Category:Personal appearance

While the kit guidelines provided for the Vikings Society concentrate on costume, equipment, arms and armour, it is important not to neglect personal appearance. After all, if you've gone to the trouble of making authentic costume, it is a shame to spoil the effect with a visible wristwatch or by wearing glasses.

There are a number of areas of personal appearance where particular care and consideration may be needed:

• Hair
• Cosmetics/make-up
• Piercings
• Tattoos
• Wedding rings
• Acceptable modern items

There are also cases where we do not expect authenticity standards to be compromised:

• members obviously wearing glasses – while there may be valid reasons, they should only be for very short periods of time, for example to complete paperwork or while reading a script, but not for archery. As a rule, members should use contact lenses or do without;
• members doing obviously modern things in plain view – smoking, having mobile phone conversations and eating ice-creams are the usual culprits. All of these should take place outside show hours, or else be done where the public cannot see. If you are absolutely desperate for a ciggie/cornetto and can’t wait until the show ends, please change back into modern dress or go to the plastic camp;
• if an activity requires significant safety gear, it should either be very unobtrusive, of authentic appearance, or the activity should not take place in the LHE during public hours. If it’s dangerous enough to require safety goggles, it probably isn’t covered by our insurance. If in doubt, consult the Society Living History Thegn and/or Health & Safety Thegn.