appear. Soot used to be a black pigment for dying plant-based cloth such as linen. It doesn't stick to animal-based fibre such as wool or silk, so those are likely to remain colourful.
It is very distracting from the immersive quality of many fictional TV shows and movies when the costumes look fresh off the rack. I know they don’t have laundry services. Embrace the authenticity! Make it part of your headcanon backstory
To get the smell out of your cloth, you can also air them out. Just put them out in the sun for a few hours. The heat and UV-rays kill most bacteria and smells. Works especially well with wool clothing. Just brush off any dirt.
@@LivingAnachronism I traveled with a theatre troupe that had one-of-a-kind costumes that could not be laundered. The costumer was told by the designer and fabricator to use a vodka and water mixture 1:1 in a spray bottle. The costumes repeatedly went from the stage to being sprayed to the road case to the next venue without accumulating smells. Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
One of the points why linen undergarments and woolen outer garments work so great. Wool doesn't smell, dirt can be brushed off and then aired. And linen takes all the sweat, doesn't smell either and can be cooked to clean it. And if dried in the sun it gets real white
I made a floppy medieval inspired hat using two cotton pillowcases inside one another and no sewing. The inside fabric has a cream color with silver floral pattern, while the outer one is solid blue. It can be rolled and folded into a couple styles of hat depending on your situation. I figure a medieval traveler would appreciate the ability to turn it into a storage bag or two if necessary. I appreciate how little work it required.
Turn one bag inside out and stick it inside the other. Fold the double bag back on itself for about half the length, like rolling up pant cuffs. Then roll back one corner to make the back of the hat. It covers my ears and neck for sun protection, reaching to the top of my thoracic spine.
WOW! Every time I watch one of your videos, it makes my heart sing. I'm an amature fashion historican and costume designer, and your points on natural fibers, projects out of necessity, and the historically accurate vs. authentic were all very well put and had me cheering! Thank you also for posting videos that don't sound like rambling or ranting. Everything is thoughtful and experienced, and I wanted to thank you for that.
Detachable sleeves that are obvious definitely give the fantasy vibe, which is cool if that's what you want. Most historical garments with detachable sleeves have the connection hidden.
I am very interested in seeing a video on converting a piece to have detachable sleeves. Also I love the fact that your glove was born out of necessity, helps add to the "lived in" feel of the character.
Rather than grommets - which are expensive and can be difficult to use - try hand sewn eyelets. Hand sewn eyelets are stronger, cheaper, easy and historically accurate. There are lots of tutorials on how to sew these, mainly in medieval bodice and stays construction.
The newbies deserve to know: it's more than a couple of grommets. More than a few even. You're going to need at least eight per edge to get a good connection between the sleeves and the body, so that's at least 32 in total, and you'll probably want more than that, especially if your character is a prosperous farmer. ;) I myself got to a dozen per edge before I was happy with how well it kept the wind out.
As a larper myself, I cannot express enough how important especially tips 7 to 10 are. Projects from necessity, aside from providing you with exactly what you need, add so much flair, whether it's your glove, or an ingredients purse, or whatnot. Also, the worth of a piece of cloth cannot be ovestated. Impromptu face mask, loot satchel, makeshift bandages, or wet headscarf - always carry one on you.
As someone who doesn't larp, but likes going to ren faires, the spare cloth is invaluable when all the food and beverages available are greasy or sticky, and you don't want to stain your garb that isn't easily washed.
Up the authenticity by sewing grommets instead of using metal ones. Takes a bit, but sewing buttonhole stitches give you something to do through another viewing of LotR extended cut.
me: "Detachable sleeves looks great, but they are not good protection against wind, rain or cold." also me, 5s later: "That's why you wear a cloak and a cowl!" And reusing wizards robe from your childhood as a tunic is brilliant idea!
Very nice advice! If I may add to the point about belts, specifically for people who wear skirts/dresses: long, structured undergarment (stays, corsets, etc) are very good for supporting the wieght of whatever is on your belts and the sometimes heavy skirts. Just not lace it too tight or you can't move... It also provides back support as a bonus.
A good wide leather belt is great to wear outside of the clothes under the other two to help distribute the weight of multiple pouches and swords. You can make one yourself pretty easily, and lace it in front and back like a corset or like those sleeves on his outer tunic.
Man, knowing that you're in a children's wizard robe completely changes how I look at that outfit. Went from 'merchant's assistant' to 'wizard who spent all his money on books instead of clothes.'
A note about detachable sleeves. I constantly used a coat that I had altered with removable sleeves, and the natural fading on the chest part ended up vastly different.
Your thumbnail is literally what I'm working on right now. I have a habit of being too roasty, so I need the option to take off sleeves to cool myself. And the design of the garment has large flowy kimono-esque sleeves, having the option to take them off for practical activities is absolutely necessary. Mostly, with the garment, I wanted a combination of practical AND pretty, depending on what I'm doing without having to have a large wardrobe--which most people did not have back in the old days.
@@LivingAnachronism Yep, I'm planning to only lace around from the front to back over the shoulder only. It also makes it easier to remove and reattach.
Thanks for the tips. Your tip on repurposing/remaking outmoded garb is not only brilliant idea, but a financially sound one. The old wizard robe works well for a hired blade or spellsword look. It looks pretty Gondorian too.
It's funny that this got recommended me when it did. I'm currently working on a post-apocalyptic themed outfit. The centerpiece of the outfit is a leather jacket with detachable sleeves laced on with Paracord. I used a seam ripper to remove the sleeves and grommet pliers to make eyelets to lace it up with.
Cool! You may already know about Nuclear Snail's channel, but if not, he does some great post-apocalyptic clothing and kit. I have Mediaeval clothing, but I've also been creating some post-apocalyptic clothing now too.
