Customizing Your Ultimate LARP Costume

Going to a LARP where I plan to CHEAT IN STYLE with this customized leather jacket. I love the thought of telling a story with the clothing we wear so I beat up, scrape, STAB, and patch this thing to show a life on the road and limited means. I also took the opportunity to add some fun little additions including a secret pocket to help me make sure the odds are ever in my favor at the poker table.
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[@StarlasAiko]

Bonus points if you make it your regular clothing style, not just a LARP costume.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Yup, bought a long sleeve linen shirt for a costume... Liked it so much i bought 2 more and added them to my rotation of shirts.

[@ravencanis8998]

I’ve recently done that with my cloak and my new (to me) Cold War era great coat, which just pairs so well with the boots I have in my rotation

[@alexandersmall7380]

What might be a cool addition is swapping out one or two of the buttons for ones that look similar, seeing as buttons have the nasty habit of popping off

[@Migahl]

Replace a Button with a wodden Poker chip

[@SLorraineE]

That's a great idea!

[@zreiser]

You could even add 1 gold button with the backstory that that's kind of his SHTF emergency fund

[@kencoffman7145]

Love the way this character is going!! I personally think it screams sword cane. A Stick of Swagger if you please. +5to charisma and tailored to the users need. A hidden dice compartment in the grip along with a concealed "steel trump card " in the shaft you'd be well prepared for all occasions.

[@fauxmarmorer9544]

On this, kit if you want me to make you a larp cane sword i would be sooooo down

[@CalliopePony]

And some nicks in the cane where he used the shaft to block other people's blades!

[@hanelyp1]

Better check the relevant LARP weapon safety standards. Building a LARP safe sword that fits inside a cane would be a tight fit. And the cane sheath may itself be subject to standards if swung as a parrying device. That said, cool idea.

[@fauxmarmorer9544]

@@hanelyp1 anybody know if he's got a fan mail address? I have a feeling this will end up happening Edit: reckoning doesn't allow homemade weapons, but I'll still probably make it, just cause it's an awesome prop idea(we'll just say it's not meant for combat)

[@NoahOMorainRush]

I was so unprepared for how badass the chain whip clip looked 😳

[@the_crazy_watermelon4221]

It did catch me off guard.

[@keithonline20]

​@the_crazy_watermelon4221 it's moments like that that remind me he's literally been doing martial arts for YEARS

[@juliene10]

I would highly recommend, for storytelling purposes, put your deck of cards in a pocket and then rough up the edges on the outside of the jacket creating an outline of a deck of cards.

[@anblueboot5364]

Sry I misread your comment 1st xd Grear idea!

[@jmw1910]

Awesome!! I'd consider using a little bees wax or greasy leather conditioner in the areas where the skin will provide extra oils to the suede naturally, like the inside of the collar creeping upward, the ends of the selves, and the lapel by the button holes and buttons where your hands naturally grab, etc. Love your character thus far! Cheers- JMW

[@dt534]

Why did you sign

[@joshicus_saint_anger]

I hope you get lots of pictures while you're out. That's my favorite part about the Reckoning 2 video. Everybody had such elaborate kits. It's really inspiring.

[@gregoriancatmonk6904]

Take some playing cards and print non laminated cardstock copies and print and paint your own face cards (maybe oil or watercolor ) and maybe make your own stylized backs. Cards would have been handmade in a medieval setting. Also if the guy is a card cheat a ring with a indent that can be used to mark cards might be cool. (Use one mark to mark aces, two to mark kings etc...)

[@hollyingraham3980]

Nice ideas! You can find online a fair amount on early card art, which is crude. Like woodblock prints.

