Kit and Costume

Bring Back Men Wearing Tights!

You step into a room bathed in decadence; every noble lady is garbed in swathes of silk and the finest wool, gold rings adorn the fingers of lords as rubies glitter in the candlelight. Colours from all corners of the world assail you; rich embroideries and patterns weave in and out on a ballroom floor like lazy butterflies. However - not all is opulence in this place. Some are dressed in layers of rugged furs, bearing scars and old stains of salt or blood. Others use pretty fabrics and lace to hide monstrous features and beastial growths.

Still others you see now - standing half hidden behind a curtain on a raised stage. Many dressed in simple woollen smocks or chemises, lacking the expensive overdresses or surcoats of their peers below.  Almost all of them wear ornate golden collars, glittering in the dim light.

Welcome to the year of our Lord, 1454!

It is a time of transition in Europe - we are bidding goodbye to the Dark Ages and beginning to see the dawn of new schools of thought in many institutions. The tide of culture and education is shifting enormously, and these changes can be seen reflected in the fashions of the time.

Masculine Fashion | Feminine Fashion | Human Collars | Patterns

For this game, there will be characters of many socioeconomic backgrounds, and due to the nature of Vampire - many previous periods of history too. Whilst we heartily encourage people to lean in as much as they wish to the accurate costumes of the period for contemporary characters, we understand that sourcing clothing for this period can be challenging and expensive. Costume shaming will not be tolerated from anyone!

If you are playing a character who is contemporary to this time period and want to lean into that, below are some tips for really capturing that mid 15th century look and feel. Stick around until the end of this page for a small collection of resources if you’re interested in making your own costumes!

Feminine Fashions in Western Europe

Are you a fashionable and wealthy individual, able to stay at the forefront of changing styles? Perhaps yours is a more old fashioned character, more fond of the luxurious styles from the early 1400s.

For those of means preferring their garments to evoke that ethereal and enigmatic feel of the early 15th century, look no further than the houppelande. A full bodied gown often featuring floor-length sleeves and bright, eye catching patterns - this garment would not be worn with corsets or highly structured undergarments. Wool was a popular fabric for these, and we often see examples in painting trimmed with fur or contrasting colours. A belt or band of fabric was often worn below the bust to create a high-waisted silhouette. All of this would be worn over a chemise.

As the decades march on, we see a very different style of tailoring begin to appear. If you are particularly conscious of trends, you might have already bought into some of these.

Most dresses are still referred to as ‘kirtles’ which are usually fitted to the body and secured with lacing, worn over a chemise against the skin.

It becomes popular to see low ‘V’ neck designs that plunge down to the bust, often tucking behind the high waisted belt and with the very top of an underdress visible behind.

Much ado about corsets!

What we would be familiar with regarding ‘corsets’ haven’t really evolved by this time period. However, we do start to see gowns with structure built into them (often with reeds) in the skirt and bodice, often accompanied with fine sleeves that can be detached and worn with other dresses. In this era, a conical shape to the torso was desirable rather than the small waists of the 16th and 17th century. 

That being said- corsets are a very accessible means of historical costuming, and let’s be honest: they look great. If you want to wear a corset as part of your 15th Century lady’s costume then by all means do! Consider looking at Tudor and Elizabethan corsets for that slightly older style, and try to avoid the ‘steampunk’ aesthetic if you can. 

Film Inspiration

Though it is set a few years later in 1464, a good reference point for gowns in this period is The White Princess. It might be a slightly melodramatic period piece, but then, this is Vampire the Masquerade.  

You can stick to strict historical accuracy or you can use later Renaissance periods for your aesthetic (see below).

Also check out The Borgias for late 15th century styles.

You can use fashion from later in the Renaissance

We’ll appreciate and love any lovely era-themed costume :) You do not have to avoid dresses or attire that would be more appropriate for the late 15th century, or even the 16th century. It’s not always cheap to source kit (though we have included some links below to some pretty affordable Renaissance sellers on Etsy!) and if you fall in love with a later Renaissance dress or pattern, we’ll all kindly presume it’s contemporary.

This is the World of Darkness after all, it is a larger than life version of our world.

Of course, if you’ve the ability to create your own kit or source historically accurate costume pieces - by all means please do <3

Below are some examples of kit we really won’t mind; Renaissance is all acceptable, with wiggle room to permit higher fantasy elven styles bleeding in, and medieval fashion mixes.

