Costuming - On a budget or Off

Costuming for a woman of the Victorian era is difficult to say the least. It is expensive to do properly, and, frankly, uncomfortable for a modern woman to wear as we are unaccustomed to the constraints of a corset. So the suggestion is made in Comme Il Faut to go for the feel of the time period. Unless you are a costumer with a lot of time and money, or have enough money to hire a costumer, this is a good suggestion.

To costume for a Live Action game, first consider the setting. Are you going to dinner, a ball, a tea, or is a day costume appropriate? Next consider the time period. Falkenstein gowns can cover a great deal of time. Fashions changed yearly, and there are obvious changes in style every five to ten years. If you are on a budget, my suggestion is to ignore any time period that has a bustle, as you pretty much absolutely have to have a corset to get the correct line. My suggestion, if you are interested in the true lines of a particular year, is to go to your local college library and look at a copy of the Delineator magazine for that year. Good Housekeeping may also have some pictures, but the Delineator was what Vogue is now for the English middle class.

Although the ball and the dinner technically have different types of attire, to a modern eye ballgown and the dinner gown are very similar. Both are low cut, often off the shoulder, seldom have more than short sleeves, and have many ruffles and bows. Patterns for dresses that fit this type of style can often be found in the wedding section of pattern books at the fabric store. A full-skirted, off the shoulder evening or prom dress can suffice in a pinch.

The day dress is much sleeker. It would generally be tailored, have a high neck, and few frills. Day, or "walking suits" are just that. They consist of a skirt, high-necked blouse, and jacket.

If you want to be completely authentic, and have the time and money to do so, there are several vintage pattern companies where you can order patterns for authentic garb, whether it is a military uniform, a dress suit or a ball gown. There are directions for corsets on the web at (http://www2.factory.com/princess/victorian/victorian.html). Folkwear has patterns that have been resized for modern folks (although I have noticed they do run small), and Amazon Drygoods carries patterns for everything from undergarments to shoes.

A Note on Authenticity for LARPs

Perfect authenticity is expensive, and really isn't all that important. Always remember that this is a game. But also be aware of where you get your ideas. Artwork in Comme Il Faut is mostly of the Edwardian period (1900-1910 or so)

See the resources section for more information and links to other resources on the web.

• More Women's costuming, including corset directions and how to measure for Victorian garb. This is not part of my website, but it is one that I've used for corsetry in the past.
• Costuming - men
• Falkenstein LARP Homepage
• LARP Resources