Another cleaning tip I learned from people I used to reenact with. This is for wool clothing specifically but I've used for other heavy materials. Have a spray bottle with watered down alcohol in it. I think we used a 1:1 mix. Turn your garb inside out and hit problem areas(underarms for example) with the spray. Just enough to get it slightly damp, not soaking. Then turn back right-side out and give a light misting. Hang dry. This is really good for when you're overnighting to make sure sweat smells don't accumulate.
I bought a cheap dress that ended up being way too short for me, so now I wear it more like a tunic, with leggings and either a nice belt, or a corset. It works beautifully.
Don't choke up on your sword; after drawing it, shift your hand down slightly just so the quillons of your hilt don't rub on your thumb knuckle, or the back of your hand. Or make it a habit to reach for your sword, and start pulling your hand away from the hilt before gripping to draw. Not sure how LARP fighting works, but this is what I was taught in my various swordsmanship classes. Another reason not to choke up so high is that the quillons wont get in your way as you maneuver the sword, giving you better range of movement. Yes, this takes quite some time to turn into muscle memory since drawing a sword isn't likely part of your daily life.
There are anyway several different grips. And a lot of time, the thumb goes over the crossguard. Of course, gloves are always helpful, but one should not get use to bad or wrong habits how to hold a longsword.
With that new/old tunic your whole garb has a very early medieval eastern european vibe. Maybe throw a Bocksten style cloak, seax and axe/sword on there and you might as well be a young Varangian prince.
I feel that a video on manufacturing detachable sleeves would be very interesting. Beyond merely being more versatile, it would likely allow for greater ventilation under the arms. My old dojo did something very similar with their gi, in that they had eyelets spaced around the under arm, beginning from the ribcage. Given it was a black outfit, I was wholeheartedly in agreement.
1. commenting for the algorithm. 2. Came here from the discord server, thanks for setting that up. 3. I’d love a video on adding detachable sleeves, or even a series on modifying modern clothing. 4. Are you planning on giving your thoughts on the D&D OGL debacle? I’d love to hear what your plans are.
I have thoughts on it, however I'm not sure the channel is necessarily the right place for that, as it's mostly license issues, rather than content issues like RoP that I can actually address. It's definitely a problem if Wizards of the Coast is coming down hard on copyrights, the entire premise of D&D is that you can do with it what you want and you pretty much don't even need the rules at all. I can't imagine that the OGL will stand as it is, I'm worried with the "compromise" would be.
@@LivingAnachronism I agree. That conversation would seem a bit out of place here in your world. Looks like the whole thing is just going to implode on Hasbro anyway, so… I say let it ride and stay on your adventure. But, to steal a line for Blazing Saddles. If you must. You must. Just my thoughts put here for you to do with as you please. Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
Oh yeah, a video on making detachable sleeves would be awesome! Also, been meaning to say, your indoor studio area looks really great, it has such a cozy vibe. Thanks for another awesome video!
Just out of curiosity, have you ever seen/interacted with LARPers that take inspiration from medieval Arab or African garb/kit? After living for a couple weeks in Amman, I can attest that a lot of clothing that people wear is made to be compatible with both the hot days and cold nights (even snow). It's a style of garb that I feel could help create a believable look that is also unique and comfortable. I would imagine similar clothing can be found in the histories of the Sahel, Ethiopian highlands, and parts of southern/sub-Saharan Africa that experience similar climate.
*Starts video, immediately notices glove* "Huh. Aragorn!" Also, I think your outfit looks kinda like a Celtic-esque merchant, perhaps a traveling one. Detachable sleeves are the best, super useful, stylish, and it adds that little extra Witcher-vibe.
You asked about ideas for your new outfit/character, and my first thought was "thief". Dark colors to help you blend in to shadows. That was my thought before you talked about the glove. The patchwork glove also makes sense for a criminal: he's less likely to be buying things at a shop and more likely to be making them himself from old scraps. You just need to trade the red belt for one that's less visible.
When I was regularly doing hema training I wore slightly padded leather gloves. Still my skin at the thumb got noticable thicker from the guard. And from all the sweating and rubbing the inside of my left glove wore through quite regularly. I think I covered the inside of the hand completely over time. In some areas there are about 3 layers of different leathers. Original pig leather, random modern patches, scaled fish leather. By the way, if you sometimes want to craft something very special looking out of leather, look for exotic leathers. There is fish leather that looks really nicely scaly (I have a small pouch of red fish leather, looks great like dragon hide and covered my scabbard in green scaly leather), bullfrog leather, stingray leather and extremely nice bird leg leather (from chicken or even ostrich, that looks even more dragon like, it's used for fake crocodile#
I my opinion the glove goes beyond historically plausible to historically probable. Knowing what we do about humans and the materials and tools broadly available for most of human history it's an absolute certainty that plenty of people have said "I need a hand covering and I have scrap material of some kind lying around." It pains me when people stick to the historical record when things like this definitely existed, probably far more than they do today, but were mundane enough to fall through the cracks of documentation. It's adding intuition to academics.
Absolutely do videos on converting upper garments to sleeve-optional, hat making, whatever you think people will actually do and use. The Welsh Viking has already done turned shoes and another popular channel whose name escapes me has done a custom wizard's cloak with inner pockets, but the sky is the limit otherwise.
Doing living history I can 100% support your last tip. For a week at the museum I use plenty of differently shaped linen cloths to work as an apron, cover food, clean surfaces, use as a dish cloths or cover the head of my kid.
yet more awesome advice :) for materials I would also add that while it's great to look up what was historically used where you actually live it, can also be good to research what was historically used in similar climates elsewhere in the world because while where you live it may be hot in summer and people used thin linen, somewhere else in also hot in the summer people might have used raw silk (an incredibly versatile fabric) so this kind of searching does often yield interesting and new ideas
The glove was the coolest bit - noticed it right away and was wondering about it. Looks wonderful, and adds to the overall look ... just not sure what that look it going to be for the tunic in question.
