 I was wondering how wearing medieval costumes is experienced by enthusiastic LARP’ers. To find out, I’m reaching out to Laura de Vries, who showcases beautiful photos of herself in exquisite medieval garments and stylish fantasy costumes on her Instagram. I ask her about the importance of wearing a costume. Immersing yourself in a character Laura explains that wearing costumes to events of festivals adds a great deal of value. It’s like living the life of a different person. Finding the right costume helps Laura to be her character. According to her, clothing can even influence your posture and mannerisms. I find that quite remarkable to hear. The best part of wearing costumes, Laura says, is being able to twirl and sway with a large skirt at festivals with music, such as Castlefest! However, there are also downsides to playing a different character. At events, everyone is dressed so beautifully and uniquely. But traveling to and from the event can sometimes pose problems. Bystanders feel entitled to say anything to you. Laura has often been photographed of filmed without permission. Nowadays, she dares to politely ask them to stop. Beautiful Fabrics When I ask Laura about the most important aspect of costumes, she emphasizes the value of good materials. She mentions (quite practically) fabrics that don’t easily catch fire if you’re near a campfire. For historically inspired costumes, it’s best to use a lot of linen, wool, silk and cotton, making sure that machine seams are not visible. The right accessories complete a costume. How fin is it to browse medieval markets in search of exquisite jewelry? Sometimes it’s also enjoyable to play around with it. Why not go a little over the top by adding a lot of bling-bling? Or keep it modest and let the costume speak for itself! Challenging Wearing a costume is undoubtedly fun and magical. However, it also comes with its challenges. Laura mentions that large skirts, heavy fabrics, gambesons or tight corsets can be very warm and take up a lot of space in crowded areas. Not to mention if it starts raining! Then the drama is complete: soaked, with mud everywhere that you’ll later have to wash out of your clothes. But there’s always a solution to a problem. Seek shade, drink enough water and bring an extra set of comfortable clothes, just in case. And hey, you have to make some sacrifices to look this stunning, right? Never stop dreaming Do not forget: Whether you’re making costumes, wearing them yourself (or both) keep dreaming! There are always new extraordinary artworks to create. Explore thrift stores when you’re short on cash or invest in the most beautiful fabrics you can find. Laura doesn’t hesitate when I ask her about her “costume dream”. A genuine velvet Tudor-style over gown, a Henrician gown. I’m currently working on the underskirt, a kirtle. But the fabric I have in mind for the overdress is quite expensive. So I’ll have to save up for that.     Comments are closed.
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All about creating your own Chanel-Style jacket, Chanel-lovers information, Historic Costumes, Couture & Sewing book reviews and tutorials.
By: Marga van der Vet,
50+ model
Content creator
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