Beginning new garb project

[Selkie]

Yeah....I finally looked at your photo and remembered the first photo you posted. It's a shame your not from my state, I'd make sure to find you at one the the RenFaires a shoot some great stills. OK, from the photo seen above I could see that you're young, very pretty with a slightly small stature. Here's my opinions:

1. Horns - nope. That may look OK if you are some 6'2" potbellied beasty (Oh Gawd....I just described myself), but on you.....it would ruin the warrior look.

2. Fangs - Uh-Uhhh. Your at a RenFaire.....not a Halloween Spookhouse.

When I said fangs, I should've said something like small tusks instead. Vampire fangs wouldn't gist with something like a troll, obviously. 

And I meant smaller horns that looked like they were attached to Dev's head, like attached with spirit gum or on an elastic band. Not some horns on like a helmet.

[jcbanner]

If you're not too attached to your chainmaile looking nice, I have a few suggestions on things you could do to it. 

for starters, punch some holes in it, it you do it the fun way and hang it up on something sturdy and attack it.  something like a warhammer with a big spike on it would be best, punch through the rings and pull a few small sections apart.  or if you'd like something a little more controlled, take out a pair of pliers and open out a few sections.  if you open some larger areas try taking some leather lacing and "stitch" the cut section closed.

Also, it is very clean.  Go to a sporting goods store that has a gun section and by a bottle of "Perma-Blue" gun blueing.  Then take your chainmaile and rinse it under hot water letting it get nice and hot. (not so hot you burn yourself though.)  Lay it out on a towel and pat it dry.  Now while it is still warm start to splash the blueing on it. once you reach a color you like, rinse it again under cold water, this will stop the reaction.  Gun blueing darkens metal by forming a layer of oxidation on it.  While you would typically think that would be bad for metal, (guns in particular) in this case, it forms a protective layer.
The main problem doing this with chainmail is that it rubs off to a degree, but in your case, it rubbing off on your garb will only increase the affect I'm sure your going for.

Ears aren't a bad idea, but with your build, pointed ears make you look like an elf, try something that looks diffrent then the norm.  Doing a quick google search for costume prosthetic ears, I found http://www.aradanicostumes.com/elfears.php  option b, c, or g could work, look around, see what you can find that you like.
 

[Dev]

If you're not too attached to your chainmaile looking nice, I have a few suggestions on things you could do to it. 

for starters, punch some holes in it, it you do it the fun way and hang it up on something sturdy and attack it.  something like a warhammer with a big spike on it would be best, punch through the rings and pull a few small sections apart.  or if you'd like something a little more controlled, take out a pair of pliers and open out a few sections.  if you open some larger areas try taking some leather lacing and "stitch" the cut section closed.

Also, it is very clean.  Go to a sporting goods store that has a gun section and by a bottle of "Perma-Blue" gun blueing.  Then take your chainmaile and rinse it under hot water letting it get nice and hot. (not so hot you burn yourself though.)  Lay it out on a towel and pat it dry.  Now while it is still warm start to splash the blueing on it. once you reach a color you like, rinse it again under cold water, this will stop the reaction.  Gun blueing darkens metal by forming a layer of oxidation on it.  While you would typically think that would be bad for metal, (guns in particular) in this case, it forms a protective layer.
The main problem doing this with chainmail is that it rubs off to a degree, but in your case, it rubbing off on your garb will only increase the affect I'm sure your going for.

Ears aren't a bad idea, but with your build, pointed ears make you look like an elf, try something that looks diffrent then the norm.  Doing a quick google search for costume prosthetic ears, I found http://www.aradanicostumes.com/elfears.php  option b, c, or g could work, look around, see what you can find that you like.
 

Those are good ideas.  The only other thing I'd use it for is part of wardrobe for a black metal photo night.

It's aluminum, will bluing still work?

I want those "G" ears.  I tried to buy them at the faire but my paychecks were crappy.

[Anna Iram]

A thought to how you might peace tie your club. Construct a back scabbard. It wouldn't need to be elaborate. Something with a thick piece of leather against the back to protect you from the spikes and then lanyards to securly tie the club in three or four places. The spikes would keep it from being pulled free.