[@lars_of_the_north]

The added dye to the stab wound made me very happy... it was anxiety inducing up until that point because I was holding off on commenting "you should add dye to the stab mark" until I had actually seen the whole video. Thank you from a leather worker. *huge sigh of relief*

[@zreiser]

Suggestions for further story-based additions: 1. Wine stains 2. Splattered candle wax 3. Hidden sheath in the right sleeve for a stilletto

[@Taurusus]

The "Whip Stitch" gives the visual effect you're going for, but I'd suggest a baseball stitch (or "Overthrow Stitch" but no one calls it that) if the character ever gets better at seamstering, for future cuts. It's a good solid butt stitch, keeps the edges secure, doesn't lose any material to seam allowance or anything. I am a Baseball Stitch evangelist and I will continue to extol its virtues at every opportunity because frankly it baffles me how rarely I see it used! It's so good!

[@doloressims5677]

as a sewist - make some reinforcement stitches at the ends of any openings (holes under the arm; openings of pockets). It offers support for areas that have a lot of stress put on them. The knife wound hole needs a little blood stain 😉 Love your channel. Have a blast at the LARP - can't wait to hear about it!

[@TheMichaellathrop]

I believe you were thinking of a tailor. As for weathering covering it with diatomaceous earth and then throwing it in a bag for maybe half a day and then trying to clean it can add a nice level of weathering, also oil stains could be a good one to add on either sleeves or where ever you would most likely spill a little food while eating.

[@johnsantiago1872]

I got the vibes that maybe, the jacket had previously belonged to his father. who had stopped by your town as he traveled the country ( side as a bard type of a character ). maybe he would sing and play for his food and lodging. he might have met the beautiful innkeepers daughter, thought he'd have a spring fling and be gone in the morning. but your grandpa found out what was bumping the wall that night, he gave him the choice of a knife in the back or a wedding. so during the wedding preparation your pa was cought trying to skip town, so the choice was made for him. ( side note he vigorously denied trying to leave, and the guy that caught him just so happened to be the town bully that had his eye on your ma ). all that you have of his is the hat and coat. all you know about him is that he said "he came from a land out west across the sea". interestingly years latter you found ten gold coins of a make or mark that you had never seen before sewn into the hem in the collar. anyways that's the vibes I'm getting. great video, keep it up. John S..

[@brandonwilson5558]

For things like the stab stitches, going a few shades lighter with the cord would help make it a little more noticeable, or even going with a completely different color to show he used whatever was available. It might sound a bit picky, but staining the area before stitching would sell the repair as being done after recovery.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

I love the card pocket and the bloodstained knife hole. They were the first two things I thought of, when you introduced your character. How cool would it be, if it had slippery pockets in the sleeves with some clever contraption and when someone calls you out for cheating you had a whole deck of cards flying out off all possible spots. 😅 Cards flying everywhere just like when I was playing '31 - Pick up!' with my younger sister as a kid.

[@coreyz.2800]

I like that the very first thing that happened when you tried to move around in the coat was ripping it. It actually plays into the backstory perfectly. As you said, it's a really nice coat and the guy really, really does not have the money to afford a really nice coat which means most likely he either stole it or at best managed to win it in a game of chance, and of course it wasn't tailored for him but rather for someone more "posh" and there are essentially two types of posh people: the ones who are fat because they can afford enough food to stuff their faces, and those who are thin because they've never needed to do an honest day's work in their life and thus have had no opportunity to add any bulk to their frame. Clearly our guy got the better of a gentleman of the latter breed and, much like you did, the first time he really had to move around in it (perhaps in making a hasty escape when the former owner of the coat saw him take it or perhaps realized he'd been cheated in their game) the difference in frames became immediately apparent. Or perhaps the former owner was a duelist and had the stitches in the underarms purposefully let out so that he could better maneuver with his sword. Even that could play into the story. Our guy tries to swindle the posh man (let's give him a name to make it easier...Brentlewood. Claude Brentlewood. Yea, that works), or said something a little too slick to Claude's wife within earshot, and was challenged to a duel. And perhaps Claude proved a sufficiently skilled swordsman than Cal (Cal? Cad? I didn't quite catch the name there so apologies if I'm getting it wrong) couldn't outright best him, but Cal was wily enough for Claude to not be able to land any strikes either, so Claude doffs his coat and tosses it aside in frustration, hoping the improved mobility will secure him a victory. Through continued chicanery Cal evades any decisive strikes and with a bit of sleight of hand (or rather blade) he relieves Claude's belt of its buckle and in the ensuing commotion of Claude's embarrassment Cal hastily declares himself the winner, claims Claude's coat as his prize, and makes a run for it. Feel free to use that story if you like it, it just kinda popped into my head. Maybe it is just one of many tales Cal tells of how he got that coat, kinda like how Heath Ledger's Joker kept changing his story about how he got his scars. I think it would fit the character to be a bit of a BS-er; to make up anything to charm a lady, disarm a crowd, maybe even drop a line here or there implying someone there had done something that someone else there would not take kindly to so he could make a discreet exist after the brawl breaks out. Maybe the knife in the back was thrown by someone who didn't quite fall for it but was distracted long enough for Cal to get too far out of reach to grab. I think even more so than the crafting of the costume (fun as that is) is the crafting of the story behind it. I could see myself getting wrapped up in "analysis paralysis" for months trying to iron out all the details before I even took the first step in crafting the outfit. I get so many ideas and can never settle on any one of them.

