Garb is the clothing we wear. Technically, the words garb and clothing are interchangeable. There is a reason we use the word garb, however. It is an uncommon word for the uncommon clothing we use. Garb sets us apart from the rest of the world. It helps us to become the character we are playing for a little while. It also helps to show others who we think we are. Want to play a barbarian from the far north? Furs and skins would give the message well. Want to play a bard of some renown? Perhaps a really fancy doublet and tights or trews would show your artistic sense. On our links page you’ll find several garb links you can use for making your garb: anything from a Norman tunic to an Elizabethan court dresses. Some of the links sell completed garb, others tell you how to make it. Some are for the complete beginner. I have made most of my own garb and until recently, I didn’t know how to sew.

One quick note on sewing: Although it would be "period" (appropriate to the time/technology level of the game) to hand sew everything, it is very time consuming. In addition, unless you are practiced at it, hand sewn garb will most likely fall apart under the rigors of battle. A sewing machine is your friend. If you don’t have one, you can likely borrow one. If not, you might want to consider whether you would rather buy one (a couple hundred dollars at least) or buy completed garb (also expensive.) If you want LOTS of garb, the machine would be your best bet. If you only want one set of garb, you probably would be better off buying your garb from a financial point of view. We also have people willing to help newcomers get their garb together. Viscountess Aislinn is pretty good, and has said she would be willing to allow people to use her machine under her supervision. She will show you how to make your garb, but she will NOT make it for you (unless you pay her for it.) We also have "Newbie Packets" for sale. For $20.00 you get a tunic or tabard, a medium or short sword, a copy of the rules and a copy of the bylaws. Money goes to cover costs and the rest goes to the kingdom treasury.

What garb will you need? That is a good question. Our rules state that you must wear garb of some kind if you are playing a class of 2nd level or higher. The bare minimum is torso and leg coverings that do not look "mundane" from ten feet away. You will most likely want more that just that. So what WILL you want? It depends on what you are playing and how you are playing it. As the basic set, you will want an upper torso covering, pants, and footwear.

Head Gear: Hats are not required, but can add greatly to your persona. Helmets are not required to fight, but are allowed, so long as there are no sharp edges where someone could get hurt or weapons could be damaged. No horned Viking helmets and such unless the horns are latex or some other soft substance.

Upper Body: A tunic or a “renaissance shirt” is probably the easiest. You can do the wizard robe thing, but it difficult to fight in. The tunic should cover at least down to mid thigh, but not be longer than the bottom of the knee to fight in. For females, a period dress is acceptable, but depending on its length and such, you might not be allowed to fight in it for safety reasons. If you are going to fight, a tunic and trews is better. For social occasions such as court, a dress is fine. Again, it needs to avoid looking modern (Please note: The "goth" look is not a period look and it does NOT look medieval). Check out the Links page for details, especially Wings and Roses

Legs: Nothing says "Mundane" like blue jeans. Black Jeans are better, but discouraged. If you MUST wear modern pants, I recommend black or "earth tone" sweat pants. Trews and breeches are easy to make, however, so why not do it right? Again we use the "ten foot rule" if it looks mundane in the eyes of the reeve from ten feet away, it's not garb.

Feet: Good period footwear is the hardest to get, so we are more relaxed here. You CAN wear any footware that is considered "safe" by the reeve. It is recommended you avoid sports shoes because these scream "Modern". A pair of black or brown boots is your best bet for safety and ease of obtaining. You can also find a nice set of mocasin boots or even get a pattern and make them yourself. This really adds greatly to your character.

Accessories: Accessories are what make the difference between just a costume and real "garb." Pockets are not period, but we won’t stop you from having them. But it is better to have a pouch, and they are easy to make! Likewise, jackets are not period as such. A good cloak is still pretty easy to make, but fairly expensive. A cape is a cheaper alternative. Since we are in Texas, you should not have to worry too much about warmth. If you are cold blooded like me, and want to conserve your heat, do yourself a favor and invest in a cloak. For you spellcasters, a shoulder bag to hold your spell balls is a must! It should not close, and they are REALLY easy to make. They allow you easy access to your spell balls, and allow you to carry more than two when fighting. Without this, you’ll be forced to do something like holding them under your armpits. Eeeeeeww!

Weapons: All weapons and armor must be inspected before each game. Check out the weapons making page for details, or talk to the kingdom Champion. Note that "Live Steel" (real swords and daggers and such) are only allowed at weekend events and may NEVER be worn on any combat field.

Jewelry: A noble often invested money in his person such as jewelry and clothing. A warrior usually invested it in his armor and weapons. Jewelry helps to establish your character, however it should not be dangerous (spikes and such) or pose a hazard when fighting such as long earrings. Please, for the sake of the group, avoid any jewelry associated with the occult. I’m not concerned about your personal religious practices; I’m concerned with our public image.

Armor: Armor is not required and for some classes not allowed. Note that any character may WEAR armor, but some may not get any benifit from it. All armor must be inspected before each game just the same as weapons.