Another way to deal with smells on garments that can't be laundered: 1:1 mix of water and alcohol (I use cheap vodka) or 1:1:1 mix of water, vinegar, and alcohol. Just mix it and spray your garment. It's a theatre trick that I use for cosplays that can't be laundered. It's incredibly effective for how easy it is.
Our group has made a game out of who can find the cheapest most off brand vodka for cleaning. Also, we just do 50/50 water and vodka and it seems to do the job. Will definitely experiment with adding vinegar and see if it helps with toxic boy sweat. Lol
I'm really into court/noble fantasy novels so as a result I tend to lean into historical fashion to build from (henrician/English renaissance especially). I've reached the point where I have 2-3 bodices, under shirts/chemises and skirts (plus a petticoat). While it's no way larp suitable/proof, it def suits my community of ren faires and tea/picnic meets.
I agree 100 percent. I have been larping and doing medieval reenactment and similar things since I was 18 so I have a lot of medieval garb and for certain characters and people I can’t wear certain tunics or colors with because those characters don’t wear them. So I totally understand.
Just got some penanular brooches few weeks ago, shoutout to GlitterbeardsCrafts and MoggyMetals on Etsy in UK, good quality brooches, perfect for shawls and scarves too
I'm surprised you didn't mention some even simpler and more historical ways to care for clothing: airing and sunning. A good airing out will refresh clothing quite nicely, and sunlight has antibacterial properties that will kill those stink germs as well. You can also diy fabric refresher spray quite easily: dilute rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol down to about 10% strength, and add essential oil if desired. Spray clothing, hang it up, and it's plenty fresh.
I´m loving the fact that you´ve kept this piece once supposed as a wizard´s robe for a small kid. Satisfying to hear so, in times as people just live with that sort of a "buy-and-waste" mentality.
I am an Archer, so i wear a finger less leatherglove on my bow hand as a restglove and a full finger leatherglove on my shooting hand. Makes me able to both use the medieval drew and the asiatic thumbdraw. My bows are not more than 30 lb in draw weight. And my leather armor wambraces are the armguard and armquiver combined.
You inspired me to remember an old cotton tunic I had gotten several years ago which is too small now, but which I am now thinking I'm going to try my hand at repurposing by ripping out the threadwork and adding grommets all up the sides and on the shoulders.
The look you have in the SkillShare ad was great. I suggest more videos working in that (I assume basement) workshop. The white walls make for great contrast and your site is Living Anachronism so that concrete block fits that well for contrast for making things, aka we usually make things in the real modern world
Great video! You can also use vodka and spray it onto garments that still contain a smell to deodorise. It's a tip used in the theatre for items that aren't easily cleaned and may have been stored for a long period of time
I finally went ahead and spent money on a good leather kit belt because I was tired of all my faux belts and cinchers deteriorating and falling apart every faire
The use of gloves may have been regulated by the Sumptuary laws The detachable sleeves are great. When I was on cast (had to dress in historically accurate garb) we use to use ribbons to add some flare and color for the ladies outfits. For the men, I mostly went without sleeves, if it got too cold, we used ruanas to keep warm
Sure sure larping european fashion is nice. But personally, I love those Ottoman outfits. Now that activates the neurons, it is very underrated in fantasy settings.
Looking at historical clothes for for the Normans and other peoples that lived close to them, I found that they follow the three layer system used by modern backpackers and hikers. The base layer is to wick moisture off of the body, and I can not recommend wool socks enough for that. The mid layer is there to keep in the body heat. The shell layer is usually the cloak and is there to keep wind and any rain off of you.
Extra tip from me and my Friends based on Tipp 8 we do LARP in Germany and if you want to get armor... get shoulder and upper arm armor or lower leg protection first, thats where you get hit most (from our experience)
Necessity.... is why I swordfight wearing lacrosse gloves under steel half-gauntlets with added leather lames... got tired of having my fingers mashed in finger gauntlets or work gloves. then got tired of having bits of my knuckles pinched off if someone came in sideways and got my hand. And also have foam padding on the me-side of my shield, almost got my arm broken through my shield once. Also on upsizing things you've outgrown.... armpit gussets. They can add an extra few inches to the chest and shoulders, and are pretty basic to add into an existing garment if you have basic sewing skills.
I wil go to a medieval fest with my horse, but I won´t be a worrior or knight, just like a merchandant, What do you suggest for? I have seen many of your videos, they rock man, THANKS FOR ALL THIS TIPS
AMEN TO NATURAL FIBERS!!! Just got rained out of Battle for the Ring this weekend. Yeah it's southern California, but hours of torrential rain in the chill ain't fun. I was in all wool from hood to Uggs. While breaking camp I was sopping, wringing, streaming wet, but BY GOD I was WARM ENOUGH!
As a man who works a great deal out in the field, I carry three bandannas every day. 101 different uses. Just be careful what colors you wear in what neighborhood. I always wondered if colored sashes or such were used in a similar way in those time periods
Greetings traveler! I hope you have been well. I have binge watched half this channel in 3 days lol I love and support the content. I am working on a dwarf kit for streaming and LARP. I have scoured pintrest and found some good ideas persay, but etsy is of no use for good dwarven armor. I would love to hear your suggestions for the start of the kit and getting deep (were talking daily wear lol) into the making of the garb.
i loved tip #10 haveing been to 'several' Pensic War Events (SCA), I have seen way too many people who don't think about climate/weather or take it into consideration. My personal recomendation, would be to find a (pre 1970s) Boy scout manual, and read up on how many uses their neckscarfs had.