[@anblueboot5364]

Yk and this is why I changed my whole approach to character creation when I try to Map out who my character is. Going more toward what ifs and less: this is what happened. Like: what would my character do if they were supposed to catch a fish? Depending on who i rp it would go from: i pay somebody else do it To: I try to kill the river so it will pay me in fish, to have mercy on them

[@dozer88finn]

You should do a bar keep/ tender video showing how to make some old / made up drinks!! 😊

[@jakubdrabent8158]

to be gully honest, if you go for realism or anachronism, mixed drinks weren't really popular back then, but if they were they would just be cocktails(the original meaning) which is alcohol+acrid+sugar, basically a sour, or homemade alcohols like sarsparilla, mead(or braggot), ginger ale and other things that can naturally ferment

[@badwolfforge]

Man this is awesome and I'm theming a DND character off of you someday! Artisan Artificer

[@sharoncrimm]

Your costume looks amazing! I love that jacket on you. In my opinion you can never get to excited over pockets. They are essential to any outfit. I wear a lot of dresses and they hardly ever have pockets. When I find that does I go nuts over it.😂 Have fun at Conquest!

[@anblueboot5364]

I found a dress maker in germany and every piece of clothing they make have stealtg/invisble Pockets in the side suture, one can put their hands on things inside. From a basic shirt to their fanciest dress even their Vests own those side pockets. When talking to them we made the joke that a real men needs to own at least 8 pockets on their clothing otherwise they are worthless xd

[@shaunsilverleaf2035]

My neighbor makes upcycled dresses from T- shirts and she puts pockets in them always. Rejoys is her brand, in Gulfport, FL.

[@McGriffman]

POCKETS! Very cool card/sleeve pocket. But remember, when you cheat at cards, you can't bring an extra card with you. You have to palm one from the deck you're using. Unless, of course, you wanna throw out the Ace of Spades when another player already has it... Or maybe that's your way of letting everyone know your character is a cheat - but maybe not that good...

[@Struthio_Camelus]

Definitely know that *somebody* at the table is a cheat when the *second* ace of spades shows up...

[@rhaynehowlette5621]

I love the enthusiasm and excitement over the little things. It IS the little things that matter!!! Very inspiring.

[@1guncrazy1]

I did similar aging and field repairs on a hat I made for a Plague Doctor outfit. The leather I used for the brim had holes in it. I sewed the holes closed and made the hat look used and repaired

[@garnetmage4244]

Wonderful job. That coat looks fantastic on you. Have you considered adding one more inside pocket specifically for your pipe and pipeweed? Hobbits aren't the only ones who don't go anywhere without them. Have an incredible time!

[@christopherrobinson6352]

Bonus points if you can use your secret pockets to sneak snacky snacks through airport security... Perfectly in character.

