Archive for February, 2011

Isn’t it wonderful to know that Spring is almost here?  Winter will finally be cast off as we begin to enjoy longer days and warmer temperatures?  The coming of spring also marks the beginning of many Live Action Role Playing games, or LARPs, seasons.  Since the events will soon be upon us, now would be a great time to think about and prepare your character’s costume.  But what type of character are you going to be?

LARP season is on the way!

Perhaps you are thinking about playing an Elven mage who has power over the forces of magic.  You may not be one of the most respected fighters in your game, but the damage you can hurl at the enemy along with the magical protection you can offer your allies will be second to none.

Or maybe you were planing on portraying a rugged dwarf who has spent most of his life below the mountains, who only recently ventured to the surface looking for new treasures.  Will you be the traditional archetypal dwarf who is a miner or craftsman?  Or will you break the mold and play something different?

Will you entertain the notion of playing a human, where your options are almost limitless?  Will you be the sagely cleric?  A cunning rogue?  A daring warrior who leads his comrades into battle?  If so, you may want to consider wearing a riveted aluminum chain mail coif for added protection.

Whatever character you come up with, you will be sure to have fun this season while you LARP.  You will also be sure to find costuming you need at Pearsons.  Let us know about your character in the comments section.

Keep history alive with a Roman Gladiator Kilt

Although the focus of PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com are the Medieval and Renaissance eras, we still do include some outfits from other historical periods.  Today, on the back of a very interesting news article, we wanted to point out that we do have some Roman themed costumes, such as this Roman gladiator kilt.

According to WalesOnline.co.uk, archaeologists uncovered an uncommon ancient Roman fort in the playing fields at a school in Great Britain.  During the height of the Roman empire, its reach extended well into the British isles.  It was there, where they would face stiff resistance from fierce local tribes.  This particular fort, the fort of Nidum, was built to defend against a tribe known as the Silures.

The fort of Nidum would have been occupied by a unit of auxiliaries.  Auxiliaries were still fine Roman soldiers, but did not carry quite the same prestige as the legions.  The fort was original constructed out of wood, but was later rebuilt with stone.  Elements of this fort that make it unusual for Roman standards include:  A large double ditch and rampart, an external road, a trench for a palisade to prevent the rampart from collapsing, a possible lifting device, and a internal tower.  The internal tower was constructed in such a way that would have allowed for the soldiers to shoot at those foes attacking the gate.
The bottom line about the fort of Nidum is that it is extremely defensive.  The combined width of the exterior defensive structures and obstacles was more than 12 meters, which is quite impressive.  Given the nature of the Roman army was to attack, the highly defensive nature of this fort indicates that it was located in a very hostile location.  The Silures must have provided the Romans with quite a challenge, which is generally unheard of.

It is discoveries like this that keep history alive for most people.  It is also one of the reasons why we like to provide you with authentic historical costumes, so that you too can keep history alive.

Who doesn’t love the iconic character of Robin Hood?  There have been so many books, movies, and plays written about Robin Hood that it is hard to deny him as an entertaining and appealing literary figure.  Who else would rob from the rich and give to the poor?  He is still popular today as there was the Ridley Scott movie last year, “Robin Hood,” which starred Russell Crowe.

Rob from the rich and give to the poor!

PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com also recognizes the importance of this character, by introducing our new Robin Hood costumes line.  These Robin Hood costumes are authentic replications of the outfits worn by Russel Crowe and company in the movie.  If you liked the look and presentation of that particular interpretation of Robin Hood, then you can find those same costumes at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com.

Of course we also have several other Robin Hood costumes that aren’t associated with the movie.  Whether you are putting on a theatrical rendition of the Prince of Theives, or simply wish to portray him at a Renaissance Faire, you will be sure to find what you need to put together an amazing wardrobe.

Save some hard earned coin!

The Queen is well aware of the fact that not everyone has extra coin to spend on Renaissance outfits or Medieval costumes.  We know that it has been hard to find work.  Times have changed.  There aren’t as many dragons terrorizing the countryside.  Vampires haven’t been coming into the villages as frequently anymore.  There aren’t even that many damsels in distress.  How’s anyone supposed to make an honest living?

Even so, some people still would like a brand new Medieval costume to supplement their wardrobe.  For those people, the Queen wanted to make sure that we took the time to remind you about our Renaissance outfit sales and specials page.  This is the location where we sell our wares for reduced prices for those noble knights who are “between” jobs.  Don’t worry there are also a lot of Renaissance dresses on sale for the ladies as well.  Always make sure to stop back.  You never know what type of savings you might find.