All for One is – primarily – a larp of the 1970s films. It is not a re-enactment, and although there’s a decent overview of the historical period on Wikipedia you’re better off watching the films again.
Ostensibly, you’ll be spending your time learning the ropes of musketeering, and being part of the social whirl of court. You can expect to be training, and dancing at a ball. As well as that, you’ll be on missions for the King, and off and about to your own purposes, foiling plots, that sort of thing. So you can expect to be inside, and outside.
And duelling, of course. It is recommended that you fight duels.
That’s the kind of thing you need to be thinking of dressing for.
All for a summary…
We’re already getting a bit carried away on Pinterest, so here’s the essence of the look. If you’ve images to add (or to check), then contact us and we’ll add them somewhere appropriate.
The Iconic Musketeers
Baggy white shirt, doublet, big slashed breeches, and big boots. Whatever your gender, the look from the 1970s films is pretty much what you’re aiming at, although if you want to replace bits of it with a leather equivalent, go ahead. If in doubt, add more lace and you’re good to go.
We are providing a tabard in fine blue and magnificently embroidered musketeer’s regimental mark, and a cadre symbol to wear until you graduate or are cast out in disgrace. That on top of your budget base is the basic Cadet done.
Brilliant Servants
Some variation here, and some overlap, but servant gear is likely to be plainer, or more distressed, or both.
We’ll provide servants with a sash with the cadre symbol. You’ll probably want to provide something on top of that budget base. My go-to would be a leather jerkin like one of these. However, your something is likely to be character-specific.
Basically budget head-to-toe…
That shirt
Also known as a “Poet’s shirt” – it’s white, it’s got big sleeves, it’s a baggy look, so buy big. As Wikipedia sensitively puts it: “a popular style for … pseudo-historical costumes worn by Hollywood actors portraying characters such as swordsmen or pirates…”
Try eBay for this kind of thing.
A sash
A long scarf worn round, tied, and hanging down to one side. It’s probably fringed on the end as well. Worn over your shirt, which is worn over cut-off joggers. It’s really to disguise the joggers, although you might have a belt-loop for a sword in it too. Looks good worn under a belt. Servants will be provided with a Cadre sash.
Neutral shoes
Black or brown. If you don’t already own anything neutral, desert boots in classic suede, buff or black, work for reasonably cheap.
Plain black joggers
Maybe these from Primark, but they’re ubiquitous. Cut off to calf length to substitute for the historically accurate breeches, add a drawstring or elastic so they sit snug to the leg, and wear them so they’re baggy. If you going for this option, don’t tuck the shirt in. It’ll help disguise the joggers.
Long white tights or thermals
To wear under those cut-off joggers.
Basically better…
As a rule of thumb, the further from the ground you get, the more impact you’ll get from spending more attention on your kit, and the more useful it’ll be to go beyond the budget look.
A hat
A doublet, maybe?
Over the shirt, maybe open at the front, probably quite plain, unless you are a peacock. (Of course, you might well be a peacock…) If you’re of a more military mind, you might be wearing a buff coat instead.
Baggy breeches
Boots
You want long boots, of course you do. You want them because you’re weak, and because you’ll look magnificent. Your first port of call could be boot tops to go over your basic shoes. Or if you’ve riding boots, or rigger boots already, you might be able to acquire some simpler boot tops to fold over the top of them to get the swashbuckling effect. Or you might have bucket top boots already, or yearn for an excuse to buy some. This is your moment. Or, for a UK-based seller, there’s the bucket tops at the bottom of this page. Or maybe these, on a lower budget.
A laddered wig
Long wigs are fashionable, you don’t have to be, but if you want to look like a cocker spaniel, go ahead… Or just have long hair. And maybe a moustache. And a tiny goatee. This kind of thing.
A cloaky thing?
Image by Sally Green
One of those classic musketeer cloaky things? Ah, you mean a casaque. Yes, that’d be amazing. They’d go beautifully under your tabard, as ever the more layers you wear the better you’ll look, and they look amazing. However. They’re a pain in the ass to make, and then need to be made to fit, so you’ll get one off the peg if you are lucky or a common size. Good luck.
Notbreeches
OK, we’re not saying everyone has to wear breeches. If you prefer leather trousers, go ahead. If you’re on leather trousers, ideally they’ll be with long boots too.
More lace
A cursory look at the primary source material shows those shirts need lace. Lace round the cuffs, lace round the neck, wide and ruffled in a single layer maybe, or layered lace of different lengths. This lace is on the right lines. That collar? It’s called a Van Dyck collar. Possibly one of them too?
Gloves
You can challenge someone to a duel without gloves. You can fight without gloves. But you’d be happier doing either in them. They’re a great prop to be taking on and off depending on the situation. They’re big, half way up the forearm, and maybe laced too.
Baldric
If you prefer to hang your sword from a baldric, be our guest. Bang on for the look. The gold trim on that baldric may or may not go all the way round, of course.
But I need something for the ball too!
You don’t, you know. You’re a Cadet Musketeer, in which case you have the credibility to attend in your everyday gear and your tabard. Or you’re a Servant, in which case you’ll pass unnoticed anyway. But you might want something for the ball, and your character might too…
Note that we are providing masks for the ball.
Day wear, but more so
If you want a change for the evenings, you’d be in the same basic garments as your day wear, but in finer fabrics, brighter colours, and more lace. Possibly much more lace.
All frocked up
Female cadets will generally be wearing cadet gear for the rest of the larp, unless you’ve a special mission plan to look femme. But for the ball – go ahead, be my guest, frock it up. You’re looking for puffy upper arm sleeves, an off-the-shoulder Vivenne Westwood style corseted bodice, a voluminous, gathered skirt, solid colours in taffeta, and actually – quite plain really. If you want to get fantastical – then add on lace, and a calabash. (It’s not historical, but we aren’t, m’kay?) Oh, and disguised knives are absolutely on point.
Notthefrockcoat
No such thing as a frock coat, not until later. But there was just the beginning of a thing called a justacorps, which you could wear if you are Dead Fashionable. It’s got much fuller skirts than a frockcoat, and that’s what the king and the posh are wearing in the films.
Sleeping IC
But don’t…
- Don’t tricorn – you are not a pirate, this is not the Caribbean, neither are you a highwayman, however dandy.
- Don’t cowboy hat – you are not a cowboy. Obviously.
- Don’t leather pauldron – you are not in the 2010s BBC series, you are in the 1970s films.
- Don’t dress entirely in leather – I like leather. We all like leather. But you can have too much, and “every exposed item of clothing” is too much.
- Don’t bandana – not on your head, not round your neck, you are not a member of the Southern Death Cult. (Your character isn’t, anyway.)
- Don’t tail coat – this is not the larp of Plunkett and Maclean, nor is it Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, nor is it the Regency.
- No cod-pieces – don’t even go there.
Can’t I just make it?
I guess so? You’ll need patterns or something, then?
- That shirt
- Casaque
- A frock – it’s a bit late for the period, but a lot more 1970s movie and more wearable than the actual historical pattern.
- Another frock
Do you you know where I can just hire it all?
Well, yes, but remember. This is a larp, not a fancy dress party. You’ll be spending some of the weekend outside.
That said – I bet Angels could sort you out, and if you explained there’d be some location work they’d know what to expect. (They probably did the original films after all.) I’ve no clue how expensive they’d be, but it will be expensive!
Script to Screen in Cardiff could probably help too, particularly if you’re passing through Cardiff on the way. Despite the slightly-fancy-dress appearance of their main website, they have shedloads of historical costume for TV & film too.
Sally Green will sell the entire kit to you, if you are that way inclined.