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

Three suggestions. 1) you can say you won the jacket of someone when you when younger. It explains why the rips in the armpits. You ripped them as you grew. 2) gamblers would have had a dagger close. Maybe had another leather piece inside the jacket for a dagger. Or sling one off your belt. Nice work on the jacket. 3) Mabe, pick up some dirt powder and smug it on your hat, too. Adam Savage's Test KZbin channel has videos on pumice powders.

[@im_a_space_oddity]

That customization is awesome. Thanks for showing several techniques to weather garb and make it look lived in.

[@Mark-ki7ic]

Good video, hope you checked for ticks after the woods expedition. No dagger sheath or Arcane derringer holster inside the jacket ?

[@rezrat2000]

Love what you did with the coat. The character is interesting and would love to hear his history. Enjoy Conquest and have a safe trip.

[@jamespreston7823]

" *_somebody who sews_* " : Seamster (or needleworker, sewer, or stitcher). Sator and tailor are available but a little too broad. Also, you _could_ have used the dyed linen to join/hide the split underarm seams, but it still looks good without 😄

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

Awesome. If you have time you need make your own deck of cards. I used off white/ yellowish card stock and a hard graphite lead pencil to draw the card on it, and then I used it to get the old look to it. And a leather case for your cards too would be cool. I hope your character takes his trick dice with him to the LARP.

[@TheAyeAye1]

This looks wildly entertaining. I can't wait to watch it during lunch.

[@seanbrondstetter2987]

According to "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary," a seamstress is a "woman whose occupation is sewing," (a male is referred to as a seamster). A tailor is "a person whose occupation is making or altering outer garments." Seamstresses/seamsters usually work with the fabrics, seams and hemlines.

[@keithowen7304]

Very fun video! For general softness and "break in", throw it in the dryer (no heat) with a couple pair of clean (or not clean) sneakers and run for a while. We used to do this with new BDUs to make them more comfortable to wear everyday. Have a great trip!

[@Redheadkat99]

Ayo! A Burnadette shout out!? Amazing! I love their stuff! And their sibling is a Satyr!❤

[@maxinedurling3425]

You might like to add leather on your shoulder's if you look at fishermans jumper patches you will see where the patches are placed to protect the ware area. Enjoy your time

[@himonightbreeze]

Because they're just pull-on work boots, I do a lot of outside projects with them on, like the other week I helped a friend build a deck, and because it was wet out and where we were working was muddy, I got my boots perfectly dirty for larping. As for statement pieces, I don't know if it counts, but I have become known for always being armed, like more axes than hands, a sword and a dagger in case I gotta get squirrely kind of armed. I once overheard one player telling another, "He has three axes under there," while I was in the tavern as game was starting. Now I think people notice the rose pinned to my tabard.

[@Glimmlampe1982]

If someone thinks about weathering leather gloves for someone who does at least a lot of training, don't forget the inside of the hand. My leather training gloves, after like 7 or 8 years training about once a week, are a complete patchwork. Not the outside, as no sharp weapons are involved, but I think I have like 3 or 4 layers of patches on the inside. Different leathers, from thin leather from an old chair to scraps of fish and frog leather, whatever was lying around.

[@austinevans2804]

Honestly impressed with how gracefully you handled that chain whip

[@longshot9757]

Seeing you with a chain whip was so oddly satisfying.

[@novamangnus5796]

I have a build idea for u sir .make a all season bedroll for your camp set. Like a midevil sleeping bag and with a combination of interchangeable layers held buy buttons or what they use for dova cover. Like ur winter inner layer would be furs and wool combo and ur hot weather would be cotton or silk and the outside of the sleeping roll would look like something from skyrim and sewin a sleeping mat at the bottom to be more comfortable.

[@cindytumlin2743]

Now you need a rapier and a peacock feather

[@benholthausen6925]

It took me only two days to binge watch through, what feels like, innumerable videos of yours. Fun thing is: a few people from my Dungeons & Dragons group attend Conquest as well; unfortunately I couldn´t join them on such short notice, but I´ve been planning to go next year, maybe try another, smaller event first, as it would be my first LARP. Your videos have helped immensely to encourage me making my own garments and equipment for that and I´ve already been playing around with some leather scraps. Plan to do some simple pouches first and then tackle the - still mildly intimidating - project of making some leather turnshoes.