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But my character is broke!

So then, what if my character has neither the wealth nor social graces to wear such high class attire? Do not fret; the peasantry of Western Europe find themselves in an interesting period. Due to the rise of the merchant class, social divides are not quite so binary as they once were.

During the early 1400s, lower class women wore clothes of a similar cut to their more wealthy neighbours. The fitted kirtle was still worn over a chemise - it often just lacked the layers of embellishment or colourful patterns and embroidery. Many working women would hitch a section of their kirtle over a belt to allow themselves better movement.  

Once again we see the more defined waist grow in popularity as we move toward the end of the century, and potentially structuring in even poor women’s bodices. There is little historical record of this so early on - but the look is still great and will absolutely be welcome.

Etsy Shops

Search with keywords: “Renaissance Dress” ; “Renaissance Costume” ; “15th Century Dress” ; “15 Century Kirtle” etc.

We’ve also linked some patterns at the end of this page for the crafters among you!

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Masculine Fashions in Western Europe

As a noble gentleman of the realm, it can be difficult to know exactly how to dress during this period of change and social upheaval. Luckily, clothing in this period covers a variety of shapes, some of which are very popular in fantasy media - which means sourcing costumes becomes a little easier! A very important thing to remember is tights (or hose) are still very fashionable, which is great because everyone looks great in them. Show off those calves!

The basic layers of clothing for masculine presenting character of this period include simple linen shirts, with a more embellished gown, doublet or robe worn over the top and hose (early trousers that were often worn very tightly to the leg - a little like leggings or tights). Over this ensemble the discerning gent would often wear another looser robe, often also referred to as a houppelande. Houppelande often fell in pleats, with embellishments on the hem and neckline to denote wealth.

However, you can create a very similar look with an overtunic (see below).

Think: Shirt -> Doublet (or gown) -> Overtunic (or a Houppelande)

For the bottoms, you can use thick modern tights for the right effect, and either use later-century trunkhose (shorts) or be daring and simply cover your buttocks with your upper layer. That is, use a doublet, gown or tunic that is long enough to cover you, and cinch it at the waist or hips.

Young, virile individuals would often wear short overrobes and doublets with tight belts around the waist, showing off the legs. Older men tended to wear robes that could fall as low as the ankle for a more reserved silhouette.

Of course, the tight, sharp look of a medieval doublet is very popular in media - you will no doubt have seen the trappings of this period in shows such as Game of Thrones. The Lannisters make for an excellent touchstone; your 15h century character will likely have a look reminiscent of Jaime or Tyrion Lannister rather than a Will Turner from Pirates of the Carribbean. 

Try to avoid a pirate look.

See the dudes standing so respectfully on either side of this royal dudette? They’re wearing doublets. If only they had cool mantles, cloaks or half-open robes to hang over them they would be like era-specific Gods. As it is, they’re just awesome late 15th - 16th century dudes. They also chickened out with the trousers.

Doublets - in this era - usually go under shit

Until the end of the 15th century (our game century), the doublet was basically usually worn under another layer of clothing such as a gown, mantle, overtunic or jerkin when in public. However, you are welcome to use later doublet designs which can sit by themselves (although half cloaks and mantles look very cool, and layer amazingly).

But they don’t have to for our game

Note!

Jodhpurs can be a comfortable (and inexpensive) middle ground between tights/hose and trousers.

What the hell is a mantle

Amazing, is what they are.

A mantle is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat. Technically, the term describes a long, loose cape-like cloak worn from the 12th to the 16th century by both sexes.

If you want specifics then a headland or cape can be a sleeveless garment or part of a garment, hanging from the neck over the back, arms, and shoulders, but not reaching below the hips while mantle is a piece of clothing somewhat like an open robe or cloak, especially that worn by orthodox bishops but don't worry about that. It's basically something to layer on top of your doublet and look flashy as hell. Do dramatic exits. Or entrances. Flip it, man.

You can get some of the same dramatic effect of a mantle layer by draping cloaks in novel directions.

For example:

Notice in the third image all that’s been done is one side has been gathered and bound by a strip of fabric looped through and around. It cinches it so that side won’t fall down over the shoulders. You can buy this and a few others from the following seller on Etsy, but most cloaks can be used:

Hobbidashery make Houppelande!