Love the video! Fantastic advice that I think all of us need to hear at some point. Not only for living anachronism, but just living in the modern age in a materialistic world
Great and informative video for the community! Adding on from your advice about some type of cloth, I would recommend some type of headpiece for thermal regulation. It doesn't have to be a fancy. A simple arming cap or a head cloth like a shemagh works wonders, especially if you're a fool like me who likes to get into a bunch of armor and traipse around the faire all day...
For the last tip, not just for larp/reenactments, but for every day carry for me is 2 cotton bandanas. Sudden rainfall, hotter than you expect, as hot as you expected, mud you didn't see in the road, scraped knee from a dumb dog deciding to stop in front of your bike to keep you from going home on your bicycle (which you have done every day for the past YEAR AND A HALF!), and then when the mask order for 2020 happened I had a (felt like I was robbing a bank) mask.
Tip number eleven: Get a water bottle. You need to stay hydrated, especially at larps. Getting some salty snacks is also a good idea to replace your salt, especially in summer.
One thing for those of us in North America No one wore this type of clothing in the place we are in the medieval or migration period because the people who lived in this area never domesticated sheep or goats and never farmed plants for fibre ( cotton was farmed in Central America , some Caribbean islands and South America ). Even when cotton was available to Europeans, cotton was mostly a luxury fabric up till the mid 18th century . I would also say to look at what kinds of pigments were easily available as the pigments available from plants tend not to be so colour fast and therefor colours would be more muted especially for people that spend a lot of time in the sun and rain like an adventurer ( black, purple , green were all expensive and used mostly by the wealthy with laws preventing normal people from using those colours . While the red most people would have had access to is ocher which is basically rust colour and Woad dyed wool fabric dos not get you a deep or bright vibrant blue but something more like old acid washed blue jeans ) This is one are old paintings lie to use as the painters wanted to show the people being painted in the most vibrant colours possible to show off those peoples wealth and status , not an accurate depiction of what the people actually looked like ( see pictures of queen Elizabeth the first as an example ) .
About the new outfit. When I first saw it I thought, “Oh. Kramer is working on a new outfit. I wonder what it will look like when he’s finished.” Then as I watched the video I didn’t give it much thought. After, I went back and paused the video in several places to get a better look at the outfit with the idea of how could it be finished. Silver/white filigree cord around the collar and down the front edges matching the cord on the sleeves. A splash of filigree on the chest and maybe a splash of something on the back. Perhaps some of the same cord running in an inverse v from the neck to the bottom to create a coat-tail appearance. Trim the bottom to give it texture and distinguish it from the clothing beneath. Now we’re looking at a merchant prince or traveling noble. Throw in a hood either red to pull the belt into the look or grey like the shirt beneath. Either with the same filigree cord on the borders to tie it all together. I like the grey better as it leaves the belt as the one splash of bright color while it compliments the upscale look of the rest of the outfit and draws the eyes of those around, like you do as a noble or merchant prince. Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
Really useful tips. To me, it is a real art to make believable items. Although I portray a science fiction character, it is also important to me that something "could be in that universe, but you see it nowhere in the material available". I disagree though a little with "too big is better than too small". For certain items, this can become very uncomfortable. Even worse, if you want to wear armor, especially metal. If your undergarments are not tailor made, the event can become really awful with chafing and clothing bunching up where it is not supposed to do that.
My folks just started watching Side Story of Fox Volant on TH-cam. The first fight scene reminded me of some of your darker outfits, if you ever find yourself in an Asian setting lol
I've worked at a viking museum here in sweden. I can say one thing... at the end of the day. All of us smell like smoke. The blacksmiths more so than anyone else. and honestly I don't think I've ever seen any of the blacksmiths with clean clothing. Charcoal has a tendency to basically turn any piece of fabric black.
A great thing to consider if you're playing a character that is a blacksmith. Roll around in some charcoal for realism! I find smoke after one day or so to remain fairly pleasant, but as soon as it starts to get stale, I at least begin to feel the need of visiting the village bathhouse ;)
The problem with pipeless "black" furnaces, sure. Not a thing for a later medieval period when chimneys appear.
Soot used to be a black pigment for dying plant-based cloth such as linen. It doesn't stick to animal-based fibre such as wool or silk, so those are likely to remain colourful.
That it does
I worked at a living history museum too! I love it so much!
It is very distracting from the immersive quality of many fictional TV shows and movies when the costumes look fresh off the rack. I know they don’t have laundry services. Embrace the authenticity! Make it part of your headcanon backstory
To get the smell out of your cloth, you can also air them out. Just put them out in the sun for a few hours. The heat and UV-rays kill most bacteria and smells. Works especially well with wool clothing. Just brush off any dirt.
Also true!
Already tested it and it works wonders!!!
Also historical. People often wore pieces for several days in a row and hung them up to air out overnight.
@@LivingAnachronism I traveled with a theatre troupe that had one-of-a-kind costumes that could not be laundered. The costumer was told by the designer and fabricator to use a vodka and water mixture 1:1 in a spray bottle. The costumes repeatedly went from the stage to being sprayed to the road case to the next venue without accumulating smells.
Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
One of the points why linen undergarments and woolen outer garments work so great. Wool doesn't smell, dirt can be brushed off and then aired. And linen takes all the sweat, doesn't smell either and can be cooked to clean it. And if dried in the sun it gets real white
I made a floppy medieval inspired hat using two cotton pillowcases inside one another and no sewing. The inside fabric has a cream color with silver floral pattern, while the outer one is solid blue. It can be rolled and folded into a couple styles of hat depending on your situation. I figure a medieval traveler would appreciate the ability to turn it into a storage bag or two if necessary. I appreciate how little work it required.
That sounds really cool! I can't quite picture it, but I'd be interested in seeing how it's done!
Tolkien describes Sam wearing a shapeless bag as a hat, so you're onto something.
I love it. Perfect for RPG characters who suddenly need to haul away a few hundred more silver pieces than they expected.
