LARP Costumes - How to Accessorize Your LARP Character

Introduction

I love costumes. I personally own hundreds in all types of themes. I don’t just LARP, I also design and build haunted houses for charity, so over the years, I have made or bought all kinds of costumes. In this blog I’m going to share a list of costume vendors and costume stories that I hope will inspire LARPers, Cosplayers and Haunt enthusiasts alike because as we all know, a great costume is foundational for getting into character.

Cosplay is Big Business

My costume collection is intense. For years I consumed multiple closets and storage spaces. In our new home, we designed a dedicated LARP closet that is larger than my childhood bedroom, where I organize costumes and accessories for my many LARP characters. If that sounds decadent- yes, I guess it is a bit - but it’s also a timesaver and so great to have the space to be organized. I think it was worth the investment, and I highly recommend dedicated makeup cases, bins, bags and the use of LARP packing lists to ensure you bring everything needed for an event. You can find a sample packing list on the LARP Portal resource page.

It is also easier to buy great costumes today than it was in my early LARPing days. In the early days, 40 years ago, Monique made most of my costumes. My first cloak was actually made from an old green blanket we were not using and she added a furry edge to it. I wore that cloak as Joval, my NPC LARP character for years, even in warm weather until my teammates came to the rescue. DIY was often driven from an expense concern, but availability and ease of purchase were also factors in those early days before Cosplay and LARP became so commercial.

Today, there are so many options for ready-made costumes and custom period pieces if you have time to have something made for your character. Stores like Joann’s Fabric- many of us will miss them- have made a lot of money off of the LARP and Cosplay community in the last 40 years.

I use a variety of vendors, though I am partial to Threads of Time for my LARP gear. I’ve paid several of my LARP friends who are far more talented than I to make custom costume pieces. I have several friends who own pretty high-end sewing machines and sergers, and many who have all the tools for leather working for things like armor and masks. One of my favorite custom pieces was a dog mask that accommodated my glasses and allowed me to play my flute (cat not included). This method of buying supports skilled LARPers by showing off their talent while also providing them with much-needed cash, though I find I often have to convince them to charge what they’re worth. Crafters are really good at short changing themselves.

For Halloween and pop culture themes, I tend to use high-volume online companies like HalloweenCostumes.com. More often than not, a character’s costume and accessories are pieced together from many sources.

Cosplay and LARPing have become big business, so it’s much easier to costume and accessorize your character. LARP Portal has curated this list of LARP costume and accessory vendors in the past year, as we consider a new merchant market tool for the LARP community. While the list is long, it focuses on common LARP attire, as opposed to LARP weapons, and is far from comprehensive. And of course, another great place to find costuming is from the vendors at Renaissance Faires, where you can see before you buy. Check out faires near you at our Faires and Festivals page.

My Costume Indulgence is Now a Family Affair

My favorite theme for costumes is tied to Halloween. I love scary undead creatures; ghouls, mummies, demon pumpkins, etc. I might have just a few in my collection! Everyone in the family is now on the lookout for great Halloween costumes that can be used in our WITCHH Productions. My wife who doesn't LARP or dress up for Halloween, buys more costumes than I do. Occasionally, our productions branch out and we build in other types of characters. In 2023, our theme was Haunted Acre Woods, a spin on Winnie the Pooh. Evil Pooh killed off his friends, Piglet and Eyeore.

My costume inventory is near legendary status and if a request to borrow comes in for something I don’t have, I usually buy it and add it to the mix. I manage a lending library for friends and fellow LARPers. If I can see a possible multi-use, I am inclined to buy at least one, sometimes multiples in different sizes. I recently filled in the missing “Tiggerrrr” (“Hoo hoo hoo hoo!”) costume for a role I was asked to play at Cottington Woods*, a twisted fairytale LARP in New England.

Fellow Staffer said,

“I didn’t initially ask RIck, cause I didn’t know if he would want to play Tigger”

Oh please…

Did you catch the hoo hoo hoo hoo! above. Tigger is one of my favorites and I couldn’t believe I didn’t already have that costume.

For Christmas needs, I wisely invested many years ago in the obligatory red velvet suit for family functions but it has come in handy at other times as have my elf, tree, and snowman costumes. My favorite Christmas costume is a warm furry reindeer with a headpiece that features a glowing red nose. I found the headpiece in Virginia at the Christmas Mouse in 1990 and have tried unsuccessfully to find another like it for years.

LARPing is in the family blood. My sons and older grandsons enjoy gaming and LARP, but until just recently, I have not played with them. This past weekend, my eldest son Chris and 2nd grandson Elijah joined Madrigal*, a game I have played for years. We collaborated on a backstory to support our playing as a multi-generational team, and when Elijah needed a costume… It was Pepere’s costume inventory to the rescue, or for the win. Yeah, I know, I didn’t do my hands in blue; it was raining most of the weekend and I didn’t want to deal with it.

Which reminds me, a big part of accessorizing many costumes is good makeup. But that could be a blog entry in and of itself.

Most of the photos for this blog are from my personal albums - Elijah is in the 7ft tall evil pumpkin costume. He role-played and made me proud during last year’s haunt. I am thrilled to be able to teach him what LARPing is and look forward to roleplaying as a 3 generation team.

* Cottington Woods and Madrigal can be found on our Find a LARP tool

American LARP Awards - Best Costume

As sponsors of the American LARP Awards, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the incredible talents of costume makers. In our first 2 events, the nominations were spectacular.

The entries demonstrated creativity and attention to detail and I would be remiss on a blog about costumes to not give another shout out to the skill set and talent of the LARP community.

If you see a LARP costume that inspires you, ask the LARPer if you can take a photo to submit for Best LARP Costume

2024 Nominations

2025 Nominations

Closing

We reminisced a bit about early LARP costuming efforts and explored the many choices we have today to outfit our alternate selves. If you are looking to add new duds for the Fall events, now is a good time to place orders due to the lead time necessary with many vendors.

Call to Action

Check out the cool costumes that were nominated for the American LARP Awards and get those cameras ready if you see something special so you can submit a nomination for 2025 that will be decided in April 2026.

And if you have costume advice or know of a LARP Costume merchant we didn’t name, please reach out to merchants@larportal.com.

If you are a game owner or thinking about starting a game, let LARP Portal simplify your administrative processes and give you and your players more time for LARPing. Contact us at demo@larportal.com today for a free demo.

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LARP Costumes - How to Accessorize Your LARP Character

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