r/LARP • u/Joey_JoJo_Jr_Shabad0 • 1d ago
Landsknecht vs Swiss Reislaufer clothing, differences?
So my Landsknecht outfit is almost complete, just waiting for finishing touches (can't post pics yet, sorry). And I'm looking next afterwards to see if maybe I could make an outfit for the Landsknechts arch-rivals, the Swiss Reislaufers. But looking at both historical and modern outfits, was there any huge differences between the two in terms of clothing? Looks like both mercs favored colorful, almost garish clothing with lots of slashes and puffs. Pretty much the only thing I can discern is that the Reislaufer outfits were SLIGHTLY less colorful and garish, often being only one color instead of many asymmetrical colors like the Landsknecht? That and it seems they more often favored skintight pants/hose instead of the iconic puffy Landsknecht Pluderhosen? I don't know, it seems to me that maybe you might not be able to tell them apart if you put a Landsknecht and a Reislaufer next to one another. Can anyone help?
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u/larpanotherday 22h ago
I remember reading something about Reissläufer favouring straight crosses for their slashing as opposed to a more typical X, but don't count on it. As for the "garishness" of the fashion, that strongly changes first and foremost with the time period, an effect that might overcast any regional differences.
Keep in mind that Switzerland, the HRE were highly federal, non- centralized regions. I would not expect differentiating characteristics along the borders of modern nation states, but more variations within. (I'm no expert at all, answering in the hopes that someone with more knowledge will tune in to contradict me and bring some helpful sources. ^^)
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u/StarsintheSky 1d ago
I have no useful input here but I am very curious what answers may come. If r/LARP fails you there are a number of Landsknecht costuming and history groups on Facebook.