Turn one bag inside out and stick it inside the other. Fold the double bag back on itself for about half the length, like rolling up pant cuffs. Then roll back one corner to make the back of the hat. It covers my ears and neck for sun protection, reaching to the top of my thoracic spine.
The thing about having some cloth handy reminds me of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Always Bring a Towel, and DON"T PANIC.
WOW! Every time I watch one of your videos, it makes my heart sing. I'm an amature fashion historican and costume designer, and your points on natural fibers, projects out of necessity, and the historically accurate vs. authentic were all very well put and had me cheering!
Thank you also for posting videos that don't sound like rambling or ranting. Everything is thoughtful and experienced, and I wanted to thank you for that.
Detachable sleeves that are obvious definitely give the fantasy vibe, which is cool if that's what you want. Most historical garments with detachable sleeves have the connection hidden.
What is the hidden connection
@@dawsonehlke1290 as in the garment itself is designed to conceal the fact that the sleeves come off.
@@dawsonehlke1290 Hiding the laces under something like a shoulder roll or wing on a doublet. 15th century Italian is a big exception to this ideal.
@@gozer87 sounds tricky.
@@dawsonehlke1290 Other option is to just use a pin, like on a kirtle. Not sure it's really used for men clothing though.
I am very interested in seeing a video on converting a piece to have detachable sleeves. Also I love the fact that your glove was born out of necessity, helps add to the "lived in" feel of the character.
Rather than grommets - which are expensive and can be difficult to use - try hand sewn eyelets. Hand sewn eyelets are stronger, cheaper, easy and historically accurate. There are lots of tutorials on how to sew these, mainly in medieval bodice and stays construction.
Wool is awesome in that it doesn't get stinky easily. It is naturally antimicrobial.
The newbies deserve to know: it's more than a couple of grommets. More than a few even. You're going to need at least eight per edge to get a good connection between the sleeves and the body, so that's at least 32 in total, and you'll probably want more than that, especially if your character is a prosperous farmer. ;) I myself got to a dozen per edge before I was happy with how well it kept the wind out.
As a larper myself, I cannot express enough how important especially tips 7 to 10 are.
Projects from necessity, aside from providing you with exactly what you need, add so much flair, whether it's your glove, or an ingredients purse, or whatnot. Also, the worth of a piece of cloth cannot be ovestated. Impromptu face mask, loot satchel, makeshift bandages, or wet headscarf - always carry one on you.
As someone who doesn't larp, but likes going to ren faires, the spare cloth is invaluable when all the food and beverages available are greasy or sticky, and you don't want to stain your garb that isn't easily washed.
Up the authenticity by sewing grommets instead of using metal ones. Takes a bit, but sewing buttonhole stitches give you something to do through another viewing of LotR extended cut.
Yes! I can't use metal grommets for my character because she wouldn't have had them in her time and place.
me: "Detachable sleeves looks great, but they are not good protection against wind, rain or cold."
also me, 5s later: "That's why you wear a cloak and a cowl!"
And reusing wizards robe from your childhood as a tunic is brilliant idea!
Very nice advice! If I may add to the point about belts, specifically for people who wear skirts/dresses: long, structured undergarment (stays, corsets, etc) are very good for supporting the wieght of whatever is on your belts and the sometimes heavy skirts. Just not lace it too tight or you can't move... It also provides back support as a bonus.
A good wide leather belt is great to wear outside of the clothes under the other two to help distribute the weight of multiple pouches and swords. You can make one yourself pretty easily, and lace it in front and back like a corset or like those sleeves on his outer tunic.
Man, knowing that you're in a children's wizard robe completely changes how I look at that outfit. Went from 'merchant's assistant' to 'wizard who spent all his money on books instead of clothes.'
A note about detachable sleeves. I constantly used a coat that I had altered with removable sleeves, and the natural fading on the chest part ended up vastly different.
Your thumbnail is literally what I'm working on right now. I have a habit of being too roasty, so I need the option to take off sleeves to cool myself. And the design of the garment has large flowy kimono-esque sleeves, having the option to take them off for practical activities is absolutely necessary. Mostly, with the garment, I wanted a combination of practical AND pretty, depending on what I'm doing without having to have a large wardrobe--which most people did not have back in the old days.
Detachable sleeves also offer a great way to ventilate the under arms, if they don't lace all the way around!
@@LivingAnachronism Yep, I'm planning to only lace around from the front to back over the shoulder only. It also makes it easier to remove and reattach.
Thanks for the tips. Your tip on repurposing/remaking outmoded garb is not only brilliant idea, but a financially sound one. The old wizard robe works well for a hired blade or spellsword look. It looks pretty Gondorian too.
It's funny that this got recommended me when it did. I'm currently working on a post-apocalyptic themed outfit. The centerpiece of the outfit is a leather jacket with detachable sleeves laced on with Paracord. I used a seam ripper to remove the sleeves and grommet pliers to make eyelets to lace it up with.
Cool! You may already know about Nuclear Snail's channel, but if not, he does some great post-apocalyptic clothing and kit.
I have Mediaeval clothing, but I've also been creating some post-apocalyptic clothing now too.
Another cleaning tip I learned from people I used to reenact with. This is for wool clothing specifically but I've used for other heavy materials. Have a spray bottle with watered down alcohol in it. I think we used a 1:1 mix. Turn your garb inside out and hit problem areas(underarms for example) with the spray. Just enough to get it slightly damp, not soaking. Then turn back right-side out and give a light misting. Hang dry. This is really good for when you're overnighting to make sure sweat smells don't accumulate.
Our wardrobe mistresses did the same with costumes that couldn’t be laundered.
Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
I bought a cheap dress that ended up being way too short for me, so now I wear it more like a tunic, with leggings and either a nice belt, or a corset. It works beautifully.
