We know that some larpers will approach a historical larp of this type as though it were a re-enactment event and others will — for reasons of time, budget, or preference — treat the matter of costuming very differently. We want to all our participants to be able to look and feel like famous Romantic Poets without a requirement to put more effort into it than they want, at the same time we believe that part of the joy of larps of this type is the costuming. Whilst Gothic takes place during the summer of 1816 we are suggesting a Regency Aesthetic rather than specific fabrics and cuts of that year. The common term used in UK larp is coolthentic.
We’ve put together a Pinterest Board to help guide you, and we’ll add additional information and ideas about costuming; we also hope that you will share ideas and inspiration with one another.
While you will be playing two characters during this larp — the poet and their servant — we are not expecting you to have two separate costumes. You can if you want to, of course, but if not we have produced a simple guide to differentiate the servants from the poets:
Most of the servants will wear aprons of one kind or another: For female presenting servants please wear a white apron over your dresses, you can also have a cloth cap or hair covering. Male presenting servants should bring a black apron and sport a black cravat rather than a white one. The exception to this is “Tita”, who if he so wishes, may wear “a cocked hat with a plume of feathers, scarlet coat, richly embroidered with gold lace; pantaloons, also similarly embroidered; Hessian boots, with tassels, and a sash.”
As a requriement of the site, and to reassure those of you who already have Regency outfits, we will NOT be using any blood — real or fake — during this larp.