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Prodigal
 
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Yesterday @ 10:55 PM
Posts: 595,
Visits: 4,106
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As something of a counterpoint to the other entries:
Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character?
No, I think the character concept and the gestures/mannerisms and the way they walk and the tones of voice they use are all much more important.
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Am I sure I can't reuse anything from The Kit Pile? Can I mooch something off a friend / the CUTT armoury?
How do you choose your kit for a character?
Usually I dig through my Pile Of Generic Kit until I find something halfway suitible, or ask on IRC if anyone has a particular thing (like 'a blue dress').
Do you make your own kit?
No, but my husband makes kit and I also sometimes pay Rosemary Warner who's a member of CUTT to make kit because she makes fantastic stuff.
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
I generally collect more Random Stuff To Tie Onto My Kit, like the silver duck that a Kender NPC gave me, or the badge I got for helping save the city. Which I tie onto my kit with whatever I'm using for a belt and/or some string.
Does your approach vary from system to system?
I don't generally play systems which deviate very strongly from High Fantasy. I did feel kind of ashamed of my totally lame Dryad kit at Maelstrom, which is why I commissioned a very specific robe for my new character from Rosemary.
Care to share any tips?
Charity shops are fantastic, but pick a small town to raid, somewhere without a university - otherwise all the good stuff will be gone. Ebay is great for random trinkets and basic Brown Trousers / Leather Trousers (I got Tourmaline's gem and Talishae's mana crystals off Ebay, and actually buy quite a lot of my actual clothing there, as you can get three of any given item for the cost of one in the shop, so it doesn't matter if you occasionally get stuff that doesn't fit). Having a large pile of generic Kit Which Will Blend In And Not Make Anyone Go 'Eww, You Look OOC' and a distinctive voice / makeup job / mannerisms will serve you well and you won't cry so much when your characters die.
Maelstrom: Jessily the Wemic, previously Tourmaline of Weaver
CUTT: Kerriville the Ninth, previously Ref 07/08
EOS: Study the Venin
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Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Thursday, September 25, 2008 11:59 PM
Posts: 193,
Visits: 1,167
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Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character?
Nope... a simple tunic, some vaguely IC trousers and some boots is all the costume you'll ever need, the character is most important, all the other stuff is gravy. (In general, simple costumes look better than complicated ones anyway.)
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Oh, Jesus. Not again.
How do you choose your kit for a character?
Ideas pop into my head.
Do you make your own kit?
I sometimes fudge bits of it, and sometimes modify other bits.
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
It hasn't yet, but I've not really had cause to.
Does your approach vary from system to system?
Nope
Care to share any tips?
Forget poncy IC boots, get yourself British Army combat boots.
Costume hippy, live and let live, peace and love for all, man!
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Squire
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Friday, October 10, 2008 11:54 PM
Posts: 37,
Visits: 104
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| Costume is so important for my characters. I'd feel naked without a decent one. I tend to make my own usually with trips to charity shops and the local material shops I piece together things i see suitable. I have made kit for other peoplle too. It may just be me but each character has to have their own costume or i feel like im cheating them out of something. thats just me  so to answer the questions Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character? Yes it helps define your characters personality
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Excited I love designing / making new kit!
How do you choose your kit for a character?
hmm, usually i think of the character and their pesonality and when I imagine them im my mind they appear clothed and i try to recreate what my imagination has seen
Do you make your own kit?
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
well, costume and character go hand in hand evil aligned (to me) are usually vain and make great efforts to look good Good generally wear smart functional clothes and neautral tend to go for the function before appearance
Does your approach vary from system to system?
of course, I wouldnt turn up to a wild west event with my high fantasy billowing robes and cloak!
Care to share any tips?
Take are in making characters costume or buying it. It has its purposes and more important needs to with stand what you do light floaty robes are not good for running around in forests you tend to be the one left behind untangling yourself!
Meda Spirit Talker of the ...... Tribe
"Guns don't kill people poisons do"
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Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Monday, August 18, 2008 4:45 PM
Posts: 195,
Visits: 224
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This is all rather a serious (rather than flippant) reply, in the hope it might actually be useul to you. 
Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character?