Don't choke up on your sword; after drawing it, shift your hand down slightly just so the quillons of your hilt don't rub on your thumb knuckle, or the back of your hand. Or make it a habit to reach for your sword, and start pulling your hand away from the hilt before gripping to draw.
Not sure how LARP fighting works, but this is what I was taught in my various swordsmanship classes.
Another reason not to choke up so high is that the quillons wont get in your way as you maneuver the sword, giving you better range of movement.
Yes, this takes quite some time to turn into muscle memory since drawing a sword isn't likely part of your daily life.
There are anyway several different grips. And a lot of time, the thumb goes over the crossguard. Of course, gloves are always helpful, but one should not get use to bad or wrong habits how to hold a longsword.
With that new/old tunic your whole garb has a very early medieval eastern european vibe. Maybe throw a Bocksten style cloak, seax and axe/sword on there and you might as well be a young Varangian prince.
I feel that a video on manufacturing detachable sleeves would be very interesting. Beyond merely being more versatile, it would likely allow for greater ventilation under the arms.
My old dojo did something very similar with their gi, in that they had eyelets spaced around the under arm, beginning from the ribcage. Given it was a black outfit, I was wholeheartedly in agreement.
1. commenting for the algorithm.
2. Came here from the discord server, thanks for setting that up.
3. I’d love a video on adding detachable sleeves, or even a series on modifying modern clothing.
4. Are you planning on giving your thoughts on the D&D OGL debacle? I’d love to hear what your plans are.
I have thoughts on it, however I'm not sure the channel is necessarily the right place for that, as it's mostly license issues, rather than content issues like RoP that I can actually address. It's definitely a problem if Wizards of the Coast is coming down hard on copyrights, the entire premise of D&D is that you can do with it what you want and you pretty much don't even need the rules at all. I can't imagine that the OGL will stand as it is, I'm worried with the "compromise" would be.
@@LivingAnachronism I agree. That conversation would seem a bit out of place here in your world. Looks like the whole thing is just going to implode on Hasbro anyway, so… I say let it ride and stay on your adventure. But, to steal a line for Blazing Saddles. If you must. You must.
Just my thoughts put here for you to do with as you please.
Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
Oh yeah, a video on making detachable sleeves would be awesome! Also, been meaning to say, your indoor studio area looks really great, it has such a cozy vibe. Thanks for another awesome video!
Just out of curiosity, have you ever seen/interacted with LARPers that take inspiration from medieval Arab or African garb/kit? After living for a couple weeks in Amman, I can attest that a lot of clothing that people wear is made to be compatible with both the hot days and cold nights (even snow). It's a style of garb that I feel could help create a believable look that is also unique and comfortable. I would imagine similar clothing can be found in the histories of the Sahel, Ethiopian highlands, and parts of southern/sub-Saharan Africa that experience similar climate.
please definitely do a video on how to turn a regular upper body garment into one with detachable sleeves!!!
I don't actively larp anymore but as an artist your videos are really helpful for creating good character designs!
A medieval tunic with removable sleeves?
For those sweltering days of summer
😉 or just whenever you wanna treat folks to the gun 💪 show.
*Starts video, immediately notices glove*
"Huh. Aragorn!"
Also, I think your outfit looks kinda like a Celtic-esque merchant, perhaps a traveling one.
Detachable sleeves are the best, super useful, stylish, and it adds that little extra Witcher-vibe.
I am very proud of this glove!
Eyyyy ive been spreading that last tip to people in warm climates for a while. It also works in silk.
You asked about ideas for your new outfit/character, and my first thought was "thief". Dark colors to help you blend in to shadows. That was my thought before you talked about the glove. The patchwork glove also makes sense for a criminal: he's less likely to be buying things at a shop and more likely to be making them himself from old scraps. You just need to trade the red belt for one that's less visible.
When I was regularly doing hema training I wore slightly padded leather gloves. Still my skin at the thumb got noticable thicker from the guard. And from all the sweating and rubbing the inside of my left glove wore through quite regularly. I think I covered the inside of the hand completely over time. In some areas there are about 3 layers of different leathers. Original pig leather, random modern patches, scaled fish leather.
By the way, if you sometimes want to craft something very special looking out of leather, look for exotic leathers. There is fish leather that looks really nicely scaly (I have a small pouch of red fish leather, looks great like dragon hide and covered my scabbard in green scaly leather), bullfrog leather, stingray leather and extremely nice bird leg leather (from chicken or even ostrich, that looks even more dragon like, it's used for fake crocodile#
Thanks for the tip! I'm just getting into leatherworking again and am always on the lookout for tips and projects.
another tip for smell is to use ground coffee, it helps clear up any foul odor and can leave you smelling like a fresh cup of jo.
I my opinion the glove goes beyond historically plausible to historically probable. Knowing what we do about humans and the materials and tools broadly available for most of human history it's an absolute certainty that plenty of people have said "I need a hand covering and I have scrap material of some kind lying around." It pains me when people stick to the historical record when things like this definitely existed, probably far more than they do today, but were mundane enough to fall through the cracks of documentation. It's adding intuition to academics.
Absolutely do videos on converting upper garments to sleeve-optional, hat making, whatever you think people will actually do and use.
The Welsh Viking has already done turned shoes and another popular channel whose name escapes me has done a custom wizard's cloak with inner pockets, but the sky is the limit otherwise.
I would love a video about making detachable sleeves!
Doing living history I can 100% support your last tip. For a week at the museum I use plenty of differently shaped linen cloths to work as an apron, cover food, clean surfaces, use as a dish cloths or cover the head of my kid.
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7:12
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nice tips
and a nice wizard outfit, i like it
I never thought about having a second belt for accessories alone, will definitely be taking that for my next outing
yet more awesome advice :)
for materials I would also add that while it's great to look up what was historically used where you actually live it, can also be good to research what was historically used in similar climates elsewhere in the world because while where you live it may be hot in summer and people used thin linen, somewhere else in also hot in the summer people might have used raw silk (an incredibly versatile fabric) so this kind of searching does often yield interesting and new ideas
The glove was the coolest bit - noticed it right away and was wondering about it. Looks wonderful, and adds to the overall look ... just not sure what that look it going to be for the tunic in question.
