Renaissance Costumes

As we move into the spookiest time of year, we also can’t ignore how popular vampires have become in pop culture. With a number of books, movies, television shows, and video games revolving around these mythological creatures, it is hard to say that they haven’t made an impact on a lot of our lives.

Vampires also have a tie in to the Renaissance and Medieval era, as it is during these time periods the lore of the vampire first surfaced. It was fabled that viscous rulers would need to feed on the blood of mortals in order to survive. Throw in the fact that most vampires sport a Gothic attire, it is easy to see why their costuming would fit right in at a Renaissance Faire.

Therefore we wanted to give you a few examples of vampire costuming you can find at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com:

Gatekeeper Cloak:  A dark cloak that gives an aura of mystique to whomever you encounter.

Vampire Queen Costume: An outfit that clearly shows your noble status while staying true to the Gothic style.

Vampire Cloak: What is a Lord of the Night without a patented cloak that they can use to disappear into the shadows? A must for any vampire attire.

Vampire Pendant: This pendant also sports the Gothic style and contributes well to the vampire feel. It is a great accessory for almost any costume.

We hope you find everything you need to make a costume that is deserving of a Vampire Lord or Lady.

Enjoy playing the game!

As the year starts to wind down, so do the seasons for most Live Action Role Playing games, or LARPs. Although some groups do have events all throughout the year, most LARPs do not due to camps closing in the fall, or the winter weather being too unpredictable to ensure the safety of participants.

If your game doesn’t push through the cold and snowy season, what else can you do to scratch your fantasy itch? Once you hang up your Medieval costume for the year, what can you do with your group to keep the creativity flowing? There are several options that you may be able to pursue:

Pen and Paper Role Playing: This is essentially the same as LARPing, except instead of heading out into the camp, you and your friends gather around a table to all take part in the story telling. There are several games and game systems out there, and once you find the one you all like, one person will become the Game Master. The Game Master will construct the story and present challenges to the players. To represent the chance of each encounter, players will role dice to determine the outcome of a conflict. With a dedicated group, it can be a very entertaining and rewarding experience.

Table Top Gaming: There are several table top strategy games that allow you to incorporate battle tactics into the core mechanic of the game. These types of games actually let you collect, assemble, and custom paint your own models so that the army can have the look that you want. There are rules for constructing your armies, moving through difficult terrain, shooting ranged weapons, and operating siege weapons. Most games also have various races to that you can play as orcs, undead, elves, witches, or whatever your favorite fantasy race happens to be. Everything comes down to your strategy, the roll of the die, and your ability to react.

Hopefully you will find these hobbies just as entertaining as LARPing and will be enough to hold you over until the start of the next LARPing season.

Dress right at the faire this fall

As we move closer to Autumn, there are many opportunities to put on a Renaissance costume. This is advantageous for you, because if you can wear your costume more than once, not only do you get to show it off, but you are also getting more value for your investment.

It is this time of year when most Renaissance faires are in full swing. Depending on where you live, you will find that there are faires that extend all the way into November. That is plenty of time for you to find your favorite costume and join in with everyone who loves to share in Renaissance culture.

But there are other times during this time of year where your costumes may also come into play. Halloween is not too far off and there is no reason you can’t use your costume for a party or to take youngsters trick-or-treating. Many communities also arrange for Fall Festivals. If you are on the planning committee for an event such as this, why not suggest having a Renaissance theme? Throughout history, many kingdoms would have a harvest festival, to give thanks for the year of plentiful crops. Why not hearken back to this historical trend, while wearing your Renaissance costumes all at the same time?

We wish you all a happy and healthy Autumn.

If you are thinking about going to a LARP, you are going to need to develop a character. A LARP is a completely immersive gaming experience where you literally become your character and go to a camp site and to act out what your character would do. It can be a very entertaining experience that gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people.

When developing your character, you will normally have decide upon a character class or a skill path. A common skill path found at LARPs is a Wizard or a Mage. Below is a list of pros and cons that you can consider if you were thinking about playing a Mage, so that you can make an informed decision.

PROS:

-You have access to spells. The further down the path you go, the more powerful these spell can become.

-Spells are essentially a ranged attack, so you don’t have to be right next to the enemy to hit them with the spell.

-You will be highly valuable in specific situations depending upon the type of spells you can cast.