Absolutely. Immersion in the game and setting is what LRP is about for me. This means I need to feel I am credibly dressed and equipped to feel I’m playing a three dimensional character, including those silly little things like pocket change and a handkerchief. I feel every player has a responsibility to both themselves, and to maintain the immersion of others, to have reasonably decent kit.
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Hmmm… A kind of dread and excitement, mixed. Depends on how much, and what storage space for it is available. I mean a new robe isn’t much trouble to cram in a cupboard, but the latex alien I made to be dissected takes up the top of a whole wardrobe. Cost is sometimes an issue, sometimes not, depending on other life expenses and how well work is going. If it’s something relatively cheap and fun to find then it’s a very rewarding search.
How do you choose your kit for a character?
I work out roughly what they “should” have in their role, see what I have in storage and try to locate the other bits. I’ll reuse things where I can, but I like to have a couple of new props and character quirks to differentiate the role in my own mind from other characters in the same basic kit. I have jackets in particular that when I put them on, I find myself out of habit falling into a particular set of character mannerisms and body language.
Do you make your own kit?
Yes, absolutely, though not when it’s more hassle than buying it would be. I do basic leatherworking, some hand stitching, and my better half works wonders with a sewing machine. I’ll also sculpt, build or craft props. Weapons are sadly beyond my talents or patience, when for less than £100 you can have a professional put together something ten times as good as the blob I can create (I’ve had a few goes though)!
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
Again it’s all about matching the role. I don’t like having several outfits for the same character, because it tends to confuse people given that in LRP people often play multiple roles. I will often try to coordinate different ways to wear the same kit (eg: add a cloak or hat). Things like suitable in-character nightwear are also a must have in a 24-hour system.
Does your approach vary from system to system?
Well, for a fun few-hours linear I’d grab some basics and just wing it on the day, but I’ve rather lost interest in that kind of event. I’d say my approach to playing a character is pretty consistent.
Care to share any tips?
A lot of costume is in how you wear it and act in it. I’d say get a couple of mannerisms, decide on a posture, set a speech pattern and then think of two or three habits of speaking. That will get you started. If you can tie any of these into your costume, do so. Main tip – no matter what you’re playing, work out a way to wear decent footwear with a decent grip. You’ll have a better event for it. Also, always have a spare empty pocket or pouch.
_____________________________
Maelstrom - Carl Whitesnake
Scavenger LRP - Organiser
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Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Sunday, January 04, 2009 1:36 AM
Posts: 167,
Visits: 347
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Emii (4/17/2007)
Hi! Can people try and answer the following questions for me, either in a paragraph or individually? Extra info welcome (I'm writing an article on costume and larp): Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character? Yes. I never feel entirely like the character until I'm in proper kit. Things like the correct body language forced on you by the kind of kit you wear are a much underrated part of the experience.
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Oh so very very happy!
How do you choose your kit for a character?
Sometimes I buy things on ebay and think up a character based on really wanting to wear them (blush) Sometimes I think of the character concept and have oodles of fun on the bus thinking of a creative way to costume them.
Do you make your own kit?
Only in the most basic way. Looking for a sewing machine, though, so hopefully this should soon change. How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all? You never know until you play. A good costume is in the same type of constant development as an interesting character, based on what they are doing nowadays, what they need to carry, who may now be offended if they turn up not looking formal enough etc etc...
Does your approach vary from system to system?
Nah. I always try and look the best possible, and I always have waaaaaaaay too much fun with the clothes Care to share any tips? It's amazing how good a scar/plague sore/horrible bruising you can do with an ordinary eyeshadow kit and some makeup. Many thanks
Maelstrom - Captain Sasagani of the Havocstani Medical Corps. "Every inch the wolf - all five feet of you."
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Apprentice
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 12:19 AM
Posts: 16,
Visits: 353
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Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character?
I like kitting up very much. Putting on the clothes and the make-up, particularly of a well loved or familiar character, is a way of remembering who they are. What you wear and carry changes the way you move, the range of options open to you physically, which I like a lot. Also, costume is a really good way to signal to others who you are trying to be - painted rabbit bones indicate one thing, silk velvet another...
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Usually what to wear is where a character starts for me. Excitement and dread, usually - I like trying for new technical challenges, which means there is always a chance a garment/make-up/headdress/whatever will totally fall to pieces on me and I will have to face the waste of all that material. On the other hand, bringing off something tricky feels really good.
How do you choose your kit for a character?
