Beyond the brown coat

[steelweaver]

I was thinking about costumes for nathreee 's Firefly larp. I had some thoughts and links I thought I'd share in case anyone finds them useful. It's a one off and it's less than two weeks away, so I'm focusing on easy en cheap-ish options.

The wardrobe
Shop the stash before you shop the shops.

Formal-ish: scarves, shirts, vests, old evening wear, old best suits, 'tai chi shirts', things made of satin or brocade, formal shoes, non-terrycloth bath robes without pockets.
Casual: tees with oriental-inspired prints, army boots, cargo pants, jeans or twill jackets, less formal brocade items.

Buying
Army surplus: khaki green or desert beige clothing, belts,  pouches, straps, boots.
Thrift store: evening wear, shirts, vests, leather, belts, shoes, gloves, hats, clothing to alter or harvest for fabric.
Mundanewear shops: standing collar shirts are somewhat fashionable for men and women atm. Some tops come in a mock wrap style that's a nice fusion of eastern and western.
Street market, Asian shops/webshops: brocade items, 'tai chi' shirts, fans, parasols, sarees, costume jewellery.
Silk painting supplies: silk scarves for cravates or to pair with evening wear. Plain undyed ones can be surprisingly cheap.
Workwear shops: cook's tunics have standing collars, sometimes wrap around and can come in colours.

Making
This close to an event, I'd say shop or shop the stash as much as you can. Consider if you can alter what you have. For instance, fitting something more closely may make it look more formal. You can also sew trim around a (men's or women's) v-neck to make a mock wrap shirt.

Pick one or two star items that define your character if you feel you can't get them another way. Google for screen shots, try to match fabric to that. For patterns, try Folkwear, Truly Victorian or Laughing Moon, which are all available locally (through naaipatronen.nl). You can also alter an existing pattern or trace over an existing clothing item to get your pattern.

Taking in a bought shirt (also works for vests, etc. Check out more of their movies for spats etc.)
Making a faux-cravate out of thrift-shopped ties

Some more thoughts from another larper about Firefly larp costuming