Another way to deal with smells on garments that can't be laundered: 1:1 mix of water and alcohol (I use cheap vodka) or 1:1:1 mix of water, vinegar, and alcohol. Just mix it and spray your garment. It's a theatre trick that I use for cosplays that can't be laundered. It's incredibly effective for how easy it is.
Smirnoff triple distilled is what I use, lol. I use this trick too.
Our group has made a game out of who can find the cheapest most off brand vodka for cleaning.
Also, we just do 50/50 water and vodka and it seems to do the job. Will definitely experiment with adding vinegar and see if it helps with toxic boy sweat. Lol
Everclear vodka is our favorite, but we have to get it whenever we're in Wisconsin, because it's not sold here. 😂
I'm really into court/noble fantasy novels so as a result I tend to lean into historical fashion to build from (henrician/English renaissance especially). I've reached the point where I have 2-3 bodices, under shirts/chemises and skirts (plus a petticoat). While it's no way larp suitable/proof, it def suits my community of ren faires and tea/picnic meets.
I agree 100 percent. I have been larping and doing medieval reenactment and similar things since I was 18 so I have a lot of medieval garb and for certain characters and people I can’t wear certain tunics or colors with because those characters don’t wear them. So I totally understand.
Just got some penanular brooches few weeks ago, shoutout to GlitterbeardsCrafts and MoggyMetals on Etsy in UK, good quality brooches, perfect for shawls and scarves too
I'm surprised you didn't mention some even simpler and more historical ways to care for clothing: airing and sunning. A good airing out will refresh clothing quite nicely, and sunlight has antibacterial properties that will kill those stink germs as well. You can also diy fabric refresher spray quite easily: dilute rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol down to about 10% strength, and add essential oil if desired. Spray clothing, hang it up, and it's plenty fresh.
Loved it, my only add is a snot rag handkerchief 😂 when you’re sitting around a fire, running around, you gotta blow your nose
I´m loving the fact that you´ve kept this piece once supposed as a wizard´s robe for a small kid. Satisfying to hear so, in times as people just live with that sort of a "buy-and-waste" mentality.
I really love the kit you're wearing at the start. It makes me think of Boromir.
EXCELLENT
I am an Archer, so i wear a finger less leatherglove on my bow hand as a restglove and a full finger leatherglove on my shooting hand. Makes me able to both use the medieval drew and the asiatic thumbdraw. My bows are not more than 30 lb in draw weight. And my leather armor wambraces are the armguard and armquiver combined.
You inspired me to remember an old cotton tunic I had gotten several years ago which is too small now, but which I am now thinking I'm going to try my hand at repurposing by ripping out the threadwork and adding grommets all up the sides and on the shoulders.
The look you have in the SkillShare ad was great.
I suggest more videos working in that (I assume basement) workshop. The white walls make for great contrast and your site is Living Anachronism so that concrete block fits that well for contrast for making things, aka we usually make things in the real modern world
Another fantastic piece! The information that you are sharing really helps some of us older Larpers.
I'm glad! Thanks Randy!
for really rank smells (boots) activated charcoal in a loose weave pouch tucked down inside helps a TON.
The explanation about the glove being believable is everything ♥
Great choices, excellent job. :) Thank you.
Great video! You can also use vodka and spray it onto garments that still contain a smell to deodorise. It's a tip used in the theatre for items that aren't easily cleaned and may have been stored for a long period of time
I finally went ahead and spent money on a good leather kit belt because I was tired of all my faux belts and cinchers deteriorating and falling apart every faire
Your presentation was a delight this time! 😁
Thanks for the video, too!
I really like that tip on projects from necessity! Brings a really cool and unique look.
The climate one is something I've come to realize recently, cotton canvas is great for the California two seasons, except linen, always linen
The use of gloves may have been regulated by the Sumptuary laws
The detachable sleeves are great. When I was on cast (had to dress in historically accurate garb) we use to use ribbons to add some flare and color for the ladies outfits. For the men, I mostly went without sleeves, if it got too cold, we used ruanas to keep warm
Sure sure larping european fashion is nice. But personally, I love those Ottoman outfits. Now that activates the neurons, it is very underrated in fantasy settings.
Great video, thank you. might start wearing two belts to teach outdoors.
Looking at historical clothes for for the Normans and other peoples that lived close to them, I found that they follow the three layer system used by modern backpackers and hikers.
The base layer is to wick moisture off of the body, and I can not recommend wool socks enough for that.
The mid layer is there to keep in the body heat.
The shell layer is usually the cloak and is there to keep wind and any rain off of you.
Extra tip from me and my Friends based on Tipp 8 we do LARP in Germany and if you want to get armor... get shoulder and upper arm armor or lower leg protection first, thats where you get hit most (from our experience)
I only come to get some designs for My Medieval Clothes. So seeing the cosplay Tips i can Now Get some idea to medieval stuff
Love listening to you. Your suggestions are spot on.
Thank you Cheryl!
Necessity.... is why I swordfight wearing lacrosse gloves under steel half-gauntlets with added leather lames... got tired of having my fingers mashed in finger gauntlets or work gloves. then got tired of having bits of my knuckles pinched off if someone came in sideways and got my hand. And also have foam padding on the me-side of my shield, almost got my arm broken through my shield once.
Also on upsizing things you've outgrown.... armpit gussets. They can add an extra few inches to the chest and shoulders, and are pretty basic to add into an existing garment if you have basic sewing skills.
Just what I needed. Thank you!
Awesome Mark!
