Inspired by the show Vikings, some truly bad ass costumes I’ve seen at Texas Renaissance Festival and on Pinterest, and wanting to wear a costume in the freezing winds of the Orkney Islands, I began researching Viking costumes with a smidgen of historical accuracy. I made three viking dresses, embellished two sets of tunics, and assembled/made quite a few accessories for myself, my husband, my friends, and my mother to wear in Orkney and at Texas Renaissance Festival. Since I made so many items and took a ton of pictures, I’ve had to break it up into five separate blog posts. This post is the summary and general key points on viking style.
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Costuming Vikings: The Dresses
This post focuses on the Viking apron dresses and under dresses for us ladies. We used thin neutral poly-blend fabric for the under dresses and thick neutral herringbone upholstery fabric for the apron dresses. Different closures were used for all three apron dresses made, as well as different trim.
This post focuses on the tunics for the guys. We embellished pre-made linen viking tunics with yarn trim to compliment the men’s coloring, and our dresses. What I did with each tunic’s neckline is one of my favorite happy accidents with the sewing machine!
Costuming Vikings: The Accessories
This post focuses on the jewelry, belts, shoes, shawls/wraps/capes, hats and arm bracers, and everything else that completed these costumes for us ladies and our guys. From handmaid chainmaille and viking beads to belts and things we had in our craft closets, we were the richest of vikings as we layered it all on.
This post focuses on the cape, which believe it or not, was made as a mock-up for Hippolyta from Wonder Woman. The linen cape cut, stitched, and pleated, looked great with the faux fur stole for both Hippolyta and our vikings.
Costuming Vikings: The Style
We enjoyed the variety in the making of these costumes, as well as how they looked on each wearer. We purposely chose natural (looking) fabrics in neutral earth tones. Wool and linen were primarily used for both their warmth and moisture wicking properties, and some poly-blends that at least resembled one or the other. Faux fur was used on mine and my husband’s costumes because I had a yard of it in the craft room, and rabbit pelts were used on Katy’s shawl. As far as historical accuracy, we tried to stay in the ballpark but took aesthetic and cost efficient liberties because honestly, these costumes are just for fun. And fun they were!
Costuming in Orkney
My husband and I, my partner-in-many-crimes Katy, and her boyfriend went on a British Isles cruise in September. We packed our viking costumes hoping for good weather and a gorgeous backdrop for photos, and decided our day in Orkney would be perfect. We were *those* people that day. We walked off the cruise ship like we were about to drop a sick album, and took pictures at Skara Brae and Ring of Brodgar. We absolutely looked like a pack of weirdos but the scenery was amazing and too good to pass up that opportunity. We also walked through Downtown Kirkwall like we owned the place, and enjoyed a lovely scotch whisky tasting (yes, still in costume) at Highland Park Distillery. Somewhere out there are photos that other tourists from our cruise ship took of us selfie style, in group pictures, and the random paparazzi style candid photos. We all giggled that our fellow cruisers probably had no idea we were “one of them.”
Costuming at Texas Renaissance Festival
After the cruise, I made my mother a viking costume in a day. After all these years she was finally able to go to the renaissance festival with me, and I wanted her to have a proper costume! I used similar techniques on her costume as I had on the rest of ours, and I also tried new things just for her (the belt, for example). She was so proud to wear a costume to the renaissance festival that I had made for her, and I was proud as well. The weather was terrible that day (cold and raining) and she was the most appropriately dressed! She received many compliments both in person and online (thank you all).
Costuming Vikings
Costuming Vikings: The Dresses
Costuming Vikings: The Accessories
For more costumes made and/or worn by me, visit the costuming section of my website, and also find the pictures/pins on Pinterest. Skål!
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You all just look so wonderful! And warm!
Thank you so much Michelle! They’re so much fun to wear (and way too hot to wear 99% of the time here in Texas)!
Love all of the Viking garb. I am looking for fur and can’t seem to find what I want. I love the fur on your cape, too bad it’s unavailable!
Thanks Jeanie! If my particular one isn’t available (I bought a LONG time ago) search for faux husky fur by the yard. This one seems super close: Faux Fur Long Pile Candy Shaggy Fabric White Backing 60″ Wide Sold by The Yard (Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KGDZXPW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DwAyEb1J84PMQ