Babylon 5 Costuming New! Check out the Steincorp Station Closet for costuming examples, including pieces made from patterns suggested below. Chuckling Cthulhu is planning their Babylon 5 LARP, Steincorp Station, for August, 2001. With that in mind, Johanna has assembled the following ideas and suggestions for costuming... If you're interested in playing in the Steincorp event, you want to read this! Earth Alliance     This is a tricky one. The show's costumers built the EarthForce jacket off an Ike jacket. If you have a pattern for that, you're all set - and could you possibly share a copy of it with Johanna? She went nuts trying to find one... If you're a super-duper seamster (if so, what are you doing here?) you can buy an Ike jacket at any military surplus store, take it a apart and figure out a pattern from there.     For the rest of us, there's make-do solutions. So far, the best that has been found is a Butterick pattern for a chef's jacket. As soon as Johanna remembers the number, she'll publish it. The collar isn't quite right, but the shoulders look good and the construction of it is quite simple. Again, if you're experienced at altering patterns, you'll want to render the sleeves a bit narrower, to reduce the baggy-factor of the jacket.     Tip courtesy of a random e-mail: rather than using vinyl trim - which can easily break your sewing machine - use highly-polished cotton cloth. It'll be shiny enough to suggest the leather trimming, but a darn sight easier to sew! And it's cheap, too...     There is a retailer selling the Babylon 5 station uniform - and Minbari and Narn headpieces. If either of those tickle your fancy, take a look here. I can't make any assurances about the quality, though, but they are quite affordable! Steincorp Station players please note: the Bab5 station uniform will not be used in our event, give how they didn't exist in the game's time-period and all... Minbari For flowing, Minbari-esque garments, I have discovered you can go a long way with a basic robe/gown, made with a funky fabric and some interesting trim. For patterns, take a look at Butterick 6698, McCall's 2665, 2940 and Simplicity 8108. Johanna has picked up all of these patterns and has put them on her 'easy enough for even me to sew' list. Play with altering sleeves, layering contrasting garments, pleating a wide shoulder, rather than gathering it, etc.      Fabric suggestions: linen, muslin (especially for the Grey Council), heavy cotton, some silk/silk look. Muslin is cheap, but can be brittle. Linen is more expensive, but more durable (and less likely to be transparent in strong light!). Muslin is easy to dye in your washing machine if all you can find is white/natural.       Fabrics can be sheer, smooth or slightly textured - heavy textures are out. Patterns are small/medium and repeated. Contrasting trim is present on many garments, particularly the top layer. Surcoats and sashes are popular.     Colors: It seems to me that during "In the Beginning", the Minbari showed a preference for light neutrals - beige, ecru, cream. Later in the show (although it was produced earlier) they are wearing brighter colors and more textured fabrics, although the degree of texture never approaches Narn-levels. Perhaps this was supposed to reflect the influence of other races on Minbari culture? But whilst on Babylon Five itself, the Minbari palette includes gold, brown, dark blue, dark red/rust, dark/mid-purple. Johanna didn't see a lot of silver or green while looking at pictures, so you might want to stay away from those.      In the case of Steincorp Station : Johanna has picked up some simple patterns (Simplicity 8108, nativity garments and Butterick 6698, japanese kimono) and is intending to make them out of some heavyweight cotton and canvas fabrics she has found. They won't be nearly as ornamented as what is seen on the show, but the garments will be distinctive enough to evoke the correct mood. If you want something with a lot of fabric, take a look at Simplicity 8725 - the sleeveless surcoat in particularly. These patterns are all quite easy to sew, so players are welcome to have a go at their own costuming if they like, particularly if they want to be fancy. Johanna doesn't have much time for fanciness... ;) Narn Regieme For Narns, a Renaissance doublet is a good choice, particularly when made in leather-look fabrics. The Fantasy Fashions doublet pattern is very versatile and can usually be found at Lacis. Another choice is Simplicity 2665, which is a Renaissance-themed tunic with a very Narn-esque collar. Mix and match several different fabrics in a single garment - look at G'Kar's customary outfit for visual cues. Think very military, very defensive-styled clothing. You can easily imagine G'Kar's clothing stopping a dagger...       If you're feeling ambitious, or you have time to spare, why not add some interesting trim, such as scrap leather, chainmail or big studs? To buy chainmail supply, take a look at the costuming links page.     Fabric suggestions: Leather-look, doe suede, heavy linen (even canvas), wool. Rough textures and stiff fabrics abound. Suggestion: Look for 'pinhead suede' at your fabric outlet. It's a doe-suede with pinhead-sized dots of silver or gold colored hot-glue (or something) spaced regularly across the surface - very Narn-like!      