CONS:

-Most LARPs represent a spell being cast by throwing “spell packets.” Spell packets are little squares of fabric that are filled with bird seed, then tied off to form weighted packets. Since you can’t actually make a fireball come out of your wand, you have to throw these packets instead. Throwing these packets in a combat situation makes it difficult to effectively wield your weapons.

-You won’t have a lot of access to skills relating to fighting as they are reserved to fighting classes.

-If you can cast spells designed to protect players, you may be pestered a lot by other characters.

Every class is going to have its ups and downs. So long as you have fun playing the character, you can always work around the cons. If you are in need of a Medieval wizard costume, we’ve got you covered here at Pearson’s.

Get your comic on at Comic-Con

Comic-Con is an international convention for all things comics, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and so forth. Whether it was in a book, on TV, in a movie theater, or on the web, there is a good chance it will be represented at Comic-Con. Fans can expect to meet writers, directors, actors, illustrators, along with a whole host of people related to the industry.

Fans can also expect to meet a lot of other fans. The convention is just for that: The fans. Many fans like to dress up as their favorite characters to show off their love for these stories. Although it is more common to see Mr. Spock, the Joker, or Darth Vader, there are several fantasy themed characters out and about.

This year the Con is from July 21-24 and is being held in San Diego. If you are going to the Con and were interested in appearing as your favorite fantasy character, we wanted to advise that you order your fantasy costumes now. You want to make sure that they get to you in enough time for you to pack and try them on. Also don’t forget that as Steampunk makes more and more of an appearance in the mainstream, that you can also find Steampunk costumes at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com.

We hope all of this year’s attendees have a great time!

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.

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.

One of the most common public figures in Medieval society was the innkeeper. Whenever out-of-town travelers came into a new town, they eventually ended up at the inn. The inn was a place for merriment, drinking, and lodging.

Therefore, whenever someone new arrived, they always talked to the innkeeper to learn about the town. The innkeeper would also gain knowledge of the outside world as travelers pass through town. The innkeeper was like a Middle Ages version of the Internet.

So if you are looking for a persona to adopt at Medieval or Renaissance events, the innkeeper is a solid option. In order to look the part, you’re going to need a costume that is both authentic and comfortable. Our Medieval Innkeeper’s Vest meets both of these requirements.

Or, if you are putting on a theatrical production that takes place in a time period where the Renaissance or Medieval time frame applies, this Medieval Innkeeper’s Vest will certainly help bring your story to life. This is especially helpful when considering one of the most infamous innkeepers throughout the theatrical world: Thenardier from the musical “Les Miserables.” This character is a slimy con-man who runs an inn, attempting to rip-off his customers in the process. This vest is the perfect costume for such a character.

Like something out of a fantasy...

The Medieval and Renaissance time periods are very alluring to a large number of people.  This is made evident with the large number of Renaissance faires or Medieval reenactments that are conducted throughout the world and the attendance that they receive.  It is difficult to deny the popularity these time periods create within the historic community.

But there is another group of individuals who also enjoy the times of yore:  Fantasy fans.  For the fantasy fan, you still have many elements of Medieval times, such as knights, castles, and princesses.  But you also have a number of other unique aspects, such as magic, dragons, elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, and many other supernatural creatures.

For those fantasy enthusiasts who enjoy dressing in the same outfits of the characters they read about or watch, Pearsons can help.  We have many fantasy themed costumes such as this woodland elf cincher set.  Make sure to browse through our entire selection to find the costume that works for you.

What is your favorite fantasy story or movie?  Let us know in the comments section.

Her Royal Highness, recently held a picture contest for all of her loyal subjects, in which they would submit a picture of themselves in Renaissance costuming from PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com. There were several entries, which caused the Queen and her Royal Advisers to engage in a heavy debate to announce who the winners of the competition would be. After much deliberation, Her Majesty is ready to proclaim the winners to all in the kingdom:

Lord Tony Piazza as Captain Morgan, Honorable Mention

Lady Jessica Knutson, Runner Up

Lady Michal Johnson, Runner Up

Lady Penelope Clark, Medieval Wedding, Winner of Royal Prize

Congratulations are in order for the winners and much thanks to all those who participated.

Let the jubilation commence! God Save the Queen!