I know it's going to be hot this summer and it's hard not to want to wear shorts or other hot-weather clothing in order to not be uncomfortable at events. How can I stay cool but not look like I'm disregarding garb standards?
I have one word for you: Linen. It is more expensive. You need to ask the maker if the linen is pre- shrunk/ what the cleaning procedure is. But I have worn black linen in 90+ degree weather with little additional issues.
You can also look into garb that have warm weather alterations. Examples are “wrap”/ “idiot” pants. They wrap around your legs and hold together rin boots, but because the sides are slit, you can ties them or change the wrap to be above the knee. There are also “skirt hikes” to tie up skits or even
robes…. There are options. -Steven “Therian” Matuelwicz
My go to summer look is leggings and my armored cloak, which is made of lightweight cotton and usually makes the heat a little more bearable. I pair this look with sunscreen, bug spray, and plenty of water. Skirts or kilts are a popular summer choice and definitely allow for a nice breeze, but beware of ticks please, otherwise you might end up pairing your summer with some doxycycline and plenty of shade. Ultimately, looking for lightweight fabrics is a great idea and it’s certainly worth checking with your local merchant to put together a summer outfit that you can pull out when the weather is right. Try to avoid street clothes including sneakers and clearly anachronistic sandals and people shouldn’t give you too much grief. And ultimately, it helps me to remember that it is summer and I’ve chosen to spend the day sweating my butt off outside. Don’t stress about the sweat--you aren’t the only one that smells bad.
-Lani “Gwen” Jones
How can you dress for summer without disregarding garb? Personally, garb doesn’t make the game for me. I enjoy costumes, and I enjoy the people that put effort into them, but I don’t find it necessary for me to have fun.
I just don’t.
That being said, I can put in some effort here or there, and some garb can get hot. A medieval answer might be: Go naked. But I’m sure you can see how that may not be considered appropriate, depending on the event. So what can you do?
There are other answers, lightweight fabrics, kilts, or skirts. But I say: “Be creative” and invent an outfit for your character. This is a fantasy setting after all, while we are generally medieval, I can’t put claim to know what the elves or orcs were wearing back then. So long as it reasonably looks the part, people will know you’re trying--and I think generally speaking, that’s what matters.
Keith “Saegan” Cronyn
Realms vendors are always a good first choice when looking for period garb, and summer garb should be no exception. I’ve seen plenty of short sleeve tunics and chemises at many a merchant’s table, and these make a great base for a good summer outfit. Bottoms can be a bit more tricky - longer skirts can get in the way of fighting so you’d want to go with something shorter, and I haven’t seen a lot of shorts for sale (as these can be tricky to make) although you could probably score a pair of pantaloons or even a pair of wrap pants - with open sides, these allow for a good amount of ventilation. I personally wear leggings all summer even when it’s hot, as I’m always worried about bugs, ticks, and sunburns. But you’d need to find what works best for you. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you can most likely get away with wearing some street clothes - specifically bottoms - as long as you are careful and follow some ground rules. Absolutely NO logos of any kind is the cardinal rule in my opinion. Look for something in a dark or neutral solid color without any type of modern accent such as side stripes or other detail. Try to avoid mesh “basketball shorts” and other fabrics like these. You could even get a pair of cotton pants, cut them into shorts, and get a crafty friend to finish the leg holes with some bias tape to make them more period-looking.
In terms of footwear, I’m going to say that it doesn’t bother me to see people wearing sneakers while keeping the rest of their garb as period/in-character as possible. As someone with foot and ankle problems, I need the support that sneakers give me while running and fighting over terrain that isn’t always flat, and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone else the same.
- Jennifer “Areni” DeNardis-Rosa
****
I have one word for you: Linen. It is more expensive. You need to ask the maker if the linen is pre- shrunk/ what the cleaning procedure is. But I have worn black linen in 90+ degree weather with little additional issues.
You can also look into garb that have warm weather alterations. Examples are “wrap”/ “idiot” pants. They wrap around your legs and hold together rin boots, but because the sides are slit, you can ties them or change the wrap to be above the knee. There are also “skirt hikes” to tie up skits or even
robes…. There are options. -Steven “Therian” Matuelwicz
****
-Lani “Gwen” Jones
****
How can you dress for summer without disregarding garb? Personally, garb doesn’t make the game for me. I enjoy costumes, and I enjoy the people that put effort into them, but I don’t find it necessary for me to have fun.
I just don’t.
That being said, I can put in some effort here or there, and some garb can get hot. A medieval answer might be: Go naked. But I’m sure you can see how that may not be considered appropriate, depending on the event. So what can you do?
There are other answers, lightweight fabrics, kilts, or skirts. But I say: “Be creative” and invent an outfit for your character. This is a fantasy setting after all, while we are generally medieval, I can’t put claim to know what the elves or orcs were wearing back then. So long as it reasonably looks the part, people will know you’re trying--and I think generally speaking, that’s what matters.
Keith “Saegan” Cronyn
****
Realms vendors are always a good first choice when looking for period garb, and summer garb should be no exception. I’ve seen plenty of short sleeve tunics and chemises at many a merchant’s table, and these make a great base for a good summer outfit. Bottoms can be a bit more tricky - longer skirts can get in the way of fighting so you’d want to go with something shorter, and I haven’t seen a lot of shorts for sale (as these can be tricky to make) although you could probably score a pair of pantaloons or even a pair of wrap pants - with open sides, these allow for a good amount of ventilation. I personally wear leggings all summer even when it’s hot, as I’m always worried about bugs, ticks, and sunburns. But you’d need to find what works best for you. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you can most likely get away with wearing some street clothes - specifically bottoms - as long as you are careful and follow some ground rules. Absolutely NO logos of any kind is the cardinal rule in my opinion. Look for something in a dark or neutral solid color without any type of modern accent such as side stripes or other detail. Try to avoid mesh “basketball shorts” and other fabrics like these. You could even get a pair of cotton pants, cut them into shorts, and get a crafty friend to finish the leg holes with some bias tape to make them more period-looking.
In terms of footwear, I’m going to say that it doesn’t bother me to see people wearing sneakers while keeping the rest of their garb as period/in-character as possible. As someone with foot and ankle problems, I need the support that sneakers give me while running and fighting over terrain that isn’t always flat, and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone else the same.
- Jennifer “Areni” DeNardis-Rosa