Be careful when considering running vinyl or real suede through your sewing machine. If the fabric is too heavy, you will ruin your machine's timing, necessitating a trip to the repair shop. Johanna knows this because she's done it twice - erm, three times, now... You might want to consider using a lot of leather-glue or purchasing a leather-sewing kit from your local craft store if you're going to use heavy vinyl or leather.      Colors are earth tones - dark browns and greens, with occasional gold trim. Several colors and textures might be present within one garment, which saves the Narn wardrobe from homogeneity. Texture is more predominant than printed patterns.       In the case of Steincorp Station: Johanna has picked up a doublet pattern and McCall's #2665 - and a lotta hot glue. For fabric, she has some grey doe-suede, light grey pinhead suede and some light-weight (fuzzy backed) vinyl, and even some heavy-weight real suede. She's planning on using the real leather for the boss-Narn character (rank hath it's privileges) using a modified jerkin pattern. Another garment will most likely be a modified doublet made with pinhead-suede and vinyl trim/sleeve-caps. Narn garments show every sign of being time consuming, so some extreme-simplification is being done for the event. Again, we are trying to evoke the setting, not reproduce it. Centauri I would have to say that the Centaur court is a mixture of high-Rennaisance and good dollop of Regency and Georgian looks. Again, check out Fantasy Fashions (or Alter Years) doublet patterns for men, and make it out of the richest fabric you can afford. Vests seem to be popular with the richest Centauri - McCall's pattern #8000 is useful. Brocades or patterns silk-look is your best choice, here.      Overcoats/cloaks seem to be popular with the upper classes. For an ersatz overcoat, visit thrift stores for once-trendy jackets that are collar-less and lapel-less. Don't neglect looking in the women's section, as the style has been popular with both genders. Replace the buttons and add some fancy trim to the edges and cuffs - metallic trims would be particularly flashy. Note that if an overcoat or capelet is worn, it is closed only at the throat, to reveal the garments beneath.       For trousers, close-fitting flat-fronted breeches seem to dominate - you can buy patterns for that from any Victorian clothier. There are even some elastic-waisted ersatz patterns in the costuming section of your pattern-books - look at the Revolutionary America outfits for men. Failing that, you could try a pair of jodphurs (a little too snug, maybe) or a pair of flat-front dress slacks carefully tucked into boots - dress boots, not biker boots.       Women wear dresses reminiscent of the 19th-Century Greek Revival - simple lines, high-waisted in light-colored, sheer fabrics. Centauri society places emphasis on the female subordinating her identity for the sake of duty to her family, so their dress is simpler and less ornate than that of their male counterparts. The imposed lack-of-identity also why Centarii women shave their heads, but let's not get into that...       Simplicity #8399 is a 'Titanic' inspired pattern for an Edwardian-style dress that would work. Or else go rummaging through available wardrobes/costume shops/patterns for slip-style dresses. If you don't have a lot of time to get things together, it's likely you could find something rentable from a costume shop.      But even Centarii women are subject to vanity and fashion. If you are playing a high-ranked Centaurii, take your stylistic cues from the richest nobles of the past - several layers and lots of fabric to indicate your wealth. Lots of accessories are also required for the upper class - jeweled buttons, brooches, fob chains, etc. The more common Centauri - relatively speaking - are still quite fussy, but with less ornamentation and showing only one or two layers of fabric.      Fabric suggestions: velvet, brocade, satin, burnout velvet, doe suede, silk/silk look, chiffon, tulle.      Colors: rich blue, dark grey, gold, silver, indigo - all those dyes that cost so much in the pre-industrial days. The women seem to be relegated to pastels and pale shades, but where's the fun in that? Gold and silver trims are popular. White-and-gold brocade is reserved for the Imperial Family. Patterns and textures can be very rich - embroidery and brocade - for higher ranks, more subtle for their retainers. Just compare Londo and Vir for examples...      In regards to Steincorp Station: You're in luck. Johanna has a lot of patterns that work for Centauri-styling, and an awful lot of fabric. Players will probably be asked to find their own pants and shirts, but Johanna believes she will be able to provide vests, topcoats and dresses for P.Cs... Expect to see a lot of brocade and satin in red, black, royal blue and purple... Steincorp Station Personnel The uniform for Station personnel has yet to be determined, but Johanna suspects it will involve the following: black pants, black turtleneck, khaki shirt, web-belt and an armband. The khaki shirts and web-belts will be courtesy of military surplus, and Johanna is already working on a design for armbands - and hoping her friend with the super-duper, computer-powered embroidering sewing machine is feeling generous.      We might ask Steincorp PCs to provide their own black pants and turtlenecks, but the designs are not yet-finalized... We're trying to keep at least one group of PCs easy to outfit!