[Hoowil]

With the mail, the leather for tieing down the club could even be rigged up inside it, to make in not be so visable.

[gypsylakat]

http://www.nightmarefactory.com/fangs.html

they have all kinds of different teeth... I like the site.

[Adriana Rose]

If you want to make your tunic look a little more worn try letting it hang out in the sun for about all winter.. try to wear it alot! even just putzing around at home it will take the new look off of it. Wash it every time you do laundry..

Also remember that you are gonna have to lug a club around all day do your research on the weight and all that fun stuff...

Try painting some differnt designs on your face, go swirly, dots what ever catches your fancy!

You could look for porkupine quills for hair sticks I think that the big beefy ones are African Porkupines..

have fun with it and post pictures!

[Dev]

Thought: since I have a bodice of obvious (though eccentric) ren style, would a skirt be overkill and put me too ahead of my time?  Keep in mind with the skirt, I'd have it hiked on both sides and rabbit-fur bum-flaps (those rectangles of fabric on both front and back, which is a theme with all my garbs)  The alternative is tight black pants with laces up the sides, with said bum-flaps.

The problem with the pants is that I would need something to take up the space between the top of them and the top of my bodice, because the bodice stops at my waist and the pants stop at my hips.  Ideas?

Another question is since the boots, bodice, and pants are black, I need an accent colour.  Last 2 years I had green, but it's hard to find a nice ugly green that's not a seafoam, lime, olive or emerald.

[Adriana Rose]

How about a nice red for a accent.. even a dark blue would look nice..

or if you are comfoable with it show off your tummy.. you dont have to worry about that pesky H/A stuff since you are a toll

or even a nice bit of fabric tied around your waist in nice sash kinda thing to cover the space that the bodice leave...


( you are turning into my cyber dress up dolly! lol )

[Dev]

How about a nice red for a accent.. even a dark blue would look nice..

or if you are comfoable with it show off your tummy.. you dont have to worry about that pesky H/A stuff since you are a toll

or even a nice bit of fabric tied around your waist in nice sash kinda thing to cover the space that the bodice leave...


( you are turning into my cyber dress up dolly! lol )

I'd rather do dark blue than red.  The black and red combination is too passe IMO.  My bodice isn't stomach-friendly either because it's pointed in the front; I was trying different outfits before going to a concert and it looked baaaaaaaad.

I thought of just having the "bumflaps" at waist-level, and covering the gap between them and my pants with 7-8 scraps of fabric that tie on the sides (kind of like when you cut a t-shirt then tie it together)

[gypsylakat]

what about a tunic style camisole under the bodice.. I do that with my fairy stuff, you can just see the top of the cami and then it comes down underneath... doesn't quite solve the color issue...

And i agree with you about the red and black... but their my favorite colors! why does everyone else have to like them too?

[Dev]

what about a tunic style camisole under the bodice.. I do that with my fairy stuff, you can just see the top of the cami and then it comes down underneath... doesn't quite solve the color issue...

And i agree with you about the red and black... but their my favorite colors! why does everyone else have to like them too?

You sort of gave me a good idea, but most of my ideas seem good until I actually try them out IRL.

I could recycle my freehand tunic from last year.  It started out as more of a knee-length, long-sleeve chemise-type thing, but by the time I realised white was too clean looking, my design wasn't sophisticated enough to accommodate boobs, and it was too long to show off my side-lace pants, I dyed it a nice scummy grey (I might make it brown or black), cutting it down the front until it fit, and cutting the sides, all I would really need to do is cut the sleeves off.

What about make-up?  I'm an explorer/unofficial diplomat, not a warrior or a princess, (and lazy) so I'm going for something a bit simple and condensed.  I always went bare-faced, but that was very plain.  2 ideas i had are smudgy black "raccoon eyes" or a more understated colour (silver, gold, light blue) up to my eyebrows, somewhat down the sides of my nose, and striped a bit down below my eyes but not fully down on my cheeks.  Full face paint may be a pain to deal with in 90 degree weather.