I wil go to a medieval fest with my horse, but I won´t be a worrior or knight, just like a merchandant, What do you suggest for? I have seen many of your videos, they rock man, THANKS FOR ALL THIS TIPS
Fantastic video! My larper insticts, however, are completely focused on the sword resting on it's tip!
AMEN TO NATURAL FIBERS!!! Just got rained out of Battle for the Ring this weekend. Yeah it's southern California, but hours of torrential rain in the chill ain't fun. I was in all wool from hood to Uggs. While breaking camp I was sopping, wringing, streaming wet, but BY GOD I was WARM ENOUGH!
As a man who works a great deal out in the field, I carry three bandannas every day. 101 different uses. Just be careful what colors you wear in what neighborhood. I always wondered if colored sashes or such were used in a similar way in those time periods
nice. I will look up more about hot weather attire.
Greetings traveler! I hope you have been well. I have binge watched half this channel in 3 days lol I love and support the content. I am working on a dwarf kit for streaming and LARP. I have scoured pintrest and found some good ideas persay, but etsy is of no use for good dwarven armor. I would love to hear your suggestions for the start of the kit and getting deep (were talking daily wear lol) into the making of the garb.
i loved tip #10
haveing been to 'several' Pensic War Events (SCA), I have seen way too many people who don't think about climate/weather or take it into consideration.
My personal recomendation, would be to find a (pre 1970s) Boy scout manual, and read up on how many uses their neckscarfs had.
Love the video! Fantastic advice that I think all of us need to hear at some point. Not only for living anachronism, but just living in the modern age in a materialistic world
The two belts tip is top notch. I learned this the hard way.
Great and informative video for the community! Adding on from your advice about some type of cloth, I would recommend some type of headpiece for thermal regulation. It doesn't have to be a fancy. A simple arming cap or a head cloth like a shemagh works wonders, especially if you're a fool like me who likes to get into a bunch of armor and traipse around the faire all day...
That colour combination looks nice on you,
I forged out a nice heavy brooch to make my own cloak, it's honestly more comfortable than some of my regular clothes.
Here's a cool frood who knows where his towel is! 😉
Thats a pretty cool wizard tunic :p
Great video and good points.
Vodka is also helpful against odor and smell. Theatre tought me that :)
For the last tip, not just for larp/reenactments, but for every day carry for me is 2 cotton bandanas. Sudden rainfall, hotter than you expect, as hot as you expected, mud you didn't see in the road, scraped knee from a dumb dog deciding to stop in front of your bike to keep you from going home on your bicycle (which you have done every day for the past YEAR AND A HALF!), and then when the mask order for 2020 happened I had a (felt like I was robbing a bank) mask.
Fine vid, as always.
Nice! I can't wait to make epic things.
Witcher 3 NPCs have some of the best clothing in fantasy games. Your tip on sleeves can be seen on gambeson and leather armor of the witchers.
Tip number eleven: Get a water bottle. You need to stay hydrated, especially at larps. Getting some salty snacks is also a good idea to replace your salt, especially in summer.
One thing for those of us in North America
No one wore this type of clothing in the place we are in the medieval or migration period because the people who lived in this area never domesticated sheep or goats and never farmed plants for fibre ( cotton was farmed in Central America , some Caribbean islands and South America ). Even when cotton was available to Europeans, cotton was mostly a luxury fabric up till the mid 18th century .
I would also say to look at what kinds of pigments were easily available as the pigments available from plants tend not to be so colour fast and therefor colours would be more muted especially for people that spend a lot of time in the sun and rain like an adventurer ( black, purple , green were all expensive and used mostly by the wealthy with laws preventing normal people from using those colours . While the red most people would have had access to is ocher which is basically rust colour and Woad dyed wool fabric dos not get you a deep or bright vibrant blue but something more like old acid washed blue jeans ) This is one are old paintings lie to use as the painters wanted to show the people being painted in the most vibrant colours possible to show off those peoples wealth and status , not an accurate depiction of what the people actually looked like ( see pictures of queen Elizabeth the first as an example ) .
That fingerless glove you made is similar to the original gloves used by baseball players in the 1870-1899 era of the game.
Time to invest into bigger ziplock bags. Im so stealing that baking soda trick, gonna be a huge time saver.
Awesome video, as always.
Big, strong and fluffy dragon hug for you.
About the new outfit. When I first saw it I thought, “Oh. Kramer is working on a new outfit. I wonder what it will look like when he’s finished.” Then as I watched the video I didn’t give it much thought.
After, I went back and paused the video in several places to get a better look at the outfit with the idea of how could it be finished.
Silver/white filigree cord around the collar and down the front edges matching the cord on the sleeves. A splash of filigree on the chest and maybe a splash of something on the back. Perhaps some of the same cord running in an inverse v from the neck to the bottom to create a coat-tail appearance. Trim the bottom to give it texture and distinguish it from the clothing beneath.
Now we’re looking at a merchant prince or traveling noble. Throw in a hood either red to pull the belt into the look or grey like the shirt beneath. Either with the same filigree cord on the borders to tie it all together. I like the grey better as it leaves the belt as the one splash of bright color while it compliments the upscale look of the rest of the outfit and draws the eyes of those around, like you do as a noble or merchant prince.
Grab your ketchup and crunch away my friends.
Really useful tips. To me, it is a real art to make believable items. Although I portray a science fiction character, it is also important to me that something "could be in that universe, but you see it nowhere in the material available". I disagree though a little with "too big is better than too small". For certain items, this can become very uncomfortable. Even worse, if you want to wear armor, especially metal. If your undergarments are not tailor made, the event can become really awful with chafing and clothing bunching up where it is not supposed to do that.
My folks just started watching Side Story of Fox Volant on TH-cam. The first fight scene reminded me of some of your darker outfits, if you ever find yourself in an Asian setting lol