Reminder:
This game is not aesthetically themed for Steampunk garb, deco, or props. Please do not bring them into game.
This game expressly disallows Civil War garb, deco, icons, props, related events, and history. Do not bring these things into game.
This game is not about colonization or cultural hegemony, these themes will not be explored in this game.
No cultural appropriation of Earth cultures is allowed in this game. There was a history in North America for white trappers and frontier-expanding colonizers to appropriated the dress of indigenous peoples. We do not support this being perpetuated in our game, so please be mindful of your costuming.
No appropriation of Earth religions is allowed in this game.
All aesthetics listed here fall within 1882-1893.
Please refrain from using glow in the dark items as personal items, unless required for an accessibility aid.
All Props and Deco must be LARP safe. We strongly recommend avoiding glass.
Please do not bring real weapons to LARP as this violates our policies set forth in the rulebook - regardless of whether they are props and will not be used in combat.
Please also do not bring real candles or lanterns that require a real flame.
Clothing should be reminiscent of the late 1800’s, either Victorian, Industrial, or Frontier in fashion and style. While some clothes were still hand-made, a process severely expedited by the sewing machine in the mid-1800s, one of the biggest changes of the industrial revolution was mass production. This touched all garments: pants, shirts, dresses, belts, shoes - the list goes on. This made items cheaper, but some people were able to take these mass produced items to tailors to have them made to fit better. Others simply had to make due with what they were able to afford. As with other periods in history, the type of fabric and amount of fabric used often indicated someone’s wealth status.
The Victorian dress pants are almost identical to the dress pants you would wear today. Many clothes were hand-made in previous eras and still were in poorer communities. Mass-produced pants, while they came in varying sizes, would often not fit quite right. Those who could not afford to have their clothes tailored would use suspenders to keep their pants up. Heavy canvas work pants in brown were common for working class pants. Overalls were also common among the working class. Coveralls and jumpsuits were specifically popular among railway and factory workers.
Denim was a common fabric for the working class at this time however the denim of the day was heavy and stiff. Interestingly enough, Levi’s was the first major manufacturer of denim pants (founded in 1853) and their 501 originals are still quite true to the original denim pants. If you wish to wear denim pants, please try to avoid stone washed, acid washed, tight legged, low rise, flare bottomed, or other jeans that are a more modern invention. However, we understand that comfort while moving in a LARP is of the utmost importance.
Shirts without buttons were rare, outside of trappers and some style of victorian blouse, though not all shirts buttoned all the way down. Most commonly the buttons would stop mid-chest. A simple henley shirt or other long sleeve collarless shirt would have been common for the time in the working class. The working class also often wore flannel or other thick fabric shirts.
Though the t-shirt became mass produced in the industrialization period, it was not until 1895 and therefore outside of our current time period for this aesthetic guide. Instead, the original short sleeved shirts were shirts that workers cut the arms off of so they wouldn’t overheat in the summer.
Skirts were often ankle length to fit with the propriety of polite society in most industrialized cities. However, on the frontier some skirts were shortened for work or mobility, though this was not free from scandal. Most skirts were buttoned or tied at the waist. Pencil skirts were uncommon as most skirts flowed and were easy to move in.
Bustles, ruffles, and layers upon layers of skirts were common in Victorian dresses of the time. Other dresses, especially for the lower and working classes, were rather simple and could not keep the same shape as the high society Victorian dresses. Many dresses in day-to-day wear were high collared and even sported buttons down the front. For parties and balls, however, necklines could be quite low. Working class dresses often were paired with aprons and covers to keep the dirt, stains, and dust from setting into the fabric beneath.
Petticoats and hoops or crinolines and corsets were often worn under these dresses to keep their shapes. While these would be within the period, we urge players to prioritize their comfort and safety - these articles of clothing can be restrictive and dangerous, especially in a LARP setting.
Leather boots, and shoes were the most common shoes of the time, usually they were black, or brown. Riding boots were common among cavalry and ranchers. Round-toed and pointed-toe shoes were both common. Additionally, many were healed. Interestingly, rubber soled canvas shoes were introduced in 1892, these shoes were usually cream, brown, or black in color and were very simple. These were the original Keds.
Please wear comfortable shoes that will keep you safe while running around in the woods for a weekend. Please do not wear modern brightly colored shoes as they can be game breaking for others. If you intend to wear “cowboy boots” in game space, please make sure that they have suitable tread on them and are not going to slip against the ground. Spurs are not allowed in game for safety reasons.
The industrial revolution created the ability to easily accessorize in ways that were unheard of in the years before.
Waistcoats, jackets, scarves, hats, and neck ties were all common accessories. Pocket Watches, pendant watches, and even thick leather banded wrist watches were commonplace, and considered often essential for those who worked. Jewelry ranged from the luxurious to those made of simple metals and glass for the more humble income. While extravagant hair and hat pins were common, please do not bring them to game as they are a safety hazard. And, of course, gun holsters were common in the Frontier and more rural areas and could range from the simple to the quite exquisitely embellished.
While ponchos were common in the American Frontier, they should not be used in game space as they were appropriated by the Spanish from the indigenous people of South America. Fringed garments, such as jackets, chaps, and pants, should not be used. The style was heavily appropriated from indigenoud people in the Americas, particularly by trappers who used this style of dress to hunt on native land without their permission.
Out of respect for the multitude of real world faiths and religions, and in order to prevent religious appropriation, any costuming which incorporates real-world religious garb, symbols, or iconography will not be allowed at game. Religious garb examples include a nun’s habit, a priest’s cassock, a minister's collar, a hijab, a turban, a burka, or a kippa/yarmulke. Examples of religious iconography include crosses, rosaries, ankhs, yin and yang seals, or Stars of David. Thank you for continuing to support our goal to enforce a no-appropriation policy at our game.
Of course, if a player has any religious garb that they must wear in the real world, such as a head covering, that is not subject to this policy.
If there are any questions about whether or not an item will be allowed, players are encouraged to reach out to a staff member and ask.