High Budget

Joyssance make those red trunkhose you just saw. They also make a fun 15th century set and a few period-acceptable white shirts for underneath everything. Most flouncy shirts work, by the way. It’s the upper layers you’ll focus in.

Meanwhile What A Costume in the states make Game of Thrones style tunic costumes of high quality. All the links on the page have international shipping, by the way, at the time of creating this page.

But my character’s broke!

For those somewhat lacking in the pedigree department, once again you are not necessarily restricted to drab colours or dull cuts. The rise of the merchant class has meant that you don’t need to be highborn to follow the fashions of the elite, so indulge in flattering silhouettes and colours as much as you see fit. You might not possess quite so many gold chains or signet rings as your wealthy peers, but you can certainly still make for an attractive morsel.

Search for: "Mens Renaissance Suit" ; "Mens Rensaissance Costume" ; "Renaissance Doublet" ; "Renaissance Mantle" ; "Mens Renaissance Gown" ; "Renaissance Mens Shoes" etc

Human Collars

While we’re at it: A visual cue to let everyone in the game space know that a participant is playing a human character - apart from the display scene we get on time in, to introduce all the vampires to their (un)fortunate stock! - is the collar that Claudius Giovanni has painstakingly (lovingly) crafted for each of them and embed with necromantic power. Largely it acts as a tracer and cannot be taken off by the human.

You do not need to use one. You can if you would enjoy doing so. We have linked some glorious options below.

If you are desperate to play a human but equally desperate not to phys-rep (physically represent) this on your neck as a part of your costume, you do not need to. Out of Character comfort is more important than game aesthetic. An alternative is using wrist cuffs (shop links below).

If you want to go for the full on magical-shackled look you can use of course a collar and wrist cuffs if you so desire!

They can be cheap as hell or expensive hammered gold and brass. They can be leather, lace, solid thick metal, whatever you want. You can collar your human, because your captors certainly would.

If we have multiple players of human characters wanting a hammered gold collar, or something engraved and leather, I can buy in bulk from certain established Etsy sellers. We will send out an email after human characters are assigned.

Each of the humans have been thematically "dressed for show" by the Giovanni - so you can go wilder with your costumes. They might have given everyone "clothes" to match the human's power thematically, to let the vampire buyers have visual reminders which human has which power. The Shadow might be dressed all in black with long floaty sleeves and additional mantle strips, long draping shoulder capes etc. This means you can totally wear high Renaissance nobility fashion even if your grungy peasant is from another country and class.

OR you can do whatever you want with your costume, and that just becomes what the Giovanni put on the human 🙂

Any issues or concerns with this of course, feel free to message. On with the links!

Collars

Lower Budget Collars

Any strip of fabric works! I’ve found a golden leather one below which is about £14 last I checked, you tie it at the back of the neck.

Higher Budget Collars

If you can afford to pay a hundred or more Bisjoux do some of the best. They’re beautiful for normal wear. I have sort of fallen in love with their “Large neck unisex band collar” - it is a total wrap-around plain one, but there are lots which don’t meet at the back if you want more of a torque style.

As you can imagine, the list of "leather chokers" or "leather collars" or "engraved leather chokers" goes on for quite a while, let alone when you include metal in your search. I recommend looking (when you are not at work) the following on Etsy: Engraved leather collar; Engraved choker; Leather choker collar; Lace collar; Lace choker

There are lot of great plain ones too, and masculine designs. Collars are for all genders though, let's be honest. You are very welcome to roleplay a very masculine-presenting individual that tried escaping a bit too much, so Claudius put them in a frilly pink collar (Though to be fair, pink is masculine in the Renaissance. And blue is feminine. But go with whatever suits your preference.)

I do not recommend the very wide wide "posture collars" or heavy metal collars (especially those that lock) unless you are very familiar with using them for long periods at a time. It is a good idea to break in any leather that is to be sat against your neck for hours at a time before the game. You might be in that collar for twelve hours. If in doubt, looser is better than tighter. You can always nip into a shoe shop and ask for an extra hole :P Or buy a leather hole puncher. Most collars on Etsy come made to your measurements, though.

From experience, most leather workers on Etsy are able to take a look at your Renaissance outfit (or be linked the intended costume or URL of the outfit) and make something that would match. Just message a seller whose designs you like :) You can use O-ring collars or plain collars - with no hanging loop.