Sometimes I am lucky enough to have the idea show up fully fledged. Otherwise, historical fashion books are good, as are historical or genre films. Also, I like going and seeing what materials I can get my hands on - sometimes a particular fabric just demands to be made into a certain garment.
Do you make your own kit?
I make clothes, but buy prosthetics, weapons and armour. I also love making for other people - it's really good fun to sit down with someone and work out precisely what they want and how to get it for them.
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
Things that happen to the character happen to their kit. I love tracking their social mobility, or reflecting new interests and abilities and affinities. I also love make-up - I'm currently aging a half orc I play at a local linear system, and it's great fun to work out precisely what might change about her as she grows older. I also love the way a character will accumulate kit as time goes on - although the strong feeling that I am 'borrowing' an old character's kit for a new one is possibly something I should worry about...
Does your approach vary from system to system?
To an extent. In a fest system, I will tend to make more of an effort to ensure that a new character has nothing at all in common kit-wise with the new person to avoid people mistaking me for the recently deceased. This is less of an issue in a smaller system, where everyone knows pretty much what everyone else is playing, and re-using that nice warm cloak feels more ok.
Care to share any tips?
Natural fabrics are usually the best choice.
It's larp, not re-enactment. It doesn't have to matter whether it's period appropriate or not. BUT - historically accurate costume often looks significantly better than compromise kit. If you want accurate, research beforehand is better than that nagging feeling every time you put the thing on that there is something just not right about it.
Everyone else will also have noted that really nice piece that so-and-so wore in 'Recent Film', so adapt it to suit you.
Many, many technical flaws can be concealed beneath beadwork, embroidery and decoration.
And finally, if your silk velvet walks like crazy, just give in and hand sew it. You will save yourself all kinds of pain...
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Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 10:43 PM
Posts: 129,
Visits: 533
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Do you feel costume is one of the more important elements of a character?
It certainly helps me define my character, how she walks, moves, feels etc. However I understand for some folks it's not the be all and end all, but I love it.
When you think "I need new kit", how do you feel?
Oh crikey when am I going to have time to make this lot? Followed by mad creative ideas, mad pattern and fabric buying. A strange mixture of joy, excitement and abject terror incase it all goes horribly wrong...
How do you choose your kit for a character?
I think about what she is like, what does she do for a living, how does she do it? What's her IC budget? Where is she from? I can change my mind several times before deciding on what I'm doing as she changes in my head.
Do you make your own kit?
Whenever possible, but when time is against me I will happily buy basic stuff like cloaks/shirts etc which leaves me time to do the fiddly stuff I enjoy doing. I can do fabric, but not armour so would have to get that in as well.
How do your costume ideas develop with your character, if at all?
In a wierd stream of consciencness kind of way. It depends on what I have around me, sometimes something in my fabric stash will spark it off, sometimes a picture in a book, it varies from character to character. A future character, Marlene, hasn't even been created on paper yet but in my head her costume has changed three times already.
Does your approach vary from system to system?
Slightly. In Stargate for example, it is based in the 'real world' so playing a Doctor I will have certain kit dictated to me ie lab coat etc. I also have DPM's for going off world, so I have to make my character 'unique' in a subtly different way, rather then relying on a spectacular bit of kit to do it in. In SINergy, I often play two characters so practicality in changing/transport is the key, and being cyberpunk I can use a few items from my real life wardrobe along with the funky stuff. It's the only system so far I wear a wig in, as it's only for a few hours, I doubt I could stand a whole weekend in one. The only thing I made for myself for SINergy was what I call the 'Servalan Suit' a navy suit with a very large collar for a corporate I was playing. For Legion of Dreams, they are a fantasy based group with a fairly free attitude to costume design so here I can really get creative and pull out the stops on my imagination. HOWEVER I still have to run/fight/climb over styles etc in the darn thing, whatever I do...
Care to share any tips?
Take your time. Think about what you character is like, and it will come. Don't be afraid to re-use basic bits of kit, and pick out one dramatic new thing to show the difference. And remember, they used zips in Lord of the Rings, so as long as they are well done and hidden, it is OK to do some things the modern way. If it's good enough for Liv Tyler, it's good enough for the rest of us.
www.absintheskiss.com - Alternative, Goth and LRP Design. Fuller figure specialist.
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