[@Mulletmanalive]

The card pocket, in period, would probably have been made in a similar fashion to a scabbard; short fur like goat hide, with the knap oriented to hold the card/blade in. Couple of incidents and you’d probably also have a blade stashed in there, something with a very thin handle.

[@hollyingraham3980]

Great costuming! Get lots of footage of the Conquest site to orient us. Because obviously you can't get releases from all those people. And we need visuals with your talking!

[@ameliej6601]

Wow the result is so good! Another idea would be to replace the buttons by mismatched ones :)

[@joanemery1487]

Oooooo, I so love that jacket! Great job! Just one more thing that I would like to say about the running stitch. If you take another running stitch where the previous running stitch is and do a running stitch between the other stitches, you would have what would look like one stitch around. And it would line up nicely with the other stitches. I hope that I clarified okay.

[@klausgerken1905]

"It's suposed to be hot at Conquest." Seeing this only after Conquest: Yeah, that did not work out as expected.

[@RoseRed2004]

This was such a cool project! I loved the attention to detail. I do think that perhaps a backstitch would be better to hold the pockets than a running stitch, as it is quite a bit stronger than a running stitch, which is commonly used for areas that don't have a lot of weight or tension pulling against them, such as trims and decorations.

[@issinho]

Oh this is cool!!! I’d genuinely be curious to see one of these actually played out. Sorry, Conquest is WAY outside of my budget. That said, I’d really be curious about how playing a character differs from actual day-to-day and if you’d ever use your kit out and about on the street. Like, this jacket. Would you wear it to the store??

[@ericrylands2860]

I love the details!

[@orianaspiderowl769]

He'd probably have lots of "hidden" pockets in that coat too Clever.

[@WolfpackPodcastOfficial]

So glad I found your channel when I did. I'm preparing for my first big larp, first time I buy stuff to wear to a larp and having to weather it myself. Love how your costume's small details tell a story, I'll think about that before I start. Awesome video!

[@SCARLETSPIDERBHJ]

Thanks Clever! Great job!!

[@stuartbaxter-potter8363]

Safe travels and have fun!

[@FredzDimension]

Any chance we will see a return to crazy props or design advice like the staff of the wanderer or your medieval tent video?

[@timmehwimmy]

Really cool video. I seem to be going through your older videos at the moment, starting to get in to leather work.

[@jushiro_sugiyama]

Love the concept! Hope you have better weather than my Crew on the DF this week. You should also add some "grease" with beewax or lotion to the collar and the sleeves to give it a more worn look.

[@kyleburrow3351]

This is really helpful to me right now. I'm currently working on a Dumner Ashlander costume, and the concepts presented here are really useful!

[@darksamurai010]

The amount of creativity and dedication on your part is just amazing!

[@lyrralyn1643]

Can't wait to hear of y'alls adventures! Checking in several times a day to see if a new video has dropped. 😂

[@zreiser]

Suggestion for a weapon build: a ball bracelet where each ball is connected to a longer rope, which is then wrapped around the forearm (over a shirt, in place of a bracer) for a stealthy/easily deployed moon hammer/bolo. Bonus points if the balls are metal d20s!

[@Krypt.CoPublicRelations]

I know the absolute joy of making an inside pocket to a stupendous coat. It's wicked awesome!! Have a blast at conquest!

[@bretlemieux2489]

Awesome vid Cl3ver that coat looks awesome!

[@nevernether3368]

The amount of details is absolutely amazing man I love it I wish I was going with to see this character

[@briannahill6180]

It tickled my fancy a bit that he learned a running stitch from Bernadette! Heehee.

