Costume
Summary
- Anomalous is set in the 1990s – clothing and props should be appropriate to the period.
- Though the first event is set in 1991, the whole decade is generally fine.
- LARP weapons are more of an exception: these are permitted to appear more as fantasy or historical.
90s fashion
Fashion in the 1990s was predominantly defined by the rise of the minimalist or low maintenance style. While the 70s and 80s saw “fashion with volume” in dominance, 90s clothing would opt for a more “casual chic” approach cemented by a rise in grunge and alt rock. The influence of music also influenced certain fashions such as Rave, Hip-Hop, Punk, and Britpop while other fashion trends included Goth and Preppy styles particularly among younger people. Fashion trends from the 80s and earlier in the decade would still continue to be prevalent and revived particularly as subcultures found ways to define themselves.
All of this is to say that essentially there's something in the 90s for every Character. If you want to delve into the deep fashion cultures of the 1990s then you can find all sorts of examples in online:
No Dress Code
The Cross Foundation doesn't have a dress code beyond a requirement for staff to wear their provided ID cards. As such, Characters are free to wear what they like. Some may choose to dress formally, others may embrace the relaxed attitude and wear more casual clothes. Researchers may choose to wear lab coats to demonstrate their profession, security professionals might choose more practical wear. Ultimately, the decision is down to every Character as to what exactly they choose to wear.
Further, the Cross Foundation represents a strange microcosm of society meaning that staff may well wear things that would be considered out of the ordinary outside of the Foundation.
Aesthetic Over Accuracy
Anomalous is set in the 1990s primarily for the aesthetic and technological limitations but not because we want to nit-pick about what is exactly correct for the decade. As such, we aren't precious about being exactly historically accurate to the 1990s. It is more important to try to feel part of the period than to get it 100% right.