Collars can be a part of the human costume for any gender <3 For those who would like an alternative to collars (and also to wrist cuffs) we will wait to relay with you first, to see how many of you there are, and standardise something that hangs more as a necklace. There are simplistic leather ones with tags that might work. We cannot ourselves recommend faux tattoos/transfer tattoos in place of collars because of the danger we face with players sourcing damaging Black Henna or going for designs that do not rub off in time for work; everyone’s skin turnover is different. In addition, during our playtests under lower light conditions, fake tattoos did not show up well. You are welcome to do this, at your own risk. Otherwise, we will help arrange an alternative long necklace that could sit over kit.

Remember: You don’t need to engage in this part of the human kit. All the human characters are going to be shown off anyway upon time-in!

Wrist Cuffs

Many of the Etsy sellers who make leather collars will also make “leather wrist cuffs” so do be sure to have a look through the rest of their stores as you hunt. You can also find some plain metal cuffs too. I recommend searching for the following keywords: “Wrist Cuff” ; “Hammered Brass Cuff” ; “Hammered Gold Cuff” ; “Cleopatra Cuff” ; “Leather Wrist Cuff”

Do be careful when looking at prices; a lot of sellers sell their wrist cuffs individually. Make sure you are getting a pair if you want two.

Also most cuffs do not close at the back, Bisjoux do some that do (see below) but you have to make sure you find cuffs that close if you don’t want the open-back adjustable ones.

Bisjoux do a million bracelets, stunning - regrettably not cheap. (Actually I’ve had luck with dirt cheap “wrist cuffs” or “gold cuffs” on Amazon, bit hit and miss though.)

Let me draw your attention to Bisjoux’s "Surf bangle large" design, also the "Seductive curve cuff", “Marakesh cuff” and their "Pyramis cuff" ooh...

If you want to highlight the shackles/jewellery, you can always go very simple in the kit by just wearing a a men’s/unisex nightgown or plain women’s chemise. A striking finish for any gender! It’ll certainly make the collar and cuffs pop out for show.

Keywords to search for:

"Antique Mens French nightshirt" ; "Mens linen nightshirt" ; "Mens linen gown" ; "Mens linen nightgown" ; "Mens Cotton Nightgown" ; "Unisex Medieval Tunic" ; "Medieval Smock" ; "Medieval Larp Tunic" ; "Medieval Work Shirt" ; "Medieval Market Shirt" ; "Medieval White Tunic" etc.

These are all garments that our seamstress, Louisa, can make pretty cheaply, by the way. Just contact Louisa, she can give you a quick estimate with your size, she will also recommend material that won't be see though - ! She made our murder robes and chemises that we got all bloody at Convention of Thorns.

Let Me Do This Myself!

Create Your Own 15th Century Wardrobe

If after all this you feel sufficiently inspired, you might want to consider making your own costume pieces for the event. This is a great way to incorporate your character’s unique personality and style into your costume, and can end up saving you a lot of money. Here you can find a selection of tutorials and patterns that we’ve picked out - all of them suitable for the look and feel of the game.

Feminine costume making resources:

If you’re new to constructing historical costumes, I heartily recommend the links below. Morgan Donner makes excellent tutorials on making medieval and Renaissance clothing, and these are a few examples that might be of interest. The first one is perfect for making a simple kirtle that is the basis for a lot of early 1400s women’s fashion.

Also the great dress staple:

Patterns

If you have a little experience in this area and just want some examples of pattern that fit the feel of the game, these would all work wonderfully:

This next has some fantastic early 1400s shapes!

Reconstructing history is also a great resource for period appropriate garment patterns:

This list is by no means exhaustive, and we encourage you to have fun whilst putting together a costume for your character! If you have kit that you love from different eras of history, please feel free to use it. Many kindred will be from eras far earlier than the one we find ourselves exploring in this game, so can pick and choose from the full breadth of the dark ages and beyond.

Most of all: have fun! Costuming is one of the best parts of LARP (especially for those crafty folks amongst us) so we don’t want you to feel too restricted by the brief. Think about the way many period pieces on Netflix address historical costuming - many will borrow elements from inaccurate time periods to put together a strong design for characters. This isn’t a simulation of life in the 15th century after all; it’s a game of intrigue, supernatural horror and politics in the World of Darkness.

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