New Larp Costume: My Though process

With every one planning to head to Swordcraft quest in Sept. People are buzzing about what camp to join, what costume to wear, and I got caught up in the conversation, and though I'd document how "I" go about designing and creating a new character.

I tend to run through various ideas, brainstorm what I want out of the costume. I run through what it needs, and what is shouldn't have, to arrive as a base idea. This usually takes the form of a bunch of bullet points, normally jotted down on the train ride home after work. I'll type up the ones i have for my Undead below....

Undead Costume Planning

• Easy to wear, move in, put on, take off. So no fancy makeup, no glued on appliances, complicated bindings etc. If i'm wearing it at a camp, it needs to be quick and easy to apply.
• Use as much stuff as  already own: I DO have a lot of stuff, so I'd rather avoid buying EVERYTHING for the costume. I DON'T have many EVIL type costumes, so this may be unavoidable, but we will see. 
• Be recognizably undead, even at a distance, BUT also look "paladin-y": Yea I know... Hard. BUT, what i want is for the costume to be EASILY seen to be undead, with no chance of confusion, even across a hectic battle, or at night, but also to have recognizable religious elements ( not tied to any real world religion, of course, just evoking the concept)
• Comprising of  multiple layers, to add in movement, and most importantly,  allow for it to be tailored to the weather: This may be slightly at odds with point one, but I want to be able to leave off, or add more, elements to account for the warmer or colder weather without compromising the look of the costume. 
• Use a select, and small, color palette: I want it to evoke evil throughout, by sticking to a small, monochromatic color pallet. Black and White, with Red as an accent. This, while a bit generic, will scream evil.
• Avoid "goofiness" I want to look evil, not cartoon-y. It's too easy to fall into the "Skulls and Spiky bitz" games-workshop school of cartoon undead. I wish to avoid that at all costs. I want to look like a Knight raised from the dead, not a character from Medi-evil
• incorporate a "battle Skirt": always wanted one, and this is a good excuse to make one.

Once I have a basic checklist, I look up pictures. I don't plan on copying any of the costumes, but i tend to grab pictures that feature themes, or elements that inspire me. I tend to scribble notes on them pointing out what I liked about them.

I like the simple mask, the hood, the fur cape, the bone and loincloth combo, and the paint on the armour

The belt, and tattered overskirt

The Crown, and head wrap

The (Un)purity seals, the writing on the strips on the torso

That's probably enough to get the idea. Then I create a music playlist of songs that suit the theme of the costume, to play while working on it ( I'm a weirdo, and tend to set EVERYTHING to music)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=84&v=xPvjj-qFnt0

King Diamond "Up from the Grave"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE8EyKpyodw

                                   Blind Guardian - The Bard's Song (In the Forest AND The Hobbit) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8hT3oDDf6c

Alice in chains "Down in a hole"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nW-IPrzM1g&list=PLyCOzA7tra20NyxwwUsRpukRbU10eEoZZ

Disturbed "The Vengeful one"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E_lQlTK6xk

Evanescance "Bring me back to life"

I tend to have a ton more, but they are the ones I've got on hand. Not all relate entirely, but some are Thematically linked, or have musical or lyrical passages that inspire me. Then, I draw up some ideas. Now I'm a TERRIBLE artiest, but the point here is to translate what is in my head to a record i can keep, so the point ISN'T to make high art, but to have something i can look at later and jog my though process.

I'll leave part one at that, and do some designs!