[@MusicIsLifeChick92]

Use this or don't, but I just had a story idea for the the jacket and why the armpit gussets are there: He won the jacket off a guy who'd run out of money and it was the last thing he could bet with. They were a little smaller than he was, but your guy liked the jacket, but when he first put it on after he won again, when he shrugged it on the armpits immediately ripped.

[@NorMandalArms]

I can't wait to get the shop going and working on LARP gear

[@wednes3day]

Loking forward to in two weeks! Enjoy the LARP!!

[@danhurl1349]

The Skilltree man being a fellow Bernadette Banner viewer was not something I had on my bingo card for today but perhaps it should have been.

[@robgonzo]

Good job! It's looking great. I kept thinking that a roller or even an iron on the outside of the coat but over those edges of those pockets you added would leave some nice wear marks.

[@Crossbow-xy4xg]

Yoo I love the final vibe this coat gives. This character sounds amazing.

[@der.brauni]

Seen it at Mythodea, and it looked good. But the weather there sure helped aging it even more!

[@WolfCross]

This channel deserves to be far more popular that it is! Everything you post is amazing!

[@raktoda707]

Well done !

[@scarcosplay]

DUDE! I love that you love the jacket! I love it too!

[@lordofgraphite]

Love this ❤

[@odlief8953]

love the idea for some of the stitching it would have lookes even better if you use a contrasting colour or material maybe some thin natural cordiage you can allways get the right colour thread in the middle of know where but i love the card pocket thats ingenous have a great time at conquest and see ya on the flip side

[@MysteryLullaby]

Clever ripping the jacket immediately after putting it on: “…i have failed successfully”

[@rhf340]

Not just Clever, but Brilliant!

[@taboomystic]

You should pop off a button or two and replace them with a different type of button, like one caught on a tree branch and he couldn't find it

[@jeffventure6078]

Thats a pretty cool jack...CHAINWHIP!?!. Nice

[@Fuchsbart]

Hope I get to see you there next week mate!! If you need some Infos about stuff, just ask. Have a safe trip!

[@nridge377]

Not sure if you'd be interested in trying this but I hot an idea for a tool upgrade video. I think it'd be cool to upgrade your leather sewing machine to be powered by a foot pedal like old fashion sewing machines. Like trying to figure out the mechanics could be cool.

[@chuckcottrill]

Oh, I so wish you would come to Georgia and attend one of our Larps. I would so enjoy RP with you...

[@bethkrager6529]

😲 what the heck. That was a skill i did not expect you had.

[@Eccentric_arts]

You made a really cool character, have fun on your trip.

[@kinggizzerd]

the jacket suits you very well, you did a fantastic job!

[@alexsears7892]

Have fun at Conquest. I'm heading to Pennsic in 14 hours.

[@SkylarKeystone]

I know youve done some other tent options but a cloak or poncho tent would be cool to see

[@Dman0001]

2 things for suggestions. 1. A single exterior pocket? 2. A hidden daggervin sleeve or inside lining

[@JoannaPiancastelli]

Check out fuller's earth as a way to add lighter dust to a costume rather than just darker stains

[@MrReran]

Love your channel, in wich camp are you going to be on conquest? :)

[@michaelsemmes1313]

I’d be curious to see you experiment with something called pinatex (a leather alternative made of pineapple leaves). You could do a video where you compare how it tools and dyes compared to leather. Especially since it’s actually a bit cheaper than leather!

[@simogamez]

looks great but I'd put a second card pocket in the other sleeve.

[@KristinMoran]

Fantastic storytelling with your coat! Will you make it to Pennsic after you return from Conquest, or is that too much in a short window?

[@thorstenhartmann8209]

Just a heads up: we have a pretty wet summer this year over here in germany. so dont forget a waterproof cloak or something.

[@chamomilecraft]

Good to know I’m not the only other person who does crazy activities in my gear just to see how I’d wear and weather it 😅

[@Doctor_Winter]

Male version of a seamstress, is a tailor. Love the jacket.

[@thomasrye1053]

I would love to see your take on leather and steel gauntlets.