Costume

Part of a series about costume.

• The Noble Houses
• The Royal Armies
• The Reform Coalition

See also:

• Fay
• Revenants

Overview

Breaking Worlds costume is loosely inspired by the clothes worn in Western Europe during the medieval and early renaissance periods, i.e. about 1000-1500 CE. However, many fantasy elements are also entirely appropriate - if you could wear it in Middle Earth, you can wear it in Breaking Worlds.

Some characters will have until recently lived in other worlds, and fallen through a rift into Arginet. Appropriate costume for these worlds is detailed on their own pages, though it’s likely that as the characters assimilate into Arginese society their clothing will start to look more and more like the natives’.

Most Arginese wear trousers/hose and a tunic or shirt, often with a waistcoat or jerkin over the top. Long skirts and dresses are also worn, especially by people who will never have to do manual work, and the large, voluminous robe is a mainstay of the magic user’s wardrobe.
Wealth is typically indicated by brighter colours and more trim, with poorer Arginese unable to afford the dyes bought in large quantities by the rich. However, some well-to-do Reformists will signal their status by sticking to darker colours but adding more fabric or layers than many people can afford, feeling that the fripperies favoured by the nobility are just a sign that they are out of touch with the people.

Some people will wear clothes associated with their trades as a badge of honour even when not working - it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a blacksmith in a leather apron or a soldier still in their livery even though they’re off duty - and, of course, many doctors will bring protective clothing with them when out and about, just in case anything should crop up.

Clothing by faction

The three main factions all have a distinctive style. The following pages have more detail on costume recommendations for their members:

• The Noble Houses costume
• The Royal Armies costume
• The Reform Coalition costume

Starting out

You don’t have to splash out on costume to get playing. However, we recommend that you come in clothes that are suitable as basic kit for the setting.

If at all possible, please turn up in a skirt or pair of plain trousers not made of denim, and any unobtrusive shoes that aren’t white trainers. A plain shirt with no obvious logos is ideal for your top half but we can lend you basic layers as well as costume such as belts, leather armour and, of course, weapons.

If you already own medieval fantasy style costume, it’s very likely you’ll be able to wear it in Breaking Worlds. If you own other costume it may be suitable for playing a character who has fallen through a rift from another world. We have already defined two other worlds where costume is inspired by frock coats, tricorns, and pirates, and ancient Greece and Rome respectively. It may be possible to play a character from another world that you have defined yourself (please talk to the refs about this!) but we will draw a line around 1900 so that characters are never wearing the clothes that we might wear in real life!

Clothing and gender

There are no restrictions on clothing in Arginet based on gender although due to our OOC biases we are well aware that subconsciously gendering a character based on their clothing is going to happen, and may be a positive or negative thing according to context. Please be sensible and if someone tells you their character’s pronouns or gender, make your best effort to remember and use the correct terms regardless of the clothes they are wearing.